When the San Francisco Giants defeated the Texas Rangers on Monday night to garner the 2010 World Series Championship trophy, lifelong fans as well as new supporters were able to take new pride in the team’s home city.
As hundreds of thousands of fans celebrated Wednesday with a ticker-tape parade down Market Street, one local nonprofit hopes the San Francisco love will spread around the country and draw more tourists to the city.
The Giants’ proven staying power significantly boosted the city’s local economy as their ongoing advancement through the National League and World Series playoffs generated millions of dollars through hotel stays, restaurant dining, shopping, attractions, entertainment and transportation, according to Joe D’Alessandro, the president of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The 1,600-member bureau markets the city as a leisure, convention, and business travel destination, according to D’Alessandro. It said tourism is the city’s largest industry, drawing in more than $8.5 billion each year for the local economy.
D’Alessandro said the abundant media coverage of the city throughout the series, including “priceless” panoramic shots of the historically beautiful city, is sure to do wonders for spurring San Francisco love throughout the country.
“Every time someone refers to the San Francisco Giants, all of the positive attributes of the destination are brought to mind – the icons, the views, the foods, the arts, the neighborhoods, and so on,” D’Alessandro said in a statement. “Each time brings people closer to their next visit to San Francisco.”
