According to the San Antonio Area Tourism Council, the annual economic impact of tourism on the multi-cultural Alamo City is well over $8.7 billion, and stands amongst other lucrative industries, such as health, medical and aerospace. The direct impact visitors and day-trippers have on San Antonio is crucial to urban development and city improvements. Take the 2007 fiscal year, for example, which showed that the hotel tax collection for the city exceeded $47 million. Aside from this, tourism is also responsible for employing one in eight San Antonians, exceeding 94,000 citizens. There are various elements that bring over 20 million visitors each year and you, along with other factors, are one of them.

Here are seven characteristics that make a vacation destination successful and able to attract tourists from all over the world.

1. Safety and Security: “Is the place I’m visiting safe?” is a natural question that everyone will ask, especially before electing to travel somewhere for the first time. During my travels, it was interesting to see how some cities do a great job at providing a sense of security and a safe environment and how many do not. As San Antonio citizens, we should be proud that our local leaders understand the importance of this issue. Take the Riverwalk, for example; on any given night, you can stroll on its banks and see the friendly welcoming faces of the local police, state park rangers or Amigos (San Antonio’s version of the volunteer citizen red berets).

2. Cleanliness: What exactly constitutes a clean city? There are several factors that create the look of San Antonio. Safe drinking water, good air quality, clean hotel rooms, unpolluted streets, hygienic restaurants and well-kept parks are a few of them. The cleaner a city looks in the eyes of its visitors, the more inviting it becomes. It is a direct reflection how the citizens of San Antonio perceive themselves and want to be perceived. San Antonio is a busy place, and it takes a lot of effort to keep it clean. It’s vital that we continue to be vigilant and do our part in this effort.

3. Area Attractions: Today’s traveler wants every experience to be unique and different from the last one. So what can our city offer? Did you know that the Alamo, the Riverwalk, SeaWorld San Antonio, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and the San Antonio Zoo make up five of the top 10 tourist attractions in Texas? On top of the usual landmarks, San Antonio has other charming places to visit, such as Hemisphere Plaza, Market Square, the Mission Trails, the Tower of the Americas, Hill Country excursions and the famous King William district. The Shops at La Cantera also provide a different type of shopping experience, not to mention the great golf courses and unique culinary restaurants scattered throughout the city. Coming soon is the Riverwalk museum expansion, the new 1000 room SPA & TPC golf course, JW Marriott Resort in the Hill Country and Rivercenter Mall reinvention.

4. Special Events: According to the San Antonio Area Tourism Council, San Antonio has over 180 hotels and over 33,000 hotel rooms, 12,000 of which are located in the downtown area and near the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. An estimated 3.9 million visitors came to San Antonio on business, for special events and for conventions. Fiesta alone draws millions of tourists. Who can blame them? A 10-day celebration that includes parades, Mariachi music, rodeos, and NIOSA is not something that should be missed. Other events, such as Oyster Bake, Spurs games, March of Dimes, the dyeing of the river on St. Patrick’s Day and the famous holiday river lighting, also attract many visitors.

5. Community Involvement: A simple “hello” goes a long way in San Antonio. Many of these special events, conventions and area attractions wouldn’t be what they are today if it weren’t for San Antonio residents. Making an appearance at the Alamo or the Annual Baby Expo shows how close we are as a community; this separates us from other major metropolitan cities. Volunteering during these special occasions also shows how dedicated we are as a city and more importantly, as a family. Accommodating for our tourists and making them feel at home always leaves a lasting impression.

6. Accessibility of Transportation: With the expansion of the San Antonio International Airport to improving and expanding our highway systems, San Antonio is making it easier for all travelers to get to and from the Alamo City. 7. Tourism Promotion: In 2006, the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) produced more than 760,000 room nights with an estimated delegate expenditure of over $519 million. According to PKF Consulting, San Antonio continues to have the strongest Texas Hotel Occupancy, beating out Austin, Houston, Fort Worth and Dallas. In 2006, over eight million passengers landed at the San Antonio International Airport, averaging 260 scheduled arrivals and departures daily.

Each of these elements plays a major part in making the Alamo City a place where tourists flock year after year. Our robust city and embracing culture makes San Antonio an enjoyable place for tourists, so let’s keep it that way. To find out more information on tourism and its direct impact on our society, visit the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.sanantoniocvb.com or the San Antonio Area Tourism Council at www.sanantoniotourism.com.