Local MarketingUpdated November 13, 2026 · 4 min

San Diego's Visitor Mix Is Changing: How Hotels, Restaurants and Attractions Win Drive-In and Mexican Visitors

San Diego's Visitor Mix Is Changing: How Hotels, Restaurants and Attractions Win Drive-In and Mexican Visitors

Quick Summary

4 min read
  1. 01

    Short answer: San Diego County welcomed about 32.4 million visitors in 2025, who spent $14.4 billion, slightly down from 2024's 32.5 million and $14.8 billion, according to the San Diego...

  2. 02

    Tourism supports about one in eight San Diego jobs. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Tourism Authority's forecast showed slowing growth or outright declines in almost every...

  3. 03

    Southern California drive-in visitors. Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire and Arizona are within a day's drive. These visitors book shorter, often last-minute trips and decide...

  4. 04

    Visitors from Mexico. Day visitors and overnight guests from Tijuana, Mexicali, Guadalajara and Mexico City already travel to San Diego for shopping, dining, medical care and family visits....

Short answer: San Diego County welcomed about 32.4 million visitors in 2025, who spent $14.4 billion, slightly down from 2024's 32.5 million and $14.8 billion, according to the San Diego Tourism Authority. The mix is shifting. Nationally, Canadian visits to the U.S. fell an estimated 25.7% in 2025 while visits from Mexico rose 8.6%, making Mexico the largest source of international visitors for the first time in more than 25 years, according to Oxford Economics. San Diego already sees 3.8 million Mexican day visitors a year. Hotels, restaurants, tours and attractions that adjust their marketing toward Southern California drive-in visitors and visitors from Mexico can steady their bookings while overall growth is slow.

01What the numbers show

  • Total visitors: 2024: 32.5 million; 2025: 32.4 million
  • Overnight visitors: 2024: 18.0 million; 2025: 17.8 million
  • Mexican day visitors: 2024: 3.8 million; 2025: 3.8 million
  • Direct visitor spending: 2024: $14.8 billion; 2025: $14.4 billion

Source: San Diego Tourism Authority

Tourism supports about one in eight San Diego jobs. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Tourism Authority's forecast showed slowing growth or outright declines in almost every metric, with hotel occupancy forecast to fall to 71% in 2026. International visitors make up only about 10% of San Diego's travelers, but they stay longer and spend more. Canadian visitors had climbed to nearly 315,000 before the national drop. 10News reported weak hotel bookings and concerns about the city's budget.

Where the opportunity is

Southern California drive-in visitors. Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire and Arizona are within a day's drive. These visitors book shorter, often last-minute trips and decide based on deals, events and weather.

Visitors from Mexico. Day visitors and overnight guests from Tijuana, Mexicali, Guadalajara and Mexico City already travel to San Diego for shopping, dining, medical care and family visits. Many plan in Spanish.

Locals. San Diegans themselves are a large audience for restaurants, attractions and staycations, especially in quieter months.

How to adjust your marketing

1. Market in Spanish to Mexican visitors

Add Spanish pages or menus, Spanish Google Business Profile posts and bilingual staff mentions. Run paid social campaigns targeted to Baja California and major Mexican cities around holidays such as Semana Santa and the December break.

2. Win last-minute drive-in trips

Drive-in visitors search close to their travel date: "San Diego hotel deals this weekend" or "things to do in San Diego with kids." Keep deals, availability and event-based packages visible, and run short campaigns targeting Southern California and Arizona on Wednesdays and Thursdays before weekends.

3. Package around events

Comic-Con, Padres games, Petco Park concerts, holiday lights and seasonal events give visitors a reason to come. Build packages, such as room plus dinner or tickets plus parking, and promote them ahead of time.

4. Bring locals in during quieter months

Staycation rates, resident discounts and neighborhood dining weeks fill gaps. A list of local customers who have opted in to hear from you is valuable here. Automated follow-up can send offers when you have availability.

5. Show up where visitors decide

Visitors increasingly ask AI assistants where to stay and eat. Make sure your website clearly describes your location, amenities, price range and what makes you different, and keep your Google profile current. See our local SEO and AI search visibility services.

6. Book direct

Online travel agencies and booking platforms charge commissions. Offer a direct-booking perk, such as free parking or a late checkout, and make your booking engine easy on mobile.

What to measure

Track bookings by visitor origin (Southern California, Mexico, other), direct versus third-party share, lead time and Spanish-language page traffic. If Mexican and drive-in bookings grow while long-haul visitors dip, your adjustments are working.

For a plan built around your property or venue, see how we work with San Diego businesses.

FAQ

How many people visited San Diego in 2025? About 32.4 million, spending $14.4 billion, according to the San Diego Tourism Authority.

Is Mexico now the top source of international visitors to the US? Yes. Oxford Economics estimated that in 2025 Mexico overtook Canada as the largest source of international visitors to the US for the first time in more than 25 years, outside pandemic years.

What's the quickest way for a San Diego hotel to fill rooms? Short, targeted campaigns to Southern California drive-in travelers before weekends, plus a direct-booking perk.

Sources

Free growth plan

Turn this into more customers.

We run marketing, video and AI follow-up for owner-led businesses. Tell us about yours and we will show you the three fixes that matter most.

Keep reading