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For San Antonio residents, the millions of visitors who come to experience the city's history, restaurants, attractions and culture represent more than a thriving travel destination. They also help sustain local jobs, support neighborhood businesses and generate tax revenue that contributes to the public services families rely on.

New research released by Visit San Antonio on November 12, 2026, shows just how significant that connection has become. San Antonio welcomed more than 40.2 million domestic and international visitors in 2025, generating $23.7 billion in economic impact, supporting approximately 153,000 local jobs and producing more than $280 million in tax revenue for the City of San Antonio.

The findings offer an encouraging look at the city's continued economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, while newer hotel performance data suggests that San Antonio's tourism industry is maintaining its momentum through 2026.

For residents and business owners throughout San Antonio and Bexar County, the numbers tell a broader story about how the city's identity as a travel destination contributes to the economic health of the community.

San Antonio Tourism Growth Brings More Visitors and Economic Activity

According to the latest tourism research, San Antonio recorded a 2.7% increase in total visitation in 2025 compared with 2024, bringing more than one million additional visits to the city.

Domestic travelers accounted for the largest share of visitors. Research from MMGY Travel Intelligence found that 37.7 million domestic visitors traveled to San Antonio in 2025, an increase of 2.4% from the previous year.

International travel grew at an even faster pace. Tourism Economics reported that San Antonio welcomed 2.51 million international visitors, representing a 5.9% increase over 2024.

Together, those figures reflect continued interest in San Antonio among leisure travelers, convention attendees and business professionals, with visitors drawn to the city's cultural heritage, culinary experiences, historic landmarks and expanding hospitality offerings.

That activity contributed to a $23.7 billion economic impact in 2025, compared with $23.4 billion in 2024.

For the city's restaurants, hotels, entertainment venues, retailers and tourism-related businesses, visitor spending is an important part of maintaining operations and supporting employment. Its effects can also extend to suppliers and other businesses serving the hospitality industry.

What San Antonio's Tourism Economy Means for Local Jobs and City Services

While visitor counts and economic impact figures capture attention, the significance of San Antonio's tourism growth becomes clearer when considering the people and services connected to the industry.

In 2025, tourism and hospitality supported approximately 153,000 local jobs, up from 150,000 in 2024. That represents roughly 3,000 additional jobs supported by the industry compared with the previous year.

Those positions span a wide range of occupations, including hotel operations, food service, transportation, event management, attractions and other businesses that depend on visitor activity.

The industry's contribution also reaches beyond employment.

According to Visit San Antonio, tourism generated more than $280 million in tax revenues for the City of San Antonio in 2025. That revenue helps support municipal services and public investments that benefit residents, including people who may rarely visit the city's most popular tourist destinations.

Mario Bass, President and CEO of Visit San Antonio, said the industry's value is best understood through its contributions to the broader community.

"Surpassing 40 million visitors is an important milestone for San Antonio, but the true significance of these numbers is what tourism delivers for our community," said Bass. "Our industry supports more than 153,000 jobs, strengthens local businesses and generates hundreds of millions of dollars that help fund essential City services. As visitation continues to grow, so does tourism's contribution to San Antonio's economy and the quality of life of our residents."

The distinction matters for local taxpayers. Tourism's economic impact measures broader activity associated with visitors, while the reported city tax revenues represent a more direct contribution to municipal finances.

For residents, the continuing growth illustrates how San Antonio's appeal to visitors can translate into economic activity that reaches well beyond the tourism industry itself.

San Antonio Hotel Demand Continues Climbing in 2026

Although the newly released visitor and economic impact figures reflect 2025 activity, hotel performance data offers an early indication of how the industry is performing in 2026.

According to Smith Travel Research (STR), San Antonio hotel room demand increased 4.8% from January through September 2026, compared with the same nine-month period in 2025.

Hotel occupancy also improved by 4.1%, while the supply of available hotel rooms increased by just 0.6%.

That difference is notable because it indicates demand for hotel accommodations grew substantially faster than the number of rooms available.

Monthly figures provide a closer look at the trend:

• June 2026: Hotel room demand increased 5.3% compared with June 2025.

• July 2026: Demand increased 4.1%.

• August 2026: Demand increased 7.6%.

• September 2026: Demand jumped 20.2% compared with September 2025.

September's increase was particularly significant, marking the strongest year-over-year monthly growth among the four months highlighted in the report.

For hotels and hospitality businesses, stronger room demand can create opportunities for additional revenue and support continued operations. For nearby restaurants, entertainment destinations and service providers, more overnight visitors can also mean additional opportunities to attract customers.

Bass said the hotel figures provide reasons for optimism, even as the travel industry navigates a challenging economic environment.

"We're particularly encouraged by what we're seeing in hotel performance this year," Bass added. "The continued increase in room nights sold, particularly during the summer and into September, gives us confidence in the direction of our tourism economy. While we recognize that the travel industry continues to face economic headwinds and increasing competition, San Antonio remains a compelling destination for visitors. Our focus is on building upon this momentum, attracting new audiences and ensuring tourism continues delivering meaningful economic benefits to our community."

Why San Antonio Continues to Attract Millions of Travelers

San Antonio's tourism economy draws strength from a combination of historic destinations, cultural traditions, family attractions, culinary experiences and major meetings and conventions.

Well-known destinations such as the San Antonio River Walk, the Alamo and the city's historic missions help introduce visitors to the region's history and cultural identity.

Meanwhile, San Antonio's growing restaurant scene, hotel offerings, entertainment attractions and meeting facilities provide additional reasons for travelers to visit and return.

This combination allows the city to appeal to several travel markets, from families planning vacations and couples seeking weekend getaways to organizations hosting conferences and business events.

The city's continued growth also reflects a multiyear recovery following the disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to travel, hospitality and convention business.

According to Visit San Antonio, the latest figures demonstrate sustained demand from both domestic and international visitors, providing an important foundation for the industry's continued development.

That recovery carries particular importance for a city where tourism is closely connected to local culture, small businesses and generations of hospitality workers.

What's Next for San Antonio's Tourism Industry?

With hotel demand continuing to rise in 2026, Visit San Antonio is focusing on attracting new visitor audiences, expanding convention and meeting business, and strengthening the city's position as a leading destination for leisure and business travel.

The organization, which serves as San Antonio's official destination marketing organization, works through strategic marketing, sales efforts and partnerships to promote the city and support businesses that benefit from tourism.

Its ongoing initiatives include showcasing the local experiences, cultural traditions and attractions that contribute to San Antonio's identity under the destination's Unmistakably San Antonio branding.

While the latest hotel data provides positive signs, the full economic impact of tourism in 2026 has yet to be determined. Continued growth will depend on travel demand, broader economic conditions and San Antonio's ability to compete with other destinations for leisure travelers and convention business.

For residents, the larger takeaway is that the city's tourism success is closely tied to its economic well-being.

The thousands of people working in hotels, restaurants and visitor attractions, the locally owned businesses serving travelers, and the municipal services supported by tourism-related tax revenues all help illustrate why the industry's performance matters beyond downtown San Antonio.

As the city continues to grow and welcome new visitors, maintaining that connection between tourism and community benefit will remain an important part of San Antonio's economic future.

Residents interested in learning more about the city's tourism economy, visitor trends and ongoing destination initiatives can visit Visit San Antonio.

Stay connected with My Neighborhood News for continued coverage of San Antonio economic development, local business growth, city initiatives and the changes shaping communities throughout the region.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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