San Francisco Tourism Industry Certificate

Transcription

1 Please use this guide to review the information you learned in the MYSF training. When you feel you re ready, you can visit to sign up for your certification exam. The fee is $24.95, and also entitles you to one month free of Learn it! Anytime E-Learning courses. OVERVIEW Tourism & Quality of Life The tourism industry directly supports essential city services. Visitors are responsible for over 650 million dollars in taxes. San Francisco Travel San Francisco s official and only tourism and marketing organization. Private, not for profit. Visitor Statistics More than 18 million visitors a year come to San Francisco. Visitors spend 1 million dollars per hour.

2 KEYS TO SUCCESS Know Practical Information The How To s and In Their Shoes Firsthand experience allows you to share your passion and enthusiasm. Recommendations sound more authentic if you ve done it yourself. Visiting again allows you to look from the perspective of passing on knowledge. Make sure location information is accurate before sending a visitor somewhere. Giving Directions If you have a map, show people where they are and where they re going. Use reassuring phrases. Keep it simple. Only include major changes in direction. Use landmarks and street names. Give ballpark estimates of time and distance. Repeat yourself and make sure they understand. If you re able, walk with them as far as you can. The Golden (Gate) Rule Treat others the way they would like to be treated.

3 WHO IS SAN FRANCISCO? Who is San Francisco? San Francisco is accepting and friendly. San Francisco is a juxtaposition of the old and new. Be ready to communicate about San Francisco on an emotional level. FISHERMAN S WHARF & ALCATRAZ Fisherman s Wharf & Alcatraz The top reason people visit San Francisco is atmosphere and scenic beauty. Over 75% of visitors to San Francisco include Fisherman s Wharf on their itinerary. Alcatraz Island is a national park. Getting There The F-Line streetcar and both Powell cable car lines terminate near Fisherman s Wharf. Alcatraz Cruises is the only ferry provider to Alcatraz and back.

4 When Alcatraz Cruises Are Sold Out Check alcatrazcruises.com often to find tickets for dates that weren t available before. Look into tour packages from tour providers that include Alcatraz. As an alternative, there are a number of bay cruises that travel close to Alcatraz. UNION SQUARE Union Square Union Square is the hub of San Francisco s downtown. Visitors enjoy its central location and easy access to public transportation. Union Square is the shopping district for San Francisco. Fielding Objections Untidy Public Spaces Step 1: Say why it happens. Step 2: Explain what San Francisco is doing about it. Step 3: Tell the visitor what you ll do to help. Call 311 or neighborhood BID. Discounts and Bus Tours Many stores offer special discounts to international visitors. The Union Square Tix office sells discounted tickets to same-day shows. Union Square is a major hub for hop-on-hop-off bus tours.

5 CABLE CARS Cable Cars The turn-around at Powell & Market is the best place to board a cable car. The Powell-Hyde line provides the Cable Car Postcard View experience. The California line is great for on-the-go visitors because there s often no line. Visitors shouldn t use cable cars as primary transportation. Fielding Objections Panhandling Step 1: Acknowledge the visitor s concern. Step 2: Explain the situation. Step 3: Give a suggestion or tip like It s okay to smile, move on, and dis-engage.

6 EMBARCADERO Embarcadero The ferry building offers local retailers, restaurants, a food hall, and a farmer s market. The Bay Lights is the world s largest LED light sculpture. Getting to the Embarcadero Walk from Union Square or take the F-Market streetcar. Just follow the clock tower. Looking for a good one day itinerary? Take the cable car to Fisherman s Wharf. Then take the F-Market streetcar back, and stop by the Ferry Building. Parking Challenges Visitors least liked thing about San Francisco is the traffic and parking challenges. Be reassuring about communicating walkability. Use public transportation, taxies, and rideshares, when possible. For drivers, look carefully at signs and meters and expect to pay for parking.

7 GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE Getting There Walk or bike from Fisherman s Wharf. It s an easy journey of just over an hour. Public transportation buses require transferring. It can be complicated and time consuming. Golden Gate Bridge Photo Hotspots Crissy Field Marin Headlands Fort Point Weather Dress in layers. Expect wind. Driving Tolls are electronic. Just drive through. Then, pay online at You have 48 hours to pay at bayareafastrak.org to avoid a late fee using your license plate number. Visitors should consult their car rental company about automatic tolls.

8 CHINATOWN & NORTH BEACH Chinatown San Francisco s Chinatown is the oldest in North America. Its diverse neighborhood is a good example of what makes San Francisco special. Visitors can find unique restaurants, authentic (and tourist) shops, herb and tea vendors, temples, pagoda roofs, and dragon parades. Getting There The main entrance to Chinatown (Dragon s Gate) is a few blocks from Union Square, at Grant & Bush. Many visitors explore Chinatown and North Beach on the same day because they are close to each other. North Beach North Beach is known as the Italian neighborhood. North Beach has jazz clubs, cappuccino houses, off-beat bistros, and more. Its name derives from the 1850 s when the neighborhood was actually a beach.

9 YERBA BUENA & MOSCONE CENTER Yerba Buena Yerba Buena has the highest concentration of arts outside of New York City. There are eleven museums within three blocks. Bookmark sfarts.org for the most up-to-date event listings. Moscone Convention Center Most major conventions, events, and festivals take place between August and October. The majority of San Francisco s convention attendees are visiting from out of town. Check the San Francisco Travel Convention Calendar online to advise visitors not here on business, and plan to provide service to business travelers when Moscone is busy.

10 PARKS AND RECREATION Golden Gate Park The park is home to two museums: the California Academy of Sciences and DeYoung. The DeYoung fine art museum has a free viewing tower with 360 degree city views. Visitors love the Japanese Tea Garden and Conservatory of Flowers. Ocean Beach The Cliff House and Sutro Baths are located at the northernmost part of Ocean Beach. Swimming is not recommended at Ocean Beach due to the strong undertow. Land s End The Land s End trail is an easy walk offering amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Visitors can easily travel from Union Square to Land s End on the 38 Geary bus. A visitor center with restrooms, snacks, gifts, and history exhibits is also available.

11 TYPES OF VISITORS Visitor Statistics 77% of visitors are from the United States. International visitors stay longer and spend more. China is the fastest growing visitor group. Guided Experience Seekers VS. Independent Travelers Visitors seeking a guided experience want to be worry-free about their visit. Recommend experiences like hop-on-hop-off buses, guided tours, and walking tours. Find out if visitors are ready to be independent. Ask: How do you want to get around today? Live Like a Local Independent Travelers The idea of living like a local resonates strongly with return visitors. The most popular 2 nd visit neighborhood is the Mission District. Ask them questions like: Is this your first time visiting? Share your favorite local activities with them. Tailor your suggestion to their interests.

12 SERVICES FOR TOURISTS Public Transit and Airport Travel Buying an unlimited-use MUNI pass is the best, least-confusing public transit option. MUNI passes include access to MUNI and Cable Cars, but not BART. MUNI Passes are available in 1, 3, and 7 day increments. Multi-day passes provide better value. The Transbay Terminal, located at Howard & Main, is the main transportation hub for visitors leaving San Francisco. Flying visitors can use San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport. Taxis, BART, and shuttles are the most popular options to reach both airports. Guides, Maps, and Visitor Centers The San Francisco Visitor Information Center is downstairs from the Powell Cable Car turnaround. At the Visitor Center, visitors can: get directions free maps and guides purchase transit passes get their trip expertly planned book tours.

13 Using Your Influence Repeat Visitors & Extended Stay 70% of visitors to San Francisco are repeat visitors. 98% of visitors want to return to San Francisco. Recommend something new to repeat visitors. Ask: What have you done already? Remind visitors that there s always something new to see and do in San Francisco. Seeing San Francisco can t be done in just one day. Please use this guide to review the information you learned in the MYSF training. When you feel you re ready, you can visit to sign up for your certification exam. The fee is $24.95, and also entitles you to one month free of Learn it! Anytime E-Learning courses.