Tourism is on the rise in Oakland, which means more business, money and opportunities coming into the town.
The president of Visit Oakland, a nonprofit that markets the city, says it is trying to fight what he describes as the negative narrative about crime and safety in Oakland.
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WATCH HEREAccording to Visit Oakland, 3.4 million tourists spent $583 million in 2024, generating a total economic impact of $779 million. It marks a 0.2% decline in spending from the previous year.
The new tourism numbers were announced Wednesday morning at the Oakland Museum of California.
Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, who takes office in three weeks, also spoke Wednesday morning about the challenges the city faces when it comes to crime.
"We have continued to ensure that everyone feels safe and is safe and is welcomed in our city," Lee said. "We have a long way to go, but we're making a lot of progress. It makes sense for us to look at how we change the narrative around Oakland."
Even though violent crime was down in Oakland last year, property crime was still an issue, so much so that Gov. Gavin Newsom sent in teams of California Highway Patrol officers to help bolster security and catch criminals.
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Visit Oakland’s CEO Peter Gamez said that he expects the tourism numbers to spike this year with the recognition of being named the number one food city in America and with the early success of the NBA All-Star Week, the Black Joy Parade and the AKA Convention with more events on the way.
“Not only is it bringing vitality to our downtown for our convention center and even on the east side with our Oakland Arena,” he said. “It is essential because it also brings state and federal taxes are coming in and impacting out town.”
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SIGN UP Visit Oakland said the news is key to keep flights booked and hotels full including travelers from Mexico. But Gamez said the new administration is bringing challenges for international travel.
“Our international market is critical and the federal vibe right now to welcoming, which is one of our number one international markets, being Mexico, is very critical,” he said. “We are going to be working hand in hand with our Mexico market.”
