Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Hospitality Equity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hearing on hospitality equity spotlights job pipelines, incubator idea and use of hotel tax dollars
Summary
A multi-stakeholder working group presented recommendations to boost African American inclusion in San Francisco's tourism and hospitality sector, proposing a diversity advisory council, internships, neighborhood marketing and a potential business incubator funded through a future budget or targeted revenue. Community members urged dedicated commitments and accountability.
The Committee heard a broad hearing on equity and inclusion in San Francisco's hospitality and travel industries, where a cross-sector working group presented a set of recommendations and community members urged concrete funding and measurable outcomes.
Supervisor Cohen convened the discussion, noting tourism's scale in the city (the working group cited roughly 16.9 million visitors and about $9.4 billion in visitor spending) and pointing to persistent disparities for African American residents. Theo Miller, a senior advisor in the Mayor's Office and Public Utilities Commission staffer, and John Ballesteros of San Francisco Travel summarized the working-group process and said the coalition includes community groups, unions, the hotel council and city departments.
The group highlighted steps already in motion: SF Travel plans a diversity advisory council and neighborhood-targeted marketing; the Hotel Council and Local 2 piloted a showcase and summer internship program to connect community-based organizations with hotel HR; Public Works and Moscone expansion partners have new pipelines and increased set-asides; and city contracting units have staff dedicated to expanding opportunities for diverse contractors.
Fred Jordan of the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce urged the supervisors to consider allocating a fraction of transient occupancy (hotel) tax proceeds to support Black entrepreneurship and cultural institutions, noting even a half- to one-and-a-half-percent set-aside could generate several million dollars. Working-group presenters described incubator models to support entrepreneurs and urged supervisors and the mayor's office to partner on implementation, data collection and an Executive Steering Committee to oversee progress.
Speakers from community-based organizations, education and training programs pressed for tangible commitments and metrics: requests included seed funding for a Fillmore/Bayview incubator, workforce-development investments (including at the high-school, community college and university levels), technical-assistance grants for small businesses and procurement pathways into hotel contracting. Several speakers stressed accountability, data transparency and measurable outcomes rather than additional public hearings.
Committee members thanked participants, asked for clearer timelines and requested that the working group return with a concrete plan, including potential budget requests for the next fiscal cycle. The committee moved to continue the item to the call of the chair for further development and oversight.
