July 4 holiday brings significant boost in business to local economy

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The July 4 holiday brings thousands to San Diego — and, along with them, a welcome boost in business for our area.

“Holiday weekend’s been great…we have this weekend circled on the calendar every year,” said Gregory Schirra, a manager at Barleymash in Downtown San Diego.

According to a 2022 economic impact estimate completed by SDSU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, San Diego’s ‘Big Bay Boom’ event alone generates nearly $75 million for our local economy.

The San Diego International Airport said 800,000 travelers are expected to come through the area in the ten days surrounding the holiday.

“Holidays are our favorite here in Gaslamp,” said Sarpel Alsalih, a manager of Tiger Cafe in Gaslamp.

Alsalih says their sales often triple on big holiday weekends.

“We have tour groups all over San Diego that come to us and sometimes bring in 15-20 people,” he said.

You can read more about the projected economic impact of the holiday here.