By Olivia Wynkoop. Bay City News.
As San Francisco's hotel industry makes plans to revive its Union Square shopping district, hotels in the city are looking to hire 1,200 employees for the peak season.
During a joint news conference Tuesday at a downtown hotel, national, state and local hotel leaders said they have high hopes for a bustling summer tourism season as the industry slowly recovers from COVID-19 shutdowns.
The city's hotel occupancy rate remains down 24 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels, but the tourism sector is optimistic that as international travel restrictions ease, group tourism picks up and conferences return to the city, the downtown area will once again be vibrant.
To accommodate the projected increase in visitors and conference attendees, the industry wants to hire and retain hotel workers by providing above-average-paying jobs with benefits and career paths.
The announcement comes on the heels of the mayor's London Breed and the supervisor Aaron Peskin will introduce legislation Monday that aims to convert Union Square's vacant retail stores into dynamic spaces.
If approved, building code policies will change so that multi-level buildings can be converted into office space, restaurants and retail stores all at once.