Visit San Antonio Executive Summary - Q4 FY26
Dear Valued Partners, As we close the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026, I am pleased to share the continued positive momentum of San Antonio's visitor economy. The final quarter brought encouraging growth in hotel demand, strong summer hotel demand, and record-breaking annual convention sales performance that positions our destination for continued success. Our hotel industry demonstrated particularly strong results throughout Q4, with year-over-year occupancy gains in July, August, and September. September was especially noteworthy, with hotel occupancy increasing nearly 21% compared to the previous year. This strong finish contributed to a 5% increase in hotel room demand through September, outpacing growth in available room supply and reflecting the continued appeal of San Antonio as a destination for leisure and business travelers. Visit San Antonio also closed the quarter with significant achievements across our sales, marketing, and leisure development efforts, including record-breaking results in convention sales bookings. These accomplishments reflect the strength of our strategies and the collaboration of our industry partners. While this Executive Summary highlights our fourth-quarter performance, I encourage you to look for our full FY26 Annual Report, which will be shared in the coming days. The report will provide a more comprehensive look at our accomplishments, organizational performance, and the collective impact of our efforts throughout the fiscal year. Thank you to our Board of Directors, members, and industry partners for your continued commitment to San Antonio. As we begin FY27, I look forward to building on this momentum and working together to drive even greater opportunities for our destination. With warm regards, Mario J. Bass President & CEO Visit San Antonio Goal FY26 Goal Q4 Production FY Total FY Goal Attainment Variance FY26 vs FY25 Sales: Events Booked 800 238 849 106% +6% Sales: Room Nights Booked 950,000 367,648 1.07M 113% +10% Sales: Leads Generated 3,600 1,046 3,865 107% +8.6% Experience: Citywide Planners' Satisfaction Rate 3.9 4.0 3.9 100% +2.6% Marketing: Paid Reach 95M 27M 96M 101% +15% Marketing: Paid Impact Score 33 pts 35 34 103% +17% Marketing: Attributed Visitors 2.3M 593K 2.35M 102% +11% Communications: Earned Media Value $34.4M $5M 34.6M 101% +1.5% Membership: Total Membership 870 32 968 111% +6% Membership: Retention Rate 80% 93% 93% 116% -2% Hotel Demand (STR) July August September YTD through September Occupancy 65.6% 58.5% 63.6% 61.4% Average Daily Rate $127 $118 $133 $131 RevPAR $83 $69 $84 $81 Short-Term Rentals July August September YTD through September Occupancy 75% 60.9% 62.1% 64.2% Average Daily Rate $192 $162 $158 $172 RevPAR $144 $99 $98 $110 Overall Demand (Aggregate Lodging) July August September YTD through September Occupancy 65.6% 58.7% 63.4% 61.7% Average Daily Rate $135 $123 $135 $136 RevPAR $90 $72 $86 $84 San Antonio experienced improving hotel demand and revenue performance culminating in a particularly strong September resulting in Calendar Year Q3 jumping well above last year with an occupancy growth of 9.3%, ADR growth of 5.4% and RevPAR growth of 15.2%. Each month in the quarter contributed to this growth with July showing moderate occupancy growth of 2.6%, led by strong group in the first week combined with leisure with the holiday and the Alamodome’s July 4 th concert; August benefited from increased group demand, ending the month with an occupancy increase of 6.2%; and September delivered substantial year-over-year occupancy gains of 20.9%. Group Dates Booked Room Nights Estimated Economic Impact Propelled Brands 01/2027 5,249 $2.6M Association for Financial Professionals 11/2029 20,500 $11.5M W.W. Grainger 02/2031 17,624 $9.4M Future Business Leaders of America 06/2031 34,100 $21.4M Ellucian 04/2032 23,470 $13.6M Destination Sales finished the fiscal year with record-breaking performance across all major sales metrics. Hosted Group Metrics Q4 Total Total Attendance 161K Total Room Nights 184K Estimated Economic Impact $115M During the fourth quarter, Visit San Antonio sustained strong marketing momentum by extending its summer campaigns, showcasing the destination’s diverse experiences and contributing to positive trends in transient hotel occupancy. In July, a new luxury-focused campaign launched regionally and nationally, targeting high-value travelers and elevating San Antonio’s appeal as a premier luxury destination. Building on this momentum, the fall campaign launched in August under the theme “Spirited. Unapologetic. Unmistakably San Antonio.” The campaign positioned San Antonio as anything but a typical fall destination, highlighting its vibrant cultural heritage, signature festivals, and distinctive experiences, including one of the nation's largest Day of the Dead celebrations. Together, these strategic initiatives strengthened destination awareness, drove meaningful audience engagement, and supported continued visitation and economic impact for San Antonio…
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