Mayor Edwin M. Lee announced a new study conducted by Americans for the Arts and sponsored by the Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund and the San Francisco Arts Commission that reports that the nonprofit arts and culture sector has continued to pump millions of dollars into the local economy.

“The nonprofit arts and culture sector is vital to the character of our City and now we have proof that it is critical to our local economy,” said Mayor Lee. “Not only are the arts a cornerstone of our tourism industry, but we’ve seen first-hand how investing in the arts can help transform economically depressed neighborhoods and help them attract and sustain new businesses and jobs.”

Although spending by arts patrons fell 11 percent nationwide between 2005 and 2010, data evaluated from nonprofit arts and cultural organizations reveals that they generated $710 million in economic activity for San Francisco, supported 19,744 full-time equivalent jobs here, and delivered $59.3 million in local and state revenue. These findings, coupled with a recent study focused on visiting consumer spending conducted by the San Francisco Travel Association, shows that arts and culture-inspired tourism contributes $1.7 billion in revenue to the local economy.

“San Francisco is the poster child for cultural tourism,” said Americans for the Arts Vice President of Research and Policy Randy Cohen. “In most cities, roughly 30 percent of arts and culture audiences come from out of town, but in San Francisco more than 50 percent of audiences live outside the city and their spending fuels the local economy by pumping vital revenue into local businesses.” 

According to the Arts & Economic Prosperity Study, arts tourists stay longer and spend more than the average traveler. In San Francisco, researchers estimate that more than half of the 10.4 million nonprofit arts attendees are non-residents. Non-resident attendees spent an average of 66 percent more per person than local attendees.

“Arts and culture are a key reason that people choose to visit San Francisco and the constant evolution of our cultural offerings keeps visitors returning again and again,” said San Francisco Travel Association President and CEO Joe D’Alessandro. “When visitors come to experience the arts, they generate economic impact that benefits all San Franciscans.”

The largest and most comprehensive study of its kind, the 2010 Arts & Economic Prosperity Study shows that the arts industry continued to serve as an economic engine, delivering billions of dollars into the nation’s economy, despite a challenging economic climate.

Nationally, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $135.2 billion dollars of economic activity—$61.1 billion in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations, plus an additional $74.1 billion in spending by their audiences. This economic activity had a significant impact on the nation's economy, supporting 4.1 million full-time equivalent jobs, and generating $22.3 billion in revenue to local, state and federal governments—a yield well beyond their collective $4 billion in arts allocations.

“This is great news for our local arts and culture organizations, because this economic impact study sends a strong message that when we support the arts, we not only enhance our quality of life, but we also invest in the City’s economic well-being,” said Grants for the Arts Director Kary Schulman.

To read the entire Americans for the Arts report, go to: sfartscommission.org.