San Francisco is feeling the impact of homelessness on tourism; should LA worry?

Andrew Loy begs along a sidewalk in San Francisco, Calif. on June 28, 2016.

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This week, a medical association withdrew its yearly convention from San Francisco, citing that its members didn’t feel safe because of the homeless population, drug use and mental illness in the surrounding area.

This week, a medical association withdrew its yearly convention from San Francisco, citing that its members didn’t feel safe because of the homeless population, drug use and mental illness in the surrounding area.

Tourism is the biggest industry in San Francisco, so there’s concern from businesses, such as hotels, that this might be a bellwether.

The situation in San Francisco is similar to what’s happening in Los Angeles. So how are conference spaces and the tourism industry negotiating the rising homeless population in our city? If you work in these industries, how is this impacting your clients and business decisions?

Call us at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Kevin Fagan, reporter at the San Francisco Chronicle who writes about homeless issues for the paper

Leron Gubler, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

Tracy Hernandez, founding CEO of the Los Angeles Business Federation, a grassroots alliance of business associations representing 390,000 L.A. County employers and advocating for public policy