SFC&VB Launches Foreign Language Pages

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. July 24, 2009

JULY 24, 2009 - The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB), in partnership with San Francisco International Airport (SFO), has expanded San Francisco's official travel Web site, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com, to offer essential visitor information and resources in seven languages: French, German, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Mandarin, and Japanese. The SFCVB, in association with SFO, first launched its Japanese Web site http://www.sf-japan.or.jp/ in 2000 and a Chinese language Web site, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com.cn, in December 2007.

"The SFCVB's new foreign language pages will provide international visitors with an even warmer welcome to San Francisco," says Deborah Reinow, vice president of tourism for the SFCVB. "By offering visitor information and travel tips in the languages of our visitors, it will be easier to plan individual itineraries to ensure a more enjoyable and memorable San Francisco experience."

Each Web site includes essential travel information most requested by international visitors to plan and navigate a trip to San Francisco; including information about currency exchange; transportation to San Francisco from SFO, with a link to SFO's Web site www.flysfo.com which includes to the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, ground transportation and more; transportation within the city and to the surrounding areas; hotel listings and online reservations; a list of wedding resources including how to obtain a marriage license at San Francisco's City Hall; a calendar of events; information about San Francisco neighborhoods including shopping, restaurants, nightlife, and arts and culture; as well as helpful suggestions on trip planning and attending conventions. Each site links back to the SFCVB's main site, www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com, which provides visitors with more comprehensive information.

In 2008, San Francisco welcomed 16.4 million visitors, an increase of 1.7 percent over 2007. International deplanements recorded by San Francisco International Airport (SFO) show that nearly 4.5 million passengers arrived into SFO in 2008 from international destinations. In addition, historically, over 25 percent of total hotel occupancy in San Francisco stems from visitors from outside the U.S.

"By developing these micro sites, the SFCVB, in partnership with SFO, is aggressively moving forward to embrace the anticipated rebound and growth of international markets in the coming years," adds Reinow.

The SFCVB has offices in 11 countries, including China, Japan, Korea, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, India, Australia, Argentina, and Brazil.

For general information on hotel packages and reservations; events; activities and transportation in San Francisco, visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com. For lodging reservations, call 800-637-5196 within North America or 415-391-2000 or 415-392-0328 (TTY/TTD) elsewhere.

The San Francisco Visitors Planning Guide is available at the Visitor Information Center, 900 Market St., at the corner of Powell and Market streets, lower level, Hallidie Plaza. A visitor's kit may also be ordered online at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com, by phone at 415-391-2000 or 415-392-0328 (TTY/TTD), by written request to the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, 900 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94102, or via email to [email protected]. Domestic and international shipping charges apply.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) offers non-stop links with more than 30 international points on 25 international carriers. The Bay Area's largest airport connects non-stop with more than 65 cities in the U.S. on 20 domestic airlines. For up-to-the-minute departure and arrival information, airport maps and details on shopping, dining, cultural exhibitions, ground transportation and more, visit www.flysfo.com.

Note to editors: To access and download images from the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau's online photo gallery, click on the link http://www.sfcvb.org/travel_media/photolibrary.asp.

To sign up for the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau's press release RSS feed, visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/sfnews and click on the orange RSS feed button on the upper right-hand corner (under "Plan Your Next Trip"). Each time the site is updated, the information will be sent to your RSS subscriptions.

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