Destination: San Francisco
Destination: San Francisco
It is easy to take the global allure of San Francisco for granted, but “Everybody’s Favorite City” has not endured as one of the nation’s most popular urban destinations by chance. As compelling as the city’s physical setting and cultural history might be, its appeal has been nurtured by decades of promotional efforts to make people from around the world want to come and see what the fuss is all about.
An active participant in the touristic myth-making—especially before smartphones and laptop computers replaced visits to travel agencies and ticket counters—has been the commercial airline industry. Colorful travel posters offered evocative hints of romance and adventure in a memorable setting. Once people were on board and en route, everything from napkins to matchbooks and playing cards might be adorned with familiar scenes chosen to reinforce that San Francisco was a place worth visiting.
Even as airliners come and go, such time-honored civic icons such as Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Lombard Street remain to cast their spell. Recent decades have witnessed an effort to emphasize a more diverse set of neighborhoods and attractions. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and negative coverage of the city’s much-feared “doom loop,” last year, San Francisco attracted more than twenty-three million visitors. Evidently, the appeal has not worn off.
Destination: San Francisco was developed in collaboration with local historian and former San Francisco Chronicle urban design critic, John King, as well as the San Francisco History Center at the San Francisco Public Library.
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[inset image]
United Air Lines Mainliners Fair to Fair poster 1939
SFO Museum Collection
Gift of Captain Jon Simmonds
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