On a weekday morning in February, the Chinese government embellished an area of the international terminal of San Francisco International Airport with splashes of its stately vermillion. By the ticket counter for Air China, crew members passed around a tiny panda doll as they readied for a group photo before their flight to Beijing. Because it was the second day of Lunar New Year, they posed next to a banner for 2026 as a representative from the Chinese Consulate captured the San Francisco sendoff. 

The group photo joined others of smiling passengers that would eventually appear on screens thousands of miles away in China. While it was a pretty standard photo, all things considered, it achieved its intended goal, said David Wang with the Chinese Consulate: to show off a polished side of San Francisco. 

If more posts on Chinese social media highlight a typical day in San Francisco — like smooth travel procedures — it could challenge unsavory perceptions someone might have for visiting the city. Or more broadly: the United States, as Chinese visitation numbers nationwide continue to stall at half their peak compared with a decade ago.

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It’s an ongoing concern as diplomatic relations between China and the United States remain fragile. President Donald Trump recently postponed a summit with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, and the two super powers have been at odds since the president declared a tariff war last year. However, as was on display at SFO on that February morning, the Chinese government is still a friend to San Francisco. 

Xi Jinping visiting San Francisco in 1985.

The feeling appears to be mutual, as Mayor Daniel Lurie prepares to fly to Shanghai this week for his first international delegation. 

Don't let Google decide who you trust.

In a statement, the mayor said the trip will help deepen the city’s relationship with China. Kate Poltrack, a spokesperson for his office, did not respond to specific questions about what exactly the mayor’s goals are for the trip and whether there’s a rubric outlining what merits a successful delegation. Lurie’s statement only generally mentioned “new opportunities” that could “continue to accelerate the city’s economic recovery.” 

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It’s clear that Lurie sees reinvigorated Chinese tourism and spending as an opportunity worth flying more than 6,000 miles for. Be it dollar or yen, rising tides in travel benefit boats on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. San Franciscans might not pay close attention to a visitor’s country of origin, but tourists from China have historically beefed up the city’s coffers. In 2019, Chinese travelers accounted for 15% of the international spending in San Francisco, contributing $1.2 billion of the $7.7 billion.

In the seven years since, however, the Chinese traveler has become a “missing piece” in the city’s pandemic recovery. SF Travel’s latest forecast for 2026 indicates that Chinese spending will be halved from its peak before the pandemic. Not only is this an obvious problem for hotel owners or downtown businesses, but there’s a trickle-down impact: The loss in hospitality tax revenue is intensely felt as City Hall grapples with a billion-dollar deficit, leading to job loss and cut services. If Chinese travelers could visit in droves like they........

© SFGate