Presidio Wins SF Travel’s 2018 Silver Cable Car Award

(June 22, 2018) — At its 108th Annual Luncheon meeting on June 21, the San Francisco Travel Association (SF Travel) presented the Silver Cable Car Award to the Presidio Trust for its transformation of the Presidio of San Francisco, once a U.S. Army post, into a world-class national park and one of the City’s most beloved visitor destinations. The award recognizes the Presidio for its significant contribution to San Francisco as a destination that contributes to the vibrancy the City.

The Silver Cable Car Award was presented by Peter Gamez, San Francisco Travel’s 2018/2019 Chair and Senior Vice President of Global Sales with Two Roads Hospitality, who said: “This year, San Francisco Travel is proud to honor the Presidio, one of the oldest attractions in San Francisco, with our most prestigious destination award because of its authentic San Francisco roots and innovative approach in becoming one of the most unique national parks in the country. Its private-public partnership model not only supports a fantastic visitor experience, but unlike most other public entities does so at no cost to taxpayers. Honoring the past, but looking toward the future is a unique San Francisco value that the Presidio embodies.”

Situated on 1,491 acres by the Golden Gate Bridge in the north of San Francisco, the Presidio is part of the largest national park in an urban area in America. It was founded in 1776 as a military fort by the Spanish and was briefly under the Mexican flag before becoming a U.S. Army post for 148 years. In 1994, the Army lowered its flag and the Presidio became a unique national park. For more than two decades, the Presidio Trust and partners at the National Park Service and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy have reimagined the Presidio as a world-class national park hosting more than seven million visits each year.

Jean S. Fraser, CEO of the Presidio Trust, accepted the award, saying, “We are so grateful to San Francisco Travel for making visitors of all nations and backgrounds feel welcome in the city of San Francisco. This is also the spirit of the Presidio as a national park welcoming all to enjoy their public lands. I am honored to accept this award for the three agencies that steward the park.”

Today, one out of every four tourists coming to San Francisco includes a trip to the Presidio on their “must do” list. It is a unique park offering visitors the chance to experience beautiful vistas, nature and open space, and cultural amenities like hotels, restaurants, recreational activities, museums, a golf course and more. Within the past six years the Presidio has opened the Presidio Officers’ Club, a new Visitor Center, and the Inn at the Presidio. The Lodge at the Presidio opens on June 28, the Presidio Theatre in 2019, with the Presidio Tunnel Tops project following in 2021.

Presented since 1965, past recipients of the Silver Cable Car Award have included John L. Martin, Director of San Francisco International Airport (SFO); author Armistead Maupin; the San Francisco Giants; the San Francisco Pride Celebration; Steve Silver, creator of “Beach Blanket Babylon”, United Airlines, and the California Academy of Sciences.

View a video: Welcome to the Presidio

The San Francisco Travel Association
Founded in 1909, the San Francisco Travel Association is a private, not-for-profit organization that markets the city as a leisure, convention and business travel destination. With more than 1,300 partner businesses, San Francisco Travel is one of the largest membership-based tourism promotion agencies in the country. Tourism, San Francisco’s largest industry, generated record-breaking numbers in 2017. More than 25.5 million people visited the destination, spending in excess of $9.1 billion. More than 81,747 jobs are supported by tourism in San Francisco. Learn more at www.sftravel.com.

About the Presidio and the Presidio Trust
The Presidio Trust is a federal agency that manages the Presidio of San Francisco, a national park at the heart of the 82,000-acre Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In partnership with the National Park Service and the non-profit Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the Presidio Trust brings alive the park’s historic, natural, and recreational assets for the inspiration, education, health, and enjoyment of all people at no cost to taxpayers. Spanning nearly 1,500 acres in a spectacular setting at the Golden Gate, the Presidio is defined by its history, spectacular views, natural habitats, and beautiful opens spaces. It is home to 3,000 residents and 200 tenant organizations, many of which welcome and serve the public. The Presidio Trust is focused on welcoming all to the national park experience, protecting and enhancing the environment, and operating in service to the public. Learn more at www.presidio.gov.​