If you found yourself in downtown San Diego this past weekend, you may have encountered a variety of different people with costumes and extravagant props walking around. It does not come as a surprise for native San Diegans since Comic-Con takes place just down the street at the San Diego Convention Center every year. Comic con is not a stranger to the San Diego community. It has been around since the 1970s with its main venue being the El Cortez Hotel in San Diego until 1979. However, this year was the return of Comic-Con in full force since the pandemic for their 53^rd convention.

Founder, Shel Dorf once said in an interview that they hoped the comic book convention would bring 500 attendees. The founders have well exceeded that number over the years with Comic-Con bringing approximately 135,000 attendees this year to experience both Comic-Con activities and the beauty of San Diego.

It is no doubt that this convention has a huge effect on San Diego’s local economy. Many attendees take advantage of visiting other San Diego tourist spots while attending the convention, giving places like Balboa Park and the San Diego Zoo a benefit from the event. However, the Gaslamp district benefits the most since its restaurants and bars are closest to the Comic-Con event.

This year alone, Comic-Con brought in about $164 million for the local economy. Marketing experts say the average attendee spends nearly $700 while staying in San Diego.

While the event brings a huge revenue to San Diego’s local economy, it also generated 46,000 pounds of trash downtown, leaving service workers with their hands full. The four day event also had 100 service workers removing graffiti and picking up trash around the clock.

Nevertheless, Comic-Con’s popularity and increasing attendance puts San Diego in the global spotlight that will continue to attract tourists and benefit the local economy.