The tepid tourism economy in San Francisco will receive a shot in the arm during the Indian summer, as large events and conventions bring visitors — and their money — to The City. Keeping an influx of guests is important, since tourism dollars are one of the largest fillers of city coffers. San Francisco had about 131,000 visitors a day last year, spending more than $22 million per day and helping to generate more than $527 million in tax revenue, according to the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. Read More

A prepaid card that lets BART customers bypass ticketing machines at stations is already booming with popularity — but are riders willing to pay an extra $5 to get one? Launched in October 2006, an estimated 30,000 passengers are participating in a pilot project with the EZ Rider cards, which allows users to prepay for rides with a debit or credit card, BART spokesman Linton Johnson said. All riders have to do is slide the card on a plastic disk mounted atop BART fare gates and the fare is automatically deducted upon exiting the station, officials said. Read More

Karl Hoagland, the chairman of Larkspur Hotels & Restaurants, is poised to officially reopen the newly renovated Villa Florence hotel on Oct. 2, which he said capitalizes on the “revitalization of Union Square.” In what ways has Union Square undergone a renaissance? First, the hotel was kitty-corner from the new H&M store, which is a kind of lifeline because it revitalized shopping in Union Square. And with the Westfield Centre and the development in the South of Market district, we thought the neighborhood was gentrifying. Read More