SAN DIEGO'S INTERNATIONAL VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER RELOCATES TO DOWNTOWN EMBARCADERO

Visitors to San Diego will now find it more convenient to get personalized information on local attractions, special events and visitor services, thanks to a new partnership between the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Port of San Diego. The Bureau recently relocated its International Visitor Information Center (IVIC) from Horton Plaza where it has operated since 1985 to the bayside Embarcadero in downtown San Diego, at the corner of Harbor Drive and West Broadway. The new site, located across the street from the Broadway Pier and local harbor excursion companies, provides a more central, visible and accessible location for visitors.

IVIC is the official visitor information center for San Diego County (along with a satellite visitor center in La Jolla) assisting some 140,000 visitors each year. Visitors can receive current information on a wide variety of activities, attractions, dining and lodging options throughout the San Diego region, including northern Baja California, Mexico. IVIC distributes the San Diego Official Visitors Pocket Guide, San Diego Golf Guide, regional maps, brochures for hotels, restaurants, attractions, activities and tours, and more. Attraction and tour tickets are also available.

IVIC is operated by the Bureau's Visitor Services department, a multilingual group of professional, highly trained staff and volunteers.

The new center officially opened its doors to the public on December 27, 2003. Hours of operation, location and contact information are as follows:

· International Visitor Information Center (IVIC)
1040 1/3 West Broadway (at Harbor Drive), downtown San Diego.
Phone 619-236-1212, Fax 619-230-7084, E-mail: sdinfo@sandiego.org.
Hours (subject to change):

9am-5pm, Monday through Saturday.
Closed on Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years Day.

In addition to the new Harbor Drive location, the Bureau also operates a visitor information center in the village of La Jolla, in partnership with Promote La Jolla Inc. Hours of operation, location and contact information are as follows:

La Jolla Visitor Center
7966 Herschel Avenue (at Prospect Street) in the village of La Jolla.

The La Jolla Visitor Center is a walk-in center only; please call IVIC at 619-236-1212 or visit www.sandiego.org for more information.

Winter hours:
September and October, 11am-5pm, Monday through Friday.
September, October, April, May, 10am-6pm, Saturday.
September-May, 10am-4pm, Sunday.
November-March, 11am-4pm, Monday through Thursday; 11am-5pm, Friday;

10am-5pm, Saturday; 10am-4pm, Sunday.
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Years Day.

Summer hours:
June-August, 10am-7pm, Monday through Saturday; 10am-6pm, Sunday.
Note: hours subject to change.

The mailing address for both IVIC and the La Jolla Visitor Center is 401 B Street, Suite 1400, San Diego, CA 92101.