San Diego is among 18 cities scheduled to be featured in a cable TV documentary series called “Smart World Cities,” airing over the next three years on the National Geographic Channel.
San Diego Tourism Authority officials said the agency has been working with National Geographic since summer 2013 on research related to the San Diego segment, slated to air in early 2015. The series examines how growing cities build infrastructure and attract talent to grow their economies amid challenges of the 21st Century.
Tourism Authority President and CEO Joe Terzi said the documentary will complement other ongoing efforts by the agency to boost the local region’s profile in international tourism markets. The San Diego segment is expected to reach more than 140 million TV viewers in 23 countries.
Local city, business, educational and philanthropic leaders also participated in development of the documentary and have pledged to help raise approximately $1.3 million to market the San Diego segment of the series.
According to National Geographic, other cities scheduled to be profiled include Cincinnati, Durban in South Africa, and Adelaide in Australia, with the list still being finalized.
