There’s just something about San Diego that makes it special from the moment you step off the plane, according to Kavin Schieferdecker , chief sales officer at San Diego Tourism Authority. “When you walk out of the airport, there’s something magical about that ocean air hitting you , seeing the palm trees and the city skyline, and then it’s just a short seven-minute ride to downtown,” he said. “You get off on such a great foot right from the start.”