More than a beloved local attraction, San Diego Zoo is a leader in protecting species worldwide. Jay Judal, who has dedicated over 45 years to the organization, shares its memorable moments.
Founded in 1916, San Diego Zoo has become one of the most famous zoos in the world. It’s also the most popular, with around 4 million visitors every year. Its parent organization, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA), operates the 1,800-acre San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the 100-acre Zoo and supports conservation around the world.
"Our goal has always been to create a space where people can connect with wildlife and understand the importance of conservation," SDZWA’s director of outside sales, Jay Judal, explains. The naturalistic habitats give visitors immersive experiences that prioritize animal welfare, and the environments are constantly evolving for visitors and residents, like at the upcoming Elephant Valley. But SDZWA’s commitment to conservation extends far beyond its gates.
With projects in regions as far-reaching as Africa and Antarctica, SDZWA is dedicated to making a global impact. Here, Jay — who has been with the organization for more than four decades and has seen its evolution — discusses the milestones, partnerships, and decisions that have fueled its mission to educate the public and save species worldwide.
What do you do at San Diego Zoo?
“I’ve been in sales here for almost 30 years, but I’ve been with the organization for more than 45 years. I manage the outside sales team, handling relationships and contracts with everyone from the military to OTAs and the travel industry across our two sites: the Zoo in Balboa Park, downtown San Diego, and the Safari Park around 50 kilometers away in Escondido.”
Can you sum up the mission of the organization?
“The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is a nonprofit, so all our revenue goes back into saving species worldwide. While most people see it simply as a zoo, we’re first and foremost a conservation organization. Our outreach extends beyond our West Coast facilities — there are projects in Africa, the Amazon, and the Arctic, and we focus on saving animal and plant species. It’s truly global.”
Is it challenging to balance being a nonprofit with the ambitious sales targets and revenue this mission demands?
“Even as a nonprofit, we strive to generate as much revenue as possible to fund our conservation projects. San Diego Zoo gets about 4 million annual visitors, and the Safari Park just under 2 million. We have nearly 500,000 members, which significantly boosts the organization, but we also rely on philanthropic contributions to meet our financial needs. Feeding and caring for animals, especially endangered ones, is pretty expensive.”
What do you do to drive those visitor and membership numbers?
“We’re building a new Elephant Valley at the Safari Park, our biggest undertaking since the park’s inception. Its construction will last almost four years, creating a highly immersive experience for visitors and an even more naturalistic habitat for our elephants. Also, we just opened the expanded and refreshed Panda Ridge, where we aimed to replicate the natural habitat of our giant pandas from China. We always keep our attractions fresh and engaging, but our priority is animal welfare, taking care of them the best we can, and ensuring our visitors can see that. That’s probably the key to our success — we’d never compromise on that to save money.”
Where do your visitors come from?
“Mostly from Southern California, we do get international visitors, but not as many as larger cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco. This is partly because San Diego doesn’t have a major international airport. We now have direct flights with British Airways and Lufthansa to the UK and Germany, bringing more visitors from those countries. However, we’re also seeing more Americans traveling abroad, which impacts domestic visitation.”
Does that affect your marketing strategy?
“I recently did a sales mission with our DMO specifically to the UK and Germany, just to make sure that travel agents are aware of us and know where to find our product for travelers.”
Was that also a reason for partnering with OTAs, to expand your reach?
“It was, and working with OTAs has had a significant impact on our reach. The growth has really been exponential. Back in the early days, until 2007, it was difficult working with international wholesalers because everything was done on voucher. API connections have made it even easier to sell tickets directly, both domestically and internationally. It revolutionized our ticket sales process and sales skyrocketed. If we look at the broader wholesale market, OTAs now contribute about 25 to 30 percent of our sales.”
How smooth was the process of partnering with GetYourGuide?
“We partnered with GetYourGuide in 2011 and it has been one of the friendliest OTAs to work with. We don’t manage our site as much as we should, but the user-friendly approach and the strong support from their market managers stands out. Some OTAs can be quite rigid in their negotiations, making the process less enjoyable. GetYourGuide, on the other hand, has been very cooperative and transparent. It makes it all more productive.”
How do you maintain a strong position on online platforms?
“We ensure our pricing is fair and consistent across all platforms to avoid confusing customers, undercutting, or ripping anyone off. We have strong relationships with account managers and use the tools provided by platforms like GetYourGuide to optimize listings and improve visibility.”
How important are customer reviews in maintaining a quality experience?
“We look at reviews, especially the negative ones, to identify issues. We take feedback seriously and address any glaring problems. We often get requests from visitors wanting to interact directly with the animals, like feeding the bears or getting closer, which we simply can’t allow. The same people would be the first to sue us if something went wrong, so we’re always balancing visitor expectations with safety and animal welfare.”
What is the most important challenge facing facilities like San Diego Zoo today?
“One of the biggest challenges is dealing with unaccredited zoos. These facilities often don’t meet the same standards, yet visitors may lump us together. It’s crucial for us to differentiate ourselves and educate the public on the importance of accreditation and high standards in animal care and conservation.”
What advice would you give other zoos to achieve their mission and replicate SDZWA’s success?
“People are more aware than ever about conservation, global warming, and the destruction of our rainforests, so it’s essential to communicate the broader impact of your work beyond just being an attraction. Engage visitors with compelling stories about your conservation efforts and how they can contribute. Lean in on those conversations and help people make the world a better place.”
It must make you happy that you’re already doing that?
“I’ve been with the San Diego Zoo for 45 years. I could have left many times to make more money elsewhere, but the mission here keeps me. I’m nearing the end of my career, and I’m not going anywhere because I believe in what we do. I’m part of a team and organization that truly cares about wildlife conservation and takes care of species worldwide. I’m very proud of that.”
Key Takeaways
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance welcomes around 6 million visitors annually, around a quarter booking through OTAs.
- A 53 percent year-over-year growth in 2024 adds to “exponential growth” since partnering with GetYourGuide in 2011.
- The Zoo has embraced digital ticketing, significantly boosting sales and streamlining visitor management.
- A strong partnership with GetYourGuide has expanded San Diego Zoo’s international reach.
- The organization is committed to the conservation of species and habitats globally. It creates a model of animal welfare in the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park.
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