My San Antonio reported recently in December 2018 that Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, said the city’s tourism industry is “elated.” Why?
City Council members approved a tourism public improvement district, or TPID, with a 10-1 vote. Supporters of the TPID have been working on a proposal for about two years, collecting signatures from more than 60 percent of the city’s hoteliers to establish the only funding mechanism that enables the stakeholder hotels to oversee the expenditure of the funds.
It is expected to generate $10.4 million in its first year.
While market share for Austin, Dallas, and Houston grew from 2010 to 2017, San Antonio suffered a reduction from 11.32% to 10.14 % that represents a loss of more than 1 million room nights for 2017. To fight this trend, 90% of the TPID budget will be invested in increased sales and marketing initiatives to bring new visitors to attractions like the San Antonio River Walk and the Convention Center, generating additional demand for local hotels.
Concluding with Ms. Matej: “ ‘It’s a monumental day for the tourism industry,’ she said. ‘Together, we can do some great things.’ ” The Civitas team is thrilled to have been part of San Antonio’s journey and we look forward to watching the growth!
