DALLAS
The Dallas CVB is now VisitDallas, announced President and CEO Phillip J. Jones at the organization’s Annual Meeting on Dec. 1. The announcement came after Jones spoke of the changing state of the tourism industry in Dallas and the impact those changes have had on the organization’s strategic plan.
“Dallas is catching on, and we must discover the social currency and triggers that will make Dallas a mist-visit destination,” Jones said. “We are within reach, but we have more work to do. This is an exciting time for Dallas as the product and brand continue to grow and evolve, and our name should, too.”
The new name, VisitDallas, better represents the city’s growing attraction as a leisure destination, not only as a city for business meetings and conventions. The name was unveiled with a new logo.
“It’s so much easier to say. It means so much more to our customers. It tells our story better and maintains the brand equity we have all worked so hard to grow,” Jones said. “And it represents the welcoming, polished, vibrant and sophisticated city that we are today. It’s an invitation!”
Jones also announced the creation of a Customer Experience department led by a new Chief Experience Officer (CXO), the first such position in the country at a destination marketing organization.
The CXO will provide strategic direction and operational leadership to the organization’s customer service teams that currently include Client Services, Strategic Alliances and Visitor Information.
VisitDallas also announced 2015-2016 successes at the meeting, including record room night bookings for future years. Last year, 25.7 million people visited Dallas for a total economic impact of $7.6 billion. As a result, the tourism industry supports one out of every 20 jobs in the area. International visitation continues to grow, last year accounting for 2.59 million visitors to the Dallas area.
“Dallas now has a brand—“Big Things Happen Here”—and our marketing dollars and efforts have worked, making more and more people aware of the destination,” Jones said. “That branding is the reason tourism has significantly increased over the past four years, [domestically and internationally].”
The VisitDallas sales team booked more than 2.05 million future room nights in the 2015-2016 fiscal year, a record for the organization, and includes 36 citywide bookings. Looking ahead, 2017 holds more exciting growth for VisitDallas and the city. Dozens of new hotel rooms will be added to the city.
For more information, check out www.visitdallas.com/annualreport.
