Future of Tourism Bright in Miami-Dade County

The destination marketing organization names new board members, showcases impact of global events and heralds an increase in returning international travelers, cementing Miami-Dade County as a leading destination for leisure travel, meetings and conventions

MIAMI – (Oct. 30, 2024) – Tourism’s future in Greater Miami took center stage at the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (GMCVB) annual meeting, Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the Hilton Miami Downtown, with fiscal year-end results (October 2023 - September 2024) punctuating Greater Miami and Miami Beach’s steady, resilient performance as a premier destination.

At the yearly gathering attended by more than 700 GMCVB partners, elected leaders and community stakeholders, the organization shared why Greater Miami and Miami Beach continues to hold its ground among leading global destinations. The program featured messages from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and State Senator Ana Maria Rodriguez with Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner addressing the audience in-person. Special recognition was also given to County Commissioner and Chairman of the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners Oliver G. Gilbert, III, for his leadership in support of the tourism and events industry.

Fiscal year 2023-2024 results revealed:

• Visitors contributed more than $20.6 billion to the local economy, an increase of almost 3 percent in revenue.
• The GMCVB’s convention sales and services team exceeded objectives, generating bookings over 103 percent of its goal, benefiting hotel partners by yielding more than 406,000 room nights, achieving 111 percent of target.
• Through August 2024, Miami International Airport’s 10.6 million international visitor arrivals were a 9.6 percent increase over 2023; PortMiami is expected to exceed 7.3 million cruise passengers.

“Wherever there was an opportunity to turn up the volume on telling our destination’s story, we seized upon it,” said GMCVB President and CEO David Whitaker. “We went above and beyond in selling the appeal of Greater Miami as a convention destination, evidenced by 16 new future major conventions and trade shows booked at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Travel from our top 10 international markets is collectively up 13 percent. We were also pleased to welcome 250 new members and now count 1,111 bureau partners.”

Eight new members were named to the organization’s board of directors:

• Yamila Garayzar – Senior Vice President, Marketing, Sponsorship & Retail, Turnberry Associates
• Patrick Goddard – President, Brightline Trains
• Keon Hardemon – Miami-Dade County Commissioner, Chair, Tourist Development Council (ex-officio representative)
• Clavel J. Louis – General Manager, Embassy Suites by Hilton, Miami International Airport
• Rodrick Miller – President & Chief Executive Officer, Miami-Dade Beacon Council (ex-officio representative)
• Madeline Pumariega – President, Miami Dade College
• Richard “Rick” Sasso – Chairman, MSC Cruises
• John Sullivan – General Manager, The Miami Beach EDITION

Julissa Kepner, marking her one-year anniversary as GMCVB board chair, and general manager of the Miami Biscayne Bay Marriott noted in her remarks, “The GMCVB has laid out a strategic vision by examining how trends such as sustainability, technology and key infrastructure investments will drive the future of tourism in Greater Miami.”

A spotlight on sustainability was evident at the meeting in a message from Anick Levesque, managing director of Green Key Global (GKG), North America’s premier sustainability certification body for the hospitality industry. Levesque highlighted a first-ever partnership between the GMCVB and the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association providing certification incentives to help hotel members accelerate sustainability goals.

“A focus on celebrating communities, historic neighborhoods, programming, cultural offerings and landmark events are all part of our formula that allows our community to thrive as a great place to live, work, play and visit,” Whitaker added.

For additional insights and to explore the GMCVB's official 2023/2024 Annual Report and 2024/2025 Business Plan, visit here.

About the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau 

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is an accredited, independent not-for-profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to Greater Miami and Miami Beach for leisure, business, meetings and conventions. For additional information, visit www.MiamiandMiamiBeach.com/About-GMCVB or call 305-539-3000. Stay connected with the GMCVB by following us on our corporate communications and external affairs social media channels: Instagram and X @GreaterMiamiCVB and LinkedIn/GreaterMiamiConvention&VisitorsBureau. 

For media inquiries, please contact Jordan Hathaway at jhathaway@teamavoq.com.

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