Visit The Woodlands welcomed over 500 tourism professionals and Texas legislators during the 34th Annual Texas Travel Alliance Unity Dinner, held in The Woodlands on February 12, 2024. This was the first time for this event to take place outside of Austin or a metropolitan market. Attendees drove in from nearby cities like Galveston, Frisco, and Austin, and others flew in from El Paso, Lubbock, and South Padre Island. Everyone came together at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center to celebrate the strength of Texas as a tourism destination. To view a recap video of Unity Dinner, click here.
"Tourism Works for Texas", the theme for the 34th Annual Unity Dinner, emphasized how tourism benefits the Texas economy. Travelers' direct spending averages $144,596 per minute while in Texas, according to the Texas Travel Alliance. This amount of spending is equivalent to $76.1 billion in direct economic impact every year.
"Tourism really bolsters the local and state economy in Texas," said Brad Bailey, Chairman of Visit The Woodlands. "Individual destinations often see how tourism supports their local jobs and economies, but it's incredibly impressive to see it as a whole. We're grateful to support this industry in The Woodlands, and to have had the pleasure of welcoming everyone for the 34th Annual Unity Dinner."
"Visit The Woodlands had a record-breaking year with hotel tax revenue reaching $9.5 million in 2023," said Nick Wolda, President of Visit The Woodlands. "When this is factored in with other destination's success across Texas, it's truly remarkable. Tourism really does work for Texas."
Several Texas legislators attended the dinner alongside Visit Dallas, Visit Amarillo, Visit Beaumont, Visit Houston, and other destinations. Attendees networked and mingled before the dinner at the Silent Auction, which featured a variety of travel packages from across Texas.
During Unity Dinner, Texas Travel Alliance CEO Erika Boyd welcomed destinations from far and wide and spoke about the strength of the Texas tourism industry. Elizabeth Eddins, Executive Director of Visit The Woodlands, and Brad Bailey, Chairman of Visit The Woodlands, highlighted how tourism impacts The Woodlands economy, drawing in visitors for meetings and fun leisure travel with The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Market Street, and more.
Erika Boyd, President of the Texas Travel Alliance.
Elizabeth Eddins, Executive Director of Visit The Woodlands, and Brad Bailey, Chairman of Visit The Woodlands.
According to the Texas Research Dashboard from Travel Texas, in 2022, The Woodlands saw $439 million in direct spending from visitors. This equated to $39.1 million in tax revenue for The Woodlands and a total of $214.6 million in earnings of employees and owners of businesses in the travel and tourism industry in The Woodlands. Tourism keep tax rates down in The Woodlands, with Hotel Tax and Sales Tax making up more than half of The Woodlands Township's budget, and it supports jobs. As of 2022, over 4,000 people were employed by the travel & tourism industry in The Woodlands.
Unity Dinner's keynote speaker, Roy Spence, spoke about tourism's role in creating and sustaining jobs, especially for the next generation. As the founder of the Make It Movement, Spence focuses on educating youth about career opportunities that can ignite their passion and purpose. He shared how important it is to educate students about the tourism industry and the potential careers in it, ranging from content creators, to marketers and sales directors. Spence has a history in the tourism industry as co-founder/chairman of GSD&M advertising, which developed Southwest Airlines campaigns, the infamous "Don't Mess with Texas" anti-littering campaign, and the "Texas, It's Like a Whole Other Country" campaign for Travel Texas.
Erika Boyd, President of the Texas Travel Alliance, with Representative Will Metcalf, and Jorge Franz, Chairman of the Texas Travel Alliance.
Memorial Tribute for Julie Chase, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Austin.
While at Unity Dinner, Texas Travel Alliance's CEO, Erika Boyd, and Chairman, Jorge Franz, presented Representative Will Metcalf with the Legislative Champion Award for supporting tourism in Texas. They also shared a memorial tribute for Julie Chase, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Visit Austin. Chase had a long career in the Texas tourism industry, helping shape the landscape with her groundbreaking initiatives and visions for the future. Although Chase passed away earlier this year, her impact on Texas tourism will remain for many years to come.
The evening concluded with an Afterglow reception at Bosscat Kitchen & Libations in Market Street, complete with light bites and live music from Two Tones Dueling Pianos.
"It was an honor to host Unity Dinner in The Woodlands and share in our collective strength as a travel destination," said Elizabeth Eddins, Executive Director of Visit The Woodlands and CVB/DMO Representative on the Texas Travel Alliance Board of Directors. "Tourism in The Woodlands has grown a lot over the last several years, and it’s very exciting to see how that contributes on a statewide level. The Woodlands is a great place to live and a premier destination to visit."
