Visit McAllen, a division of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, won two prestigious awards at the Texas Association for Conventions and Visitors Bureaus Annual Conference held in Denton, Texas. As a department of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, Visit McAllen spearheads destination marketing initiatives for the City of McAllen.
Visit McAllen received 1st place for its newly formed City-Chamber co-op marketing program. The partnership has more than doubled funding to position McAllen as a premier destination for festivals and events, retail shopping, conferences and conventions, sports and nature tourism.
“Our partnership with the City of McAllen is key to our success,” said Robert Lopez, Interim Vice President/Director, Visit McAllen “This collaborative approach to marketing is what sets McAllen apart, and I’m grateful city leadership recognizes the value of tourism and takes action to support its continued growth.”
Visit McAllen also earned 2nd place for its National Travel and Tourism Week campaign, which took place May 5-11, 2019. The weeklong local awareness campaign featured daily celebrations promoting McAllen as a tourist destination, including a warm welcome by the McAllen Greeters for visitors arriving at the McAllen International Airport with their signature Border Buttermilk reception, a 50-year McAllen tradition.
“Our goal for National Travel and Tourism Week was to raise awareness for the experiences that make McAllen unique while reminding everyone the impact visitors have on our community, and I believe we achieved that,” said Lopez.
Visit McAllen’s mission is to position McAllen as a regionally, nationally and internationally recognized destination by developing marketing programs, gaining positive media exposure and directing sales outreach to attract visitors and conventions to stimulate economic development and growth.
In 2018, the tourism industry in McAllen generated $598 million in direct travel spending and employed 7,000 people, up 9.1% and 3.7%, respectively.
