Roland Li
Sep. 8, 2023Updated: Sep. 11, 2023 12:54 a.m. - SF Chronicle
Tourists ride on Big Bus Tours’ double-decker bus in San Francisco in 2021. The city has hired a new head of its tourism arm.
San Francisco Travel Association, the city’s tourism bureau and marketing organization, has hired a new president and CEO: Scott Beck, who is currently head of Destination Toronto.
Beck will join the organization on Oct. 30, and succeed nearly 18-year veteran Joe D’Alessandro, who is retiring in December.
He arrives at a critical time for the city, whose biggest industry, tourism and hospitality, supports over 53,000 jobs. Tourists are returning, but a full recovery to record 2019 levels isn’t expected for a few years, and the city is grappling with concerns about public safety and homelessness.
“San Francisco is one of the marquee cities of the world for U.S. and international travelers, and I am thrilled to be joining the team at San Francisco Travel to continue to showcase everything it has to offer,” Beck said in a statement. “A strong tourism industry is vital to the city’s economy, local businesses and neighborhoods, and I am passionately committed to helping steward San Francisco’s ongoing tourism recovery.”
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