TBM Staff - Mumbai San Francisco Travel Association has appointed Scott Beck as President and CEO. Beck succeeds Joe D’Alessandro, who will retire in December after nearly 18 years at the helm of San Francisco’s official destination marketing organization.
Beck will join San Francisco Travel on October 30, 2023. Currently, he is President and CEO of Destination Toronto. He joined Destination Toronto in 2019 to lead the sales and marketing efforts for Canada’s most visited destination and North America’s fourth-largest city, overseeing an annual operating budget of US$28 million and working in support of Toronto’s US$7.6 billion visitor economy.
As President and CEO of San Francisco Travel, Beck will oversee one of the country’s largest membership-based tourism promotion organizations. San Francisco Travel has a current annual budget of US$33 million. The association’s sales and marketing initiatives help drive US$8 billion in tourism spending.
“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. “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.”
“After a rigorous international search, we are delighted to appoint Scott to lead San Francisco Travel at this pivotal time. He is a proven destination sales and marketing leader and will be a strong champion for San Francisco,” said Terry Lewis, chair of San Francisco Travel’s CEO search committee and Complex General Manager at Hilton San Francisco Union Square and Parc 55 San Francisco. Lewis will begin her term as San Francisco Travel’s Board Chair in January 2024.
San Francisco Travel Board Chair Randy Reynoso said, “With more than 35 years of experience in the convention and tourism industry, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge to this role and proven expertise in attracting events, meetings, and international and domestic visitors to destinations. This is critically important given the diverse leisure and business travel markets that fuel San Francisco’s tourism industry as well as our local economy.”
Before joining Destination Toronto, Beck served as President and CEO of Visit Salt Lake for 14 years. There, he was a champion of the economic impact of the meetings and convention industry in Salt Lake City and the impact of the leisure visitor on the local and regional economy.
Beck also has extensive experience in the hotel industry, including serving as General Manager of the Marriott City Center in Salt Lake City; Task Force General Manager for Ocean Properties Ltd.’s Atlific Hotels; General Manager of Sedona Resort Management’s Cedar Breaks Lodge in Brian Head, Utah, and Director of Sales and Marketing for Sundance Resort in Provo, Utah.
“I’ve known Scott for many years and am thrilled he has been selected as SF Travel’s next president and CEO. He brings creative vision, a passion for the industry and deep experience in partnering with city leaders and other stakeholders to this role,” said D’Alessandro.
Beck said, “I want to thank Terry, Randy, the search committee and Mayor Breed for their trust and confidence in allowing me to help lead San Francisco Travel into this next phase. My wife and I are looking forward to moving to the city, where we have family and many friends, and becoming part of San Francisco’s vibrant community. My life is marked with fond memories of travels to San Francisco, and I can’t wait to help organizations and visitors create similar memories of their own in this incredible destination. I would also like to thank Joe for all that he has done on behalf of this destination and the greater tourism and hospitality industry in this state and country.”
Beck recently completed his time on the American Society of Association Executives’ (ASAE) Board of Directors and, before moving to Canada, was on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association. He served six years on the Executive Committee of Destinations International and is a Past International Board Chair. He has served on numerous boards and was named “Utah Business CEO of the Year.”
