San Francisco Travel announced the appointment of Scott Beck as President and CEO. He will succeed Joe D’Alessandro, who will retire at the end of the year after spending nearly 18 years as head of the official tourism marketing organization for the City and County of San Francisco.
Scott Beck will join San Francisco Travel on October 30
He currently serves, and since 2019, as President and CEO of Destination Toronto. He manages the promotion and marketing operations of Toronto, the most visited city in Canada and fourth largest city in North America, with an annual budget of $28 million, in support of Toronto’s tourism economy, which represents 7.6 billion dollars.
San Francisco Travel: a major promotional organization
As President and CEO of San Francisco Travel, Scott Beck will be responsible for overseeing one of the nation’s largest membership-based tourism promotion organizations. San Francisco Travel currently has an annual budget of $33 million. Tourism is the city’s main economic activity and helps generate $8 billion in tourism spending.
Terry Lewis, Chair of the San Francisco Travel President and CEO Search Committee
“After an extensive international search, we are delighted to appoint Scott as head of San Francisco Travel. He has a proven track record in destination promotion and marketing and will be an excellent representative of San Francisco,” said Terry Lewis, Chair of the San Francisco Travel President and CEO Search Committee and General Manager of the Hilton San Francisco Union. Square and Park 55 San Francisco. Terry Lewis will begin her term as Chairman of the Board of Directors of San Francisco Travel in January 2024.
Scott Beck: a tourism professional
Before joining Destination Toronto, Scott Beck was President and CEO of Visit Salt Lake for 14 years. In this position, he is responsible for the influence of the economic impact of the MICE and leisure tourism industry in Salt Lake City on the local and regional economy.
Scott Beck also has solid experience in the hotel industry, having served as General Manager of several establishments in Utah: Marriott City Center (Salt Lake City), Ocean Properties Ltd. hotels. (Salt Lake City), Cedar Breaks Lodge (Brian Head). He also served as Director of Sales and Marketing for the Sundance Resort in Provo, Utah.
“I have known Scott for several years and am delighted that he has been chosen to become the next President and CEO of San Francisco Travel. He will bring his creative vision, passion for the sector and strong experience in partnerships with city leaders and other stakeholders to this role,” said Joe D’Alessandro.
“I would like to thank Terry, Randy, the search committee and San Francisco Mayor London Breed for their trust in me to lead San Francisco Travel. My wife and I look forward to settling here, where we have family and many friends, and being part of the vibrant San Francisco community. My life is filled with fond memories of traveling to San Francisco, and I look forward to helping organizations and visitors create similar memories in this incredible destination. I also want to thank Joe for everything he has done for San Francisco and the entire tourism and hospitality industry in California and the United States. » said Scott Beck.
Beck recently completed his term on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and, prior to moving to Canada, he served on the Board of Directors of the US Travel Association. He was also a member of the Executive Committee of Destinations International for six years, serving as Chairman of the International Board of Directors. He has also served on numerous boards and was named Utah Business CEO of the Year.
