COMMUNITY NEWS
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Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB
hires new domestic sales
associate
The Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB hired
Gonzalo Rubio as a new domestic sales
associate. Rubio works with travel
agents, airlines and cruise lines to pro-
mote the city, and he represents the
organization on sales missions and at
trade shows.
“We’re really excited to have Gonzalo
join our tourism sales team in this
newly created role,” said Fernando Harb,
vice president of tourism and sales for
the CVB. “His strong background and
experience in sales and the hotel indus-
try will be paramount to helping further
grow our domestic sales.”
Prior to joining the CVB, Rubio held
sales positions with the Four Seasons
Resort Costa Rica and the St. Regis Bal
Harbour Resort. He has also worked for
the Hyatt Place Orlando/Universal and
the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort.
Travel Oregon awards $400,000
for tourism projects
Travel Oregon has announced the
recipients of $400,000 in matching
grants for tourism projects throughout
the state. The DMO awarded its Travel
Oregon Competitive Small Grant funds
to causes that, according to its web-
site, offer “a better life for Oregonians
through strong, sustainable local econo-
mies.” More than $1.5 million has been
distributed through the program in the
past nine years, which has helped fund
125 projects.
“The grants we awarded this year
help us to fulfill Travel Oregon’s mis-
sion,” said Todd Davidson, CEO of Travel
Oregon. “By supporting these innova-
tive projects, we are better able to share
the stories of Oregon’s people and
places, deliver world-class experiences,
strengthen the industry and ensure the
preservation of Oregon’s way of life and
its natural places.”
D I S C O V E R D.C.’S O R I G I N A L
OLD TOWN.
This year’s 29 recipients include
the Applegate Trails Association; the
Association of Oregon Counties, which
seeks to develop unfinished segments
of the Oregon Coast Trail; the Oregon
State Parks Foundation; and Portland
Playhouse.
Visit California wins
industry engagement award
Visit California won the award for Most
Engaged Tourism Board—Global at the
Virtuoso Awards. The DMO was recog-
nized at the 29th annual Virtuoso Travel
Week conference in late August. The
awards are given to outstanding mem-
bers among the luxury travel network’s
1,700 partner organizations.
“California’s unparalleled luxury is
refined, authentic, exclusive and expe-
riential,” said Caroline Beteta, president
and CEO of Visit California. “Participating
in events like Virtuoso Travel Week allows
us to share those experiences with key
Discover the town that George Washington
called home, long before there was a
Washington, D.C. A nationally designated
historic district founded in 1749, Old Town
Alexandria has everything a group could
ask for: value-priced hotels, group-
friendly restaurants, and memorable
attractions and activities. Plus you’ll
find knowledgeable professionals and
local group tour guides to help make
the experience a delight—both for those
planning and those enjoying every event.
VisitAlexandriaVA.com
#ExtraordinaryALX
Contact Jen De Luca
[email protected] | (703) 652-5380
74
November 2017