Coachella Valley hosts Destination International’s CEO Summit 2022, empowering leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry
Hospitality and tourism organizations from all over the world are in Coachella Valley for this year's CEO Summit organized by Destination International.
The Summit offers several panel discussions with CEOs in the tourism industry. Management leaders and CEOs will learn about a variety of topics ranging from leadership and development, workplace development, along with equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The goal of Destination International's CEO Summit is to help visitors have a memorable visit in the cities they travel to.
Cleo Battle, CEO of Go To Louisville, tells News Channel 3, "Visitors have a high level of what their expectation is. They have bought a plane ticket, and they've rented a car and they're in a hotel. And now they want the experience that they planned for when they come to your destination."
Conferences like this one are vital to helping the hospitality industry recuperate post pandemic, "We've all just come from a very difficult two years for the tourism industry. And some us coming together to sort of talk best practices in where we are now is just vital to us moving forward," says Battle.
Visit Greater Palms Springs CEO, Scott White, shares that the hospitality industry has had difficulty recruiting talent in the past years.
White tells us of one solution the Coachella Valley has in mind, "There really hasn't been a pipeline in place for kids coming out of high school, especially our destination. There's talks of having a hospitality campus in Palm Springs for the restaurant, and the hotel and the Learning Campus, and so forth, that's being debated and discussed right now.”
Visit Greater Victoria's CEO, Paul Nursey, tells News Channel 3 about the type of person he thinks would enjoy working in the hospitality and tourism industry.
"For those people who like working with other people, and like promoting where they're from, or where they live, and they want to be a force for good, we offer tremendous career advancement opportunities."
Although there seems to be an archetype for the ideal employee, recruiters seem to have trouble finding them.
CEOs and leaders in the tourism and hospitality industry have this message for people traveling to other cities or that are enjoying restaurants and entertainment in their own city.
"I think just right now be patient. You know, I think a lot of the destinations are really busy, and the restaurants are busy, and hotels are busy, and they're all a little bit short staffed, so any patients is greatly appreciated," shares White.
