Travel and Tourism On the Rise in St. Louis

On the 60^th floor of a gleaming skyscraper at the tip of Manhattan, some of St. Louis’ most impactful game changers gathered at Danny Meyer’s Manhatta for an event touting the Gateway City’s recent explosion in travel and tourism.

Dubbed Gateway to Innovation, the event featured Carolyn Kindle Betz, President and CEO of St. Louis City SC; Steve Smith, CEO of the Lawrence Group; Vanessa Cooksey, President and CEO of the Regional Arts Commission; Bob O’Loughlin, Chairman and CEO of Lodging Hospitality Management; Mike LaMartina, COO of Ballpark Village; and Brian Hall, Chief Marketing Officer of Explore St. Louis. Emceed by Explore St. Louis’ Cat Neville, the afternoon’s conversation covered everything from the expansion of City Foundry to Centene Stadium’s fan-forward design to the tremendous impact of cultural tourism to the recent groundbreaking for AC Next Gen.

With over 30 members of the national media gathered to enjoy lunch and conversation, the panel discussion touched on topics designed to spur interest in covering our region’s focus on innovation and growth, and the event wrapped up with many expressing a desire to visit St. Louis, some for the first time.

The future of travel and tourism in St. Louis has never looked brighter than it does today, thanks in large part to the innovators who joined us in New York. As our region’s attractions continue to grow, expand and evolve, Explore St. Louis will continue to shine a spotlight on what makes St. Louis a must-visit destination for leisure travelers as well as meetings and conventions.