Visit San Antonio CEO resigns, takes job in Florida

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) – As the travel and tourism industry struggles to recover from the pandemic’s economic blow, Visit San Antonio is losing its President & CEO.  Casandra Matej is resigning her position effective Jan. 26.

Matej, who has been with Visit San Antonio for nearly 10 years, is heading to Florida to become President and CEO of Visit Orlando. Matej told KTSA News  it was a difficult decision, especially because her two sons were toddlers when the family moved to San Antonio nearly 10 years ago.

“This is the only home they’ve known, so San Antonio will always have a special place in our hearts,” said Matej.

Orlando is the No. 1 U.S. travel destination and home to seven of the world’s top theme parks.

“It was an opportunity that, in my field, doesn’t come often,” said Matej. “When they called to see if I would be interested, I was honored and  it’s just a huge opportunity for me and my family.”

Matej, the former Senior Vice-President of Sales and Services for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, joined what was then the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau in June 2011. In 2016, the San Antonio CVB transitioned from a city department to the public-private Visit San Antonio, a 501c6 entity.

“It has been my great privilege to work with an exceptionally dedicated and skilled team of passionate professionals, and a City leadership that has believed in the importance of our industry,” said Matej.  “As I reflect on my tenure with Visit San Antonio, I am proud of the accomplishments that we have worked together to achieve, making a difference for Visit San Antonio and the travel and hospitality community.”

Visitation to San Antonio has grown by nearly 37 percent in the past 9 years, reaching 41 million visitors in 2019.  The organization’s budget increased by nearly 40 percent.   Matej was part of the leadership team for a $325 million transformation of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and helped pursue a UNESCO World Heritage designation for the Spanish colonial missions.

“Replacing someone of Casandra’s caliber will be difficult,” said Jeffrey Arndt, chairman of the Visit San Antonio board. “Her influence on the tourism and hospitality industry over the past decade has been remarkable. Under her watch, San Antonio has enjoyed significant moments and growth that will endure as a legacy to her impact.

Matej told KTSA News the organization is in a good position to move forward and revitalize the city’s third-largest industry after a difficult year.

“We set forth some short-term and long-term strategies to get through the pandemic and do what we need to do in order to help the community through marketing and sales,” said Matej. “The executive management team at Visit San Antonio is one of the best in the nation, and they’re going to lead a very talented team to success.”

She’s confident the travel and tourism industry will recover.

“People prefer to have experiences, and you experience things through travel, so the travel sector will bounce back all over the country,” said Matej.

The Visit San Antonio Board of Directors Executive Committee on Tuesday named David Krupinksi interim director.   Krupinski, the former Vice-president of  Tourism for Visit Dallas, has been with Visit San Antonio since 2013 and currently serves as Chief Operating Officer.  He’ll be at the helm as the board searches for Matej’s replacement.