Fort Worth hotel bookings look strong in next few years, tourism officials say

While the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau saw only a modest increase in the number of room nights in city’s hotels in 2015, it anticipates strong growth in the next few years based on advanced bookings, the organization’s head said Wednesday.

Last year, hotels booked 230,306 room nights, a 3 percent increase. That is expected to grow to more than 250,000 between 2017 and 2019, said Bob Jameson, the CVB’s president and CEO.

Moreover, Fort Worth experienced 8.5 million visitors in 2015, generating $1.9 billion in spending and $111 million in tax revenue.

Jameson called Fort Worth’s tourism industry robust and said, “The economic indicators point to a growing tourism industry here in Fort Worth. More business and leisure visitors are coming to Fort Worth, enough to fill AT&T Stadium more than 100 times a year.”

Jameson’s remarks were made during the third annual Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau annual meeting attended by about 500 people at the downtown Hilton Fort Worth hotel.

The CVB also honored the five anchor museums of the Cultural District, including the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

During the meeting, Jameson unveiled the CVB’s new logo and updated marketing efforts, which include the tagline, “It’s the Texas you want.”

In addition, the bureau announced its efforts into sports marketing and said it has entered into a joint marketing agreement with the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau in top worldwide markets, including Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and China.

Mayor Betsy Price remarked that Fort Worth has also become a player in a growing industry trend of active lifestyle tourism, touting the city’s many project involving outdoor activities, including Panther Island.

“Our ability to attract tourists just gets better and better in Fort Worth,” she said.

On April 7, the Fort Worth Opera and Friends of the Cowtown Coliseum will present Caruso in Cowtown, a re-creation of tenor Enrico Caruso’s historic 1920 Fort Worth concert in the Stockyards, Jameson said. World-renowned tenor and Metropolitan Opera performer Stephen Costello will headline the evening.

This story was originally published February 3, 2016 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Fort Worth hotel bookings look strong in next few years, tourism officials say."