San Antonio was honored to serve as host city for the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW 2023, where global journalists and delegates come together and are immersed in the culture of some of the most iconic cities in the United States. Last month, San Antonio had the privilege of displaying the best parts of our community to about 5,000 visitors from over 60 countries who convened for what is said to be the “Super Bowl” of tourism.
Our friends at Visit San Antonio activated events throughout the city to showcase our region as the ideal U.S. destination for both business and leisure travel. greater:SATX had the opportunity to support and further amplify how Life Works Greater℠ in San Antonio.
San Antonio is a 300-year-old city with influences from around the world. There is no other destination than San Antonio to experience blended cultures of Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, German, and so many others. What makes our region so special is how we maintain our history and celebrate our cultural integrity while welcoming newcomers and growth. It is reflected in the 17th century UNESCO World Heritage Spanish colonial missions, to the historic landmarks along our iconic River Walk—one of the most beautiful attractions in the world. And by over 3 billion of construction investment downtown, including Hemisfair and the new University of Texas San Antonio Data Science School.
Our IPW visitors experienced the rich culture and unique attractions that our residents get to enjoy time and time again. These assets, plus our region’s diverse career opportunities, are why San Antonio continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in the nation. Last year, we added more than 28,000 net new residents – making San Antonio the city adding the most residents and the largest U.S. city that is still growing in population, while the other top 10 largest metros lost residents. Our region is a vibrant and supportive landscape where residents can explore their ambitions, while also living life fully. People visit San Antonio for the real and true experiences and end up staying for life.
Greater San Antonio’s quality of life, room for growth, affordability, and welcoming, inclusive culture, present a great opportunity for talent seeking new opportunities and for businesses reevaluating the state of office. Through IPW, the world was able to experience this firsthand, and I cannot wait for some of these visitors to become global ambassadors for San Antonio and even perhaps one day call our city “home.”
