FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE     

Media Contact:
Caitlyn Blizzard
[email protected]
1.202.835.4202

Click here to download a high-resolution headshot.

Washington, D.C., USA (January 26, 2022) – Destinations International, the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), today announced Gretchen Hall, CDME as the organization’s chief operating officer (COO). Hall’s first day will be April 1, 2022.

Currently, Hall is the president and CEO of the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau where she leads over 120 full-time professionals covering all disciplines in sales and services, facility operations, marketing and communications and finance and administration. Her last day with the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau will be March 22, 2022.

In her new role as COO at Destinations International, the tourism veteran will be responsible for the strategic development, implementation, communication and retention of global business and membership initiatives. She will be a member of the organization’s Executive Leadership Team, responsible for working with all departments and team members, with direct impact in all aspects of the organization.

“Gretchen is an experienced and proven leader in our industry and her community,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International. “We have been very fortunate to work with Gretchen in her various roles on our Board of Directors. She has extensive knowledge of our industry, having led the Little Rock CVB for many years and her leadership and passion for the growth of destination organizations will no doubt benefit our members around the world.”

"I have always been passionate about the travel and tourism industry and the impact it makes on our local communities,” said Hall. “The dedicated team of professionals at Destinations International provides vital tools, training and resources that support the growth and future success of destination organizations around the world. For that reason, I am excited and honored to join the team at Destinations International and help advance their great work as our industry progresses beyond this pandemic."

Hall served as Destinations International’s board chair for the 2021-2022 term. Before accepting the position as COO, Hall stepped down as the chair of the association. During a joint board meeting of the Destinations International Board of Directors and Destinations International Foundation Board of Trustees on January 26, 2022, Al Hutchinson, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore and interim chair of Destinations International, put forth a motion for Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. and immediate past chair of the association, to assume the role of board chair for the remainder of the 2021-2022 term. Hutchinson will assume the role of board chair at the Destinations International Annual Convention on July 19-21, 2022 in Toronto, Canada.

“Our industry is extremely fortunate to have Gretchen Hall as Destinations International’s new COO,” said Hutchinson. “She has not only led her team and community in Little Rock to new heights, she has been leading destination organizations through her many volunteer roles across our sector for two decades. Because of the hard work put in by board members, volunteers and the Destinations International team, this association is now an organization that draws incredibly talented leaders ready to make a mark on our sector. As the incoming chair of Destinations International, I am excited to work with Gretchen and the Destinations International team as they continue to push our industry forward.”

The search for this position was led by SearchWide Global, a full-service executive search firm primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management, experiential marketing, sports and entertainment industries.

###

About Destinations International:
Destinations International is the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. For more information, visit www.destinationsinternational.org.