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Visit Tucson Taps Hughes as Exec VP

Graeme Hughes, Visit Tucson.

Graeme Hughes, Visit Tucson.

Visit Tucson named DMO and meetings industry veteran Graeme Hughes executive vice president, effective immediately.

Previously senior vice president of sales at the DMO, Hughes is stepping into the position previously held by current Visit Tucson President & CEO J. Felipe Garcia, who assumed that role in December 2021.

“Hughes’ extensive experience in the travel industry and deep understanding of the Tucson market ensures Visit Tucson is poised for strategic growth in the coming years,” Garcia stated in a press release announcing the promotion. “We were thrilled to find the most qualified candidate was already employed within our organization, following an exhaustive nationwide search conducted in partnership with Searchwide Global.” 

A 30-year hospitality industry veteran, Hughes is a graduate of the University of Arizona and has spent his hospitality and tourism industry career focusing on sales and marketing. 

Career highlights include four years in destination management, 13 years with Westin Hotels & Resorts and five years with Loews Hotels. Hughes joined Visit Tucson in November 2007. 

[Related: Rio Nuevo District Set to Launch Downtown Tucson in the Meetings World]

Hughes’ prior responsibilities at Visit Tucson include the management and execution of the DMO’s convention sales, convention services and sports efforts, and positioning Tucson and Southern Arizona as a premier destination for group meetings, conventions, competitions and events, according to Visit Tucson.


 

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About the author
Tyler Davidson | Editor, Vice President & Chief Content Director

Tyler Davidson is the vice president and chief content director for Meetings Today, which publishes the meetings industry trade magazine Meetings Today as well as MeetingsToday.com, various newsletters, webinars, the in-person Meetings Today LIVE! Hosted-buyer events and other meetings and events industry B2B channels.

 

Tyler has covered the travel trade for nearly 35 years.  In his role with Meetings Today, which recently won the prestigious FOLIO: Eddies Award for best magazine issue, Tyler leads the editorial team on its mission to provide the most in-depth meetings content in the industry. Previously, he worked as the Asia, Canada, Pacific Northwest and Western U.S. editor at Travel Weekly magazine and TravelAge West. Before joining the dual editorial staff producing destination sections for Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, Tyler was the Africa, Israel, Middle East, Switzerland and Pacific Northwest editor at TravelAge West. He also undertook general news and feature assignments while working at the magazines. 

 

Besides reporting on the travel trade, Tyler has covered the real estate industry, held various editorial positions at the San Francisco-based national satire magazine The Nose, wrote freelance technology industry pieces and covered the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders for a bilingual newspaper in San Francisco. He has a B.A. in Journalism from San Francisco State University, where he worked in various editorial capacities on its award-winning student magazine, Prism. 

Contact: tyler.davidson@meetingstoday.com

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