This fall, the U.S. Travel Association will be inducting two prominent figures in the travel industry into its U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders. Destination leaders Christopher L. Thompson, former president and CEO of U.S. destination management organization Brand USA (headquartered in Washington, D.C.); and William D. “Bill” Talbert III, former president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, will be honored as the 2024 inductees.
“Bill and Chris embody the highest ideals of a travel leader,” says Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, in a prepared statement. “Over many years, each has contributed in meaningful ways to the success and growth of this industry.”
“Under Chris’s stewardship, Brand USA has flourished to increase visitation to the U.S. and maximize travel’s economic impact,” Freeman continues. “His career in destination marketing reflects decades of incredibly effective work that enabled travel to thrive at the local, state, and national level.”
“It’s hard to imagine a better brand ambassador or destination advocate than ‘Miami Bill,’” Freeman says of Talbert. “Bill worked tirelessly to build Miami into a successful travel gateway known worldwide to leisure and business travelers. But his service extends far beyond the beaches of Miami to the countless organizations that have benefitted from his expertise.”
U.S. Travel’s Hall of Leaders recognizes individuals for sustained, noteworthy contributions that have positively impacted the travel industry, stimulated greater achievement, and raised industrywide standards. Recipients are honored for not only serving their organization with excellence but also for contributions that have elevated travel nationally and globally.
Christopher L. Thompson
From 2012 until May of this year, Thompson served Brand USA—a public-private partnership created by the federal Travel Promotion Act of 2009—as the organization’s president and CEO. He led many initiatives including content strategies, the production of three films for Imax and large screens, and the launch of the TV channel GoUSA.
Prior to Brand USA, Thompson served as president and CEO of Visit Florida and the Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (now Visit Tallahassee), in addition to leading the Leon County Tourist Development Council in Florida. He began his career in travel back in 1983 at the former Florida Department of Commerce in its Division of Tourism.
William D. “Bill” Talbert III
Talbert was the longtime president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, serving the organization from 1990 to 2021. He was at the forefront of Miami’s tourism efforts, offering leadership and expertise to support the growth of the Miami region. He was a guiding force in the renovation and expansion of the Miami Beach Convention Center and a key figure in securing prestigious international events, from the Summit of the Americas to five NFL Super Bowls.
He is a former chair of the Visit Florida board and a leader of other prominent local and national organizations, including the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, the Black Hospitality Initiative of Greater Miami, and Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, among others.
After these new inductions, 108 travel industry professionals total will have been added to the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders since it was created in 1969. Last year’s inductees were Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO of Destination DC; and Peter F. Herschend, co-founder of Herschend Enterprises in Atlanta, Georgia.
Talbert and Thompson will be honored at a Nov. 20 dinner attended by more than 100 travel industry leaders during U.S. Travel’s Fall Engagement Week in Washington, D.C.