Alfredo Gonzalez joins Brand USA as senior vice president, global partnership development
Brand USA, the public-private partnership responsible for launching the United States’ first-ever nationally coordinated tourism marketing effort, today announced
Alfredo Gonzalez has joined the organization as senior vice president, global partnership. Gonzalez is responsible for expanding Brand USA’s international representation network and travel trade outreach, as well as developing co-operative partnership programs with international trade and media partners, in order to increase international visitation to the United States.
Gonzalez comes to Brand USA following 14 years with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). As vice president of tourism and international business, Gonzalez helped shepherd record visitation and spend to Florida from international markets and led the bureau’s successful air-service development initiative, which enabled the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to attract new carriers and an influx of international travelers from France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Colombia and Mexico. As a result of these and other efforts, he was presented the Routes Destination Marketing Award at the 2013 Route Americas conference in Cartagena, Colombia. The award recognizes the best destination marketing campaign by a tourism authority.
“Joining Brand USA is a dream come true,” says Gonzalez. “I’ve spent my entire career in the travel industry and have been privileged to work for some of the industry’s best brands. I’m honored to now have the opportunity to promote the United States—the world’s best destination.”
Gonzalez has been a member of the travel industry for nearly 30 years, beginning his career with the Orlando Airport Marriott in 1985. In 1989, he joined Concord Resorts as director of Latin American sales. In 1993, CFI Resorts Management asked him to establish the international sales program for its timeshare resorts. Gonzalez further honed his expertise in international marketing and development with Palace Resorts and Bancor Leaders in Travel, Inc., prior to joining the Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB in 1999 as head of its international sales department. He was promoted to vice president in 2004.
An active member of the industry, Gonzalez is vice chair of VISIT FLORIDA’s International Committee and a member of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). He sits on the board of the Miami chapter of SKAL and the advisory board of Routes International.
Gonzalez earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Florida and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and conversational in French.
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About Brand USA
Brand USA is the nation’s destination marketing organization, dedicated to attracting legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, increase exports, create quality jobs, and promote community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a top global destination while providing current visa and entry information.
Since 2012 Brand USA, in collaboration with travel industry partners, has been responsible for attracting an additional 10.3 million visitors who spent nearly $35 billion in the United States, generating $76 billion in economic output, and sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs per year. Without any cost to taxpayers, these efforts have generated $10 billion in tax receipts and returned $20 to the U.S. economy for every dollar spent.