Mayor Adams Celebrates Julie Coker's Unaminous Vote as President and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions

October 22, 2024

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today celebrated the appointment of Julie Coker as the next president and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions after a unanimous vote of approval from the organization’s board of directors. New York City Tourism + Conventions is the official destination marketing organization, convention, and visitor’s bureau for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity, and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. Coker brings decade of experience in tourism, hospitality, and marketing to the role, and currently serves as the president and CEO at the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA).  She will begin the role on December 9, 2024.

“New York City remains the tourism destination for the globe because of the New Yorkers who work every day to show the very best our city has to offer. From Broadway and Brooklyn to Times Square and the Top of 30 Rock to Citi Field and Yankee Stadium, and everywhere in between, there truly is no other place like New York City,” said Mayor Adams. “However, our best days still remain in front of us, and with Julie Coker at the helm, I know our city will soar to new heights and break tourism records once again. With a proven track record of turning the country’s biggest cities into tourist destination hubs, Julie is prepared to show the world what makes our city special. Julie understands that when our tourist economy thrives, our whole city thrives — generating billions of dollars and thousands of jobs. I’m excited to welcome Julie to the team and watch her continue to bring every corner of the world to the world’s capital: New York City.” 

“Julie Coker understands what makes our city special: our unmatched culture and arts, tremendous hotels and hospitality sector, and the New York City spirit that influences everything we do,” said First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer. “Our administration is thrilled to have Julie leverage her proven track record to highlight what our city has to offer to the world and steward our city’s $74 billion tourism sector. With decades of experience and a leader in the U.S. tourism industry, as well as her most recent success turning San Diego into a global destination, we are thrilled to have a top-notch professional like Julie join our team. We are excited for the vision she will bring to showcase all that New York City’s five boroughs have to offer to visitors from around the globe and look forward to working with her to strengthen our position as a premier global destination." 

“Leading the San Diego Tourism Authority has been an incredible journey, and I'm immensely proud of what our team has accomplished,” said incoming NYC Tourism + Conventions President and CEO/departing San Diego Tourism Authority President and CEO Julie Coker. “Together, with our Board of Directors, members, and the local tourism community, we successfully navigated the challenges of the pandemic and have driven San Diego’s tourism recovery. This resilience and collaborative spirit have laid a strong foundation for my new chapter with New York City Tourism + Conventions. I’m eager to bring my passion for the tourism industry to New York City and look forward to building upon the remarkable work of the talented team in place, further enhancing the global appeal of one of the world’s most iconic cities.”   

During Coker’s tenure at SDTA, San Diego was ranked as one of the top-performing national destinations, ranking fourth in the nation in hotel occupancy at 72.6 percent in 2022. Additionally, with Coker at the helm of SDTA, tourism jobs returned to pre-pandemic levels with more than 200,000 employed; San Diego County’s Transient Occupancy Tax generated more than $360 million for regional services; SDTA’s sales and marketing programs delivered a $30 to $1 return on investment, the highest in the organization’s history; and the retention rate among SDTA members was 93 percent. 

Coker enters the role as New York City continues to serve as a leading global tourism destination. New York City is estimated to see 64.5 million visitors this year, and a full recovery to 2019 levels by next year in 2025, which would mark the highest tourism levels in the city’s history. Last year, the tourism industry generated $74 billion in economic impact for New York City with more than $48 billion coming from direct spending, supporting over 380,000 leisure and hospitality jobs — roughly 9 percent of the city’s workforce — and thousands of small and minority-owned businesses.  

Under the Adams administration, New York City and New Jersey were awarded the rights to host the FIFA World Cup 26™ Final and seven other matches throughout the tournament at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. FIFA World Cup 26™ matches played at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), including the final, are projected to generate over $2 billion in economic impact for the New York City/New Jersey region, and are anticipated to support over 14,000 jobs. Moreover, it is expected that the tournament will bring over 1 million visitors to the region, roughly half of whom will be non-ticketholders.  

Coker will report to First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres Springer.  

About Julie Coker  

Julie Coker enters into the role of the new president and CEO at NYC Tourism + Conventions with decades of experience and a proven track record. Coker currently serves as president and CEO at the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA). In that role, Coker oversaw efforts to promote San Diego as a top destination for meetings, conventions, overseas travelers, and leisure visitors since June 2020. 

Before her work at SDTA, Coker served as the president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) where she oversaw the 2017 National Football League Draft and the 2016 Democratic National Convention, which had a combined economic impact of $325 million for Philadelphia. Prior to that, she was PHLCVB’s executive vice president, convention division, and managed a staff of 25 sales and services professionals. 

Prior to joining PHLCVB, Coker was the general manager for the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing, where she led all operational aspects of the 350-room hotel. A 21-year Hyatt veteran, she began her career in 1989 and rose through the ranks in a variety of positions. 

From January 2018 to 2020, Coker served as co-chair for the U.S. Travel’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition and secretary-treasurer for the International Association of Exhibitions and Events Executive Committee. From 2016 to 2019, she co-chaired the Shared Spaces Initiative to combat homelessness with Philadelphia’s mayor, and, in 2016, she served as the chair of Mayor Jim Kenney’s transition team for the Democratic National Convention. 

Coker has received numerous accolades for her work in hospitality and tourism. In 2023, she received the Fearless Award from the San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce and was inducted into the All-Time Hall of Fame by Smart Women in Meetings. In 2021, she was named a Phenomenal Woman in Business in the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Phenomenal Women series. In both 2012 and 2019, the Philadelphia Business Journal named her among their Women of Distinction honorees. She was the 2017 United Negro College Fund Mayor’s Ball Honoree for Civic Leadership and was named one of the Network Journal’s 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business. 

As the result of her decades-long expertise and experience, Coker is a member of several prominent boards, including the U.S. Department of Commerce’s U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, joining 31 other leaders from the domestic travel and tourism industry in providing advice to the secretary of commerce on travel priorities.  

Coker graduated magna cum laude from Johnson & Wales University, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management.