Mario Bass Officially Takes the Helm of Visit San AntonioMario Bass Officially Takes the Helm of Visit San Antonio
Hospitality veteran Mario Bass takes permanent leadership of Visit San Antonio, building on his track record of achieving record room night production and transforming the city's destination marketing approach.
June 3, 2025
After serving as interim president and CEO of Visit San Antonio since April, Mario Bass took over the role permanently when the destination marketing organization’s board of directors announced the news on June 2. The city attracted 35.6 million visitors in 2023, and the city’s hospitality industry contributed $21.5 billion to the local economy and employed more than 147,000, according to its 2024 annual report.
A San Antonio native, Bass brings more than 30 years of experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, having held key roles in major markets across New York, Florida and Texas. Bass, who has multi-generational roots in San Antonio, grew up in the city’s South Side, and he resides in the city with his wife, Renee, and son, Aiden.
Bass will be tasked with reaching Visit San Antonio’s goal of achieving significant growth across several key performance indicators (KPIs) by 2030, including:
67% hotel occupancy
830 total meetings and conventions booked, including 123 events at the Henry B. González Convention Center
45.8 million total visitors
The news comes as the city gets ready to host Cvent CONNECT, June 9-12, for the second time. Other big events in the city in 2025 include the InCyber Forum North America debut in June, Keller Williams Family Reunion in July, and Premiere San Antonio in September—to name a few. The full Henry B. Gonzalez event calendar can be found here.
The Pearl, a shopping and restaurant district, in San Antonio. Courtesy of Visit San Antonio
Back story: Bass took the interim role when Marc Anderson left after serving at the helm for four years. Prior to that, Bass served as executive vice president and chief strategy officer since returning to the Visit San Antonio in July 2024, having previously served for over five years.
What the board is saying: “After thoughtful consideration of possible candidates, our Board of Directors is thrilled to announce Mario’s appointment to lead Visit San Antonio and our industry into a future of growth and evolution,” said Hope Andrade, outgoing chair of the Visit San Antonio Board. “Mario’s extensive experience in the tourism industry coupled with his deep understanding of our community and culture make him uniquely qualified to lead San Antonio’s tourism and hospitality through the current uncertain times, period of impressive local development and ensure long-term success.”
Why it matters: During his earlier tenure at Visit San Antonio, Bass achieved the highest annual room night production in the organization’s history, transformed the Destination Experience Department from a reactive resource into a proactive industry thought leader, and capitalized on emerging business segments post-pandemic with a recovery deployment and engagement plan, according to Visit San Antonio.
Looking back: Prior to rejoining Visit San Antonio, Bass served as COO at Visit Orlando. Before transitioning into the destination marketing organization sector, Bass worked in hotel sales and marketing with Marriott International.
Visitors can cruise on the famous San Antonio River Walk. Courtesy of Visit San Antonio
What he’s saying: "I’m grateful to the Board for their confidence in my vision to prioritize San Antonio’s greatest asset—our people—as we continue to elevate our home as a premier destination for both leisure and meetings,” Bass said. “San Antonio presents an exceptional blend of culture, history, cuisine, affordability, diverse accommodations, and state-of-the-art convention options. Combined with our warm, welcoming community, the Alamo City truly stands out as a must-experience destination."
Big picture: Loris Menfi, incoming chair of the Visit San Antonio Board, noted that filling Visit San Antonio’s leadership vacancy at such a critical time for the community required selecting a candidate with the vision and capability to drive lasting success. “The search committee was deeply inspired by the overwhelming and unsolicited support Mario received from both industry leaders and the community. San Antonio can take immense pride in having one of its own possess such an outstanding résumé and extraordinary talent,” Menfi said.
Context: The Visit San Antonio President and CEO search committee was composed of the Board’s Executive Committee: Andrade, co-founder and partner of Go Rio San Antonio River Cruises and former Texas Secretary of State; Menfi, general manager, San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter on the River Walk and San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk; Philip Stamm, retired area vice president and general manager, Grand Hyatt & Hyatt Regency; John Carbajal, residential real estate agent, San Antonio Board of Realtors; James P. Limbaugh II, chief commercial officer, Silver Eagle Beverages; Maria Martinez, general manager, The St. Anthony, a Luxury Collection Hotel.
About the Author
Related Stories
