U.S. Travel Announces 2024 Hall of Leaders Honorees

Destination leaders Christopher L. Thompson, former president and CEO of Brand USA, 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 into the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders this fall, the U.S. Travel Association announced today.

“Bill and Chris embody the highest ideals of a travel leader. Over many years, each has contributed in meaningful ways to the success and growth of this industry,” said Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association.

“Under Chris’s stewardship, Brand USA has flourished to increase visitation to the U.S. and maximize travel’s economic impact,” Freeman said. “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 added. “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.”

Distinguished individuals, such as Talbert and Thompson, are named to U.S. Travel’s Hall of Leaders for “sustained, noteworthy contributions that have positively impacted the travel industry, stimulated greater achievement and raised industry-wide 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 to 2024, 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 ground-breaking initiatives, including award-winning storytelling and content strategies, the production of three giant-screen films viewed around the world, and the launch of the first national destination connected-TV channel.

Under his guidance, Brand USA became a model public-private partnership for national destination marketing organizations. Thompson led the organization to record numbers prior to 2020 and it has played an instrumental role in the return of international inbound visitation to the United States in the post-pandemic years.

Prior to Brand USA, Thompson served as president and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA and the Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, in addition to leading the Leon County (Florida) Tourist Development Council. He began his career in travel in 1983 at the former Florida Department of Commerce, Division of Tourism.

William D. “Bill” Talbert, III

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Talbert was the long-time president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, serving the organization from 1990 to 2021. He is credited as a dedicated public servant and a highly respected travel and civic leader who served the industry in Miami-Dade and beyond for five decades.

Under his guidance, Greater Miami and Miami Beach consistently achieved record-setting numbers in terms of visitors, employment and travel-generated taxes, which contributed in significant ways to funding essential initiatives in transportation, public safety, and local arts and culture, among other services.

Talbert was at the forefront of “everything Miami,” offering leadership and expertise to 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’s Travel & Tourism Advisory Board, the Black Hospitality Initiative of Greater Miami and Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, among others.

With these inductions, 108 travel industry professionals have been inducted into the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders since it was created in 1969. The 2023 inductees were Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC, and Peter F. Herschend, co-founder of Herschend Enterprises. A list of all previous Hall of Leaders honorees is available here.

Talbert and Thompson will be honored at a November 20 dinner attended by more than 100 travel industry leaders during U.S. Travel’s Fall Engagement Week in Washington, D.C.