VoX International is now the Canadian representative for Visit Houston, the largest city in the southern United States and the fourth largest in America.
“We are thrilled to be representing such a diverse and exciting Texas destination that will entice Canadians with world-class arts, culture, dining, attractions, shopping—tax-free for Canadians—golf and sporting events,” said Susan Webb, president of the Toronto-based destination marketing firm.
VoX has named Carina Boukary-Mory as account manager for Visit Houston. Boukary-Mory was previously manager for the German National Tourist Officer in Canada, where she was responsible for public relations and travel trade activities.
Fluent in German, English and advanced French, Boukary-Mory has excellent skills for planning events, conducting training seminars, organizing Fam trips and developing relationships with media and travel trade partners. A passionate traveler, she has lived in Texas.
“We are excited to have VoX International and Carina on board at this time when downtown Houston is experiencing an infrastructure renaissance designed to improve the visitor experience. We want Canadians to discover why this city is the culture and culinary capital of Texas,” said Jorge Franz, senior vice-president of international sales and tourism, Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Boukary-Mory will lead the account from VoX’s Toronto office with support from Lea-Ann Goltz in Western Canada and Serge Lamaree and Renee Wilson in Montreal. She can be contacted at carina@voxtum.ca; 416.935.1896 ext. 242. Lea-Ann Goltz can be contacted at lea-ann@voxtm.ca.
Houston Update
Development is ongoing in Houston. Projects and openings include:
♦ Hobby International Airport Expansion (completed October 2015): Southwest Airlines spent $150 million to make the airport Houston’s second international gateway. The expansion included additional parking garage, roadway modifications, new concourse and an expanded terminal.
♦ Revival in Downtown’s Historic District (ongoing): Two new residential projects and new restaurant and bar openings have made downtown the place to be again.
♦ Convention District (ongoing): Construction of a 1,000-room Marriott Marquis, connecting to the north side of George R. Brown Convention Center, is expected to be complete in fall 2016. The front facade of the convention center is being renovated to include ground-level restaurants and a new concourse.
♦ Holiday Inn (opened December 2015): A development group turned the former Savoy Hotel, which straddles downtown and midtown, into a Holiday Inn. The 17-storey property has been closed since the late 1980s.
♦ SpringHill Suites (opened August 2015): The historic Humble Oil Building complex, located just a few blocks west of the George R. Brown Convention Center, got a new 166-room SpringHill Suites property. The property’s owner, RLJ Lodging, converted an existing 82-unit apartment tower into the new hotel.
♦ Hyatt Place Houston Galleria (opened February 2016): This 157-room property is located adjacent to the recently opened Hyatt Regency Hotel Houston Galleria. Both hotels are part of the 7.6-acre Galleria Plaza mixed-use development.
♦ Hampton Inn / Homewood Suites (opening summer 2016): The Hampton Inn will have 173 rooms and the Homewood Suites will have 127. Both properties are located near the George R. Brown Convention Center.
♦ Hotel Alessandra (opening fall 2016): This 225-room property is located in a tall, narrow tower at Fannin and Polk streets. Once complete it will have 10,000 square feet of ballroom and meeting space as well as an indoor/outdoor deck, restaurant and bar.
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