Here’s where Visit San Antonio will open their first overseas office

SAN ANTONIO — Visit San Antonio will open an office in London to court international travelers who typically outspend local tourists and stay in the Alamo City twice as long. 

The move is part of a larger strategy Visit San Antonio CEO Marc Anderson is implementing. 

“We need to tell the story of San Antonio, not only domestically, but also globally,” he told KENS 5 Thursday.

Historically, most of San Antonio’s visitors come from elsewhere in Texas. International tourists typically come from Mexico or Canada. 

Before the pandemic, about 20,000 people from the United Kingdom visited San Antonio each year. Anderson says those travelers generated $40 million for the local economy. 

“As we build ourselves into a global brand, there is no better time… to open our first office overseas,” he said. 

Visit San Antonio will contract with consultants already in London. Those workers will pitch San Antonio to travel agencies, journalists, and tour operators who can steer Europeans to the Alamo City. 

In the process, Anderson says his staff will actively pursue adding flights from San Antonio International airport to the U.K. and Germany. He hopes the consultants will bolster city leaders’ efforts to secure direct, international flights. 

“We’re hoping they open even more doors than the people we’re currently talking to,” Anderson said. 

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