Annual Tourism Summit

Galveston Island Convention Center - 9-4PM

Galveston Tourism Summit, Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Join Visit Galveston and island partners for the 2026 Tourism Summit, a gathering focused on the trends, data, and opportunities shaping the future of travel to Galveston. This year’s theme, Galveston on the Global Stage, explores how our destination fits into the evolving travel landscape and how local businesses can benefit from emerging opportunities.

The program brings together industry leaders, research experts, and tourism partners for a morning and afternoon of insights, discussion, and practical takeaways. Sessions will cover tourism performance, traveler trends, social media strategies, short term rental data, online reviews, and how artificial intelligence is changing how visitors discover destinations. The agenda also includes networking time, vendor exhibits, breakout sessions, and the Tourism Excellence Awards recognizing outstanding partners in our community.

Attendance is free for tourism partners and community stakeholders.

Vendor booths are available at no cost for partners who want to showcase their business during networking sessions. Learn more and reserve your spot.

Summit Registration

Vendor Registration

Hourly Schedule At A Glance

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Morning

9AM 10AM

11AM 12PM

Afternoon

1PM 2PM

3PM 4PM

Summit Morning Schedule

9–10AM

Vendor Exhibits
Networking & Registration

Peruse vendor booths as you get registered and meet with others in attendance of the 12th annual Galveston Tourism Summit.

10–10:10AM

Welcome
Marty Miles & Tony Lyle

Includes a short Destination Moment video celebrating Galveston and the role tourism plays in the island’s economy and community.

Tony's bio Marty's bio

10–10:50AM

Tourism By The Numbers
Cindy Decker

A data-driven look at Galveston’s tourism performance, including visitation, spending, and industry trends, with comparisons to Texas and national benchmarks.

Cindy's Bio

10:50–11:30AM

State of Galveston Travel
David Reichbech

Future Partners is excited to join you at the 12th Annual Galveston Island Tourism Summit for an engaging presentation, "The State of Galveston Travel," featuring actionable insights from Future Partners' key ongoing research studies, The State of the American Traveler and The State of the International Traveler.

David's Bio

11:30–11:40AM

Connecting The Dots
Cindy Decker & David Reichbach

Audience questions connecting tourism performance data with traveler trends and sentiment.

Cindy's Bio David's Bio

11:40–12:15PM

Galveston’s Economic Future Panel

Tony Lyle and Marty Miles, join Rodger Rees, from the Port of Galveston, and Craig S. Kovaceich, from UTMB, discussing how Galveston’s three major industries are shaping the island’s economic future.

Rodger's Bio

marty's bio

Craig's Bio

Summit Afternoon Schedule

12:15–1PM

Lunch

Food and beverages will be provided during the lunch break.

12:40–1PM

Special Plenary Session
Tony Lyle Marty Miles
Will Wright

A look at how Galveston can leverage two global opportunities to elevate the island’s international visibility and strengthen tourism.

Tony's bio

Marty's bio

Will's bio

1–1:10PM

Transition Break

1:10–1:55PM

Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Breakout A	Breakout B	Breakout C
Speaker: Bram – AirDNA A closer look at short-term rental performance, demand patterns, and market insights relevant to Galveston.	Speakers: Tyler / Melody – Visit Galveston A practical session on current social media best practices, content trends, and how partners can better align with Visit Galveston’s digital efforts.	Speaker: Scott Caufield – TripAdvisor Insights into reviews, traveler feedback, and how tourism businesses can strengthen visibility and influence booking decisions.

1:55–2:05PM

Transition Break

2:05–2:50PM

AI and the Future of Travel Discovery
Justin Gibbs

AI is rapidly reshaping destination marketing—from Google’s AI Overviews disrupting traditional SEO and search traffic to new tools that are redefining how travelers discover and choose places.

Justin's bio

2:50–3PM

Tourism Excellence Awards

Recognition of outstanding partners and a look ahead at the future of tourism in Galveston.

3–4PM

Vendor Exhibits & Networking

Visit any vendor booths you missed and meet others you haven't met yet.

See All Presentations

Tourism Summit 2025 | Presentations

Last year's keynotes are available to watch now.

Watch All Keynotes