Casandra Matej

Casandra Matej is the president and CEO of Visit Orlando, the destination marketing organization of the most visited destination in the U.S. and Theme Park Capital of the World.

She is responsible for leading the branding, marketing, and selling of the Orlando destination globally to drive Central Florida’s $75 billion tourism industry. The not-for-profit trade association also represents over 1,100 member companies. Matej is the first female CEO in the organization’s 37-year history. She has been honored for her leadership in local communities and in national hospitality and meetings industries. She was awarded Ally of the Year by the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce, recognized as a Top 25 Women in the Meetings Industry by Meetings & Conventions Magazine, and received the Women in Leadership Award from the San Antonio Business Journal. Matej holds over two decades of experience in the tourism industry, including, prior to her Orlando role, as president and CEO of Visit San Antonio. Through her vision, Visit San Antonio achieved record highs in convention sales and marketing programs, united the destination’s visitor experience by developing one of the largest tourism ambassador programs in the country, and spearheaded the pursuit of a UNESCO World Heritage designation for San Antonio’s legendary Spanish colonial missions. She also has held leadership roles in both destination and corporate industry arenas, at organizations such as Visit Dallas, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Hyatt Hotels.