Weekly Lunch Destination San Antonio: The Power of Tourism

Mario Bass took the helm as President and CEO of Visit San Antonio, our city’s tourism bureau that helps attract more than 35 million visitors to our community annually, in June 2025. A San Antonio native, Bass brings over 30 years of distinguished experience in the tourism and hospitality industry, having held key roles in major markets across New York, Florida and Texas.

Bass was selected Interim President & CEO of Visit San Antonio April 2025 after serving as Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer since returning to the organization in July 2024. In the Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer role, Bass oversaw five departments – Destination Sales, Destination Experience, Events, Membership and River Walk Operations – and contributed to the overall success of the San Antonio hospitality industry.

During his earlier tenure at Visit San Antonio, Bass achieved the highest annual room night production in the organization’s history, transformed the Destination Experience Department from a reactive resource into a proactive industry thought leader and capitalized on emerging business segments post-pandemic with a recovery deployment and engagement plan, among many other successes.

Prior to rejoining Visit San Antonio, Bass served as Chief Operating Officer at Visit Orlando, where he managed internal operations, led and implemented strategic initiatives and developed annual business plans, all while supporting the company’s mission. Before transitioning into the destination marketing organization sector, Bass built a robust, multi-market career in hotel sales and marketing with Marriott International.

Bass, who has multi-generational roots in San Antonio, grew up in the city’s South Side. Reflecting the city’s strong family-oriented culture, his wife Renee and son Aiden remain at the heart of his priorities.

Update: See the recap of Mario's presentation in our News Section.