Latest news with #VisitDallas
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Southern Baptist Convention happening in Dallas this week
The Brief The Southern Baptist Convention is currently underway at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas. About 20,000 people are expected to attend. The four-day conference is expected to bring an economic boost to the Dallas area. DALLAS - The Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest religious conference, is happening in Dallas this week. What we know The convention kicked off Sunday and is expected to bring as many as 20,000 people to the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center in Downtown Dallas throughout the week. It's the largest annual religious gathering in the United States and is back in Dallas for the first time since 2018. The conference is expected to bring a big boost to the local economy with visitors booking hotels, shopping, eating at restaurants, and visiting museums and other attractions. Visit Dallas expects direct spending from the event will bring in about $12.8 million, with an additional $7.5 million in indirect spending and more than $600,000 in tax revenue. While a lot of the money will stay downtown, other popular Dallas areas are expecting to benefit as well. What's next The Southern Baptist Convention brings members together to vote on a path forward. They're expected to vote this year on a stricter ban on women pastors and work to overturn the Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage 10 years ago, among other measures. By the numbers There are 12 million Southern Baptists across the country, and more than 2 million are Texans. The Source FOX 4's Shannon Murray gathered information for this story from an interview with Craig Davis, the president and CEO of Visit Dallas.
Axios
09-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Making Dallas a tourist destination
Dallas has a branding problem. Of the 27 million visitors to the city last year, 80% were attending a meeting or convention, not because they chose it as a tourist destination. Why it matters: Dallas is still best known for two things: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the long-running primetime soap opera that had everyone in the 1980s asking "Who shot J.R.?" But millions of visitors for the 2026 FIFA World Cup may give the city a chance to update its image. The big picture: Visitors spend a lot — about $6.6 billion a year — staying at hotels and going out in Dallas. That creates $626 million in state and local tax revenue, according to Visit Dallas, the nonprofit organization tasked with promoting the city The city is planning to use tourism tax dollars to pay for its new convention center, which city leaders expect to reshape downtown. Reality check: When people think of a U.S. city to visit, they likely don't consider Dallas. Why would they when there's Chicago with its beautiful summers, music festivals and river boat tours? Or Boston, the birthplace of America? Or New Orleans with Bourbon Street and jazz? Or San Francisco with the Golden Gate Bridge and nearby Napa Valley? Or Philly with cheesesteaks and a broken bell? State of play: Visit Dallas is trying to show potential visitors that Dallas has a lot to offer, including our shopping, dining and arts culture. What they're saying: People know Dallas. That's not the problem. The problem is getting to see the city as something more than a 1980s stereotype.
