Visit California names Julie Coker President & CEO

Coker brings decades of destination marketing leadership to the helm of California’s tourism promotion nonprofit organisation.

Visit California last week announced Julie Coker has been named the organisation’s next – and only second ever – president & CEO, succeeding longtime leader Caroline Beteta, who announced her retirement earlier this year.

In this role, Coker will lead Visit California, the private industry-led nonprofit organisation marketing California as a premier travel destination, and will simultaneously serve as a strategic advisor for the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development (GO-Biz).

Coker brings more than three decades of experience across hospitality and destination marketing, most recently serving as president & CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions. She will assume the role on 1 October 2026.

The appointment is the culmination of a comprehensive global search conducted in partnership with SearchWide Global, a leading executive search firm specialising in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors. The search was led by a committee of Visit California past and current board members – headed by Ken Potrock, chair of the Visit California Board of Directors and president of Major Events Integration at The Walt Disney Company – and engaged an extensive field of candidates.

“After a rigorous and wide-ranging global search, Visit California is proud to welcome Julie Coker as our next president & CEO,” Potrock said. “Julie is a proven leader who has delivered exceptional results in some of the most competitive and complex destination markets in the country. We are confident she is the right visionary to build on Caroline’s extraordinary legacy and reinforce California’s position as one of the world’s most compelling destinations.”

Coker’s career in travel and hospitality spans more than 30 years, starting as a corporate management trainee at Hyatt, spending 21 years with the company and rising to general manager of the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia.

She spent a decade in leadership – including four years as president & CEO – at the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. And then served as president & CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority from 2020 to 2024, during which time she also served on Visit California’s Board of Directors. Her leadership guided San Diego’s destination marketing organisation through the pandemic and its aftermath, pushing the region to the third-highest hotel occupancy levels in the nation and generating $14.3 billion in visitor spending.

Most recently, Coker served as president & CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions, stewarding one of the world’s most recognised destination brands. Coker is also on the executive board of the U.S. Travel Association and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

“California is the world’s most iconic travel destination, and leading Visit California at this moment is an opportunity I approach with deep respect, genuine excitement and a clear sense of purpose,” Coker said. “The foundation Caroline Beteta and the California tourism industry have built over three decades is extraordinary, and the future is bright with so many global events shining the spotlight on the Golden State in the next three years. I look forward to working alongside the Visit California team, the board, and partners across the state to make the most of this moment.”

The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for California’s travel and tourism industry. The state’s travel economy surpassed $158 billion in visitor spending in 2025, and the industry delivered a 98.3% approval rating in last year’s statewide marketing renewal referendum – a record vote of confidence in Visit California’s mission.

“I am thrilled to see Julie carry this critical work forward,” outgoing President & CEO Beteta said. “She has built and led world-class organisations, knows California’s tourism industry from the inside, and brings the kind of experience, relationships and vision this moment demands. What California’s travel industry has built together – the brand, the partnerships, the trust of more than 18,000 investors – is ready for its next chapter. I leave this organisation with great pride and even greater confidence.”

The announcement draws vast support from the California travel industry, along with national tourism leadership.

“Julie Coker is one of the most accomplished destination marketing executives in the country, and Visit California is fortunate to have her at this critical moment for the industry,” said Geoff Freeman, president & CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “I have worked alongside Julie for years and seen firsthand her ability to align complex stakeholder communities, navigate difficult operating environments and lead organisations to meaningful results. California’s tourism industry – and the millions of jobs and communities it supports – will be well served by her leadership.”