New Braunfels Convention & Visitors Bureau is taking on a new identity as Visit New Braunfels.
“Visit New Braunfels brings some credibility to the group audience. At a national level, you really need to follow the standard,” Visit New Braunfels Director Amanda Ciarlone said.
The shift is part of a larger strategy aimed at attracting a wider audience. New Braunfels tourism industry leaders believe the fast-growing city is positioned to feast on an industry undergoing seismic changes.
“We don't have a hard time getting people to come here in the region for the weekend, but those weekday groups are something that we've never focused on or knew quite how to approach successfully,” Ciarlone said. “We’re moving more into group business and being strategic about how we position ourselves.”
The economic impact from convention- and visitor-related business on New Braunfels topped the billion-dollar mark in 2024. That figure is expected to grow, especially as Austin razed its convention center and won’t have a new one in place until 2029.
“It's really timely for us to leverage that and introduce ourselves as a good place to meet for a good value,” Ciarlone said.
New Braunfels has some more traditional meeting space in place, including a 50,000-square-foot convention center, and it’s pursuing the possible expansion of those facilities. Meanwhile, the city is working to be more creative in its infrastructure offerings.
“We have some really great non-traditional venues that we're starting to utilize and leverage to bring in group business,” Ciarlone said, pointing to the city’s popular Wurstfest Hall and grounds as an example.
Private sector reinvestment in the heart of the city could also bolster Visit New Braunfels’ pitch to prospects.
“What's happening downtown with restaurants and venues, projects that have been approved to move forward, they are going to enhance that walkability of New Braunfels for group and leisure business,” Ciarlone said, noting they are at the “forefront of what we're selling as a destination.”
New Braunfels could also get a lift from major airport terminal expansion projects in San Antonio and Austin expected to attract more passengers to the region.
“We have to show them the charm of New Braunfels and the value and the accessibility from both airports,” Ciarlone said.
At the same time, New Braunfels is bolstering its ties with key industry groups.
“We're going where we know decision makers and decision influencers are,” Ciarlone said.