SDTA Names New CEO

TOURISM : Former Hyatt Exec Daniel Kuperschmid Starts March 24

SAN DIEGO – A new leader with a deep background in hospitality has taken the lead at the San Diego Tourism Authority.

Longtime Hyatt Hotels leader Daniel Kuperschmid has been named the private nonprofit’s next president and CEO.

Daniel Kuperschmid

Incoming CEO

San Diego Tourism Authority

The SDTA Board of Directors appointed Kuperschmid on Feb. 13, after a four-month national search. He will start on March 24.

Kuperschmid has been with Hyatt Hotels for three decades, including vice president Global Asset Management at Hyatt Hotels Corp., where he managed 42 hotels in a global portfolio.

Kuperschmid has been an active volunteer in San Diego’s travel industry, having served on the SDTA Board of Directors, including as Board Chair from 2019 to 2023. When he was board chair, Kuperschmid was instrumental in selecting Julie Coker as SDTA’s President and CEO. Coker led the organization from 2020 to 2024, leaving for a CEO position with New York City Tourism + Conventions.

Shawn Dixon, SDTA Board Chair and Chief Operating Officer of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, called tourism “a critical economic engine of San Diego, generating $22 billion in economic activity and shaping the region’s future growth,” and said Kuperschmid’s experience and leadership “will further unite our tourism community and elevate our destination, strengthening San Diego’s position as a world-class destination.”

Kuperschmid began his career as a sales manager at Hyatt New Orleans, advancing through sales and marketing roles across multiple U.S. markets within the company.

He later served as general manager at Hyatt properties in Arizona, New Mexico and California. From 2018 to 2024, he led the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego as Area Vice President and General Manager, overseeing eight hotels in the Southern California market, including Hyatt Regency properties in Mission Bay and La Jolla, as well as the Andaz San Diego downtown.

During his Hyatt tenure, he drove significant revenue growth and group sales production, oversaw major property renovations, and championed diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“Hyatt taught me the power of exceptional service, collaboration and innovation — values I look forward to continuing at the San Diego Tourism Authority,” Kuperschmid said. “The team at SDTA has done an outstanding job in making San Diego one of the top destinations in the U.S., and I am honored to build upon their efforts.”

Kuperschmid has served on the advisory committee for the Yes for a Better San Diego campaign, supporting the San Diego Convention Center expansion, and was on the San Diego Tourism Marketing District Board of Directors from 2023 to 2024.

Kuperschmid takes the helm as San Diego’s tourism community reaches record levels.

San Diego welcomed 32 million visitors in 2024, tourists who contributed a record$14.6 billionin direct local spending.

With visitors steadily coming to the San Diego region, local hotels also achieved higher occupancy rates countywide, cementing its position as a top-performing hospitality market in the country and “Best in the West” for hotel occupancy rate.

STR reports that Diego County ranks third among the top 25 U.S. markets for hotel occupancy, reaching 74.3% — a 1.1% increase year-over-year, only trailing Oahu and New York – and finishing ahead of Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco.

“Tourism is a powerful economic engine that creates jobs and enriches both our visitors and residents,” Kuperschmid said. “I’m grateful for SDTA’s Board of Directors confidence in me, and I look forward to working with the talented SDTA team to further establish San Diego’s position as a premier global destination.”

SDTA is composed of more than 950 member organizations, businesses, local governments and individuals. SDTA members include those in tourism-related entities such as lodging, dining, arts, attractions, shopping and transportation.

Jeff Clemetson

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