Effective municipal tourism and convention operations and marketing strategies: The cases of Boston, San Antonio, and San Francisco.

Abstract Qualitative empirical methods were used to evaluate three municipalities recognized as possessing effective and innovative tourism and convention operations, namely Boston, San Antonio, and San Francisco. The culture of these municipalities is distinguished by extensive participation by private sector businesses in promoting the city including participating in cooperative advertising, involvement in tourism by the highest levels of city government (including the mayor), a close working relationship between the tourism and arts communities, exploitation of the city's unique features, the existence of a convention center which is not intended to be profitable, a convention and visitors' bureau which is headed by a dynamic community activist, sometimes tenuous relationships between the city and the local hotel community, and minimal involvement in tourism by the local media.