AMELIA ISLAND, Florida— The Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau has hired Florida tourism veteran Paul Beirnes as vice president of the organization. Beirnes took over the role November 20.
“Paul has an impressive track record in tourism and brings an equally impressive set of marketing and leadership skills to his new position on Amelia Island,” said Gil Langley, president and CEO of the Amelia Island Tourist Development Council. “His depth of experience across the tourism sector gives Paul a clear understanding of the challenges facing the entire industry and a keen appreciation for Amelia’s unique attributes and assets. We’re very excited to welcome him to the team.”
As vice president, Beirnes will have the opportunity to help take the organization and the destination to the next level, with responsibilities spanning all aspects of tourism marketing, program development and more.
“Amelia Island is an amazing destination with a fiercely loyal fan base, an active and engaged community of hospitality professionals and an award-winning CVB committed to preserving the tourism industry for the benefit of this community,” Beirnes said. “I look forward to working with Gil and his remarkable team as we explore new ways to responsibly promote Amelia Island to the world.”
Beirnes was most recently executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB since 2020, where he played an integral role in nearly doubling tourism development tax collections, successfully leading the destination through the pandemic and recovery from Hurricane Ian. During his time in Naples, he was named one of the “Top 25 Extraordinary Minds” for 2022 by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), an annual list recognizing exemplary achievement and leadership in hospitality sales, marketing, revenue optimization and distribution.
Prior to Naples, Beirnes was director of destination marketing with Hilton Worldwide, representing the 18 brands within Hilton’s corporate portfolio. Before joining Hilton, Beirnes was director of global marketing and partnership marketing for 16 years with Visit Orlando. He also spent more than 10 years in leadership roles in The Walt Disney Co.’s marketing division. Additionally, Beirnes serves on the board of directors of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and is a recipient of the 2022 HSMAI President’s Award. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Guelph in Canada.
For more information about the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, visit ameliaislandcvb.com.
