Two months after the San Diego Tourism Authority lost its CEO to New York City, the agency has a new president — former Manchester Grand Hyatt General Manager Daniel Kuperschmid.
Currently serving as vice president of global asset management at Hyatt Hotels Corp., where he has managed a global portfolio of 42 hotels, Kuperschmid will be leaving his position there to take over as president and CEO of the city’s tourism operation, starting March 24, the Tourism Authority announced Thursday.
Kuperschmid, appointed by the board of the Tourism Authority, comes to the job with 30 years experience in the hotel industry, beginning as a sales manager at the Hyatt New Orleans. For six years, he led the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, a position that included 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.
“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 in a statement. “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 replaces former CEO Julie Coker, who announced her planned departure last October after being offered a job to lead the New York tourism bureau. Like Kuperschmid, Coker had spent many years with Hyatt hotels. She had been CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau before being lured away to San Diego.
The Tourism Authority embarked on a four-month search for her replacement, drawing widespread interest both nationally and globally from a large number of tourism executives, said Paul Garcia, spokesperson for the San Diego tourism organization.
“So this was a highly coveted opportunity,” Garcia said.
Garcia was unable to provide at press time what Kuperschmid will be paid in his new role with the Tourism Authority.
In addition to his professional work, Kuperschmid has been actively involved in San Diego’s travel industry as a volunteer, having served on the Tourism Authority Board of Directors. During his time as board chair, he was very much involved in selecting Coker to lead the bureau. He also has served on the San Diego Tourism Marketing District Board of Directors.
“His extensive background in marketing and sales, combined with his proven record in building high-performing teams and managing multifaceted operations, positions him perfectly to lead SDTA into its next chapter of success,” said Shawn Dixon, Tourism Authority Board Chair and Chief Operating Officer of the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Kuperschmid will the tourism and marketing operation at a time when San Diego’s hospitality industry is enjoying near-record performance. In 2024, San Diego had 32 million visitors and saw an unprecedented $14.6 billion in visitor spending. It also ranked third among the top 25 U.S. markets for hotel occupancy, reaching 74.3%, just behind Oahu and New York.
