Tourism agency appoints former Disney exec to leadership post

NAPLES — Paul Beirnes, who spent more than a decade in leadership roles in Disney’s marketing division, has been named deputy director of tourism for the Naples, Marco Island and Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Beirnes will oversee sales functions of the CVB and assist Executive Director Jack Wert with day-to-day operations, according to a statement. “Paul brings an incredible wealth of experience and leadership to the CVB and you would be hard pressed to find anybody more qualified to help bring the appeal of our destination to the next level,” Wert says in the statement. “His experience not only in the state of Florida, but with global brands, enables the CVB to be poised to continue our growth as we move into 2021 and beyond.”

Beirnes was most recently director of destination marketing with Hilton, representing the 18 brands within Hilton’s corporate portfolio. At Hilton Beirnes was part of the regional marketing and ecommerce team, the release states, where he led development of destination-focused marketing campaigns and partnerships encompassing the Florida and Atlanta. Prior to his time at Hilton, Beirnes was director of global marketing and partnership marketing for 16 years with Visit Orlando, and, prior to that, he spent over 10 years in leadership roles at Disney within the marketing division.

“There is an exceptional team here at the Naples, Marco Island and Everglades CVB, and I feel lucky to be a part of it,” Beirnes says in the release. “This has been a tough year for tourism, but we see so many reasons to be optimistic for this destination, and I look forward to diving right in to make Southwest Florida the number one vacation destination for 2021.”