Visit Tyler markets the Rose City year-round, boosting economy and promoting everything Tyler has to offer

Published 6:00 am Saturday, March 7, 2026

Editor’s Note: This story is part of an ongoing series of stories spotlighting downtown Tyler businesses in need of support from patrons during ongoing construction for the Downtown Improvement Project expected to continue through January 2028. The Tyler Morning Telegraph’s goal through this series is to reach a wider audience and drive more patrons into the businesses to experience what each of them has to offer.

For more than two decades, Visit Tyler has worked to position the city as a destination for conventions, meetings and leisure travelers.

Visit Tyler markets the city to visitors outside the region and works closely with organizations such as Main Street and Heart of Tyler to promote local dining, shopping and events while supporting downtown businesses.

“We’re a destination marketing organization,” said Susan Travis, vice president of sales at Visit Tyler. “We market the entire destination — not just hotels or certain attractions. Our job is to get people here and stay in our hotels.”

The organization was formerly known as the Tyler Convention and Visitors Bureau and operates as a department of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. Previously housed in the chamber’s offices, Visit Tyler moved in 2020 to its current location at 110 N. College Avenue, sharing space with the Plaza Tower and offering a gift shop of all things Tyler. 

With a contract through the city, the organization is funded through the city’s hotel occupancy tax, with the goal of bringing visitors to stay in local hotels and experience the Rose Capital.

Beyond hotels

Visit Tyler’s work goes beyond hotel bookings. The organization coordinates major events like the Azalea and Spring Flower Trail held every spring, drawing thousands of visitors to the city.

“We’re going to have a lot of visitors coming in for Azalea Trail, and we want them to be able to enjoy these downtown businesses when they come into the visitor center,” Travis said.

Its marketing efforts focus outside the city, targeting travelers in major cities like Dallas and San Antonio with the goal of boosting both hotel occupancy and local economic activity.

“We bring in sporting events, leisure groups, conventions… even small groups or individual travelers who just want to enjoy Tyler,” Travis said.

In addition to leisure tourism, Visit Tyler operates SPORTyler, a sports commission branch that focuses on sports tourism by recruiting and hosting major sporting events in Tyler. Its primary goal is to bring high-impact sporting events — such as football, basketball, golf, tennis, softball, and soccer tournaments — to Tyler to drive economic growth through tourism.

According to data from TravelStats.com, Tyler’s tourism industry generated an economic impact of $359.2 million in 2024, an increase over the $353.4 million reported the previous year. This growth was bolstered significantly by ‘Totality Tyler,’ the April 2024 solar eclipse event that saw the city positioned directly in the path of totality, drawing an influx of visitors to witness several minutes of total darkness.

Building up downtown

With various hotels available around the city, downtown continues to grow with lodging options, such as the Thomas Hotel and the Greyhound Inn, another hotel will soon be added to the hospitality scene. 

“The Blackstone Hotel — I’m beyond excited about it,” Travis said. “It’s going to be a great addition to downtown.”

The project, developed by Houston-based Valencia Hotel Group, will be the first full-service hotel in decades. The hotel will include 140 rooms, a 5,700-square-foot meeting space, and a ballroom terrace overlooking downtown.

“I’ve already started talking about it to meeting planners,” Travis said. “They’re already planning meetings for 2028, so I feel it could potentially bring in some of those groups.”

Construction for the Blackstone Hotel is expected to take about three and a half years, which will work alongside with the construction of the courthouse and the square.

“Anytime you improve and revitalize downtown, there are growing pains, but it’s all part of the process,” Travis said. “We’re doing our best to keep visitors and locals informed and excited; we want everyone to experience what makes Tyler unique.”

Visit Tyler reminds visitors and residents alike that even with construction going on downtown, it is still business as usual.

“Don’t be afraid to come downtown just because there’s construction going on…it’s really not hard to find parking,” Travis said. “… We encourage people to come down here, during the day and on the weekends and support our downtown businesses.”

Options for parking

Several parking and transit options remain available for patrons within walking distance of downtown restaurants and businesses:

• The Plaza Tower and People’s Parking Lot A and B, located on North Bois D’Arc Avenue, are free after 5 p.m. and on weekends.
• The free Smith County Parking Garage, located at 210 East Ferguson Street.
• The free Fair Plaza Parking Garage, located at 208 South College Avenue.
• The Regions Bank Parking Lot, located at 100 East Ferguson Street.

Additionally, two-hour parking is available on any open street spots.

On Dec. 12, the city launched a partnership with Tyler Valet to offer a fixed-route shuttle service with clearly marked pick-up and drop-off points.

The city says shuttle stops are easy to find, with bright yellow signs placed throughout the downtown area. Riders can hop on and off at any stop along the route at no cost.

The downtown evening shuttle operates Thursdays 6 to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 11 p.m. Stops include:

Stop 1: Broadway Ave Side of Fair Plaza Parking Garage (Tyler Transit bus stop)
Stop 2: W. Erwin St., in front of Liberty Hall
Stop 3: E. Ferguson St. entrance of Smith County Parking Garage
Stop 4: Northwest Corner of the Ferguson and College Ave intersection (Plaza Tower)
Stop 5: Plaza Tower parking lot (N. Bois D’Arc Ave.)
Stop 6: Southeast corner of College Ave. and Elm St. Intersection, (Fair Plaza Parking Garage)

For a full downtown Tyler parking guide, visit tylerpaper.com/2025/12/28/parking-guide-navigating-downtown-tyler-during-ongoing-construction.

For more information or details of things to do in Tyler, check out www.visittyler.com.

For more about the Downtown Improvement Project and proposed timelines, visit www.mytylertexas.com/downtown-improvement-project.