Ernest Wooden Jr.'s Induction into the U.S. Travel Association Hall of Leaders

Ernest Wooden Jr., former president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, will be honored as the 2020 inductees into the U.S. Travel Association Hall of Leaders, the organization announced recently. Distinguished individuals enter Hall of Leaders for sustained, noteworthy contributions that have positively impacted the travel industry and raised industry-wide standards.

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow said, “Ernie is a brilliant leader with a distinguished career in travel and hospitality industries, breaking barriers and blazing a trail that many others have followed.”

The brilliant leader has not only served the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board with great distinction but also America's travel industry as a whole, contributing greatly to the growth of travel to and within the United States.

Wooden's career in tourism and hospitality included 7 years as president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, from which he retired in June. Wooden also served as executive vice president of global brands in Hilton Hotels Corporation, where he was noted as the world's highest-ranking African-American hotel executive, spearheading initiatives for 3,000 properties in 80 countries. Wooden also held senior positions in Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Omni Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and Promus Hotel Corporation.

Under the leading of Wooden, Los Angeles witnessed a great rise in its tourism, welcoming more than 50 million visitors from around the world in 2018. Wooden has achieved the ambitious goal set at the beginning of his tenure 2 years ahead of time. He made Los Angeles more popular worldwide, particularly in China, where he established multiple full-time offices to serve inbound tourism to L.A. Wooden entered EBONY® Magazine's Power 100 list and has served multiple boards, including U.S. Travel's Executive Committee, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Visit California and the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

“Ernie is an ambassador of the Angeleno spirit, and a champion of the values and voices that make us proud to call Los Angeles home,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Ernie's induction into the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders is a fitting tribute to a remarkable career – how he helped transform our tourism industry into an engine of our economy, how he shared our story with the world, and how he deepened our city's identity as a destination for dreamers, doers, visitors, and visionaries from across the globe.”

Wooden will be honored by the U.S. Travel board of directors during a virtual meeting on November 18.