The past as prologue: Predicting the future of the convention and visitor bureau industry on the basis of its history

The convention and visitor bureau (CVB) industry has grown into a major driver of economic development for many cities and destinations around the world. If what happens in the future is somewhat predicated on what happened in the past, it is important to understand the nature and history of this business and the people that lead it to understand its present and future. The purpose of this paper is to tell the story of how the CVB industry and profession began, what the key drivers have been in its growth and how a review of its history can be used to predict where this business is likely to develop and change in the future. The five future challenges extrapolated from this history are confirmed by structured interviews with 22 CVB leaders.