Vanessa Bechtol Cabrera

As Vice President of Destination Stewardship at Visit Tucson, Vanessa’s work is focused on destination stewardship, with an emphasis on sustainable tourism, placemaking initiatives, strong community engagement and strategic planning. She spearheaded development of the organization’s 10-year Tourism Master Plan and is proud to have created and implemented a sustainable tourism program.

Prior to joining Visit Tucson, Vanessa served eight years as the Executive Director of the non-profit Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, where she worked with elected officials, community leaders, and nonprofit partners in the shared pursuit of preserving and promoting southern Arizona’s rich natural and cultural heritage. In that role she also co-authored the nomination for the City of Tucson to be designated as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, the first in the U.S.