Elizabeth Eddins, Executive Director, Visit The Woodlands
Visit The Woodlands achieved record hotel occupancy in the past year, driven by strategic marketing and major events like The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival. In an interview with Invest:, Executive Director Elizabeth Eddins emphasized the area’s unique blend of nature and luxury and a perfect place for business meetings and leisure travel. “The Woodlands has become a place where people can reconnect with nature while still enjoying world-class amenities,” she said.
What have been some of the biggest milestones for The Woodlands over the past year?
We continue to see a greater interest in holding business meetings in The Woodlands. People have long known The Woodlands as a great place to live and work, but we’re working diligently to show it’s also a great place for business meetings and leisure travel. Conventioneers and other visitors love the balance between our bustling business scene, world-class amenities, and the natural landscape.
What trends are you seeing in your visitor demographics and business travel?
The past couple of years have been the best in The Woodlands’ history regarding travel spending. In 2024, The Woodlands reached its highest hotel occupancy ever. This success was driven by creative sales and marketing campaigns by Visit The Woodlands, including one that promoted our destination as a quick getaway for visitors from the Houston and Dallas areas.
During this campaign, we discovered that visitors often come to The Woodlands for the first time for a specific event, like a concert or a convention, and fall in love with the town. We have amenities that appeal to everyone — whether it’s a stroll along The Waterway, patio dining with a view of Lake Woodlands, or a luxury shopping experience at Market Street — so first-time visitors will often return for a weekend getaway or even bring their own meetings and events here in the future.
How is Visit The Woodlands collaborating with cultural institutions and local businesses to enhance visitor experiences?
The Woodlands is all about partnerships. For example, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion is a key component of tourism and notoriety in The Woodlands. Originally a gift from George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell, the Pavilion is now among the top outdoor amphitheaters in the world and the summer home of the Houston Symphony. Similarly, The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival is consistently ranked in the Top 10 arts festivals in the nation. It showcases the work of nearly 200 juried artists as well as live music, local food, wine tastings, and activities the whole family can enjoy. Hundreds of volunteers bring it to life every spring, and the community has not only embraced it but turned it into one of the most highly anticipated events in town.
Are there any notable new restaurants or upcoming openings in The Woodlands?
The hospitality landscape of The Woodlands is constantly changing, and we’re proud of recent openings and excited for what’s ahead. Local Public Eatery and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar have recently opened, as well as fashion-forward women’s boutique Pell 1990 in Market Street, and Black Clover athleisure in The Woodlands Mall. Other exciting new arrivals include the Sur La Table Cooking School, the K1 Speed go-karting center, and the Kevin Brady Library and Community Center. We’re always seeing new restaurants opening. Near The Woodlands Mall, we’ve recently welcomed Yard House, The Capital Grille, and XALISKO, which was nominated for a James Beard Award for Best New Chef. Hughes Landing, our “Restaurant Row,” continues to be a hotspot, with Truluck’s, Azzurro, Del Frisco’s Grille, and Escalante’s among the favorites, plus the new Charolais by Chef Austin Simmons® opening in 2026. Over at Market Street, we have longtime staples 60 Vines, Tommy Bahama, and Bosscat Kitchen & Libations. Visitors and locals alike love new favorites like The Audrey, LOCAL Public Eatery, and Mastro’s Ocean Club. We’re looking forward to the opening of Bar Bludorn® by critically acclaimed Chef Aaron Bludorn in Waterway Square next year.
How does Visit The Woodlands collaborate with local businesses to promote the region as a top destination?
Collaboration is key to our success. On a day-to-day basis, we work closely alongside our partners at local hotels, restaurants, retailers, and other attractions to set goals and exceed expectations. The Woodlands is the site for the PGA’s Insperity Invitational, the LPGA’s Chevron Championship, Wine & Food Week, Houston Restaurant Weeks, and more.
The community’s support for these events is amazing to witness, especially during the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Texas. Every year, former IRONMAN athletes create a fan zone on the run course called “Hippie Hollow,” where anyone can dress up and play music to cheer competitors on to the finish line.
These efforts further support the community because all the visitors who come to watch these events are also dining in our restaurants, staying in our hotels, and planning return visits to our destination. Cultivating these relationships is a major priority for us.
What initiatives are supporting the hospitality and tourism workforce in The Woodlands?
Hospitality and tourism support over 4,000 jobs in The Woodlands, and according to the state of Texas, it’s an over $450 million industry. There are business meetings and conventions in our hotels nearly every single week, and The Woodlands Township does an outstanding job hosting various holiday and community events throughout the year. Celebrating America’s Independence over a two-day period, and events or festivals on holiday weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day bring vitality to The Woodlands. We’re looking forward to the Township’s new Holiday on The Waterway, a dazzling display of holiday lights that will stretch along both sides of The Woodlands Waterway from Waterway Square to Grogan’s Mill Road. Combined with The Woodlands Ice Rink, Market Street in Lights, and Christmas at The Woodlands Mall, it’s a breathtaking experience, and we’re proud that The Woodlands has become a go-to destination for the holiday season.
Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for tourism in The Woodlands over the next two to three years?
We’re fortunate to have strong leadership at our board of directors’ level and executive staff, all of whom are passionate about The Woodlands and continue to look to the future. Texas is experiencing a tourism boom, and we know many people may have visited The Woodlands years ago but haven’t been back in a while. We want to welcome them again and show them all the new things we have to offer. Whether you’re looking for an action-packed trip or just want to relax by the waterway, The Woodlands is the perfect destination.
