ORLANDO, Fla. – Visit Orlando, the area’s tourism marketing bureau, announced Tuesday that it has hired Casandra Matej as its new president and CEO.

Matej, who most recently served as president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, replaces current Visit Orlando CEO George Aguel, who announced his retirement in August.

“Orlando is the epicenter for all things travel and tourism, and I look forward to representing this incredible destination where imagination comes to life,” Matej said in a statement. “I am honored to have been part of the seismic changes that united and grew the unique San Antonio tourism industry, and to now serve the Orlando destination, which is recognized around the world for its spirit of innovation and collaboration.”

Matej will take over the role on February 1.

“We are thrilled to welcome Casandra in this significant leadership role for Orlando’s tourism industry,” Visit Orlando’s chairman of the board Brian Comes said in a statement. “She is known in the industry as a strategic leader with an ability to collaborate throughout the region, and her energy, vision and industry experience will be especially critical as our destination moves to recover from this challenging time.”

Orlando’s tourism industry has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and recovery has been slow. Thousands of theme park, restaurant and hotel workers have been laid off as a result. And although the theme parks have reopened, they are operating with a number of changes, including reduced capacity and enhanced health and safety measures.