HOUSTON

“One of the last U.S. cities to slip into recession and one of the first to emerge, Houston has a firm grip on its super-sized economy.”

– Global Traveler

Buffalo Bayou – Downtown Houston

The Basics

• America’s 4th largest city

• 2.3 million residents• No ethnic majority• 83 languages

spoken• “Houston” – First

Word Spoken from the Moon

“The Texas city deserves to be known for something else: coolness." – Forbes, after naming Houston the coolest city in the U.S. in 2012

Richmond Hall at The Menil Collection

By the Numbers

• $92.47 – Average hotel room rate in 2011

• $32.53 – cost of an average meal in Houston, $5 less than the national average

• $1.25 – cost of a one-way ticket on the METRORail

“A growing number of creative types are striving to make H-Town the cultural hub it was when...first injected with modernity.”

– W Magazine Houston

Buffalo Bayou

GRB Houston Convention Center

• 1.85 million – Gross Square Feet

• 1.2 million – Total Lease Space

• 639,000 – Contiguous Exhibit Space

• 7 – Exhibit Halls• 100 – Meeting

Rooms

Reliant Park

• 350 – Acres• 1.6 million – Total

square feet of exhibit space

• 706,213 – Square feet in Reliant Center

• 61 – Meeting Rooms

"It's the city of big plans and no rules,...world-class museums...and the biggest damn liquor store on the planet. How could you not love Houston?“

– Kiplinger’s Personal Finance

Houston Police Memorial overlooking Houston skyline

The Hotels

• 71,973 – No. of hotel rooms in the Houston MSA

• $92.47 – Average hotel room rate in 2011

• 5,000+ - No. of hotel rooms in downtown

Airports

• 180 – No. of cities worldwide served by the Houston Airport System

• 3 – No. of airports serving Houston

• 21 – No. of airlines serving IAH and Hobby Airports

• #1 – Houston is United Airlines’ largest hub

Transportation

• 7.5 – Miles of light rail in Houston

• $1.25 – Cost of a one-way light rail ticket

• 2,200 – Total number of taxis in fleet

• $6 – Cab fare anywhere in downtown Houston

“The city is flexing its cultural muscle and encouraging tourists to explore to their heart's content with the Houston CityPASS."– Budget Travel

Space Center Houston

Top Attractions

• $39 adults, $29 kids• Save 41 percent• Only 11 cities offer

CityPASS in North America

• Hotel packages available at VisitHouston.com

“Yes, oil money still reigns supreme, but it now competes with culture.” – The New York Times

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Arts by the Numbers• 19 museums within

walking distance• 6.6 million visitors to

the Museum District annually

• 17-block Theater District

• 12 resident performing arts companies

• 44 Houston Grand Opera world premieres

My Houston: The Arts

“It's easy to conclude that Houston has one of the most satisfying food scenes in the country right now.” – The New York Post

Brenner’s on the Bayou

“One thing I expect now: a return visit to the best dining destination in Texas.”

– Bon Appetit

Haven

Dining by the Numbers

• 60 cuisines offered by Houston restaurants

• 8,986 food service and drinking establishments

• 6 James Beard Award nominations in 2012

• 5.7 – No. of times Houstonians eat out per week, more than residents of any other city

My Houston: Culinary Scene

“Bold and brash, Texas's largest city is a lively mix of high culture and down-home hospitality, charming neighborhoods and standout shopping.”

– Elle Decor

Lot 8

Shopping & Fashion by the Numbers

• #1 shopping city in America, according to Forbes.com

• 1 Project Runway winner, Chloe Dao of Lot 8

• 375 shops in The Galleria

• 1 city block – Amount of space Tootsies fills with women’s designer merchandise

My Houston: Shopping & Fashion

“Houston is ready for the big leagues.” – Business Traveler

Reliant Stadium

Sports by the Numbers• 2 – No. of times the

Houston Dynamo have won the MLS cup

• 2 – No. of times the Houston Rockets won the NBA championship

• 2 retractable-roof stadiums (Minute Maid Park and Reliant Park)

• 3 – No. of downtown stadiums

My Houston: Sports

“Washington Avenue has been transformed into one of Houston's most popular nightspots.” – The New York Times

Sawyer Park

Number Crunch: Nightlife

• 5 – No. of distinct nightlife districts

• 7 – No. of times Anvil Bar & Refuge has been included on a list of America’s best cocktail bars

• 7 – No. of breweries in the Houston area by the end of 2012

• 1847 – The year La Carafe, Houston’s oldest bar, was built

My Houston: Live Music

“The city has lots of great parks with bike trails, beautiful old oak trees and awesome skyline views.” – Family Circle

Market Square Park

Parks and Outdoors by the Numbers

• 14.2 – Percentage of the city’s land area represented by parks

• 700 – No. of city and county parks

• 65,000 – No. of acres of city and county parks

• 145 – No. of public and private golf courses

“This is a city's city: standing proud, happy and bright at the center with a rugged ring around the middle. Houston literally hums.” – Dallas Morning News

Texas Medical Center

Health Care by the Numbers

• 49 – No. of institutions in the Texas Medical Center

• #1 – Ranking of M.D. Anderson as the top cancer center in the country

• 1,000+ – No. of acres within the Texas Medical Center

• 93,530 – No. of Texas Medical Center employees

“That's just another facet of the New Houston—a seemingly random tapestry of traditional and modern, upscale and down-home, ultra-country and ultra-

urban—all presented with a warm Southern smile.” – Southwest Spirit

Downtown Skyline

What’s New/Coming Soon

• Museum of Natural Science Paleo Hall (June 2012)

• Asia Society Texas (April 2012)

• Dynamo Stadium (May 2012)

• New 1,000-room convention center hotel (groundbreaking 2013)

• $55M Buffalo Bayou renovation initiative (2015)

GHCVB Resources

• Monthly e-newsletter• What’s New in Houston

(quarterly)• Ask Veronica• Events Calendar• Special Offers & Hotel

Packages• Facebook.com/

VisitHoustonTexas• Twitter.com/

VisitHoustonTX

VisitHOUSTON.com

HOUSTON