Houston First Corporation (HFC) is pleased to announce all employees are back on the job and drawing on all of the organization’s resources to support Houston during the pandemic crisis.

The COVID-19 outbreak has taken its toll on the travel and hospitality industry nationwide and certainly on Houston and HFC. To counter the negative economic impact the coronavirus has had on our corporation, an application was made for the Payroll Protection Program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), as soon as it became available and eligibility was established. This plan allows the organization to maintain its payroll, preventing the need for temporary furloughs.

“This is good news, not only for Houston First, but for the City of Houston. Our employees work hard daily on behalf of the City and are essential to our success. Nothing makes the board and leadership at Houston First happier than to be able to continue to provide employment for our most valuable assets,” said David Mincberg, board chair, Houston First Corporation.

Houston First will continue to build its resiliency, as it plans for every phase of recovery when the travel, tourism and meetings market returns.

As the official Destination Management Organization for the Houston region, the Houston First team is reinventing how it supports the local hospitality community. HFC is promoting restaurants, virtual tours and ways individuals can help on its signature website, Visit Houston. A new social media campaign will kick-off soon that will encourage everyone to engage and experience Houston in a fun and creative way.

“Houston First will continue to do all it can to help our city during this difficult time, while also preparing for better days ahead for Houston and the nation. Once those days come, our team will be ready,” Mincberg said.