Kireem Swinton’s travel always serves a purpose — and often it revolves around Baltimore.

“I travel so I can bring people back and tell the story of the city,” Swinton, 50, said.

On Wednesday, he assumes the role of president and CEO of Visit Baltimore after serving as its interim head.

Visit Baltimore is the city’s main marketing organization and tourism and convention cheerleader. It operates as a nonprofit that’s mostly funded by visitor-paid hotel taxes.

The city saw more than 28 million overnight and day-trip visitors in 2024 and $4.3 billion in visitor spending, according to Visit Baltimore. Swinton’s organization helps large groups plan their events and booked more than 176,000 hotel room nights in the last fiscal year, according to its annual report.

“That’s our biggest thing,” Swinton said, “to get more people into the city so we can show them how beautiful the city is and not have anyone paint their narrative without us doing it on our own.”

Swinton, who grew up in Prince George’s County’s Seat Pleasant, has been in the hospitality industry for about a quarter of a century, and it has taken him to the Carolinas, Seattle and other parts of Maryland. Since 2017, he has been with Visit Baltimore, taking on various roles before becoming president and CEO.

The Banner talked with Swinton about how he views his role, his favorite things about Baltimore and why it’s an authentic and marketable place.

When you’re at a party or a social event and people ask you what you do, what do you say?

What I tell them is that I work for Visit Baltimore, and they say, “What’s that?” I say it’s the tourism engine that brings in visitors — whether it be to come to a game or whether it be to come to a convention. When it comes to small businesses, universities and our hotels, my job is to drive economic impact to the city.

What’s one of your favorite things to tell people about Baltimore?

I usually tell them we are a vibe. I think now even the data shows us that people are looking for more of an experience than anything when they’re coming to a place.

I feel like we do a good job showing how much we are a vibe. Arts, culture, history festivals, events — there’s always something going on, but most people don’t know that.

If the city let you do one thing to enhance tourism, what would it be?

We’re in the process right now trying to get this convention center modernized and renovated. I would say that would be my one wish, because a lot of people look at a convention as just a meeting. But you’re going someplace, it starts on Saturday, but I might go in on Friday and see what it’s like.

So, for me, I would renovate the convention [center] right away, because it’s such a major engine of economic impact but also the number of jobs it creates.

What city do you think has really great marketing, and why do you think it’s so good?

I think that Detroit has good marketing right now. I think they’ve gone through their renaissance. And I can never get New Orleans’ marketing out of my head.

The attraction of Bourbon, the FOMO of not being there when you see something that they put out, I think, is what we continue to try to strive for.

I love how they market because they market their people, they market their vibe, they market their events, and they show how people love their city. And I think that Baltimore does the same thing.

Do you have a personal philosophy about Baltimore?

I love to tell people, “I told you so,” because most of them come into the city and they have no idea what we have to offer.

My own family and friends who might be down the road 45 minutes away wouldn’t come up, and then they come up and they see it or enjoy themselves. The first thing they talk about is coming back. So I guess my philosophy will be: You won’t know until you get here.

What is something that you live by that gives you the momentum and capacity to do this job?

I’m passionate about the folks who are here.

I think the thing that drives me is making sure that other people win because then they look at us and say thank you.

That’s really all I need.

This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and concision.