Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) established three new committees focused on the areas of advocacy, technology and social responsibility.
These areas of strategic interest were identified within DMAI’s recent Futures Study, published by the Destination & Travel Foundation. Since the report was published in July 2008, the industry has pledged more than $4 million to the Destination Excellence campaign to support activities to advance the destination marketing industry in the three areas.
“These committees are the backbone for having candid discussion, creating best practices and recommendations, and developing tools on behalf of the association and industry,” said Dan Fenton, DMAI board chair and president and CEO of Team San Jose.
The Advocacy Committee will consider partnerships and resources to help communicate the value of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to their customers and stakeholders. Members of this group have already provided several tools to help DMOs with stakeholder communication. Examples include a grassroots video shared by Visit Denver; a study of visitor taxes and their impact on the local community from the Greater Phoenix CVB; and a case study on transparency, media scrutiny and public funding from the Orlando/Orange County CVB.
The Technology Committee will focus on identifying and providing solutions for DMOs to enhance the level of sophistication and interaction that drives customer attention.
The Social Responsibility Committee will look for industry opportunities to provide solutions that combine a rewarding travel experience with sustainable economic development and opportunities to be more inclusive and incorporate more diversity into the meetings industry.
Individuals interested in participating can request more information by sending an e-mail to leadership@destinationmarketing.org.
