 In the application cycle ending August 31, 13 Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) achieved official accreditation from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). The program, developed by Destination Marketing Association International and now in its second year, has accredited 68s, although this most recent cycle (DMOs are accredited three times per year) not only marked just the second time that 13—the highest number of destinations to achieve this industry certification for any given cycle—but also featured the first European DMO—the Lille Convention Bureau, in France—to join with its North American counterparts.
"Being the first accredited European DMO is extremely rewarding for the whole city of Lille, as well as our whole team, as they worked very hard for this," says Charles-Eric Vilain XIIII, Managing Director of the Lille Convention Bureau. "The entire process was extremely interesting and useful. We discovered many industry resources, such as DMAI's various measurement tools. The process also solidified the need to be exceptionally professional in our approach toward our clients, as well as toward our stakeholders and partners."
To become accredited, a DMO must successfully complete a rigorous application process, requiring evidence of  compliance with 54 mandatory standards and 33 voluntary standards. The standards set by DMAP cover a wide variety of topics including governance, finance, management, human resources, technology, visitor services, group services, sales, communications, membership, brand management, destination development, research/market intelligence, innovation, and stakeholder relationships.
“It is a great honor to recognize these organizations for their achievement,” said Barry Biggar, CDME, the board chair of DMAP and president and CEO of the Visit Fairfax. “These DMOs have demonstrated exceptional leadership in destination marketing. Their accreditation underscores their dedication and commitment to providing outstanding destination marketing services in accordance with international standards and benchmarks in this field.”
 Other destination to achieve accreditation include: Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (Georgia), Corvallis Tourism (Oregon), Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitor Bureau (Florida) , Denver Metro Convention & Visitor Bureau (Colorado), Experience Columbus (Ohio), Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau (Virginia), Meadowlands Liberty Convention & Visitors Bureau (New Jersey) , Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau (Rhode Island), Rock Hill/York County Convention & Visitors Bureau (South Carolina), St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors & Convention Bureau (Florida) Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Ohio), York County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Pennsylvania).
“This application cycle marks an important milestone for the program,” said Michael D. Gehrisch, president and CEO of DMAI. “With the accreditation of the Lille Convention Bureau, DMAP accredited DMOs can now be found throughout North America, Canada, and Europe.” |
