Destination Excellence Campaign Raises $4.08 Million
November 04, 2009
Thanks to a $100,000 contribution from the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Destination & Travel Foundation's Destination Excellence campaign has surpassed its $4 million goal, raising $4.08 million to date that it will use to fund destination marketing programs and research.
"We are grateful to Fort Lauderdale for helping us over our initial target," Greater Phoenix CVB CEO Steve Moore, the foundation's immediate past chair, said in a statement. "I am hopeful the industry will continue supporting this critical effort, as there is more work to be done."
The so-called Destination Excellence: Investing in the Future of Destination Marketing campaign was launched earlier this year in order to address the three most pressing issues facing destination marketing organizations: relevancy, technology and social responsibility.
So far, as part of the campaign's relevancy component, the Destination & Travel Foundation already has used campaign funds to underwrite with the U.S. Travel Association Oxford Economics' recent "Return on Investment of U.S. Business Travel" study, a landmark report supporting the bottom-line benefits of business travel and meetings. Earlier this year, in May, it also supported National Tourism Week, helping DMOs organize grassroots rallies in support of the industry's "Meetings Mean Business" campaign.
"There is still time to be a part of this innovative effort," Moore continued. "We need every DMO and industry organization to consider their support and join us in providing solutions to today's obstacles."
The Destination Excellence campaign ends officially at the Destination & Travel Foundation's foundation dinner in February 2010, giving DMOs and other industry stakeholders three more months to contribute to the campaign.
Hosted buyer programs
that offer career-enriching accredited education with industry experts and pre-scheduled one-on-one appointments with destination suppliers
RSS