Visit Quad Cities, the region’s official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), was awarded a renewal of its Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) designation by Destinations International.
The accreditation is in recognition of the organization’s commitment to industry excellence and meeting the industry standard for performance and accountability of DMOs around the world.
The accreditation program requires a destination organization to successfully comply with a multitude of mandatory and voluntary standards that span a variety of performance areas. There are more than 110 standards in critical areas such as governance, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, finance, brand management, sales and service, destination development, and partnerships.
“We are delighted to include Visit Quad Cities to our esteemed DMAP community,” Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International, said in a news release. “The relevance of destination organizations has never been more vital to the economic vitality of the places Destinations International members serve, and this industry accreditation is a benchmark for quality and performance.”
He also thanked the DMAP Board of Directors “for their dedication to our industry and their stewardship of this crucial program.”
Visit Quad Cities President and CEO Dave Herrell said his organization is “thrilled and humbled to receive a renewal of our industry’s highest level of operating standard. The DMAP is rigorous and is a testament to our professional team and Board of Directors for serving as positive stewards of the Quad Cities regional destination and the organization that leads tourism.”
“We will proudly share this critically important seal in our purpose-led work as we continue to serve the Visit Quad Cities mission,” he said in the release.
“Accreditation through DMAP underscores the critical role that destination organizations play in their communities,” said Tania Armenta, president and CEO of Visit Albuquerque and the DMAP board chair. “This commitment is a clear signal to stakeholders that the organization managing the destination brand possesses the necessary infrastructure and expertise to beneficially influence the visitor economy for both tourists and local residents.”
For more information about DMAP, visit www.destinationsinternational.org.
