Tourism Authority Receives DMAI Accreditation
The Bermuda Tourism Authority [BTA] has earned accreditation from Destination Marketing Association International [DMAI], they announced today.
“More than 2,000 destination marketing organisations are estimated to exist worldwide, less than 200 have achieved accreditation,” the BTA said.
“For the BTA to attain this prestigious accreditation approval is truly an impressive achievement after only being in existence for less than 18 months,” said Michael Gehrisch, president and CEO of DMAI. “
“The DMAI Accreditation designation is an extremely valuable recognition that the BTA is managing the Bermuda tourism strategy and the Authority’s organisational structure at a very high level of competency. Mature destination marketing organisations have difficulty attaining this designation.”
“Achieving this very high international standard of DMO performance was a chief objective of the BTA so naturally we’re ecstatic to have reached this milestone,” said BTA CEO Bill Hanbury.
“This accreditation is validation that we have created an organisation that is world class and well run, ready to meet the challenge of re-establishing growth in the Bermuda tourism economy.”
Having led the application process for the BTA, COO Karla Lacey will formally accept the accreditation which the DMAI Accreditation Program Board of Directors has called an “exceptional accomplishment”.
Last year, the BTA completed the submission process to gain DMO Accreditation, which involved documenting 57 mandatory standards across 16 domains including: governance, finance, human resources, destination development, innovation, sales, marketing, brand management and stakeholder relationships.
Destination marketing organisations are charged with representing a destination and helping the long-term development of that community through a travel and tourism strategy. As an unbiased resource, DMOs serve as a broker or an official point of contact for group, business and leisure travellers. DMAI’s membership includes more than 600 official DMOs. The BTA is among those members.
Ms Lacey said: “Building the organisation from the ground up allowed us to establish the best practices that were needed to gain our DMAI Accreditation. It was a challenge starting from scratch while at the same time meeting these enormously high standards, but having now achieved the accreditation it feels like a real coup – something every member of the BTA team and every one of our stakeholders can be proud of.”
Congrats to the BTA team. As a former BDOT member, I understand the challenges within the industry. You are doing an excellent job and have so far proved smart, nimble and efficient in the modern tourism marketplace and in this world of new media.
Out of curiosity, is this why the O.B.A. Tourism Minister is giving out, “bonuses”? We can’t afford,(at this time) to give a bonus for countless reasons and I’m also somewhat disappointed in seeing the One Bermuda Alliance giving out monies like we can afford to give bonuses to them that are earning, “a handsome wage” already.
Isn’t it true that they get paid such wages, (as they are receiving) to do what they are doing?
Victoria Isley was Exec VP/COO of DMAI before she joined BTA. She must have been an asset in achieving this “exceptional achievement”.
So… they basically just had to sign up? None of this says they’re good at what they do. The accreditation just seems to ensure legitimacy.
Criteria from the DMAI website:
DMO is a legal organization or entity of;
Destination marketing is the primary function of the DMO;
DMO has two or more years of destination marketing expertise;
DMO is the official governing entity authorized to provide destination marketing services for the jurisdiction;
DMO agrees to abide by the DMAP Code of Conduct.
Application Timeline
- See more at: http://www.destinationmarketing.org/topics/destination-marketing-accreditation-program#sthash.s2hAeWGg.dpuf