At a ceremony Thursday night, Destinations International awarded Chattanooga Tourism Co. with the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program designation. It’s in recognition of the organization's commitment to industry excellence and meeting the industry standard for performance and accountability of destination organizations around the world. 

“We are pleased to have Chattanooga Tourism Co. join our distinguished group of destination organizations,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International. “The industry distinction defines quality and performance standards for destination organizations, and I look forward to welcoming them to the DMAP community.” 

Achieving accreditation has been a multi-year effort between the Chattanooga Tourism Co. staff, its board and its tourism partners. Attaining this designation sets the organization apart within the hospitality and tourism industry.  

“Our 3-year strategic plan, which launched in 2019, set accreditation as a target, and we’ve not only met but exceeded our goal – as one of only two organizations this year that received the designation with distinction,” said Barry White, president and CEO of the Chattanooga Tourism Co. “What it means for our community is that the people and organization working to promote Chattanooga as a destination are doing so at the highest standards possible. That will have a direct effect on the outcomes we’re able to achieve, which impact our community’s economic and social prosperity.”

The accreditation program required that the Chattanooga Tourism Co. successfully comply with a multitude of mandatory and voluntary standards that span a variety of performance areas. The standards cover nearly all aspects related to the management and marketing of destination organizations including governance, finance, human resources, sales, communications, destination development and research. 

Chattanooga joins the ranks of more than 220 destination organizations that have obtained DMAP recognition.