Southeast Tourism Society and USA Travel by John Dersham

During our economic downturn of the last four years tourism has continued to prosper. In most cases tourism has remained equal to or slightly growing each year despite our high unemployment and high gas prices. Stress levels have been high among individuals and families all during these tough economic times. This has increased the need to get away from it all and find a way to relax. National travel statistics indicate the average tourist has not spent as many dollars on their trips as they used to and they are not traveling as far. None the less most people are continuing to take vacations and the feeling of that need for traveling on vacation has not diminished.
Last week I attended a spring educational conference hosted by the Southeast Tourism Society. They have a spring and fall conference every year in one of the 12 states that comprise STS. They promote tourism in each of the 12 states but in addition they play a major role in Washington when it comes to developing policy as it relates to tourism in the United States.
This year, for the first time since 1992 the USA has an official policy that deals with and promotes travel to the US from the international market place. For the first time since 1992 we will have TV commercials running in 18 countries in hopes to increase international travel. The Obama administration unveiled this effort recently in a press conference at Disneyworld. He said tourism is the third largest growth industry in the US and has become one of the premiere industries in the United States and is among the top employers as an industry and even more inviting is the fact tourism jobs in the United States cannot be outsourced to any other location. Example-You can’t move a US National Park somewhere else. It will always be where it is and will always need local employees. To coincide with this international effort a new company called Brand USA will create a trademark signature look, an ad plan and trademark USA logo that will be seen on all the advertising. It will be the intent to expand the brand so we here in DeKalb County will be able to brand our attractions with this logo along with the attraction’s own identity.
During this seminar, Bill Hardman, President and CEO of the Southeast Tourism Society, asked me to serve on his Policy Council. Our group will be involved in governmental issues at local, regional and National levels as they relate to tourism. There is an upcoming tourism Powwow in Washington in May that will be for the purpose of working out plans and strategies as they relate to travel in and to the US. This is very exciting stuff and I am honored to play a role in the process.
STS plays a major role in educational services to the tourism industry. Their two seminars each year are packed with the latest trends and procedures for us in the industry to help us stay up with the ever changing times and to provide us the educational tools to enhance our performance at the local level. STS is host to Marketing College that is held for one week each summer in Dahlonega Georgia, at North Georgia College. This will be the 21st year of Marketing College. It is a nationally certified program and each participate gets their diploma after completing the three-year program. Graduates are designated as a TMP, Travel Marketing Professional.