SOUTHEAST TOURISM SOCIETY PRESENTS DECATUR-MORGAN COUNTY CVB

SOUTHEAST TOURISM SOCIETY PRESENTS DECATUR-MORGAN COUNTY CVB
WITH ‘SHINING EXAMPLE’ AWARD

The Southeast Tourism Society (STS) has selected the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau (DMCCVB) for the “Shining Example” Award for Convention and Visitors Bureau of the Year (budget under $1 million). The Shining Example Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the advancement of tourism in the Southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia & West Virginia. Criteria for the award include overall performance of the organization, demonstrable accomplishments through effective tourism marketing and creativity in design, development and implementation of projects within June 1, 2008 through May 31, 2009. Last year’s recipient was the Blacksburg & Christiansburg (Va.) Visitors Center.

While 2008 brought about a downturn in the economy, DMCCVB ended its fiscal year with another record year in terms of lodging taxes. For October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008 fiscal year, the city collected over $867,000 which is a 10% increase from the previous year. New products and services recently introduced include a Geocaching Passport to entice those travelers interested in the emerging geocaching market to explore Morgan County via hidden caches located throughout the county, WAVE (Welcoming All Visitors Exceptionally) educational seminars for tourism professionals in Morgan County, and the Decatur Volksmarch, a 5K and 10K non-competitive fitness through the city’s two Historic Districts. Strategic partnerships with surrounding counties also attracted high profile sporting tournaments, which in turn, generated additional revenue for Decatur and Morgan County.

“It is an honor to be selected for Convention and Visitors Bureau of the Year from such a prestigious organization in the tourism industry,” said DMCCVB President Tami Reist. “This award recognizes the many accomplishments of the CVB team as well as our commitment to visitors and our community. Receiving this accolade is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the board of directors led by Norman Roby and each CVB staff member.”

The 2009 Shining Example Awards will be presented at the 26th annual fall meeting of STS scheduled for September 9-10, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1983, the Southeast Tourism Society is dedicated to the promotion and development of tourism to its member states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The membership includes state travel offices, attractions, hotels, motels, resorts, convention and visitors bureaus, airlines, bus companies, car rental agencies, newspapers, magazines and other travel-related organizations.