Wilkesboro TDA Director attends 30^th Annual Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College®

Three-year program recognized nationally for continuing education

ATLANTA, Ga. (June 16, 2022) Wilkesboro TDA Director Thomas Salley joined over two hundred fifty-seven tourism industry professionals, from across the United States, at Southeast Tourism Society’s (STS) 30^th Annual Marketing College® at Mercer University in Macon, GA.

STS Marketing College® is a professional development program that, for one week each year, turns the facilities of a regional university, into specialized classrooms to teach travel marketing.   

Mr. Salley was selected by Miles Travel to receive a scholarship to the first year of STS Marketing College. Only one scholarship is awarded by Miles per member state per year. 

The enrollment for this year’s program, which ran June 5-10, was 258 students representing 17 states, including the District of Columbia. These students came from numerous industry sectors such as convention and visitor bureaus, chambers of commerce, state tourism offices, attractions, and hotels.

Marketing College® began in 1992, and today more than 1,240 travel and tourism professionals have completed the full curriculum and earned certification as a Travel Marketing Professional (TMP).

“The tourism industry is one of the top 10 largest employers of middle-class wage earners in the U.S. and is a job creator, which has a tremendous economic impact in local communities,” said Monica Smith, president and chief executive officer of STS. “However, the tourism industry is always changing, and STS Marketing College® was created as a way to keep travel and tourism professionals abreast of industry trends, new technology and resources, and to provide a network for tourism leaders.” We look forward to achieving Marketing College’s benchmark of 1,300+ Travel Marketing Professionals (TMPs) in this 30^th anniversary year.

In conjunction with the tourism marketing curriculum, alumni classes and a festivals and events track are also offered. Class topics included Vital Tools to Empower Your Online Marketing Strategies, Tourism Product Development, Trends & Best Practices for Sports Tourism Marketing, and Perception is Reality: Creating a Crisis Communication Response Framework.

“Our curriculum is practical and evolves annually, based on the feedback and the needs of our attendees. Whether you’ve been in the industry for 30 days or 30 years, everyone walks away with new ideas and best practices for their destination or company,” Smith said. “The knowledge gained at STS Marketing College® can truly be applied anywhere and throughout all the segments of the tourism industry.  After this fall’s graduation, we will have more than 1,300 graduates, throughout the United States, that can confirm the positive impact this program had on their careers, the destinations, and the companies they represent, as well as the friendships and networks established.”

About Southeast Tourism Society (STS)
The Southeast Tourism Society is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to the development of travel and tourism professionals and organizations within the southeast region.

STS’ mission is to empower a diverse network of tourism professionals through Education, Advocacy, Recognition, and Networking. Member states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

                                                                        ###

Contact:
Tonja Ray-Smith, TMP

Director of Marketing & Communications

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 770-355-4002