Destinations Council

As a U.S. Travel member, any destination marketing organization can participate in the Destinations Council community and reap the benefits.

Educate by:

• Exchanging best practices and learning from peers at ESTO, the nation’s leading educational and networking event for destination marketing professionals, by attending the Destinations Council’s annual meeting and peer open forum sessions to share best practices.
• Participating in valuable free ESTO webinars all year-long, sharing the latest in destination marketing and research.
• Holding a rally or event during National Travel and Tourism Week, the annual salute to travel and tourism in America.
• Attending IPW, the industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the U.S., and learning from associates at the IPW marketing session.
• Creating a one-of-a-kind mentorship program, the Emerging Leaders Program, aimed at providing developing professionals enhanced opportunities to grow leadership skills and advance their careers in the travel industry.
   

Advocate by:

• Representing the Destinations Council at all U.S. Travel board meetings.
• Leveraging the collective strength of the industry to influence policy on travel-related issues at Destination Capitol Hill, the U.S. travel industry’s notable legislative fly-in.
• Amplifying the voice of destinations in Washington, D.C. by joining in U.S. Travel’s efforts to reform travel policies.
• Utilizing member tools like the new Travel Economic Impact Calculator for the City Level (U.S. Travel login required) which shows the direct impact of changes in traveler spending on a destination's economy, and the COVID-19 Resources for DMOs, helping DMOs sift through U.S. Travel's available member resources to determine what is most relevant to them.

Engage by:

• Receiving the quarterly Destinations Brief newsletter, which provides pertinent industry news and updates, and periodic Letters from the Destinations Council Chair.
• Gaining access to authoritative industry research on the latest travel trends and forecasts that affect marketing decisions.
• Participating in the annual Destiny Awards, which showcases creative accomplishments in tourism marketing and promotion.