>Destination and Travel Foundation

U.S. Travel Association and DMAI Foundations Join Resources: Click here

The U.S. Travel Association and Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) have joined the resources of their foundations to create a stronger organization better capable of serving the interests of destination marketing professionals and highlighting the impact of travel around the world.

The consolidated entity, known as the Destination & Travel Foundation, will bolster the destination marketing profession and travel industry by supporting activities through research, education, visioning and travel industry partnerships.

Signature Programs

1. Establish the Foundation Travel Futures Institute and launch the annual Travel Futures Forum bringing together leading academics and travel leaders to examine one key issue each year and then forecast its impact on the industry five years into the future. Deliverables would be specific public policy recommendations and recommendations for specific management initiatives. The first Travel Futures Forum would be operated in partnership with The George Washington University. The key focus issue for 2009 will be the Future of the Travel Industry Labor Force.
   
   
2. Develop a Computer Assisted Design (CAD) Visitor Awareness Program with software that will present community-specific visitor statistics – jobs, revenues, tax receipts, visitors – and overlay those numerical values on a high impact display of that community. When the numeric values are then increased or decreased, they will cause the display to change depending upon the level of dependence upon visitors. Audiences that might find this program informative and useful include educators, students, business leaders, financial institutions, media, elected officials, regulatory agencies and the public at large.
   
   
3. Work with Junior Achievement Worldwide to construct a travel, tourism and hospitality educational initiative for high school students in the United States that would, when completed, expose more than 100,000 students each year to the business of travel and give them the information and tools to consider travel, tourism and hospitality as a career choice.
   
   
4. Ongoing college scholarships. In 1993, the U.S. Travel Foundation funded its first graduate school scholarship. Today, there are three scholarships for both graduate and undergraduate students. Click here to read about the 2009 scholarship program.

Support the Foundation

Opportunities to support the Foundation are available through the VISIT Florida Cup Golf Tournament at International Pow Wow, the on-line Foundation Business-to-Business Marketing Auction and sponsorships for each of the Foundation signature programs. For more information contact Dexter Koehl, Executive Director, at foundation@ustravel.org or call 704-892-7004.