Best Practice awards in tourism and destination management announced

Georgia Tech's Economic Development Institute (EDI) has announced the winners in itssecond-round competition for best practices in tourism and destination management. A follow-up
to its 2002 collection of best practices, this effort helps the local, state, national and international
tourism and destination management industry adopt successful approaches in the areas of
research, funding, professional development, Web marketing and sustainable tourism.
'The publication of the second volume of the Guide to Best Practices in Tourism and
Destination Management will provide hospitality industry professionals and students with the
opportunity to learn from the best," said George Glazer, vice president of academic publications
at the Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association. 'Sharing success
stories like these benefits the industry by offering models that organizations can adapt to improve
their own operations.'
Nominations were submitted by tourism and destination management organizations
worldwide. A cross-section of the industry is represented in this year's award-winners, including
eight state organizations, five international organizations, four convention and visitors bureaus,
two local organizations and one university program. The following programs were designated as
'best practices' in their respective fields:
Research:
• Canadian Tourism Commission/Statistics Canada
• Colorado Tourism Office
• Mackinac (Mich.) State Historic Parks
• Maine Office of Tourism
• Ottawa (Ontario) Tourism and Convention Authority
• Texas A&M University, Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences
Funding:
• Missouri Division of Tourism
• Travel Montana
Professional Development:
• BestCities.net (Denmark)
Web Marketing:
• Chattanooga Area (Tenn.) Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Durham (N.C.) Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Travel Michigan
EDI News & Information
Georgia Institute of Technology
760 Spring Street NW, Suite 330
Atlanta, GA 30332-0640
phone: 404.894.3827 fax: 404.894.1192
Web: www.edi.gatech.edu
Sustainable Tourism:
• Juneau (Alaska) Convention and Visitors Bureau
• ECOCLUB.com (Greece)
• Hacienda Pinilla (Costa Rica)
• Queen Anne's (Md.) County Department of Business and Tourism
Best Practice Adapters:
• Harbor Country (Mich.) Chamber of Commerce and Lodging Association
• Rhode Island Tourism Development Advisory Council
These case studies will be published as a guide for tourism and destination
management-related agencies, industries and organizations. The first volume was published by
the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and is available at www.eiahla.
org. This year's volume will also contain a section called Best Practice Adapters for those
organizations that adapted a best practice strategy after reading the first volume.
'Tourism continues to emerge as a vital strategy in economic development at the local,
state, national and even international levels,' noted EDI Director Rick Duke. 'Recognizing best
practices in the industry will help tourism organizations get the most benefit from their efforts.'
The author of the book, Rich Harrill, is a senior business associate with EDI. He holds a
master's degree in city and regional planning and a doctorate in parks, recreation and tourism
management from Clemson University. He is the author of Guide to Best Practices in Tourism
and Destination Management, and has published numerous articles on tourism and urban
planning.
About Georgia Tech's Economic Development Institute (EDI):
EDI offers an array of services with a common objective: to grow Georgia's economy by providing
technology-driven solutions to the state's businesses and communities. Whether the goal is
attracting new companies to Georgia, expanding existing enterprises, providing technical
expertise to help Georgia business and industry be more competitive, or helping communities
plan for growth, EDI helps keep the state's economy moving forward.
The Tourism and Regional Assistance Centers (TRACS), a unit within EDI, provides services
based on four decades of research and implementation assistance. TRACS has multiple partners
with a common mission of providing innovative economic development assistance focused on
tourism-related issues to Georgia's communities. TRACS also serves as an advocate for
economic developers focusing on tourism-related issues, promoting the tourism industry,
providing credible data and demonstrating the need for increased funding.