Visit Quad Cities Takes Next Step in CTA Process
May 02, 2022
Quad Cities - Visit Quad Cities, the region’s official destination management and marketing organization (DMMO), moves into the final preparatory stage of the Certified Tourism Ambassador™ (CTA) program for our regional destination.
Coinciding with National Travel and Tourism Week (May 1-7), Visit Quad Cities hosts a “Field Test” on Tuesday, May 3, using the new Quad Cities-specific CTA curriculum with the same local community-thought leaders who participated in the first step last fall.
“There continues to be tangible progress in the development of our Quad Cities Tourism Ambassador Program,” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO, Visit Quad Cities. “The Field Test is an additional step in the process as Visit Quad Cities finalizes the curriculum of this program. The leading goal is to improve our visitor experience and service delivery in the regional destination, and we are excited about taking this program to the marketplace.”
The Certified Tourism Ambassador™ (CTA) program is an industry-recognized certification accredited through the Tourism Ambassador Institute® that strategically aligns a community’s people infrastructure — community leaders, stakeholder businesses and the tourism front-line. Administered at the local level, CTA is the only program to give an official designation to front-line employees, business owners, executives, government officials, and volunteers.
The CTA program is an integral part of the Destination Vision and Strategic Plan for the Quad Cities. It is part of a broader strategy to create a standard of excellence with service delivery within the Quad Cities destination space. The Quad Cities Tourism Ambassador Program can further activate and strengthen tourism while building brand champion depth. Visit Quad Cities has made it a priority to build an even larger team of local brand champions to improve and enhance the in-destination experience.
More than 50,000 individuals in the U.S. and Bermuda have been certified since the CTA program’s inception in 2006. This is the most comprehensive tourism and service delivery program of its kind and will positively affect the QC hospitality industry through front-line training and certification for hotels, attractions, events, restaurants, and other assets in the Quad Cities. Markets such as Anaheim, Louisville, Grand Rapids, Tucson, San Antonio, Door County, Oklahoma City, and many more have CTAs activated and have seen positive outcomes for their in-destination customer experience.
CTA programs have proven they strengthen talent retention and development in the hospitality space leading to improvements in customer satisfaction ratings and employee team morale. One of the objectives of certification is to increase regional tourism by inspiring front-line hospitality employees and volunteers to turn every visitor and resident encounter into a positive experience.
Pride in the community and a welcoming spirit are essential to making visitors feel at home and effectively sharing our unique QC story. Becoming a thriving visitor destination starts with a proud Quad Citizen mindset across all sectors of the population.
About Tourism Ambassador Institute®
Over 50,000 CTAs have been certified since the founding of the Tourism Ambassador Institute® (TAI) in 2006. TAI licenses and accredits local Accredited Providers, often destination marketing organizations (DMOs), to offer the Certified Tourism AmbassadorTM (CTA) program at the local level. There are more than 13,000 current CTAs in 32 programs in the U.S. and Bermuda. CTAs work in retail, restaurants, lodging, government, nonprofits, hospitals, real estate, and other settings. TAI was founded by industry veteran Mickey Schaefer, CAE, CTA, who has been named five times to the 25 Most Influential in the Meetings Industry by Meetings News/Successful Meetings. Find more information at CTAnetwork.com
About Visit Quad Cities
Founded in 1990, Visit Quad Cities is the official Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO) for the region. Visit Quad Cities is a private 501(c)(6) non-profit engine charged with driving economic opportunity through tourism, building our authentic brand, telling & selling the Quad Cities story, and enhancing Quad Citizens’ quality of life and quality of place.
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Media Contact: Charlotte Doehler-Morrison, VP Marketing & Communications, Visit Quad Cities, 309-781-4235 cell