Visit Sarasota County receives renewal of its accreditation
SARASOTA, Fla. (December 11, 2014) – Visit Sarasota County (VSC) has been awarded accreditation renewal from the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). VSC was first awarded accreditation from DMAP in 2010. The renewal accreditation stands for the next four years.
DMAP is an international accreditation program developed by the Washington, DC based Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) organization. In earning the DMAP accreditation, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) communicate to their community, buyers and potential visitors that their DMO has attained a significant measure of excellence. Virginia Haley serves as Vice Chair of the DMAP Board of Directors. Per DMAP Board of Director policies, Haley did not review or vote on the VSC application, nor does she vote on any applications submitted by Florida-based organizations.
“The DMAP board is very tough on reviewing applications from Board members’ organizations,” says Virginia Haley, president of Visit Sarasota County. “It is as though we hold one another to a more stringent level of standards, so it was a particular honor to not only receive the renewal accreditation but to also receive exemplary accolades for some of our VSC programs. We are pleased to continue offering our hospitality and tourism community outstanding service.”
DMO’s must adhere to DMAP accreditation standards across a wide variety of topics including governance, finance, management, human resources, technology, visitor services, group services, sales, communications, membership, brand management, destination development, research/market intelligence, innovation and stakeholder relationships. Each application is peer-reviewed and approved or denied. For additional information on DMAP visit www.destinationmarketing.org.
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About Sarasota County
Located on Southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, Sarasota County offers a vibrant arts and cultural scene, a diverse array of culinary experiences and a variety of opportunities to take advantage of the clear waters and the great outdoors. Sarasota County provides the quintessential, laid-back beach getaway with numerous sprawling, white-sand beaches, including Siesta Key Beach, named “America’s Best Beach” in 2011 by Stephen Leatherman, aka, Dr. Beach. Dubbed “Home of the American Circus,” Sarasota County served as the headquarters for the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus for 75 years, and visitors can experience its unique circus heritage first-hand by following the circus trail or catching a performance by one of two local circus companies. For more information on visiting Sarasota County, visit www.visitsarasota.org or call (800) 522-9799.
Visit Sarasota County
1777 Main Street, Suite 302
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-955-0991 Ext. 103
It is the VSC’s policy that email communication be handled consistently with Florida’s Public Records Law and may be subject to disclosure upon a request.
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