Texas Tourism Friendly Community Certification Overview

Summary

Nate Garren, Tourism Deputy Director at Travel Texas, introduces the Tourism Friendly Texas program aimed at promoting the state as a top travel destination. The program, managed by Travel Texas, seeks to enhance local economic development through tourism, offering a certification process for communities to become 'Tourism Friendly'. The process involves submitting a letter of intent, completing a questionnaire, and undergoing online training. Successful communities gain state recognition, access to resources, and the opportunity to leverage tourism for economic growth.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nate Garren introduces the Tourism Friendly Texas program, emphasizing its role in enhancing local economic development through tourism promotion.
• 🌟 The mission of Travel Texas is to market Texas as a premier travel destination, influencing travel and creating revenue to support tourism industry jobs.
• 📈 Travel Texas is responsible for tourism promotion primarily to non-Texans, with activities including advertising, public relations, marketing, and travel research.
• 💼 The program is part of the Governor's Texas Economic Development and Tourism office, working alongside various state agencies to promote Texas as a global business and travel destination.
• 🏆 The Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program is a new certification aimed at encouraging communities to pursue tourism as an economic development strategy.
• 📝 Eligibility for the program is open to local governments or nonprofit organizations that lead tourism promotion and development efforts in their community.
• 📋 The certification process involves three steps: sending a letter of intent, completing a questionnaire, and viewing online training.
• 🤝 Benefits of the certification include state recognition, access to resources and training, and the opportunity to engage with stakeholders and inspire community pride.
• 🔗 The program offers support to smaller rural communities with limited tourism resources, helping them to develop tourism attractions and strengthen their tourism industry.
• 🔄 To maintain the certification, communities are required to revisit their questionnaire every three years to ensure information remains current and up-to-date.

Q & A

What is the role of Nate Garren in the video?

Nate Garren is the Tourism Deputy Director at Travel Texas, introducing the Tourism Friendly Texas program.

What is the main goal of the Travel Texas program?

The main goal of the Travel Texas program is to enhance and extend local economic development efforts by marketing the state as a premier travel destination, influencing travel to Texas, creating revenues, and supporting tourism industry jobs.

How does Travel Texas influence travel to Texas?

Travel Texas influences travel to Texas through advertising, public relations, and marketing activities both domestically and internationally, as well as conducting travel research to provide a foundation for its tourism activities.

What is the estimated state tax generated by influence travel from outside of Texas in the last full fiscal year?

The estimated state taxes generated by influence travel from outside of Texas in the last full fiscal year were around $200 million, which is a 17% increase over the prior year.

What is the 'halo effect' mentioned in the script?

The 'halo effect' refers to the positive impact of travel promotion on educating, inspiring, and improving perceptions of the state, leading to a measurable increase among those aware of Travel Texas advertising compared to those who are not.

What is the Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program?

The Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program is a new certification managed by Travel Texas, created to encourage communities to pursue tourism as an economic development strategy and provide resources to support their efforts.

What are the eligibility criteria for the Tourism Friendly Texas certification?

Eligibility for the Tourism Friendly Texas certification is open to local governments or nonprofit organizations that serve as the lead for tourism promotion and development efforts in their community.

What are the benefits communities can receive through the Tourism Friendly Texas designation?

Benefits include state recognition for completing the certification process, opportunities to celebrate tourism successes, better positioning to take advantage of opportunities with Travel Texas and other state agencies, access to resources, training, and educational materials, and the potential to inspire community pride.

What are the three steps required to achieve the Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community designation?

The three steps are: 1) Sending a letter of intent, 2) Submitting the Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community questionnaire, and 3) Viewing the online training provided by Travel Texas and state agency partners.

What is required in the letter of intent for the Tourism Friendly Texas certification?

The letter of intent should identify the community applying for the certification and the entity managing the application, and establish a staff liaison for communication throughout the certification process.

How often should certified communities revisit their questionnaire to maintain their Tourism Friendly Texas designation?

Certified communities should revisit their questionnaire every three years to maintain their Tourism Friendly Texas designation.