Press Release - 5,000th CTA

June 17, 2009

Contact:  Mickey Schaefer, CAE, 520-219-0469,  mickey@mickeyandassociates.com

Certified Tourism AmbassadorTM Program Certifies its 5,000th Frontline Ambassador

A volunteer for the 2010 World Equestrian Games, to be held in Lexington, Kentucky, has become the 5,000th Certified Tourism AmbassadorTM (CTA) in the growing nationwide Certified Tourism AmbassadorTM program administered by the Tourism Ambassador InstituteTM.

The institute recently certified Sandra Plant, CTA after she completed training on the power of tourism, destination knowledge and customer service, which was presented by the Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau (LCVB) as a licensed, Accredited Provider of the Tourism Ambassador InstituteTM.

Lexington is among 12 destinations nationwide that are committed to driving their destination brand and to Enhancing the Visitor ExperienceTM through the CTA program.  The newest CTA programs to launch are Anaheim/Orange County, California; the North Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and Door County, Wisconsin. 

Other destinations are  Kansas City, Missouri; Greater Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland.; Spokane, Washington and the Journey Through Hallowed Ground Partnership, a four-state tourism region from Gettysburg, Penn., to Monticello, Va.

Lexington, which began its CTA program in February 2008, has more than 700 CTAs in its Bluegrass Tourism Ambassador Program. The CTA corps ranges from cab drivers and Realtors to airport, lodging, restaurant, attractions and government workers. The CVB is also training the 600 police officers in the Lexington Division of Police.

"This program helps by equipping both those on the front lines and regular community members with the information needed to be better hosts," said David Lord, president of the Lexington CVB. Locals who learn more about their area's special places "are then more inclined to invite others to visit," said Lord.
The program also assures meeting planners that their attendees will receive quality customer service from frontline staff and volunteers.

Plant, a retired public relations practitioner from Richmond, Kentucky, is no stranger to giving back and has volunteered on many occasions, including Atlanta's 1996 Olympics. With the World Equestrian Games hosting more than a half million international visitors in September 2010 - held for the first time in the U.S. - she chose to become a CTA to better help visitors. "Getting certified was a great first step in getting prepared," she said. And the additional requirement for annual renewal of certification will allow her "to improve as a Bluegrass Ambassador and expand on the wealth of information about this area that I learned during the training."

In preparation for the games, the TAI will work with the Lexington CVB to incorporate international protocol training into the curriculum to help businesses interact more comfortably with foreign visitors.

The popularity and rapid growth of the three-year-old CTA program "reflects the unmet need for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) to foster a community-wide commitment to their tourism product," said Mickey Schaefer, CAE, President of Mickey Schaefer & Associates LLC and founder of the Tourism Ambassador InstituteTM.  "The CTA Program aligns community stakeholders around the value of tourism, creates exceptional customer service and strengthens the destination's brand by focusing on the total visitor experience."

The institute customizes a CTA program for each destination through research and collaboration with the TAI accredited provider, often a DMO.

After successfully completing their training, CTAs become part of a community - now 5,000 CTAs strong - where they can connect, share their passion for their destinations, further their knowledge and stay motivated to serve the visitor. CTAs stay abreast of local happenings and connect to each other through the local program's micro-site within CTANetwork.com.

Information about the CTA program is available by calling Mickey Schaefer & Associates LLC, 520-219-0469, or online at www.CTANetwork.com or www.TourismAmbassadorInstitute.com.