The Certified Tourism Ambassador® (CTA) program is industry-recognized certification that strategically aligns a community’s people infrastructure — destination leaders, stakeholder businesses and the tourism front-line — to strengthen tourism and deliver quality experiences for visitors and locals.
Accredited through the Tourism Ambassador Institute® and administered at the local level, CTA is the only program that gives an official designation (John Sample, CTA) to individuals — from Mayors, to General Managers, to Drivers, to Waiters — people who care about their destination and want to be strategically connected at every level.
Launched in 2008, Visit Anaheim has continuously celebrated their CTAs through a special ad in each newly-published issue. It tells visitors: Visit Anaheim’s CERTIFIED TOURISM AMBASSADORS can be found throughout Anaheim and OC ready to help you with recommendations and insider tips to make your trip amazing!
“Until the inception of this certification program, there was no consistent way to align an entire community around the importance of tourism to the local economy.” Mickey Schaefer, FASAE, CAE, CTA President, Tourism Ambassador Institute® Founder, CTA Program • Named five times to 25 Most Influential in the Meetings Industry, Meetings News/Successful Meetings, most recently 2015 • 2013 Six Top Industry Leaders, Smart Meetings • 2006 Inductee, Hall of Leaders, Events Industry Council