The Destinations International Foundation Adds TEI as a Partner
May 17, 2018As part of its ongoing commitment to provide research, education, advocacy, and leadership development to destinations, the Destinations International Foundation has named The EXPERIENCE Institute (TEI) as a partner.
“We see TEI’s Experience Dedicated Destination (EDD) program as a great way for destinations to engage and activate their stakeholder communities,” said Don Welsh, President and CEO of Destinations International. “Engaged communities and ongoing visitor research drive strong destination brands and, thus, destination organization relevancy.”
This additional resource will provide destinations with quality research and experience insights that enable destination stakeholders to prioritize resources and take action on things that matter to visitors and residents. Currently, the Experience Dedicated Destination (EDD) is being used to drive the destination strategy for Columbus, Ohio, Rochester, Minnesota, Cleveland, Ohio, and San Antonio, Texas, with Fort Lauderdale, Florida the latest to sign on, and many more raising their hands.
Today, over 137,000 surveys have been completed providing important destination metrics such as return and recommend intentions, overall satisfaction, destination image and ease of getting around. This data is then used by community stakeholder sector panels to develop year-over-year trendlines and initiatives that will improve future visitor experiences and increase visitation. Grounded in TEI’s proprietary consumer-driven standards, EDD serves as a framework for continuous improvement of the total visitor experience.
“We are delighted with this partnership. Today’s travelers have high expectations, whether they are attendees, business, or leisure travelers,” says CEO/Founder of The EXPERIENCE Institute, Mickey Schaefer, FASAE, CAE, CTA. “The destination experience drives visitation. That’s why the adage ‘If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it’ has never been truer.”
Within the partnership, TEI will offer Destinations International members discounted pricing and ongoing financial support to the Destinations International Foundation, as part of TEI’s ongoing commitment to give back to the industry.