SOMERSET, KY — The Kentucky Wildlands awarded four scholarships to tourism industry professionals to attend this week’s Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College in Macon, Ga.
The scholarship recipients are Frank Crabtree, Executive Director of the Burnside Tourism and Recreation Commission; Michelle Perry, Director of the McCreary County Tourist Commission; Chris Robinson, Executive Director of the City of London Tourism; and Katie Shea, Information Specialist/Social Media Coordinator for the Somerset-Pulaski County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The Kentucky Wildlands scholarship program covers each recipient’s cost of attending the STS Marketing College ― a value of $1,425 per scholarship. Scholarship recipients are paying their own lodging and travel costs. All tourism professionals in southern and eastern Kentucky were eligible to apply.
“I am so pleased to congratulate our scholarship recipients, and I want to thank everyone who applied for a scholarship,” said Tammie Nazario, who directs The Kentucky Wildlands, a regional marketing program by Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, Inc.
“These professionals already are leaders in their community, and I commend their commitment to continuing education as a way to be even more effective,” Nazario said. “They are experts in what their communities have to offer. Marketing College will help them showcase those local tourism assets through current industry trends and tools. The goal is to bring out the best in their community, making it more enjoyable for residents, more attractive to tourists and stronger economically.”
The STS Marketing College is a continuing education program for the travel and tourism industry in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. For one week, students participate in a curriculum designed to teach marketing techniques from all facets of the tourism industry. Instructors are industry-related professionals from across the United States, noted as experts in their field, who bring a working-knowledge of current trends, data and implementation for tourism and travel. Students who complete the curriculum over three years will receive a Travel Marketing Professional certification.
For more details about the STS Marketing College, visit https://www.southeasttourism.org/marketing-college.
For more information about The Kentucky Wildlands, visit exploreKYwildlands.com.
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