After three years of specialized summer classes Lauren Neal, Greene County Tourism Director, is nearing certification as a Travel Marketing Professional (TMP).

Lauren Neal has two projects to complete to earn TMP certification from the Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College.  Her third year of classes was last month at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega.

Neal was one of 232 tourism professionals enrolled at the Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College last month.  The week-long program turns the facilities of North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega, Ga., into a laboratory to teach tourism marketing each summer.

There is no other professional development program like STS Marketing College, and it is recognized nationally for its training of tourism leaders. 626 people have earned TMP certification.

“In the tourism industry, TMP certification carries a lot of weight,” said Bill Hardman, president and CEO of the Southeast Tourism Society, a 12-state organization that promotes travel and tourism in the Southeast.

The STS Marketing College began in 1992 to provide continuing education for tourism professionals and feted its 20th anniversary this year.  Tourism ranks as the first-, second- or third-largest industry in each STS member state. Students come from convention and visitors bureaus, chambers of commerce, attractions, hotels and other segments of the tourism industry.

The curriculum covers topics such as branding, social media, packaging and sports marketing.  Heritage tourism and research are courses that have attracted special interest in recent years.

“The fundamental concept of STS Marketing College is that the curriculum is practical.  What students learn can be put to practice as soon as they get back to their workplaces,” Hardman said.

Twenty-four senior executives in the travel and tourism industry were the volunteer faculty.  

The program attracts students from throughout the Southeast and occasionally from other states.  This year’s program included students from Maryland and Oklahoma.

“Southeast Tourism Society is recognized nationwide for the cohesiveness and camaraderie it fosters in the region. No other region in the U.S. has a similar organization.  STS Marketing College is a major project to build skills and professionalism in the tourism industry,” Hardman said.

Southeast Tourism Society, created in 1983, is headquartered in Atlanta and has approximately 800 members who represent travel industry businesses, state tourism departments, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus and travel media. Its activities include cooperative marketing programs, continuing education, professional development and travel industry policy advocacy. More about STS can be found at http://southeasttourism.org.

The 12 STS states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.  

Lake Oconee is located half way between Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia in the beautiful piedmont region of Georgia. Lake Oconee is the second largest lake in Georgia. With its 374 miles of shoreline, it offers extensive opportunities to enjoy water sports and some of the best bass fishing in the Southeast.

The county is also rich in history, being formed as a frontier town in the late 1700s. Lake Oconee boasts 117 holes of golf, with courses designed by Tom Fazio, Bobb Cupp, Rees Jones, Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish. Accommodations include unparalleled resort lodging hosted by The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation as well as Reynolds Plantation and Harbor Club cottages. Vacation rentals are also available for both long and short-term rental. Be sure to visit beautiful Lake Oconee just an hour away from Atlanta.

More information is available at www.VisitLakeOconee.com.