Southeast Tourism Society (STS) has certified 81 new Travel Marketing Professionals (TMP) at the organization’s annual Connections conference in Auburn, Ala, including Visit Vicksburg’s Debbie Blossom.

Blossom, who serves as Visit Vicksburg’s director of Visitor Services, was among this year’s graduating class after completing three years of STS  Marketing College®.

STS has provided professional-level travel and tourism education through its Marketing College® program since 1992. STS uses facilities at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. Industry professionals from a variety of tourism sectors volunteer their time to teach the classes. They include convention and visitor’s bureau executives, public relations practitioners, sales and marketing consultants and research experts.

“One of the strengths of STS Marketing College is that students meet their peers from throughout the Southeast and bond with them and the top tourism professionals who are their instructors,”said Monica Smith, president and CEO. “No other regional organization has a program of this nature, and it is an illustration of how STS benefits the region.”  

Sample class topics include destination branding, social media content planning, strategic partnerships, tourism product development and crisis communication. 

“Our curriculum is practical. After each year, the knowledge students gain can be put to immediate use in their workplaces,” Smith said. “We are so proud of Debbie for earning her Tourism Marketing Professional Accreditation,” said Laura Beth Strickland, Visit Vicksburg executive director. “She has worked so hard to complete her courses and her projects, bringing back many ideas to help grow tourism in Vicksburg.”

About STS: Southeast Tourism Society (STS) is a not-for-profit membership association dedicated to the development of travel and tourism professionals and organizations within the southeast region. The association’s mission is to empower a diverse network of tourism professionals through education, advocacy, recognition, and networking. Member states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.