CHATTANOOGA — The State of Tennessee Department of Tourism recently named South Central Tennessee Tourism Association (SCTTA) as the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) of the Year. The honor took place at the Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism held in Chattanooga last week and Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell presented the award. Executive Director and CEO Ryan French was also named DMO Director of the Year. 

SCTTA, commonly known by its public-facing brand Experience Tennessee, received recognition for its Tourism Ready initiative and for the organization’s work with key stakeholders. Over the past year, SCTTA developed strong partnerships with Jack Daniel Distillery, Tennessee Distillers Guild, Lynchburg-Moore Metropolitan County Chamber of Commerce, and various others within the region in order to support tourism development. SCTTA launched the Tennessee Whiskey Trailhead visitor center, located on the Jack Daniel campus. The center boasts more than 200,000 visitors annually. 

“It was an honor to be recognized for our work, and named DMO of the Year,” French said. “SCTTA has a dedicated team of tourism professionals working every day to lift-up the 13 counties who are part of the Experience Tennessee region. This is a well-earned recognition for our staff and all of our hard-working tourism partners.” 

French masterminded the projects that earned SCTTA the DMO of the Year award. In addition, French’s business acumen includes his creative development of programs like Tourism Ready, along with his ability to lead others and create an environment conducive to teamwork. 

Tourism Ready promotes enhanced understanding of the industry’s economic potential, increased local business engagement, and improved marketing and operational skills tailored to the tourism industry. SCTTA works with DMO directors, elected officials, and business owners to spotlight the importance of tourism, connect them to resources, and inform them about hotel/motel tax allocation requirements. SCTTA has positively impacted the region by providing consistent resources to DMOs, acting as a liaison between DMOs and the state, and developing assets that enhance tourism promotion for the region at large. 

Dominic Gialdini, former COO and now a SCTTA consultant, was informed of French’s award in advance.

“Last month, when Ryan found out SCTTA won DMO of the year, he said, ‘I prefer this award to winning director of the year. This is a team effort, and we all deserve to be recognized,’” Gialdini recounted. “This way of thinking is indicative of why Ryan merits both awards,” he continued. “I hope everyone has the privilege of working with someone who is such a team player, motivator, and encourager like Ryan French. I’m proud of SCTTA for our accomplishments, and I am proud of Ryan for creating a dream team he truly supports with all his heart.”

The South Central Tennessee Tourism Association is a state supported agency that services 13 counties including Moore, Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Giles, Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Marshall, Maury, Perry, and Wayne counties. For more information click here. •

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