Southeast Tourism Society announced the 2024 recipients of its Shining Example Awards, which showcase noteworthy achievements and contributions to the tourism community, at its annual Connections Conference in Auburn, Alabama.
STS presented 15 Shining Example Awards in 2024. Here are a some of the notable winners.
Doug Bourgeois, Louisiana Office of Tourism
Beacon Award
Doug Bourgeois, assistant secretary at the Louisiana Office of Tourism, received the 2024 Beacon Award, which recognizes an individual who best exemplifies outstanding leadership in the pursuit of excellence and who has advanced the tourism industry.
Bourgeois has worked for the Louisiana Office of Tourism for decades, serving on various travel industry boards and commissions throughout his career. He is noted for his numerous innovations and new ideas, including re-energizing the Louisiana Byways project with new signage, graphics and promotional materials. He also worked with smaller destinations throughout the state to help them participate in co-op marketing projects that would fit their limited budgets. His colleagues note his tenacity, humility, love for Louisiana and support for tourism bureaus.
Anya Turpin, Visit Perry
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award recognizes extraordinary performance by a person new to the travel and tourism industry. The 2024 award was presented to Anya Turpin, who began as the executive director of Visit Perry in Perry, Georgia, in 2023.
Described as a “powerhouse leader,” Turpin has made a notable impact in the local tourism community during her short time at Visit Perry. She has spearheaded new visitor experiences, single-handedly created a new visitors guide and introduced a new mobile welcome center, which allowed the community to showcase itself to residents across the state. She is also active in the Georgia Association of CVBs, Destinations International and the Southeast Tourism Society, and volunteers with numerous organizations throughout Perry.
Tennessee Tech University Center for Rural Innovation
Partnership Award
STS presented its Partnership Award, which recognizes effective partnerships within the tourism industry, to the Tennessee Tech University Center for Rural Innovation. The center works in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to pair teams of students with local stakeholders in rural Tennessee communities for collaborative marketing projects.
In this program, students with design and marketing skills work with community members to create new branding materials to capture the essence of their regions. The students and center staff also provide technical assistance, such as graphic design, website building, photography and content creation for tourism-related businesses. Additionally, the center conducts economic impact studies to gauge the success of tourism promotion efforts in rural destinations. Since its launch in 2022, the center has completed 12 destination branding projects and 10 economic impact studies.
In addition to these awards, STS presented its Chairman’s Award to Chris Cavanaugh of Magellan Strategy Group for his many years of contribution to the North Carolina tourism community and the Southeast Tourism Society. The Spirit of STS Award was presented to Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. Visit Oconee South Carolina was named the Tourism Office of the Year for organizations with a budget under $1 million, and the Louisiana Office of Tourism was named the Tourism Office of the Year for organizations with a budget over $1 million.
