Project Overview

The Maine Woods Consortium and Maine Office of Tourism are implementing a Maine Tourism Community Destination Academy in Spring 2019. A Community Destination Academy (CDA) is a tourism product development and skill building program consisting of intensive workshops, customized to the needs of a specific destination area, that includes the following components:

• Leadership and Teamwork
• Product and Experience Development
• Marketing and PR – Telling the story
• Finances and Financing
• Project Execution – Conception to Completion
• Future Planning: Next Steps in Destination Development Process

Destination Development is the long-term process of convening a group of dedicated leaders to pursue and implement a common vision and strategic plan that will lead to a community that is positive economically, environmentally and socially. Furthermore, the community will have the necessary ingredients to attract visitors, new businesses and residents.

The goals of the Maine Community Destination Academy will be to:

• Develop working cohorts of business, non-profit, and municipal leaders in high potential Rural Destination Areas.
• Build a common set of skills and knowledge for successful, long-term sustainable destination development.
• Deliver technical and financial assistance for implementation of local destination development projects identified as priorities by program participants.
• Build confidence and a track record of successful collaborative project implementation as a foundation for ongoing product development and marketing.