Executive Director Debbie Meihls poses with Henry Award at the 2019 Flagler Awards in Panama City Beach. The New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau won in the Sustainable Tourism Marketing category.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (PRWEB) November 21, 2019
The New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau won its first ever Flagler Award during VISIT FLORIDA’S 2019 Florida Tourism Forum, held Nov. 18-20 in Panama City Beach. The bureau received a Henry Award, the highest honor, in the Sustainable Tourism Marketing category.
“The New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau is honored to be recognized for our efforts in sustainable tourism marketing,” said Debbie Meihls, executive director for the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau. “We are committed to responsible tourism that protects our local treasures, like the Indian River Lagoon and its vast wildlife, while also benefiting our community and its residents.”
The bureau submitted its “Tourism Touches You” PSA campaign, which focuses on the positive effects of tourism on the New Smyrna Beach area via both environmental and economic impacts. By using imagery of local mangroves, oysters, and more, the campaign’s materials highlight some of the area’s most treasured and beautiful resources. Tourism-specific data is also included to affirm the industry’s positive impacts on the local economy.
The New Smyrna Beach Visitors Bureau and its industry partners have emerged as leaders in sustainability efforts and responsible tourism after implementing a variety of eco-friendly measures and through partnerships with globally recognized programs like the Blue Community Consortium.
In addition to winning a Flagler Award, Meihls also moderated a panel on “Destination Marketing Organizations and Sustainability Goals” during the 2019 Florida Tourism Forum.
The Flagler Awards is an annual statewide competition honoring Florida tourism marketing. Each year the Flagler Awards recognize the efforts of those who use their skill, resourcefulness, creativity and innovative spirit to market Florida to the world.
About the New Smyrna Beach Area
The New Smyrna Beach area includes the communities of New Smyrna Beach, Edgewater, Oak Hill, Osteen and Port Orange in east Central Florida. New Smyrna Beach is an eclectic mix of old and new; of subtle sophistication and bohemian soul that is as “real” as Florida gets. It occupies a notable place in history as the second oldest city in Florida, site of the largest single attempt at British colonization in the new world. In 2018, New Smyrna Beach celebrated its 250th birthday. The city’s barrier island is recognized worldwide for its incredible surf with Surfer magazine recently touting it one of the “Best Surf Towns in America” and National Geographic magazine including it in its “World’s Top 20 Surf Towns”. Accommodations range from charming bed and breakfast inns to family-size condominium units and oceanfront hotels. Natural attractions include 17 miles of sandy beaches from Ponce de Leon Inlet to Canaveral National Seashore and North America’s most diverse estuary – the Indian River Lagoon. Two distinct downtowns along Flagler Avenue and Canal Street and connected via the Waterfront Loop welcome visitors with independent restaurants, unique shops, artisanal coffee shops and art galleries.
For more information, please visit http://www.VisitNSBfl.com or call 386-428-1600. Follow @NewSmyrnaBeach1 on Twitter, Facebook.com/VisitNewSmyrnaBeach or @visitnewsmyrnabeach on Instagram for the latest news. Download the free New Smyrna Beach Mobile App for iPhone and Android to receive this information on-the-go.