• Limited enrollment to encourage closer interaction among participants and faculty.

• Course moderators with strong teaching skills and international and tourism business experience.

• Inclusion of noted industry practitioners to provide specialized expertise.

• Session format combines pre-assigned readings, case studies, workshop exercises, idea exchanges, videos and small group discussions.

• Topic deliberations to reinforce relevant concepts, strategies, applications and measurement methods.

To be eligible to participate in the CDME program, applicants must either:

Have five (5) years of professional industry-related experience (current employment within the last 8 years) in a destination organization, tourism bureau, CVB, state, regional or provincial tourism organization, or with a supplier or vendor in the destination marketing and management industry.

OR

Have three (3) years of professional industry-related experience (current employment within the last 8 years) AND a post-secondary degree in a travel, tourism or hospitality-related discipline.  

The CDME program requires completion of the following courses and knowledge assessments within a four-year time frame. The credential will be awarded after successful completion of the following:

• 4 Core Courses and required written paper
• 2 Elective Courses
• Final Exam

While all courses are “stand alone” and can be taken in any sequence, it is HIGHLY recommended that the Strategic Issues in Destination Management core course be the participant’s introduction to the program.

After the required core and elective courses are completed, participants who wish to earn their certification will need to submit a CDME Graduation Request Form to [email protected]. Once the form has been approved, candidates may begin and submit a CDME Final Exam. 

PLEASE NOTE: An approved CDME Application is required prior to registering for courses. Please allow 10-14 business days for the application to be processed. Courses are only available to those accepted to and committed to completing the program.

Courses and instructors are subject to change. To receive CDME credit for a course, you MUST be in attendance for 100 percent of the scheduled course time. If you cannot attend for the full day for any reason, you will need to reschedule and take the course at a future date. Please contact [email protected] if any conflicts arise.

Member Rate: US$ 1,695 Core, US$ 1,095 Elective 

Non-member Rate: US$ 2,495 Core, US$ 1,495 Elective

Small Destination Organization CDME Scholarship Opportunities