Young Professional Leadership Development Program Application

Thank you for your interest in the program! Applications for 2024 are now closed. Applicants will be notified of their application status no later than Friday, March 29, 2024.

For questions, please email David Breisch at [email protected].

 

Program Benefits

  • Access to exclusive networking opportunities with industry leaders and the 2024 30 Under 30 class.
  • Participation in leadership development webinars alongside the 2024 30 Under 30 class, running monthly from August 2024-May 2025.
  • Complimentary enrollment in Destinations International's PDM (Professional in Destination Management) program.
  • Mentorship Program inclusion.

 

Program Requirements

  • Must be under the age of 30 at the time of application submission. 
     
  • Must presently work for an organization that is a Pinnacle or Premier Partner of Destinations International. Visit our Partner Directory to see if you work for an eligible organization. 
     
  • Must have been an employee (part-time employment and internships included) of a tourism-related organization for at least 1.5 years, with a minimum of six months at your current organization at the time of application submission. 
     
  • Only one individual from an organization will be chosen if multiple applicants from the same organization are nominated.

 

Application Requirements

To complete the application, you must be prepared to submit the following:

  • Current resume. 
     
  • High resolution headshot. 
     
  • A brief professional bio. 
     
  • Provide brief answers to the following questions in 100-150 words each.
    • Describe your current involvement with Destinations International. If none, tell us how you would like to be involved with DI in the future.
    • Tell us about your career progression so far - where you started, and where you are now in your career path.
    • Explain how you are invested in your professional development. This could include attending industry events, volunteering on industry committees, presenting on webinars, continuing education, or any other way you feel that you have furthered your own knowledge of the industry.
    • Where do you see yourself in 10 years in your career? What impact do you want to have on the travel and tourism industry?
    • Are you involved with your community outside of your professional role? If so, how?
    • How can your organization create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for your community and the industry?

 

Scoring Rubric

Applications will be reviewed by an industry judging panel and be scored on the following topics. Note that we are looking for overall well-rounded candidates and are not expecting individuals to score highly in every category below. Examples of high quality applications are provided for reference only and are not inclusive of all high-scoring applications.

  • Exhibits leadership in the community. Examples include:
    • Participates or volunteers in local committees, charities or non-profit organizations outside of current professional role
    • Serves in a leadership position of a community group, outside of current professional role  
       
  • Invested and active in the industry. Examples include:
    • Participates in DI or industry-led webinars
    • Speaks at DI or industry events as a panelist or thought leader
    • Participates in DI committees or task forces  
       
  • Demonstrated success in your position. Examples include:
    • Created, led, or was a significant contributor to projects that had a significant impact on the community, organization or tourism industry
    • Showed written or visual examples of successful project(s) completed in current job role
    • Demonstrates meaningful results, KPIs, statistics or other evidence of strong ROI on professional activities
    • Received another industry award/recognition (such as eTourism Rising Star, PCMA 20 in their 20s, etc.)  
       
  • Proven history of progressive responsibility/career progression. Examples include:
    • Has a history of taking on new responsibilities/expanding job scope and role
    • Received cross-training/worked in multiple departments within the organization
    • Received a promotion or a significant change in job title during career
    • Worked at multiple tourism-related organizations  
       
  • Committed to professional development. Examples include:
    • Takes professional development courses, such as DI's PDM or CDME programs (or other industry professional development courses)
    • Attends in-person event(s), summit(s) or conference(s) related to travel and tourism 

 

2024 Application

Thank you for your interest in the program! Applications for 2024 are now closed. Applicants will be notified of their application status no later than Friday, March 29, 2024.