CT Tourism senior researcher a leader in destination marketing globally

Roxanne Lombard, Senior Researcher, Cape Town Tourism

Lombard, a BCom Marketing Graduate, grasped early in her career as a brand strategist that in-depth insights are pivotal to designing a successful marketing strategy. In her role as senior researcher at Cape Town Tourism, the City of Cape Town’s official tourism agency and a voluntary industry member association representing close to 1,300 tourism businesses, Lombard has the perfect environment to express her passion for providing data and insights to these businesses, informing their business decisions and strategy.

Young professionals building the future of the industry

Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Chairman Gary C. Sherwin, CDME and President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach, Inc; Destination and Travel Foundation Chairman Joe Marinelli, and President of Visit Savannah, and President and CEO Don Welsh announced the 2017 “30 Under 30” class, which will convene for the first time at the Association’s Annual Convention in Montreal, Canada July 11-14. “One of the main priorities for our industry today is developing our workforce, and specifically our leadership, for tomorrow,” said Marinelli. “The ‘30 Under 30’ initiative gives us the ability to do both. It has been exciting to watch the enthusiasm of these young professionals as they form a network they can rely on. Attending the Annual Convention will most certainly deliver the critical insight they will need regarding today’s challenges and trends.”

“Our future as an industry is dependent on young professionals choosing to pursue a career with destination organisations and bringing their energy, insight and dynamic skills to our benefit,” said Sherwin. “I look forward to meeting our 2017 class of ‘30 Under 30’ and encouraging them to continue in our profession.”

Remarkable leadership potential in the tourism industry

Now in its seventh year, “30 Under 30” is supported by founding programme partner SearchWide, and sponsored by IMEX and USAE.

“Each year we’ve seen very impressive submissions for DMAI’s ‘30 Under 30,’ and this year was no different,” said Mike Gamble, president and CEO of Searchwide. “The top 30 selected for the Class of 2017 show remarkable leadership potential in the tourism industry. As we embark on the seventh year as the founding partner, we continue to be very proud of this programme and thank DMAI for their commitment.”

Congrats to this year's 30 Under 30 class. Looking forward celebrating these young professionals at #AC17Montreal! https://t.co/YXNZEWi6xb pic.twitter.com/UTt6leyhUF

— DMAI (@meetDMAI) June 19, 2017

“The ‘30 Under 30’ program remains a critical part of DMAI’s vision and mission,” said Welsh. “As we continue with rebranding the organisation, we remain focused on a powerful forward-thinking, collaborative association - exchanging bold ideas, connecting innovative people, and elevating tourism to its highest potential. Congratulations to this very impressive group and we look forward to recognising them on their success in Montreal.”

Enver Duminy, CEO, Cape Town Tourism adds: “We’re exceptionally proud of Roxanne, who will be representing our city and team at Cape Town Tourism within this respected global context.”

Recipients will be recognised 14 July immediately following the Convention’s Closing Keynote featuring Chris Gardner.