African American Travel Conference (AATC) - The African American Travel Conference is an organization of tourism professionals and travel planners focused on the development and promotion of African-American Heritage Tours for the group travel market. Membership to the AATC offers tourism organizations access to the African American group travel market through interaction with AATC travel professionals throughout the United States. For membership information contact: 330.337.1116
MS Division of Tourism member: Rhonda Williams

American Bus Association ( ABA) - The American Bus Association is an organization of North American tourism professionals focused on the development, promotion and increased use of motorcoach charter service for group travel purposes. The Association offers various marketing activities focused on market segments. Membership offers tourism organizations access to the group travel market through interaction with the nation's leading motorcoach charter operators who provide charter motorcoach services for leading tour operators and who also plan and operate their own tour programs. For membership information contact: 202. 842.1645.
MS Division of Tourism member: Rhonda Williams

American Society of Association Executives - The American Society of Association Executives is an association comprised of the chief executive officers and meeting planners of many different types of associations across the United States - trade, professional, and convention and visitor bureaus. Associate members are vendors in a variety of businesses. Membership in ASAE offers the opportunity to sell Mississippi as a meeting destination among association meeting planners and decision makers. As an Associate Member, Mississippi is allowed to advertise in ASAE publications to promote Mississippi as a meeting site.
MS Division of Tourism members: Chris R. Bounds, CMP, and Christine Magee

American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) - The American Society of Travel Agents unites the 35,000 plus travel agency owners in the United States. Its purpose is to promote airlines, cruise lines, major hotel chains and tourism destinations. It is extremely powerful in lobbying congressional support for both domestic and international tourism issues. ASTA has an education program that enhances and promotes the travel industry as a single source for all tourism related activities. For membership information contact: 703.739.2782.
MS Division of Tourism member: Rhonda Williams

Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) - The AFCI is the world wide organization of film commissions. Its more than 300 members represent over 30 countries. It is a non-profit educational association whose members promote, attract, and support on-location filming. The AFCI holds an annual conference and produces an annual trade show in Santa Monica each spring.
For membership information, contact Ward Emling, 601.359.3422.

Bank Travel - Bank Travel is the membership organization for program directors of Bank Loyalty Programs and is open to suppliers and Destination Marketing Organizations who are interested in marketing to them. For membership information contact: 330.332.3841
MS Division of Tourism member: Rhonda Williams

Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International - The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International is an association comprised of sales and marketing executives, managers, educators, planners and suppliers in virtually every hospitality industry segment. The association helps its members grow professionally while offering an edge in a highly competitive industry. Membership in HSMAI offers educational programs, tradeshow forums, association publications, reports, and studies that contain invaluable information that can be put to immediate use.
MS Division of Tourism member: Chris R. Bounds, CMP

International Association of Golf Tour Operators (IAGTO) - The International Association of Golf Tour Operators mission is to represent the interest of golf tour operators, create business opportunities for operators and industry partners, increase access to valuable market information and to raise the awareness of its members' golf tourism products and services. Membership in IAGTO offers regular and high-priority access to 550 companies in 53 countries. Members include golf tour operators, golf travel writers and other golf tourism related industry partners from around the world. For membership information contact Shaun Green: Tel: +44 (0) 20 8906 3377, London, UK
MS Division of Tourism member: Janet Leach

Meeting Professionals International - Meeting Professionals International is an association comprised of sales and marketing executives, managers, educators, planners and suppliers in virtually every hospitality industry segment. The association helps its members grow professionally while offering an edge in a highly competitive industry. Membership in MPI offers educational programs, tradeshow forums, association publications, reports, and studies that contain invaluable information that can be put to immediate use. MPI leads the industry in offering the Certified Meeting Professional designation for planners and suppliers that involves a certified educational program and examination process. As a supplier member, Mississippi is allowed to advertise and does so in the Meeting Manager and various other MPI publications.
MS Division of Tourism members: Chris R. Bounds, CMP, and Christine Magee

The Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MRPC) is a multi-state organization which works collectively to preserve, promote, and enhance the scenic, historic, and recreational resources of the Mississippi River, to foster economic growth in the corridor, and to develop the national, scenic and historic parkway known as the Great River Road.
MS Division of Tourism member: Kristen McCaskill

Mississippi Society of Association Executives
The Mississippi Society of Association Executives is an association comprised of the chief executive officers and meeting planners of many different types of associations across the state - trade, professional, and convention and visitor bureaus. Associate members are vendors in a variety of businesses. Memberships in this association offer the opportunity to sell Mississippi as a meeting destination among association meeting planners and decision makers.
MS Division of Tourism members: Chris R. Bounds, CMP, and Christine Magee

Motorist Information Services (MTSA)
MS Division of Tourism member: Tonya Neely

National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners - The National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the improvement of Afhean-American meetings and the professional development of African-American meeting planners. Associate members are vendors in a variety of businesses. Membership in NCBMP offers the opportunity to sell Mississippi as a meeting destination among African-American meeting planners and decision makers. As an Associate Member, Mississippi is allowed to advertise in NCBMP publications to promote Mississippi as a meeting site.
MS Division of Tourism members: Sharon Robinson

Cross Sphere (formerly known as National Tour Association (NTA) - Cross Sphere is an organization of North American tourism professionals focused on the development, promotion and increased use of tour operator packaged travel. The Association engages in many different marketing activities focused on market segments and distribution channels ranging from travel agents to international tour operators. Membership in Cross Sphere offers tourism organizations access to the group travel market through interaction with Cross Sphere tour operators who pan and operate group tours throughout North America. For membership information contact: 859.226.4444.
MS Division of Tourism member: Rhonda Williams

Ontario Motorcoach Association (OMCA) - Membership to OMCA offers tourism organizations access to the Canadian group travel market through interaction with leading motorcoach charter operators and tour operators throughout Canada. For membership information contact: 416.22.-6622.
MS Division of Tourism member: Rhonda Williams

Receptive Service Association (RSA) - The Receptive Service Association is a national non-profit trade association whose members include major inbound Visit USA receptive tour operators and suppliers. Membership to the organization offers a wide range of industry activities focusing on supplier relationships and working with regulatory agencies and travel promotion bureaus to improve the quality of travel related services for international visitors. For membership information contact: 856.638.0423.
MS Division of Tourism member: Kristen McCaskill

Southeast Tourism Society (STS) - Southeast Tourism Society speaks as a unified voice for southeastern tourism interest in Washington. This organization represents the best interests of tourism related business in all governmental actions. STS actively promotes the southeastern member states as a tourism destination, and annually promotes the major tourism events in southeastern cities.

Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) - Travel Industry Association of America is the only national unifying organization for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry. It provides comprehensive research, sales, marketing and other support at the national and international level. TIA's objective is to coordinate industry efforts to promote travel to and within the United States. For membership information contact: 202.408.8422.

Travel South USA - Travel South is the largest and oldest regional travel organization in the United States. Solely owned and funded by the state division of tourism, the region includes the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Mississippi. Membership is open to only the 11 southern state tourism offices. No private sector, Convention and Visitor Bureau or tourism entity can retain membership. Through the state's membership, Mississippi CVBs and tourism private sector are represented and allowed to participate in Travel South's programs. For marketplace information contact: 404.231.1790.

Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) - TTRA is the International Association of Travel Research and Marketing Professionals. Its primary purpose is to provide tourism officials and academicians with the most current and pertinent research suggestions and trends. Membership in TTRA enables the Research Unit to keep abreast of international, national, regional, and local tourism trends. It also provides extensive networking options with university professors as well as private, public, and not-for-profit sector tourism officials.
MS Division of Tourism member: Tom Van Hyning

United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) - The United States Tour Operators Association is an organization of North American tour operators whose tours and packages encompass the entire globe and who conduct business in the U.S. The association members number among the top names in tour and travel and provide its members opportunities for networking and marketing activities focused on market segments. For membership information contact: 212.599.6599. MS Division of Tourism member: Rhonda Williams

Florida Motorcoach Association
Student Youth Travel Association of North America

The following associations are comprised of the chief executive officers and meeting planners of many different types of associations across the state - trade, professional, and convention and visitor bureaus. Associate members are vendors in a variety of businesses. Memberships in these associations offer the opportunity to sell Mississippi as a meeting destination among association meeting planners and decision makers.
MS Division of Tourism member: Christine Magee

. Alabama Council of Association Executives
. Arkansas Society of Association Executives
. Georgia Society of Association Executives
. Louisiana Society of Association Executives
. Tennessee Society of Association Executives

NOTE:
Membership in Association required for co-op.