Our greatest strength is the mutually beneficial relationships we have developed with our expanding network of heritage tourism and economic development partners. Our benefits program offers online and public recognition; special member rates and discounts; a complimentary subscription to “The Medallion,” the Texas Historical Commission magazine; and “Services Credits” to be used like cash towards Trail services, like workshop registration fees or brochure advertising. 

We provide our partners and communities with educational opportunities, including heritage tourism and marketing workshops, and online resources and training tools. The Training Library provides online access to the Destination Development Association’s (DDA) resource center created by destination marketing expert Roger Brooks. DDA provides monthly webinars, case histories, videos and how-to guides on 60+ topics including, branding, funding development, and marketing. 

We use our marketing dollars to showcase the best of East Texas. We support heritage tourism in East Texas and promote our partners’ sites, communities and events through statewide advertising campaigns, event brochures, contests, tradeshow appearances, and featured press and blog articles. We introduce our partners’ content to new audiences, making their information available online and at the most popular tourist destinations across the state. 

Our extensive statewide relationships and industry assets expand the reach of our partners’ budgets. We connect our partners to valuable heritage tourism and economic development resources, including state and regional travel statistics, and current marketing and interpretive trends as well as research opportunities, site assessments, student interns and high-quality regional photography. 

We actively engage online travelers using Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogger, YouTube and Tumblr. We bring state and national attention to historic sites, preservation initiatives and regional attractions in East Texas. On average, our media posts reach 40,000 viewers and 1,500 active users weekly. We constantly analyze trends and methods for keeping our engagement high. 

One size doesn’t always fit all. We offer additional “Add-On” services tailored to fit your organization, including tourism, marketing & preservation consultations and assessments, workshops and one-on-one training, social media training and takeovers, copywriting & content development, photography, advertising, and professional graphic design. Contact us for more information or to propose something new.