Tourism Friendly Texas
The Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program is a designation created to encourage communities across Texas to pursue tourism as an economic development strategy and provide resources and recognition for those efforts. The program is open to local governments or non-profit organizations that serve as the lead for tourism promotion and development efforts in the community (e.g., Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Chamber of Commerce). These organizations are often responsible for administering local hotel occupancy tax. Only ONE entity may apply for a Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community designation for a given area.
Program Goals
- Strengthen relationships with existing community partners.
- Educate local leaders on the importance of tourism as a tool for economic development and job creation.
- Encourage participation in state government programs available for tourism development.
Certification Process:
1. Send an Letter of Intent (LOI) This is the required first step and must be submitted here during the enrollment window to begin the certification process. The LOI should come from the primary tourism organization for the community and must identify the staff member who will serve as the primary liaison with Travel Texas throughout the process.
2. Complete the Community Profile Once the LOI is received and approved, Travel Texas will create your Community Profile in the Tourism Friendly Texas Portal and provide registration access for designated contacts. After registering, your team may proceed with completing the Community Profile questionnaire.
3. Initial Interview (Kickoff Meeting) Travel Texas will schedule a mutually agreed-upon 30 minute kickoff meeting with your primary liaison via Teams invite.This introductory conversation outlines expectations, clarifies program components, and is an opportunity to learn more about Travel Texas and help us get to know your organization and community as a tourism destination.
4. Self-Assessment Questionnaire Following the kickoff meeting, your primary liaison will complete a self-assessment highlighting:
• Organization Information
• Destination Marketing
• Destination Management
• Stakeholder Support
5. Tourism Friendly Texas training Communities must complete the required online training modules and at least one elective module from our State agency partners. You are encouraged to view more than one elective module to learn more about the programs or share with other members of your organization. Active participation in featured programs may count towards this elective requirement.
6. Letters of Recommendation and Tourism Proclamation To demonstrate broad-based support for tourism as an economic development strategy, communities must submit a minimum of three letters of recommendation and a proclamation from the municipal government.
7. Final Interview & Certification When all previous steps are complete, Travel Texas will schedule the Final Interview. Upon successful completion, the primary tourism organization will receive the Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community designation.
Enrollment Information for 2026
Enrollment for the Tourism Friendly Texas Certified Community program opens January 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM CST and closes February 6, 2026 at 5:00 PM CST.
All Letters of Intent must be submitted within this window to participate in the 2026 certification.
Interested communities are encouraged to complete the 2026 Interest Form, ensuring that the Tourism Friendly Texas team can contact your organization in January 2026 with enrollment reminders and instructions.
2026 Interest Form
Note: All communities that previously began the certification process will automatically roll over into the 2026 certification class. You may pick up where you left off, and no steps need to be restarted.
If you have questions about your certification status or would like a refresher on program expectations, please contact us.
Tourism Friendly Texas designated communities and those in progress can access the portal below: