AWARDS, CERTIFICATIONS & IN THE NEWS

CERTIFIED TRAVEL COUNSELOR

June 2018

Destinations by Design is proud to announce that Michele Cartwright earned the distinguished Certified Travel Associate (CTA) destination from The Travel Institute, the travel industry's oldest education organization. This designation is awarded to travel professionals who complete a comprehensive exam-based training program, demonstrate extensive industry knowledge and experience, and continue to fulfill stringent education credit requirements each year.

ACCREDITED CRUISE COUNSELOR

September 2018

Destinations by Design is proud to announce Stefanie Armstrong's completion of Cruise Line International Association's (CLIA) Accredited Cruise Counselor program. This designation demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the cruise line industry. CLIA's Certification program graduates are widely recognized as the foremost cruise vacation experts among American travel agents.

ACCREDITED CRUISE COUNSELOR

May 2019

Destinations by Design is proud to announce Ilse Long's completion of Cruise Line International Association's (CLIA) Accredited Cruise Counselor program. This designation demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of the cruise line industry. CLIA's Certification program graduates are widely recognized as the foremost cruise vacation experts among American travel agents.

FAMILY TRAVEL ADVISOR FORUM

January 2020

Destinations by Design is proud to announce Michele Cartwright and Stefanie Armstrong's selection as a 2020 Family Travel Advisor Forum SELECT participants. As a trusted authority in the family vacation market, Cartwright and Armstrong have been hand-selected out of hundreds of travel advisors to attend this exclusive event. They will be meet with representatives from the most sought after family destinations, properties, attractions and more to forge important relationships, experience an array of the most sought-after properties in and around Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and strengthen Destination by Design's position to better serve all clients' vacation dreams.

And, because they've been recognized as leaders in family travel, Cartwright and Armstrong will take part in important idea exchanges with like-minded professionals who are committed to making their client's family vacation dreams a reality! Adding to the excitement, it's happening in Jamaica! Cartwright and Armstrong are excited to share more details with the Destinations by Design team and clients on properties like Moon Palace Jamaica and experiences that can be had at places like Blue Hole and Konoko Falls.

EUROPEAN TRAVEL AGENT FORUM

November 2019

Destinations by Design is thrilled to announce that Michele Cartwright has been hand-selected out of hundreds of travel advisors to attend the debut European Travel Agent Forum. Michele will be heading to Krakow, Wroclaw, and Poznan, Poland this November for this exclusive event, where she will have the unique opportunity to meet one-to-one with key travel partners representing destinations, hoteliers, attractions and unique experiences all designed to strengthen her expertise and offerings for European bound clientele. Michele will also have the chance to share in top-level discussions and idea exchanges, with like-minded peers who share her passion and commitment to their clients! She cannot wait to share all this experience will offer, and looks forward to booking her clients' next European adventure!

CANCUN TRAVEL AGENT FORUM

October 2019

Stefanie Armstrong and Michele Cartwright are looking forward to heading to the Cancun Travel Agent Forum, where they've been chosen to be a part of the Travel Agent SELECT recognition program for top leisure travel sellers.

They'll be staying at the fabulous Moon Palace Cancun, immersing themselves in all Cancun offers through education, site inspections and more. Beyond this, they will conduct private business meetings with suppliers from around the globe, diversifying their knowledge on the hottest destinations, latest hotel developments, unique experiences and more! What sets Michele and Stefanie apart from what you can find on the internet? Their in-depth knowledge, expertise, and personal relationships all built to create the perfect vacation for you!

WUATA NOMINATION

June 2019

Michele Cartwright with Destinations by Design travel agency was nominated by clients as Carnival's Most Trusted Travel Advisor through the Why Use A Travel Advisor (WUATA) contest.

ROMANCE TRAVEL FORUM

May 2019

As a recognized leader in the romance vacation market, Michele Cartwright accepted the exclusive 2019 Romance Travel Forum invitation. She was personally chosen out of hundreds of travel advisors from across the US and Canada to be among this select group of top professionals. With her destination wedding and honeymoon clients in mind, Michele will experience first-hand all that Riviera Nayarit has to offer, including attractions and visits to the most sought-after hotel properties! Plus, she will have the chance to meet with providers on a global level representing the most romantic destinations, hotels, packaged vacations, and so much more!

Destinations by Design is committed to continued professional education, establishing important industry relationships, and providing excellent customer experiences for our clients. Please let us know how we can help you plan your next romantic getaway or destination wedding.

LAS VEGAS TRAVEL AGENT FORUM

March 2019

Travel Advisors Stefanie Armstrong and Michele Cartwright were chosen out of hundreds of applications for the Travel Agent SELECT hosted program. Armstrong and Cartwright will attend the event held in Las Vegas with their clients and business in mind, and will meet with top vacation providers and some of the best and brightest in the industry!

CRUISEWORLD STAR RECIPIENT

November 2017

Travel Weekly is proud to announce that professional travel advisor Michele Cartwright was selected to participate in the STAR (Select Travel Advisor Recognition) Program during its annual CruiseWorld event. STAR participants must meet strict qualifying criteria and demonstrate what it means to be a qualified professional in the travel industry.

CruiseWorld brings together nearly 1,300 travel industry professionals to participate in certification programs, hear from industry executives, and partake in immersive networking experiences.

The STAR Program works to curate a group of the industry’s most dedicated and professional travel advisors through an application and review process that involves reference checks and an evaluation of current business practices.

While attending CruiseWorld, Michele Cartwright will hear keynote addresses on the state of the industry from Arnold Donald, CEO of Carnival Corporation; Richard D. Fain, Chairman & CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.; and Frank Del Rio, President & CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. STARs will also learn of cutting edge destinations and products, take part in VIP guided tours of a variety of the best cruise ships on the water, and form connections with high-level personnel from different travel companies.

All of these valuable experiences combine to keep STAR advisors up to date with the latest industry trends and best practices. This allows them to continue to provide unique itineraries to their clients and exceed client travel expectations.

“STAR Program participants represent a group of extremely determined, forward-thinking and motivated travel advisors,” said Alicia Evanko, Senior Vice President of Events, Northstar Travel Group. “It is so important we have advisors who are serious about their careers and about giving their clients the best possible service at our event. All travel advisors should strive to achieve STAR status. This group of STARs demonstrate the utmost professionalism and we are honored to host them at CruiseWorld.”