The U.S. Travel Association announced the recipients of the 2025 ESTO Awards during its 41st annual ESTO conference, which took place from August 17-19 in Phoenix, Arizona. The awards were presented Monday evening at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge.
“The ESTO Awards highlight exceptional creativity in destination marketing while showcasing the commitment to inspire visitation through thoughtful, innovative methods,” said Ellen Davis, U.S. Travel Association Executive Vice President, Business Strategy and Industry Engagement. “Our destination community tirelessly works to grow travel, fueling local economies and communities. Congratulations to all this year’s award winners.”
The awards recognize excellence and innovation in destination marketing, a key part of efforts to drive growth in the travel sector. Categories include Destination Awards for city and regional destination marketing offices (DMOs) and State Awards for state and territory tourism offices. A panel of 60 marketing experts selected this year’s honorees.
Among those recognized in the Destination Awards category were Destination Ann Arbor for their accessibility initiative; Explore Asheville for hurricane relief efforts; Visit St. Pete-Clearwater for print marketing; Martin County Office of Tourism & Marketing for digital content; Visit Newport Beach for innovation; Visit Oakland for earning national food accolades; Port Aransas Tourism Bureau & Chamber of Commerce for immersive campaigns; Destination Cleveland and Destination DC received Marketing Momentum Awards based on their respective budget sizes.
In the State Awards section, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development was honored for inclusivity, Kansas Tourism was recognized for community initiatives, Travel Nevada excelled in print marketing, Pure Michigan stood out in digital content, Explore Minnesota was acknowledged both for a viral sports campaign and overall state marketing momentum with a large budget, while Arkansas Tourism was awarded for immersive experiences.
Diane Shober, executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, received recognition as the 2025 State Tourism Director of the Year.
The ESTO conference is an annual gathering designed for professionals from city, regional and state tourism offices to participate in educational sessions, network with peers and celebrate achievements within the industry. The next ESTO event will be held in Philadelphia from August 25-27, 2026.
U.S. Travel Association represents the $1.3 trillion travel industry nationally as a non-profit organization that advocates policies supporting increased travel within and to the United States. More information about its programs can be found at https://ustravel.org.
