A stamp of approval from an international tourism group has been renewed for the Bermuda Tourism Authority.

The BTA announced it had been reaccredited by Destinations International, eight years on from first receiving the Destination Marketing Accreditation Programme seal.

The DMAP seal is awarded in recognition of the BTA’s commitment to industry excellence and meeting the industry standard for performance and accountability of destination organisations.

The BTA was given “accreditation with distinction”, the top level of recognition — signifying it exceeded minimum requirements for accreditation, and that the independent DMAP board found no opportunities for the organisation to improve its following of standards.

Don Welsh, president and chief executive of Destinations International, said: “The industry distinction defines quality and performance standards for destination organisations and I look forward to their ongoing participation in the DMAP community.”

Maura Allen Gast, head of the tourism body for Irving, Texas, and past chairwoman of the DMAP board, said the BTA had shown its strategies developed the island as a destination and safeguarded the use of public funds.

Standards covered include the management and marketing of destination organisations in governance, finance, human resources, sales, communications, destination development and research.

The BTA is among more than 200 organisations with DMAP recognition, fewer than 10 per cent earned distinction.

Wayne Caines, the BTA chairman, congratulated staff for securing reaccreditation.

“The DMAP deal reflects the BTA’s commitment to excellence and meeting the industry standards for performance and accountability,” he said.

Tracy Berkeley, the BTA chief executive, called it “testament to the hard work of the BTA team”.

She added: “Membership of DI ensures access to a wealth of important industry resources, educational opportunities and other benefits that will assist the BTA team in building a successful, sustainable tourism industry.”