February 1, 2012 – McKinney, TX - Diann Bayes, executive director of the McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau, will serve as the chair of the board of directors of the Dallas/Fort Worth Area Tourism Council for 2012.

“The member organizations within DFWATC work together to promote North Texas as a single tourism destination, and I’m honored to serve as the 2012 Chair,” Bayes said. In 2011, she served on the DFWATC board as the chair of the organization’s Social Media committee, helping the group establish a more active Internet presence and conducting social media workshops for DFWATC members, and in 2011, she served as Vice-Chair for the organization.

Bayes brings to the table 16 years of knowledge and experience in the hospitality industry, having previously worked as Executive Director of the Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce and CVB, and as Tourism Sales Manager at the Convention & Visitors Bureau in Manhattan, Kansas. Bayes joined the City of McKinney as McKinney CVB Executive Director in 2006.

Bayes will travel with other DFWATC members and many other Texas tourism and hospitality professionals to Austin in coming weeks as part of the annual Texas Travel Industry Association (TTIA) Unity Dinner, a time for networking and meeting with state officials about tourism and its economic impact.

“The Dallas/Fort Worth area metroplex is consistently ranked as the Number 1 most visited area in the State of Texas, and we have a tremendous opportunity to make a significant positive economic impact on our region and the state by attracting national and international visitors to our cities,” Bayes said. “Tourism is a major economic engine for the State of Texas, with a proven $7 return on investment for every $1 spent on promoting tourism.”

The McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes McKinney as the destination of choices, generating economic impact for the city by promoting and developing McKinney as a premiere destination for business and leisure travelers so they fully experience McKinney's historic charm and friendly unique atmosphere.

The Dallas/Fort Worth Area Tourism Council (DFWATC) is a non-profit organization formed in 1978 to be a comprehensive force within the tourism industry to jointly market the entire area as a single destination. DFWATC represents roughly 50 cities in 32 North Texas counties and has more than 150 members including Convention & Visitors Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, hotels, attractions, transportation, entertainment, tour operators, airlines, shopping center, airports and restaurants.