Houston, TX – July 19, 2017 – Visit Houston is proud to announce Jessika Alexander, international tourism and media specialist has attained her Certified Tourism Executive (CTE) designation from the Travel and Tourism College offered by the Texas Travel Industry Association (TTIA).

Jessika is on the leading edge of this new industry standard to become certified. She is one of only 117 people, nationwide to have received the highly regarded CTE designation. Participants in the certification program must complete a three-year process, which includes coursework and a rigorous final project. The program, only seven years old is open to all travel and tourism professionals and incorporates a week of intensive tourism marketing and management courses taught by college professors and seasoned travel and tourism experts.

For her final project, Jessika coordinated the production of a Houston Visitors Guide, which was translated and published in Essentially America Magazines in the UK, Germany and China.

"I am grateful to Houston First/Visit Houston for allowing me the opportunity to grow professionally," said Jessika Alexander. "The program offered by TTIA was exceptional and with what I have learned, I know I will be better able to market Houston as one of the world’s premier destinations."

"This is a big deal. By increasing her knowledge and expertise in the travel and tourism industry, Jessika has not only taken her career another step further, she has become a more valuable asset as a world-class professional, promoting Houston as a world-class city," said Jorge Franz, vice president of Tourism for Visit Houston. "I applaud her dedication and hard work to achieve this milestone for herself and to better serve our city."

Jessika is the first person on the Visit Houston tourism team to earn the CTE designation.