Discover Martin: In the Spotlight

The Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing has achieved official accreditation through the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP), an international recognition from Destinations International. This certification affirms that the Martin County Office of Tourism & Marketing meets the highest standards of destination marketing, management, and organizational effectiveness. DMAP accreditation reflects our commitment to transparency, strategic leadership, and excellence in serving both visitors and our local community.

Read more about DMAP here.

Martin County was been recognized as the 2024 Leave No Trace Tourism Partner of the Year, a national honor awarded to a destination that demonstrates outstanding commitment to responsible tourism. This award celebrates the Martin County Office of Tourism & Marketing’s leadership in promoting environmental stewardship, sustainable travel practices, and community education. From integrating Leave No Trace principles into destination messaging to fostering partnerships that protect our natural resources, Martin County continues to set an example for how tourism can be a force for good.

Read more about the award here.

Explore Natural Martin was designated as a Gold Standard Program by the Leave No Trace organization in 2025. This recognition highlights Explore Natural Martin’s dedication to environmental education, volunteer stewardship, and the promotion of Leave No Trace ethics through free, accessible eco-programming. From guided nature walks to community engagement initiatives, the program helps residents and visitors alike connect with—and care for—Martin County’s natural spaces.

Read more about the designation here.

The Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing won the Digital Brilliance Award in the 2025 ESTO Awards for the Explore Natural Martin Video Series. Competing against destinations of all sizes across the United States, this recognition highlights Discover Martin as one of the best in tourism marketing and promotion.

View the award submission here.

The Martin County Tourism Office and Environmental Resource Division is part of the Public Lands Program, a free resource through AllTrails that allows partners to add and manage trail routes on their popular outdoor recreation app. Featuring more than 25 routes across all major-county preserves, this collaboration will also allow Martin County to share information about Leave No Trace, encouraging exploration while minimizing negative impacts on natural areas.

Download the free AllTrails app to get started and learn more about exploring Martin County’s trails.

Martin County’s Office of Tourism & Marketing is proud to be the first U.S. destination to sign the global Sustainable Tourism 2030 Pledge. This international commitment encourages destinations to measure and improve their sustainability performance annually through concrete actions aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By joining this movement, Martin County reinforces its role as a leader in responsible tourism—prioritizing environmental health, community wellbeing, and long-term destination resilience.

Learn more about the pledge here.

Explore Natural Martin was proudly featured at the 2024 Destination Marketing Summit, where we led a session showcasing the program’s development and success. We shared how the Martin County Office of Tourism and Marketing was able to build this program from the ground up, navigate challenges, engage stakeholders, and deliver measurable results.

You can read the full session overview here.

At the 2024 Leave No Trace Global Summit, the Martin County Office of Tourism & Marketing was honored to present Explore Natural Martin as a leading example of destination-driven ecotourism. The presentation highlighted the program’s success in engaging both visitors and locals through free guided nature experiences, hands-on stewardship, and the integration of Leave No Trace principles. By sharing key strategies, lessons learned, and measurable impact, the team offered a practical roadmap for how other destination marketing organizations can create meaningful, community-rooted eco-programs that inspire responsible travel.

Watch a highlight of the summit here.

Martin County presented on the panel “Mother Nature and Data: How Research Can Optimize & Measure the Impact of Natural Experiences” at TTRA’s Annual International Conference. The session explored how destinations across the globe are using data to market iconic natural attractions and how to measure their tourism and community impacts. Drawing on examples from Vermont to Florida, panelists shared insights on how research can help destinations better understand and promote the value of their natural assets.

At the 2024 STS Connections Conference, Martin County was highlighted in the Shining Innovation session—an honor reserved for Shining Example Award recipients. The session spotlighted the success of the Explore Natural Martin initiative and offered a blueprint for how smaller destinations can build impactful, community-rooted ecotourism programs with limited resources.

Martin County was proud to have participated in the ESTO 2024 Conference session Strategy Activators: Using Little Insights to Make Big Impacts. This session highlights how even small data insights can be transformed into meaningful, measurable impacts for destinations through strategic activation.

Martin County joined the panel Marketing that Matters: A DMO Lens on Industry Trends at the Destinations International Conference. Hosted by the Expedia team, the engaging discussion explored the latest travel and tourism trends and shared actionable insights for destinations around the world.

Stuart Magazine did a profile on Emily Dark, Martin County’s Senior Environmental Resource and Ecotourism Program Planner, in a feature celebrating her passion for the outdoors and her role in building the Explore Natural Martin program. The article highlights Emily’s career path, passion for conservation, and vision for connecting people to the natural world through education and immersive outdoor experiences. It also showcases the early success of Explore Natural Martin and its growing partnerships with local organizations and national leaders like Leave No Trace.

Read the full article here.

Martin County was spotlighted by Leave No Trace in a case study highlighting the success of Explore Natural Martin, a free ecotourism program led by the Office of Tourism & Marketing. The feature details how the program integrates the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace, fosters local stewardship, and has engaged more than 1,500 participants through hands-on learning experiences. With a strong focus on conservation and community partnerships, Explore Natural Martin is setting a high standard for responsible ecotourism.

Read the full article here.

Martin County was featured in a case study by AllTrails due to the county’s success with the Public Lands Program. Martin County joined the AllTrails Public Lands Program in order to better inform both visitors and residents about the availability of trails to explore throughout the county, share information about Leave No Trace, and allow users to give feedback on the trails. This case study discusses actions Martin County took to meet these goals, challenges faced, and the current success of the program.

Read the full case study here.

Martin County Tourism Director Nerissa Okiye was honored with a 2024 Above & Beyond: Women Honoring Women in Government and Public Service Award through News Service Florida. This statewide recognition celebrates outstanding women leaders who have made a lasting impact in Florida’s public sector. Nerissa was recognized for her visionary leadership in promoting Martin County’s authentic natural experiences, exemplified by the award-winning Explore Natural Martin program.

View the award here.

Emily Dark, Martin County’s Senior Environmental Resource and Ecotourism Coordinator, was named a 2024 Impact Award recipient by the News Service of Florida. This honor recognizes Floridians making a difference across the state, where Emily was celebrated for her leadership of the award-winning Explore Natural Martin program.

View the award here.

Ian Centrone, Deputy Tourism Director for Martin County, was named to the 2025 News Service of Florida 40 Under 40 list. This recognition celebrates rising leaders shaping Florida’s future. Ian was recognized for his ability to craft compelling narratives that elevate Martin County as a sustainable tourism destination, where his storytelling expertise has been central to the success of Explore Natural Martin.

View the award here.