Quad Cities, IL/IA (June 8, 2026) - Visit Quad Cities President and CEO, Dave Herrell, has been announced as an honoree of the 2026 Destination Organization Leadership Award by Destinations International (DI), the world's leading membership association for destination organizations.

"Destinations International is proud to honor Dave Herrell, President and CEO, Visit Quad Cities, as an honoree of the Destination Organization Leadership Award, recognizing his outstanding leadership, vision, and enduring contributions to both Visit Quad Cities and the broader travel and tourism industry," said Don Welsh, president & CEO of Destinations International. "Dave has helped elevate the standard of excellence in our field, inspiring peers and advancing the mission of destination stewardship worldwide. We look forward to formally recognizing his achievements during our Recognition Celebration at the 2026 Destinations International Annual Convention in Portland, OR, USA, July 21-23, 2026." 

Established in 2017, the Destination Organization Leadership Award recognizes leaders whose vision, service, and accomplishments have made a lasting impact on the destination organization industry and the communities they serve. Herrell was recognized alongside Susan Freeman, Executive Director, Meet Prince Edward Island, Maura Gast, Executive Director, Visit Irving Texas, and Melvin Tennant, President & CEO, Meet Minneapolis.

“Destinations International is such a vitally important organization to Visit Quad Cities and the members around the globe that it serves,” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO, Visit Quad Cities. “This recognition is an honor for our organization and is extremely humbling. To be recognized among so many colleagues whose service and leadership inspire me every day is something I do not take lightly. The transformative work they are doing in their respective communities and organizations is simply phenomenal. The gratitude that I have for Destinations International and all they do for our industry, along with how proud I am of my Visit Quad Cities teammates, is energizing. I would like to thank the members of the committee who dedicated so much of their time to this process and the Destinations International Board of Directors for their service and leadership. I am blessed to be a part of an industry I love and truly honored that every day I have the opportunity to share the Quad Cities story and momentum with the world.”

Under Herrell's leadership at Visit Quad Cities, the globally accredited organization has generated substantial economic impact through tourism development and marketing initiatives, successfully advocated for new statewide tourism legislation to grow prosperity, enhanced regional identity and storytelling, and advanced collaboration to support a $1.38 billion visitor economy. He believes that tourism and the opportunity to host meetings, sporting events, group, and leisure travel provide community-building, economic, and social benefits.