Sold on Washington, D.C.
Through the eyes of her seventh-grade self, Morgan Maravich fell in love with Washington, D.C. Every year after that initial trip to the nation’s capital, her parents gave her the chance to travel back to the city she loved and leave her home in Pittsburgh, so she could keep alive her dreams of one day working for the city.
Morgan continued to travel to D.C. every year until she graduated. She then attended George Mason University, just minutes from the area, to pursue a degree in tourism. During that time, Morgan took an internship with Destination DC. And the rest is history.
“I did some fun things as an intern and met so many fantastic people,” Morgan said. “The internship reminded me of my love. I wanted to affect the lives of students, adults, and seniors, and wanted to be the one to work with operators, and I wanted to do it in D.C.”
Morgan, now the tourism services manager at Destination DC, works with operators and answers their questions about what there is to do and see for their groups in the area. And she couldn’t be happier to do what she does. “I personally love the travel industry just because of the people,” she said. “They are my family—an extension of my personal family—and they are so kind and helpful. Every day I come to work and I don’t feel like it is a job. I enjoy talking about this destination in every experience; whether it’s meeting with members or hotel partners, I thoroughly enjoy it.”
Morgan helps to promote the destination to tour operators and let them know what’s new, upcoming, and interesting for their groups. A piece of advice she has for others in the industry: Dive into the city that you or your groups are visiting. “There are hidden gems. And utilizing those gems, your groups can see the city through a local feel and learn more about the place they’re visiting while there.”
If you are a tour operator looking to bring a group to D.C., Morgan would love to talk with you about what the area offers. Call her at (202) 789-7056, see the groups-only Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DCLovesGroups, or visit http://washington.org/groups.
Morgan Maravich was nominated as one of the Top Ten Next Gens in the January 2014 issue of Groups Today magazine. Click here to learn more about the Top Ten, and stay tuned to our website for more in-depth profiles on these innovative people in the group travel industry.
Know a group travel professional making an impact on the industry with a fresh, progressive perspective? Nominate him or her for 2017's Top 10 Next Gen here.
