The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Travel Information Division is pleased to announce that Thomas Wilhelm is the winner of the 2021 Gene Phillips Hospitality Award. This award will be presented on April 8, 2021 at a ceremony during the annual Texas Travel Counselors Conference, held virtually this year by the Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Texas Travel Alliance (TTA), and TxDOT. The award recognizes Wilhelm’s career and his dedication to the Texas tourism industry, as well as his outstanding support of TxDOT’s Travel Information Centers and the state’s $83 billion travel industry.
“Thomas Wilhelm has been a passionate advocate for State Parks and a great friend to our Travel Information Center travel counselors for as long as we have known him,” said Joan Henderson, Director of the Travel Information Division at TxDOT. “We’re delighted to present him with this well-deserved award in recognition of his hard work and enthusiastic support of the tourism industry.”
Wilhelm serves as State Parks Marketing & Branding Manager for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. In this capacity, he advocates tirelessly to promote Texas State Parks, and continually seeks out new ways to increase their prominence as premier Texas tourism destinations. Under his leadership, State Parks employees have increasingly participated in opportunities such as the Texas Travel Counselors Conference, TTA’s Travel and Tourism College, and the annual TTA Study Tour, to name a few. An incredibly versatile professional, Wilhelm has played an important role in launching and educating users on Texas State Parks’ online reservation system; unveiled Texas State Parks’ current logo; and even worked on the design for some of the products available for sale at some State Park gift shops. Recently Wilhelm developed “Wild Wednesdays,” a virtual tour of a different State Park each month for the education of Texas travel counselors and other Texas travel industry members. This program is now accepted as continuing education credit towards professional certifications administered by the Texas Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (TACVB). Wilhelm holds TTA’s Certified Tourism Executive designation and TACVB’s Texas Destination Marketer certification, and in 2016 was recognized with TTA’s prestigious Rising Star Award.
Wilhelm participates in events all over the state, from industry conferences and training programs, where he often speaks and coordinates program content, to tradeshows and nature festivals. During the coronavirus pandemic, he has invented many creative new ways to promote State Parks and support the Texas tourism industry through virtual events and other opportunities.
The Gene Phillips Hospitality Award is named in honor of the late Gene Phillips, who managed Aquarena Springs in San Marcos and was an influential, driving force in the emerging tourism industry during the 1970s. Each year the award is presented by TxDOT Travel Information Division staff and recognizes one person for his or her outstanding accomplishments within the Texas travel and tourism industry.
This year’s conference will also recognize last year’s winners: 2020 Gene Phillips Hospitality Award winner Mark Thompson, 2020 Lone Star Award winner Sandra Torres, and 2020 Roadrunner Award winner Glenn Weathington. The 2021 Lone Star and Roadrunner awards will be announced at the virtual program on April 8.
