Victoria Isley, chief sales and marketing officer at the Bermuda Tourism Authority, has been named one of the top minds in the global destination marketing business by an international body.

Ms Isley has been included in a list of the “Top 25 Extraordinary Minds” by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, who are set to be honoured this evening in a ceremony in New York.

In a statement, Ms Isley said: “I’m honoured by the designation and proud to be part of a team bringing Bermuda’s stories to life for new travellers.

“Importantly, I’m grateful to the on-island and off-island partners that were willing to believe in and contribute to our collective success for the Bermuda tourism industry. The island is such a natural muse in our storytelling strategy.

“There is such a mystique about Bermuda, its people and its stories that are set apart out there in the middle of the ocean. I find that truly inspiring.

“I’m looking forward to working for even greater success for Bermuda.”

According to a BTA spokesman, the honour came after a marketing partner submitted Ms Isley to the HSMAI’s panel of judges for consideration.

“Each candidate the panel reviews is an innovator who made a significant positive impact on a country’s tourism efforts over the preceding 18 months,” the spokesman said.

“In 2016, Bermuda tourism experienced its best performance year since 2007, growing leisure air arrivals and visitor spending year-over-year 17 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. Ms Isley was instrumental in the development and implementation of a new brand strategy about a year ago, one of the components that drove positive results for Bermuda. The shift in brand identity helped attract a younger audience to the island — more than half of all vacationers arriving by air in 2016 were under 45 years old. These results over the past 18 months got the attention of the HSMAI panel.”

In addition to the “Top 25 Extraordinary Mind”s accolade, the HSMAI will also hand out its annual Adrian Awards tonight with BTA’s efforts in public relations and marketing in contention for recognition.

Kevin Dallas, BTA CEO, said everyone at the BTA was proud of Ms Isley and her contributions, saying: “With an open mind and a keen ear, she helped Bermuda find its brand voice and, as our 2016 results demonstrate, the marketplace is responding well to that voice.

“I think this award from HSMAI validates what we already know internally: we have a winning team at the BTA that has developed a winning sales and marketing strategy, which is producing a strong return on investment for Bermuda.”

Ms Isley joined the BTA in June 2014 after having worked for Destination DC, Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau and Destination Marketing Association International.

According to a spokesman, since taking over the helm in the BTA’s New York City office she has focused on local storytellers to shape the country’s narrative and has collaborated closely with Bermudian videographers, photographers, graphic designers and stylists to tell those stories authentically.