The area’s official visitors’ guide for 2010 took home the top award (Platinum) for its category at the 2010 Destination Marketing Association of North Carolina annual awards ceremony in June.

The guide is published by the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB).

The winners this year were selected from more than 105 entries submitted by 24 CVBs across the state. The awards judging committee comprised national and in-ternational travel and tour-ism professionals.

Judges represented many facets of destination marketing, including CVB peers from other states, meeting planners, website designers and a professor of hospitality and tourism from a major North Carolina university.

The 64-page guide captures Moore County’s strong tourism appeal and is distributed through the state and country. It is also available digitally on the CVB’s website. Production of the guide is a joint venture with Pace Communications.

“We’re extremely honored to receive this designation from our peers in the industry, and we accept on behalf of all the tourism businesses in Moore County that drive the strong brand presence and value our destination has earned over the years,” said Caleb Miles, president and CEO of the CVB.

The Destination Market-ing Association of North Carolina is a private, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to cooperatively marketing the state of North Carolina, its member destinations and their constituents.

Membership comprises more than 40 destination marketing organizations from across the state, representing the $11 billion tourism industry of North Carolina.