Posts by Colleen
The Evolution of Welcome Centers
Welcome centers were created to provide travelers with helpful information to improve their stay. They provide suggestions on things to do and aim to convince visitors to stay a little longer. Visitors often needed to seek out these centers to get brochures and maps, within a destination or at a highway stop on the way.…
Read MoreCollaborative Marketing in Tourism: Working Together to Lift All Boats
In the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, we understand how difficult it can be to grab the attention – and reservation – of a visitor. With limited time and a set budget, travelers have the tough decision of choosing where to go. As a destination, you may often feel like you’re competing against other tourist…
Read MoreCreative Travel Writing for Your Destination
I participated in a creative writing skills workshop at a PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference with the very talented Pam Mandel. During this day-long workshop, we talked about creative travel writing: what it is, how to do it well, and how to avoid common pitfalls. By the end of the day, I felt empowered and enabled…
Read MoreTapping into Niche Market Tourism
What is Niche Tourism? Niche market tourism uses programs to attract visitors focusing on a very specific market segment built around a well-defined product. We’ve said it before, tourists are looking for experiences. So it only makes sense that visitors are throwing out generic “everything but the kitchen sink” trips, and planning vacations that align…
Read MoreHow to Promote Local Tourism
When it comes to promoting your tourism business – whether you’re an attraction, restaurant, museum or hotel, you may feel like you’re all alone. Luckily, that’s not the case. By working with your Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) or Tourism Promotion Agency (TPA), you’re able to get some free marketing that will help to distribute your…
Read MoreAligning Your Marketing Around the Customer Journey
Every customer goes on a journey when making a purchasing decision – whether buying a car, selecting a cleaning service or choosing a family vacation spot. Each step of the way moves them closer towards making a choice. If you’ve been in marketing for a while, you’ve probably have heard of the rule of seven.…
Read MoreCraft Beverage: Emerging Trends and Reopening Marketing
Craft beverages have exploded in popularity over the past few years. But the enjoyment goes beyond imbibing in the drinks themselves. Consumers frequently visit taprooms, wineries and distilleries, looking at them as destinations within themselves. This audience spends their time and money at these locations, with many of them traveling to visit different tasting rooms.…
Read MoreStrategic Planning for Recovery
Author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek said it best, “These are not unprecedented times. There are many cases where change or something unexpected has put many companies out of business and made other companies come out stronger and reinvent themselves.” As we’ve watched this pandemic unfold over the past couple of months, we’ve been witness…
Read MoreAttractions as Destinations
![Attractions as destinations [photo of two beers]](https://breaktheicemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/colleen_attractions-as-destinations-300x169.png)
Across the tourism industry, there’s been a shift in what visitors are looking for and where they’re looking for it. Years ago, travelers aimed for big cities with big ticket items. Now, visitors are looking for the unique and different, and are finding those new experiences with attractions as destinations. The definition of experience is…
Read MoreHow to Combat Overtourism Through Marketing & PR
In recent years, an influx of people have been traveling to impressive destinations. While this is exciting to hear (especially for destination marketers), that surge of travel has come with a downside – overtourism. Overtourism is when there are too many visitors in a particular destination. The impact, as explained by the World Tourism Organization,…
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