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 MoreCreating Your Travel and Tourism Marketing Strategy and Plan
Planning is the most critical thing that we can do for our organizations if we want to continue to grow and be successful. Our process for travel and tourism marketing strategy planning has 7 steps: Research & Discovery, Situational Analysis, Goals & Objectives, Audience & Strategy, Tactical Plan, Measurement and Action Plan. 1. Research &…
Read More4 Common Types of Group Tours
When you’re driving down the highway and see a big motorcoach cruising along, do you ever wonder who’s in there? The possibilities of who participates in group tours are many. First, let’s start with answering the question “What exactly are group tours?” A group tour consists of a group of people who want to have…
Read MoreNavigating Tourism Marketing Now: 10 Themes from 26 Leaders
In July, I attended the Destinations International annual convention in Baltimore Maryland. It was my first live conference and the first convention to take place in Baltimore since before the pandemic. The energy at the event was contagious and the team at Visit Baltimore were amazing hosts. I brought my award-winning, 5-star podcast to the…
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 MoreFacebook and Tourism Marketing: Best Practices
Social media is a standard marketing practice now, and holds several powerful platforms for tourism marketers. Taking on social media can be challenging, especially with limited time and budget. In this series, we explore best practices for destinations and attractions across different channels. Today, we’ll look at Facebook and tourism marketing. Ah, Facebook. The social…
Read MoreTourism Marketing: A Collaborative Approach
What goes into making a location attractive as a tourist destination? Geographic locations are inviting to visitors for a multitude of reasons. However, one thing is guaranteed not to be what travelers are thinking about when making travel decisions – county lines. Yet states are divided into counties, each with their own local treasures and…
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 More7 Steps in Creating a Marketing Plan
Creating a strong marketing plan is an important part of planning for your destination’s year-to-year growth. Writing such a plan should be a collaborative team effort, pooling your team’s knowledge and resources to make sure everyone is on the same page and everyone’s ideas are heard. Breaking down the plan into actionable steps can help…
Read MoreCan Curated Experiences Help Your Tourism Marketing?
In years past, travelers may have been satisfied to see sites like the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum; now they want to get behind the scenes, get underground access or see a destination from the air. The possibilities for curated experiences are unlimited.
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