As more tourism destinations sustain high visitor volumes, some are using innovative strategies to manage visitation. Banff National Park (BNP) is one such place. It is Canada’s oldest and most visited national park, offering scenic outdoor adventures in the Canadian Rockies. The park anticipated record visitation for summer 2017. More visitors would bring in more […]
Place DNA (TM)
Fight your DMO’s identity crisis with Place DNA™
Who do you think you are and why does it matter? In the contemporary destination marketing landscape, the best destination marketing organizations (DMOs) not only have a solid understanding of their destination’s identity but know how this foundation intricately shapes the value they offer. Misalignment can lead to the wrong expectations from visitors and residents […]
White papers
Now available: 4 RFP questions your destination brand agency must answer
Is it time to update or rebuild your destination brand? This work is not for the faint of heart. A place branding project will expose your destination marketing organization (DMO) to public criticism from residents, politicians, news media – anyone with a stake in the place you represent. It’s difficult to find the right agency […]
Measuring success
TSI report gives destinations an unbiased look in the mirror: Tourism Port Douglas & Daintree
Your tourism destination’s success depends greatly on perceptions. The way people think and what they say about their experiences – positive or negative – impact travel decisions. By that measure, Tourism Port Douglas & Daintree (TPDD) is enjoying enviable success and is an example that other destination marketers can learn from. The Queensland, Australia destination […]
Case studies
Case study: How Campbell River rebranded itself from the inside out
Successful destination branding stems from the identity of the people who make a place what it is. Over time, people and communities change, places and travel habits change, and destinations need to ensure that brand strategy evolves along with them. Campbell River is a coastal city of some 35,000 people nestled within the stunning landscapes […]
Sustainable tourism
How do your residents feel about tourism? Visit Flanders studies local perceptions of carrying capacity
Visit Flanders is taking resident opinions about tourism seriously. The Belgian destination management organization (DMO) has released a report written by Vincent Nijs that describes resident perspectives about carrying capacity and the perceived value of tourism in the city of Bruges. Nijs conducted this study as part of his MBA thesis at MODUL University in […]
Visitor centres
Are DMO visitor centres making a Blockbuster mistake?
“I’ve been frankly confused by this fascination that everybody has with Netflix […] Netflix doesn’t really have or do anything that we can’t or don’t already do ourselves.” -Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes, in a 2008 interview with CBS News In the mid-2000s, Blockbuster Video was the world leader in movie rentals. The famous blue and yellow stores […]
Always-on content
Why the hero-hub-hygiene content marketing strategy still wins for DMOs in 2018
Every organization needs an easily understood content strategy to act as a roadmap for always-on activity and broader content goals. In 2014, YouTube and Google put forth the hero-hub-hygiene (H-H-H) strategy to help digital marketers get the greatest impact from their efforts. It allows teams to diversify content to build audience loyalty and longevity, rather […]
Shareable experiences
Destinations are shifting to digital-first marketing to improve word-of-mouth promotion
The destination marketing world is changing as consumers use technology to share their experiences online through word of mouth, and organizations are trying to adjust to the shift. This 2003 quote from Harvard Business Review remains relevant today: “…the only path to profitable growth may lie in its ability to get its loyal customers to […]