Articles tagged “destination marketing”

Most destination budgets lean heavily toward attracting first-time visitors. But this growth model is under strain — it may be time to change the equation and ask what smarter allocation would look like.

Most destinations’ marketing campaigns lead with what is on offer, such as price, product, or infrastructure. But the travelers who are most likely to return want to know what is on offer to them personally. Should the focus be on marketing the destination as a product, or should marketing target the traveler?

Most destinations only report how many visitors came and how much they spent. Very few report on where the money goes or what is lost when those visitors don’t come back. With destinations being asked harder questions about tourism’s benefit to local communities, per-trip yield and arrival volumes may not be enough on their own.

The traditional destination growth model, built on attracting first-time visitors might become unsustainable with rising acquisition costs, shifting traveler behavior, and growing competition. Destinations must work on strategies to be chosen again.

Destination marketers have put up a positive outlook for 2022 aiming for diversified funding and revenue sources along with some crucial internal changes focusing on stakeholder engagement, targeted marketing and sustainability initiatives. It is to be seen if the changes contribute to continual recovery and growth.

As travel CMOs and their teams take on more responsibilities, a well-designed and articulated operations plan is crucial for delivering marketing success. Use this series of Skift Research reports to see how you stack up against other companies in your sector in key operational areas and set up strategies to optimize.

Creating customer loyalty can be a challenge for brands in the travel industry, and this is especially true for destinations. The results of our U.S. Repeat Visitation Survey help decode visitors who choose to return to destinations.

As travelers’ desires change and concerns about the impacts of tourism grow, the role of destination marketing organizations is also evolving. Today, DMOs have more to think about than just marketing.

Are you a destination marketer? Help us understand this new era of digital marketing and advertising for place brands.