Preserve Your Tourism Amenities Through Educational Messaging
Destination marketing organizations in Montana are changing their usual marketing messaging to focus on destination stewardship in efforts to preserve their natural amenities. The large influx of tourists has been threatening the state’s national parks, especially Glacier Park, Montana’s Flathead Beacon reports. The organizations have changed their marketing to include sustainable and stewardship-focused messaging.
“We’ve definitely shifted into that sustainable tourism role and we’re really thinking about where we have been and where we are now,” Executive Director of Explore Whitefish Dylan Boyle said.
“We are trying to manage and help educate people,” Glacier Country President and CEO Racene Friede said. “It’s not that we don’t want them to come, but we want them to come and be good stewards of the community.”
Events Are a Pipeline to Support a Destination’s Community
EventMB and MMGY SVP of Innovation Greg Oates discusses how events are a pipeline to the priorities of a destination and how the pandemic has put DMOs in the government’s line-of-sight in this podcast. Some other talking points include:
- How to define and measure destination performance
- The ongoing challenges of working with board members
- The big shifts in intention of event planners post-Covid
- The constant need for great storytelling in destination marketing
- How hybrid events remain unknown throughout the industry
Black Travelers Are Paying Attention to How Tourism Is Approaching Race and Inclusion
After a racially “fraught” year, Black travelers are analyzing how destinations are approaching diversity – and it’s influencing their travel decisions, a New York Times article reports. This sentiment applies to monuments, Black-owned businesses and educational tours, as well as the safety of each destination for Black travelers. The increased interest in Black heritage has led some to develop travel guides and Facebook groups to help travelers plan their trips.
“It’s important we see where things were, how things were working in relation to one another,” founder of Philadelphia-based Black History Maven Kalela Williams said.
Putting Your Destination On the Map
Google My Business is a powerful tool for DMOs who are looking to increase awareness about their destination. Without an optimized GMB listing, visitors won’t be able to easily find your destination’s amenities. Searchers can see a business’s hours, reviews, photos, location and more with GMB, making it a valuable asset in destination marketing. Encouraging your local amenities and businesses to create and develop their GMB listings boosts your area’s organic search results. Spread the word about the value of GMB for your local stakeholders and watch the online and in-person traffic increase.
