We’re back with another great lineup of resources for you to check out. We took a look at more interesting and helpful articles to give you insight into the industry and help you make informed decisions about your destination. This week, we’re discussing Pittsburgh’s new branding, a new bill that could change Visit Florida’s funding strategy, Tik Tok’s major impact on heritage tourism and so much more. Keep reading!

VisitPITTSBURGH, the official tourism promotion agency for Pittsburgh, has launched a new destination branding campaign. The new campaign is designed to highlight the unique experiences and attractions that Pittsburgh offers to visitors.

After many years featuring Pittsburgh’s many bridges in the city’s logo, VisitPITTSBURGH decided it was time to tell the city’s larger story.

Susan Klein, VisitPITTSBURGH’s Chief Marketing Officer, said, “We’re a city of multitudes… You can have an authentic-Americana experience tailgating at a sports stadium, stroll mere blocks to The Andy Warhol Museum, and that evening, enjoy an award-winning dish alongside an exceptional craft beverage before taking in a world-class ballet, opera or symphony performance. The challenge is capturing that in a visually compelling way.”

For DMOs, this is an example of the importance of branding and marketing efforts to attract tourists to their destination. VisitPITTSBURGH recognizes the need to refresh its branding strategy to remain competitive and relevant in the highly competitive tourism industry. DMOs can learn from this example and consider their own branding and marketing strategies to ensure they are communicating the unique experiences and attractions of their destination to potential visitors. By developing a clear and compelling brand identity, DMOs can effectively differentiate their destination from others and attract more visitors. Learn more about branding here.

A proposed bill in the Florida House of Representatives could shift control of Visit Florida, the state’s tourism marketing agency, from the private sector to a new state agency. If passed, the bill would not only have implications for destination marketing in Florida, but would set a potentially revolutionary precendent for destination marketing organizations across the United States.

One implication is that the state government would have more direct control over tourism marketing efforts in Florida. This could lead to a shift in the priorities and strategies used to promote the state as a destination, as the new state agency may have different goals or approaches than the private sector-led Visit Florida.

Another potential implication is that the move could lead to decreased funding for Visit Florida, as the proposed bill would eliminate a significant portion of the funding that the agency currently receives from the state’s tourism tax. This could impact the agency’s ability to carry out marketing campaigns and promote the state as a destination.

Overall, the proposed changes to Visit Florida could impact destination marketing efforts not only in Florida but potentially across the United States, as other states may look to the changes made in Florida as a model for their own tourism marketing efforts. This is just one example of how government policies can impact tourism marketing efforts. By keeping an eye on these types of developments, DMOs can adjust their marketing strategies and budgets accordingly to ensure they are still able to attract visitors to their destinations.

TikTok, a massively popular social media platform, is having a significant impact on the travel industry, specifically on heritage tourism. According to a national survey, 60% of TikTok users in the US have become interested in visiting a new travel destination after seeing it on TikTok. This indicates that TikTok has become a source of inspiration and information for travelers, and that users are actively seeking out new travel experiences based on what they see on the platform.

For heritage tourism destinations, this means that TikTok can be a powerful tool for promoting cultural and historical attractions to a wider audience. By creating engaging and informative TikTok content that showcases the unique features of a heritage destination, tourism organizations can attract new visitors and raise awareness of their region’s offerings. Additionally, heritage sites and destinations can tap into user-generated content by encouraging visitors to share their experiences on TikTok, which can further promote their offerings and reach a larger audience.

TikTok has become an important player in the travel industry, and heritage tourism can benefit greatly from leveraging this platform to promote its offerings and attract new visitors. Check out our take on how social media and influencers can improve awareness for your destination.

A recent panel with women from small communities explores the reasons why people return to their rural hometowns despite local challenges and opportunities available in urban areas. For these women who left their regions, the sense of belonging and connection to one’s roots, along with the quality of life and lower cost of living, were strong motivators for them to return to their rural communities and build their lives there.

When it comes to rural destinations and economic development, this highlights the potential of “brain gain” – the return of talented individuals to rural areas – as a means of driving economic growth and development. Policymakers and community leaders should focus on creating an environment that attracts and retains these individuals, rather than solely relying on traditional economic development strategies.

The panel also emphasized the importance of investing in community assets such as broadband infrastructure, healthcare facilities and educational opportunities to support the growth and sustainability of rural areas. By creating an environment that supports entrepreneurship and innovation, rural areas can become attractive destinations for both returning residents and new businesses, leading to economic growth and development.

Understanding digital analytics is vital for DMOs to better understand how visitors are interacting with your brand online. The use of digital analytics can help your organization better understand your audience, identify patterns and trends in visitor behavior, and make data-driven decisions to improve the overall visitor experience.

DMOs can leverage digital analytics tools to gain insights into how visitors are engaging with their website, social media channels, and other digital touchpoints. By analyzing data on things like website traffic, click-through rates, and social media engagement, these organizations can better understand their target audience’s preferences and interests.

Additionally, digital analytics can help destination marketing organizations identify areas where the visitor experience can be improved. For example, if data shows that visitors are frequently abandoning the booking process on a particular page of the website, the organization can investigate why and make changes to improve the user experience.

Overall, the use of digital analytics can be a valuable tool for destination marketing organizations looking to enhance the visitor experience and drive more engagement and revenue. Check out the full story.