Making a difference in your community takes hard work, which means you have a lot going on. That’s why we’re here to help by compiling the top headlines and resources for DMOS so you can stay up to date without staying up late. This week, we have resources to help you market to value-based tourists, learn about pricing model options, and understand how to thrive in this COVID-19 era. You’ll also have the opportunity to listen to what the experts have to say about how you can make your destination more competitive to earn tourism funding. Keep reading to keep up with the news that’ll keep you a step ahead in the industry.

There’s a lot of funding out there… with a lot of organizations vying for it. Every DMO, economic development authority and tourism nonprofit needs funding to complete amenity-based projects that attract visitors to their destinations – and your organization is no different.
Mark your calendars because, on 9/29 at 1 p.m. EST, our experts will come to the rescue during our webinar with tips on how to be the most competitive when applying the funding that will keep your projects moving forward. Learn to create a comprehensive marketing strategy that will show funders you have a plan to attract end-users and support businesses! Put in the work now to add a layer of legitimacy to the hard work you’re doing and earn your destination some much-needed funding. Here are some more topics covered in this webinar:

• How to synchronize marketing strategy with funding goals
• What you need in your toolkit to apply for funds
• How to stand out on a funding application

Don’t miss the chance to engage with us as we discuss these topics and offer you effective solutions. Register now.

Last week on the Bull Moose blog, value-based and sustainable tourism is an emerging trend in the post-pandemic travel landscape. With so many travelers considering sustainability in their travel decisions, you might be wondering how you market to this increasing demographic. Well, we’ve put together a list of five tactics that you can implement into your marketing strategy to better attract visitors to your destination.

• Understand their preferred activities
• Speak the language of your tourists
• Focus on inclusivity
• Highlight your sustainability efforts
• Feature the local culture and heritage

It’s vital to consider these tactics when strategizing and planning your campaigns. Attracting value-based tourists will become increasingly more important, so jump ahead of the trend and work to understand this demographic.

When it comes to airlines, it’s common for certain amenities or services to have a separate charge. You can pay extra for snacks, additional bags or even a luggage warranty. This method keeps plane tickets at a more competitive price since not everyone is paying for the same kind of trip. As MCR Hotels CEO Tyler Morse calls this pricing model, it’s like an a la carte menu. Morse argues that a similar method should be used by hotels to keep prices lower for customers. Not every traveler will want to use a hotel’s pool, so why charge them for it? Morse’s hotels don’t.
“It allows us to charge a lower rate to everybody, and then people can buy up for what they want. So, everybody gets a lower rate,” Morse said.

Implementing this model to hotels in tourist destinations will attract more visitors through lower costs. For DMOs and heritage tourism destinations, working with hotels in your area to best attract visitors by considering new pricing models could make all the difference. Suddenly, your destination becomes more affordable for travelers with stricter budgets, making your area’s amenities more accessible to tourists of all kinds while boosting revenue for your stakeholders.

We all know about the havoc that the pandemic wreaked on the travel industry. For those who have made it through the madness, a whole new industry dynamic awaits. Destination marketers need to understand how COVID-19 has affected the industry in order to thrive in this post-pandemic landscape. New challenges and opportunities have presented themselves and an uncertain future makes it vital to stay on top of trends to keep afloat. This article from Skift reveals how to stay prepared for what’s next. Here are the big takeaways:

• COVID-19 is not going away soon.
• Keep marketing to consumers with hopeful messaging.
• “Normal” will return – stay active and consistent.
• Keep health and safety at the forefront of your messaging.

Now, it’s more important than ever to market your destination. In a constantly changing landscape, it’s vital to have an active marketing strategy to stay ahead in a dynamic industry.

Many people believe that good leaders are ones who are always in control. But, the best leaders are often the ones who allow those they lead to have some control. General Stanley McChrystal from the Joint Special Operations Command Task Force that helped take down Al-Qaeda. By decentralizing decision-making and encouraging his teams to be transparent, McChrystal gave soldiers more autonomy to make serious progress against the terrorist organization.

According to McChrystal, though he was the leader of the operation, his soldiers often were better informed and awaiting his stamp of approval lost them precious time in the field. This is just one example of how delegation, not control, can make some of the best leaders. When interacting with your own teams, keep in mind the best leadership means tolerating messiness and embracing a lack of control, sometimes leading to the best results.