A new year always makes us reminisce about everything we did the year before. In this DMO Download, we take a look back at a successful month of tourism for one “seasonal” destination, reflect on some of the most imaginative tourism marketing campaigns of 2022, look ahead at the upcoming anniversary of America’s Mother Road and more!

Charlottetown, located on Prince Edward Island, had a successful December for tourism. Typically perceived as a warm-weather destination, Prince Edward Island is a popular location for spring and summer getaways, but in the past several years, the area’s DMO, Discover Charlottetown, has been promoting the town as a winter destination.

The organization worked with the city and businesses to create a seasonal brand for Christmas and promote events to attract visitors. According to executive director Heidi Zinn, “It’s starting to pay off. Our Victorian Christmas market, we saw 5,000 people in town that weekend, we sold hundreds of hotel packages,” she said.

After some record-breaking summer seasons, the successful winter proves that promoting the whole island around the holidays may be a smart financial move going forward. The increase in tourism activity signals that the island may be turning into a year-round destination after all. This demonstrates the importance of marketing your destination as a year-round getaway instead of a seasonal destination. The new marketing strategies moving forward will diversify Charlottetown’s annual revenue streams and give them a more sustainable, long-term approach to tourism.

2022 was a history-making year in tourism. As the travel industry continued to bounce back from the 2020 pandemic, it was a year of ups and downs and there were surprises around every corner. To commemorate such a unique year in tourism, Marketing Magazine highlighted its favorite tourism campaigns of the year:

• “Out-horse Your Inbox” – As one of its quirkiest campaigns yet, Iceland understands that nothing ruins your vacation like work. To help combat the mundanity of work during an Icelandic getaway, they offered users the opportunity to have an Icelandic horse write their out-of-office messages… really. The horses really did it. (We covered this capmaign in a 2022 DMO Download. Check it out!)
• “Discover Canada Through Sound and Music” – This campaign encouraged website visitors to experience Canada through audio. Users can decide to “Turn It Up” or “Take a Breath,” allowing them to explore personalized playlists featuring the counds of Calgary, Vancouver and Montreal.
• “Tasmania’s Lazy Summer” – Instead of overwhelming visitors with everything there is to do in Tasmania, the country opted for a lighter, more relaxed approach. Quoting their motto “come down for air,” this campaign encourages visitors to enjoy the simple, mindful moments of travel.

These are great campaigns to check out if you’re looking for inspiration for your next marketing campaign. Do you have a favorite? Check out our latest Instagram story and let us know what you think.

President Biden announced his nominations for service on the Route 66 Centennial Commission. The commission was established to help Congress determine ceremonies, celebrations and other activities that will commemorate the centennial anniversary of Route 66.

“Route 66 is one of the most famous roads in America and has played a tremendous role in our history and culture,” Illinois senator Tammy Duckworth said concerning the Centennial Commission and the nominations.

Designated in 1926, Route 66, also known as “the Mother Road,” connected the Midwest to the West Coast. This famous highway runs through eight states and there are more than 250 buildings, bridges, road alignments and other sites along Route 66 that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This centennial anniversary will bring many opportunities for DMOs and heritage areas along the route, especially as the government begins to plan its own commemorations of this historical and cultural landmark. If your DMO is located in this region, it’s important to start considering how you will acknowledge this key moment in history.

For destinations, an easy-to-navigate and informative website is vital in getting your website visitors to trust you. And people who trust you are more likely to book at your destination. As a DMO, take time to evaluate your website and ask yourself these questions:

• Does my website convey accurate and updated information?
• Is my website easy to navigate for potential visitors?
• How do I earn my visitors’ trust through my website?
• What are some must-haves a destination website needs?

Answering these questions paves the way for a strategy that will build trust with your visitors. This webinar will answer your website questions while highlighting principles and functionality that make destination websites perform and stand out. Also, you’ll receive free materials that offer tactics that DMOs can implement into a savvy website strategy.