Happy visitors = happy residents = happy destination organizations.
That was our key takeaway from the Destinations International 2024 Annual Convention in Tampa. Whether traveling for leisure or business, visitors mean big benefits for destinations. It’s all about how destination organizations partner with the community to improve the quality of life for all.
More on that, the artificial intelligence (AI) in the office and the latest meetings & conventions trends — in our recap.
Emerging Meeting & Convention Trends at a Glance
First, a look at some industry trends:
- Business travel is still not back to 2019 levels but is expected to reach and surpass them this year, according to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).
- Exhibitions still mean business. Next year, 25% of exhibitors expect to increase the number of shows they attend.
- Meeting planners want help with promotion.
- Wellness is a big trend, especially for corporate groups, helping them build productivity and community among employees. Are there parks near your meeting venues? Attendees don’t just want to be in a ballroom.
- Bleisure travel continues to grow as attendees tack on days for leisure before or after their business travel.
- Digital signage is super important to help attendees find their way. Having signage at airports also helps attendees feel welcome, setting the tone for the event.
- Sustainability is top of mind. Help planners incorporate it into their meetings.
Credit to Danica Tormohlen, Connect VP of Group Content, Meetings, Travel, Sports, for the insights.
And if you missed Digital Edge VP of Marketing Strategy Jaimie Hart’s Flashes of Brilliance Microsession, Bridging the Gap to Develop a Badass Meetings Marketing Strategy, you can get more tips on aligning your group sales & marketing teams from our webinar series recaps.
Tourism Brings Value to the Local Community
Tourism doesn’t just benefit visitors, including meeting attendees who travel to the destination. It benefits the people who live there. Destinations International released its landmark study, Destination Promotion: A Catalyst for Community Vitality, earlier this year, and we took a deep dive into the research at one of the convention’s sessions — which is worth taking a look at if you haven’t already. The notable findings include:
- Meetings & conventions have a significant economic impact on destinations, with revenue generated from group sales yielding an average spend of $628 per overnight visitor.
- Group sales also generate local taxes for your community — an average of $31 per overnight visitor.
- More than half of residents agree that tourism supports the preservation of local culture and protects the community’s authenticity.
- More than four in 10 residents agree that they have more recreational opportunities in the area because of tourism, a share that is 1.8 times that of those who disagree.
A similar benefit was discussed during another session led by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, which launched a campaign targeting the local community to bridge the gap (We love a good bridge the gap reference.) between residents and visitors, emphasizing the value of tourism on the local economy and overall quality of place. In Pinellas County, millions in tourism tax dollars — paid by visitors — have been invested into elite local events, which residents can attend and bring in even more visitors.
And for our destination marketers out there (We see you.), DI’s catalyst report also discovered that tourism advertising not only attracts visitors and their money — it creates a positive lift on the destination’s image for economic development, increasing its reputation as a good place to live, work or start a business.
Credit for the insights is due to Destination International, Tourism Economics President & CEO Adam Sacks, Visit Seattle President & CEO Tammy Canavan, Destination Greater Victoria President & CEO Paul Nursey, Go Great Lakes Bay CEO Annette Rummel, and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater President & CEO Brian Lowack and Vice President of Community Engagement Kylie Diaz.
Continued Shift Toward Destination Stewardship
One of our takeaways from 2023 AC, holistic ways to employ destination stewardship and future-proof your destination, is still applicable. This year’s Annual Convention only built upon destination stewardship. Ottawa Tourism wanted to determine its role in where the destination was wanting to go and decided to shift from a destination management plan to a destination stewardship plan, in tandem with its strategic plan, which, in part, brings Canadians and visitors together, celebrates the community and values sustainability. The implementation of the plan is managed to ensure the broadest positive impacts.
During the first year of the 10-year roadmap to long-term prosperity in the destination, Ottawa expanded and added new air routes and continued airport upgrades. The increased connectivity has aligned with meetings and business-event development. And those are just a couple of Ottawa Tourism’s first-year successes. Once again, these benefits for people visiting Ottawa also benefit the people who live there. (Who doesn’t want more direct flights at their home airport?!)
One of the keys to Ottawa Tourism’s early wins has been actually implementing the plan — not letting it collect digital dust on a virtual shelf. The team does this by discussing and referring to the plan daily, whether amongst each other or stakeholders. Ottawa Tourism teaches it during onboarding, focuses on it at staff retreats and each individual’s role as part of the plan, and tailors hiring to it, like adding an Indigenous tourism liaison and community specialist focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR). With broader community stakeholders, Ottawa Tourism constantly works the plan into conversations with them and speaks at community events.
Credit to Ottawa Tourism President & CEO Michael Crockatt, Director of Strategy & Project Management Mary Sayewich, and Director of Destination Development Kelly Haussler for the insights.
AI Gives Your Destination Organization a Competitive Edge
Before you ask, of course, AI was on the agenda, and this session was packed. According to Microsoft’s 2024 Word Trend Index Annual Report, 66% of leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills, and 71% say they’d rather hire a less experienced candidate with AI skills than a more experienced candidate with them.
As it becomes clear that AI skills are no longer optional for destination marketers, how can you or your destination organization’s marketing team succeed in this new era?
- Prioritize continually developing AI skills
- Embrace experimenting with new tools, like Perplexity or Claude
- Gather and share AI knowledge with others
- Highlight your AI capabilities (especially on LinkedIn)
If you go to ask ChatGPT a question but don’t know where to start, here are some general prompt guidelines:
- Assign a role
- Be specific — not vague
- Provide any helpful background info
- Include the desired voice and tone
- Break large tasks into smaller sequential chunks
- Dig deeper by asking questions through follow-up prompts
- Upload and add reference materials when appropriate
Also, consider creating a prompt library your organization can use and build upon.
Our advice: AI saves you time by automating repetitive tasks and quick copy for things like short emails, but leave the differentiated content to people. Human touch still remains invaluable for establishing an authoritative voice online and for building authentic relationships — whether with meeting planners or your stakeholders and community partners.
Credit to Jason Swick, SImpleview VP of Strategy & Insights, for the insights.
We loved attending DI Annual, engaging with industry leaders and connecting with our friends and clients. As the meetings & conventions industry landscape constantly shifts (We get it!), we make sure your Destination Organization keeps up with innovative group sales & marketing solutions.
