By Andrew van der Feltz, Global Senior Director, Business Development, Expedia Group Media Solutions
Several key themes drove the conversation at this year’s Destinations International Annual Convention. While some of these topics aren’t necessarily new, their impact on destinations and the opportunities they create are evolving.
Hear are our top four takeaways from this year’s event.
1. Improving underserved travelers’ experiences should be a priority.
Diversity and inclusion play a vital role in travel. Conversations highlighted perspectives on social inclusion from a range of destination marketing organizations, including Hilina Ajakaiye from Meet Boston who said that diversity and inclusion is not an and/or option, it’s must-have.
Rondel Holder, NYC Tourism + Conventions noted that it’s important to be realistic when looking at your destination’s inclusivity and highlight the areas that are inclusive and welcoming to underrepresented groups.
Santiago Corrada, CEO at Visit Tampa Bay, said that when it comes to embracing inclusive tourism, we must be intentional, consistent, and ongoing because inclusion is a living, breathing part of everything we do. VisitScotland’s Rory Archibald also noted that inclusion makes good business sense, but it’s also the right thing to do.
A preview of Expedia Group’s upcoming research on inclusive travel demonstrates how identity impacts travel choices and that representation in travel marketing matters. For example, while 70% of LGBTQIA+ travelers said it’s important to see themselves represented in travel ads, only 11% feel represented in travel promotions.
50% of LGBTQIA+ travelers said their identity influences their destination choices
Travelers take notice when brands and destinations show up for them, including in their marketing. In our Inclusion & Diversity in Travel advertising guidelines, we share best practices to help you create more inclusive and diverse marketing campaigns.
2. AI is creating new opportunities for travelers and the industry.
Providing new levels of efficiency, simplicity, and personalization, the adoption of AI in the travel industry and the opportunities that come with it continue to be a topic of discussion. Expedia Group’s recent research shows that traveler enthusiasm for AI is growing — especially among younger generations. Half of travelers are interested in using generative AI to plan their next trip, and 30% said it’s very useful when making travel plans.
AI is also transforming how destinations approach their marketing efforts — from assistance in creating plans and other content to data analysis and reporting. According to Jason Swick of Simpleview, as the industry starts to evolve, digitally mature DMOs are going to gain a competitive edge using AI, and he recommends embracing continual learning and using the personalization that comes with AI to your advantage. Visit Anaheim’s Ronnie Collins noted that they are getting more inspired to adopt AI, and that the faster we can adopt this, the better we’re going to be at fulfilling our goals because we get so much more time back.
To help partners create and manage high-performing marketing campaigns, we introduced several new AI-powered advertising products and opportunities, including the ability for destination marketers to tap into our new advertiser-funded loyalty product to engage and attract One Key members. For travelers, Romie — a new AI-powered travel buddy — is now their travel agent, concierge, and personal assistant all in one.
3. Sports and event tourism will continue to drive revenue opportunities for destinations.
Nearly 70% of travelers claim they are more likely than ever to travel to a concert outside their hometown, and 40% said they would travel for a concert as an excuse to visit a new destination, according to our Unpack ’24 report. The impact on tourism around major events was another theme present during the conference and prevalent in our Q1 2024 Traveler Insights.
Conversations covered learnings from destinations hosting large events on the importance and impact of event tourism, and how they use these key moments to reshape their destination now and for the future. Royce Chwin, president and CEO at Destination Vancouver, explained that to ensure great community and fan experiences, planning is essential in moving on infrastructure investments to support these events. While DMOs don’t build infrastructure, they play a critical role in influencing and advocating for necessary venue and other upgrades within the city.
Rolando Aedo from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau touched on their “Brought to You by Tourism” campaign, reiterating the importance of community communication and education on the benefits of event tourism — both economic and residents’ quality of life — as they need to buy into what the destination is doing.
4. The future of data in a cookie-less world.
The use of data in advertising has long been a topic of conversation in the travel industry. As the data landscape continues to evolve with the deprecation of third-party cookies, what that means for destination marketers remains an important question as they evaluate and explore new methods to effectively target and engage with their audiences.
There were important conversations on the need for a future-ready “data toolbox” — a set of data tools that destinations can feel confident turning to when making decisions to guide their strategy. When it comes to what data to use or addressing gaps in the data that’s available to you, Julie Gilbert from Destination Door County said to identify the questions you need to have answered first, and if you don’t know what the questions are, you don’t know where to go with the data.
With the talk around sunsetting third-party cookies, there’s an even greater emphasis on first-party data in the new era of digital advertising and your ability to use it to create personalized experiences on your site. Gilbert also talked about emerging types of data to consider, such as sentiment analysis from social media and reviews.
We welcome you to reach out and keep these conversations going with our team, and we’ll continue to provide our insights, learnings, and data on these topics and more. For more ways on how you can adjust your marketing strategies to better inspire, connect, and convert travelers in today’s landscape, download our Destination Marketing Guide.
