Collaborative membership programs are central to this strategy, bringing together diverse players like hotels, tour operators, DMOs and destination products. Small businesses, that lack the resources to compete in the industry arena with the big players, thrive in a supportive network of peers. Read on to see how these real-life examples of collaborations transform travel and unlock new opportunities for everyone involved.

Ohio Travel Association

The Ohio Travel Association, led by Melinda Huntley, plays a significant role in bringing together various members of the travel and tourism industry within Ohio, including museums, attractions, visitor bureaus, retail shops, hotels, and restaurants. By focusing on collaboration, the association aims to boost growth and opportunities for all its members. This approach helps businesses expand their collective reach and influence in the travel market, rather than competing against each other for out-of-state visitors.

The Ohio Travel Association spearheads the Heartland Travel Showcase, which is a larger collaboration between 14 states. This event is designed to help members buy and sell group tours in the Heartland of the United States. Attendees of this showcase connect with new partners and customers, increasing their visibility and potential for growth in the industry.

Keep listening: Episode 268 of Destination on the Left with Melinda Huntley of the Ohio Travel Association.

Global Hotel Alliance

Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is a group that brings together unique hotel brands from all over the world. Their goal is to let these independent hotels work together while still keeping what makes them special. By joining forces, these hotels can better compete in the global market without losing their individual charm.

One of the key features of GHA is the GHA Discovery loyalty program. This program is all about making guests feel valued and encouraging them to return. It offers special rewards and benefits that guests can enjoy at any hotel in the group. Whether it’s a personalized experience or an exclusive offer, the program helps hotels keep guests coming back and happy.

GHA focuses on sharing knowledge and resources, helping hotels learn from each other’s successes and challenges. Member hotels get access to a wide network for sales, marketing, and tech support, which can really cut costs and boost profits. By working together, these hotels can enhance their offerings, keep guests happy, and stand out in the competitive hospitality market.

Keep listening: Episode 398 of Destination on the Left with Kristi Gole of the Global Hotel Alliance

Curator Hotels & Resorts Collection

Curator Hotels and Resorts Collection started in November 2020 to help independent hotels by using teamwork and shared success. Launched during the pandemic, Curator aimed to bring hotels together to gain an edge in the market. Led by Jennifer Barnwell, the group helps small, unique hotels stay true to their style while benefiting from shared resources.

Curator’s collaborative membership program is designed to help their members thrive. By working together, independent hotels can tap into top-notch vendors and services at special rates they couldn’t secure alone. Curator offers a range of services, from purchasing to technology and guest services, allowing members to pick what suits them best. They also boost visibility through joint marketing efforts, ensuring more guests choose to book directly with their members.

Curator’s programs help member hotels succeed without giving up what makes them special. Without strict rules, hotels keep their unique touch while gaining the benefits of being part of Curator’s network. This approach not only saves money but also builds a community of independent hotels working together. With Curator, these hotels can draw in more guests and do better overall in the hospitality world.

Keep listening: Episode 350 of Destination on the Left with Jennifer Barnwell of Curator.

Travel Alliance Partnership

Not only do we advocate for co-opetition in the industry, TAP’s own membership programs are built upon this principle. Every TAP member plays a crucial role in our tour and travel ecosystem, from small destinations and local attractions to regional and international tour operators. Our members benefit from strong relationships and peer connections, with collaboration at the core of mutual success.

Tour Operator Membership

TAP began in 2001 as an alliance of tour operators coming together to fill each other’s tours, and this spirit of collaborative growth remains central. Being a TAP Tour Operator allows members to reduce operating costs, enhance their visibility within the industry, and gain new perspectives. Hear directly from TAP Tour Operators in the Power of Partnership video:

Guild Membership

For Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) and destination products, becoming a TAP Guild member facilitates strong relationships with TAP Tour Operators through quarterly meetings and cooperative marketing efforts. Guild members enjoy special invitations, priority status, and receive reports on their return on investment (ROI). Hear from Guild members on the value of membership:

PPTP Community

Preferred Professional Travel Providers (PPTPs) are suppliers, such as DMOs and destination products, participating in the TAP community. PPTPs attend TAP Dance, where they join regional pods for focused sessions with TAP Tour Operators. While paid membership is not necessary to participate as a PPTP, Guild membership offers increased benefits and greater exposure at TAP Dance.

Stronger Together

Co-opetition is a game-changer in the travel and tourism industry, helping businesses grow and innovate by working together. Collaborative membership programs of all kinds make this possible, allowing different businesses to achieve common goals instead of just competing. By embracing co-opetition, your business or organization can find new opportunities, strengthen market presence, and help build a thriving, connected industry.

If you are looking for a collaborative membership program to take your tourism business or organization to the next level, please reach out to us. There are many collaborative organizations in our network, beyond the ones listed here, and we would love to assist you in finding the right one.

The post The Power of Co-opetition: Collaborative Membership Programs in Travel appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

The Power of Out-of-Home Travel Marketing

Out-of-home advertising has evolved significantly in recent years. Traditional methods, such as billboards and transit ads, remain effective but are now complemented by lifestyle and experiential channels. These newer methods allow brands to engage with consumers in their everyday lives.

“It really is thinking about where the consumer is throughout their daily routine, understanding who your audience is and utilizing specific media formats within their everyday life, where it just seems like a very nonchalant way to put your brand in front of them.” – Frederick Strebeck, DOTL Episode 393, Elevating Travel Marketing through Out-of-Home Advertising

Here are some examples of new OOH methods that can integrate your brand into the daily routines of your target audience in creative and non-intrusive ways:

• Digital signage at convenience stores
• Gas pump ads
• Branded coffee sleeves at their local coffee shop

Planning Your Travel Marketing Campaign

Planning and strategy is critical to any successful marketing campaign, including OOH. Strebeck highlights the importance of taking the time to understand the goals and then strategize how to achieve them through the right mix of OOH channels. This process begins with listening carefully to understand the client’s vision and how it can be brought to life.

“When I say we listen to our clients, it is to listen to understand, not listen to simply respond in return. And what we take, learn, and utilize is through our expertise to build something extremely creative for them.” – Frederick Strebeck, DOTL Episode 393, Elevating Travel Marketing through Out-of-Home Advertising

Collaborative Travel Marketing

To stand out in a crowded marketplace, campaigns should be multi-layered and build strategies upon each other. Collaboration is a perfect way for marketing organizations and agencies to combine their expertise. As they work together, they can achieve a level of success that would not be possible on their own.

Case Study: A Creative Collaboration with Visit Seattle

A perfect example of creative OOH advertising in action is the “I Know A Place” campaign for Visit Seattle. EMC Outdoor worked closely with a full-service agency to develop a unique approach that went beyond traditional billboards. Instead of relying solely on signage, they introduced a branded treat truck that brought a taste of Seattle to key feeder cities like Dallas, Minneapolis, and Sacramento.

This mobile campaign featured Seattle Pops, a local ice cream shop. The treat truck was strategically placed at local events and parks, creating a memorable experience for potential tourists. The campaign gained significant attention, even landing a spot on “Good Morning Sacramento,” which showcased the truck in action.

This collaboration exemplifies how coopetition can lead to successful outcomes. By working together with their agency partner, they were able to amplify the message in a more creative and impactful way.

“When we think of coopetition, we could have definitely tried to work with Visit Seattle on our own and show them this idea that we had. But we wanted to work in collaboration with our agency partner, to make sure that it was an amplified piece to the overall campaign that they were running.” – Frederick Strebeck, DOTL Episode 393, Elevating Travel Marketing through Out-of-Home Advertising

The Changing Landscape of OOH Advertising

Adapting OOH to a Hybrid World Post-Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for the OOH industry, particularly as public spaces saw less foot traffic. However, EMC Outdoor adapted by leveraging digital integration. They shifted focus to areas with increased traffic, such as grocery stores and local walking routes. This approach allowed them to maintain visibility and relevance during a time of uncertainty.

We collaborated with our clients to create messages that resonated with the times, focusing on community support, health, safety. This approach not only kept our clients’ brands visible, but also fostered a sense of connection and solidarity with the public in a time that it was extremely necessary. – Frederick Strebeck, DOTL Episode 393, Elevating Travel Marketing through Out-of-Home Advertising

As we emerge from the pandemic, the hybrid lifestyle—where work and life increasingly blend—has become the norm. OOH advertising has proven to be an essential player in marketing campaigns. It provides a non-intrusive and contextually relevant way to reach audiences both at home and on the go.

Strebeck explains that out-of-home has really taken on the role of supporting other media channels as a secondary amplification that helps get your message across to your audience in a meaningful way.

The Future of OOH: Embracing Artificial Intelligence

Looking ahead, EMC Outdoor is excited about the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) as a game-changer to enhance their business practices. The agency is actively exploring AI tools to speed up the creative process, from ideation to the development of mockups and renderings. By incorporating AI, they aim to stay ahead of the curve and deliver more efficient and effective solutions for their clients.

Make a Lasting Impression with OOH Advertising

Out-of-home advertising continues to be a powerful tool for travel marketing. Tourism brands are looking to connect with their audience in creative and impactful ways. By understanding the different OOH channels, focusing on thorough planning and strategy, and embracing new technologies like AI, brands can elevate their travel marketing campaigns and stand out in a competitive landscape.

As Freddie Striebeck and the team at EMC Outdoor demonstrate, the key to success lies in innovation, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the audience. Whether through traditional billboards, experiential campaigns, or digital integrations, OOH advertising offers endless possibilities for brands to make a lasting impression.

The post Innovative Out-of-Home Strategies for Travel Marketing appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Our 2023 study on the operationalization of collaboration revealed that 80% of respondents consider it either extremely important (33%) or very important (47%) for collaborators to prioritize DEI.

The study also found that respondents favor collaborations that:

• Support team members from diverse backgrounds.
• Involve organizations owned or led by individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Align with DEI values.
• Serve a diverse customer base.

Bringing DEI into your collaboration strategy can start with small incremental steps. When you set an intention and start to act, things happen. It may seem like small, incremental moves at first, but suddenly you will find yourself reflecting and those incremental moves have led to monumental shifts and changes.

To build a more diverse collaboration:

• Be intentional about the partners you seek
• Look for those who bring different perspectives to the table
• Set your intentions and focus on achieving your goals

A great example of operationalizing collaboration and aligning the strategy with DEI goals is the story of Mesa, Arizona’s journey to become the first Autism certified city in the U. S.

Improving Inclusion with Collaboration: A Story

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is coming to the forefront of everyone in the travel and tourism industry’s mind. In my interview with Marc Garcia from Visit Mesa on episode 275 of Destination on the Left, he shared his personal passion for making his community a fun place to visit for all travelers by becoming the first autism-certified city in the United States.

Garcia had experience with multi-cultural initiatives throughout his career from the Phoenix Multi-cultural Arts Foundation to running a multi-cultural affairs department focused on attracting ethnic meetings and conventions to his community. Even with that experience, the idea to focus on autism in Mesa came from his youngest son, who was diagnosed with severe autism at age 14 months.

Garcia explained the journey his family had been on to figure out how to care for his son, what his needs were, and where to obtain the services he needed. Living their lives included summertime family vacations with a tradition of travelling to Southern California and spending a lazy week at the beach.

One summer, they decided to immerse themselves in the city to try different restaurants and visit museums and attractions. They split their vacation time half of the week at the beach and half in the city. Garcia reports that they had a really bad week as his son had meltdown after meltdown. He described the awkward stares and muffled whispers the family would get when his son acted up. He noted they were coming from the hospitality professionals in hotels, restaurants, and attractions. That is when Garcia decided that he wanted to do something to make it easier for families with autism to travel and enjoy a vacation together.

Making a Plan

Visit Mesa was in the middle of a three-year strategic plan when Garcia presented the idea of becoming autism-friendly to his Board of Directors. His research showed that 1 in 100 kids were diagnosed with autism 10 years ago. At that time it was 1 in 58, and in the 2020s it is 1 in 44 who are eventually diagnosed with autism. Garcia knew that this was a loyal customer base and a growing market, which helped him make the business case for his big idea. Not only was it the right thing to do but it was a good business decision if they could get out in front of the market. The Board of Directors and the staff at Visit Mesa bought into the idea and in the Fall of 2018, they started to build a collaboration to make Mesa the first autism-certified city in the United States.

Since Garcia’s son was getting resources from local organizations, he started working through his network to find someone to provide education to the hospitality industry, hoping to find a certification program. He couldn’t find any programs that existed locally, so he looked nationally and came across the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards based in Jacksonville, Florida. The organization had autism-certified school boards, public safety groups, healthcare and educational professionals. They had started to certify hotels and attractions scattered across the country, but never an entire city. After several conversations together they determined if Mesa could get 58 hospitality businesses and 80% of frontline staff to go through this educational program, they could achieve certification as an autism-certified travel destination. The first focus was the destination and not the whole city.

Training and Certifying

The Visit Mesa staff went through the program first in February 2019, followed by a community-wide launch that April. They partnered with five organizations to launch the program, including the Chamber of Commerce, the City Parks Department and three of their largest hotels. They engaged the Mayor of Mesa and had him on camera carrying the message of why the initiative was important. Garcia described the domino effect that happened after launch as unbelievable, with business after business signing on to be part of the certification program. With outreach through the mayor’s office and the Chamber of Commerce, many businesses outside of the hospitality industry saw the certification program as a workforce recruitment tool. Boeing, local auto shops, a major utility company and many more signed on, and the program kept growing.

By late summer 2019, Mesa had exceeded the requirement of 58 businesses, and they had trained almost 5,000 people. With that success, they announced in November of 2019, that Mesa was the first autism-certified city in the country. They received a lot of great press stories with coverage in the LA Times, New York Times, BBC, and other top-tier outlets. They booked several meetings and conferences because of the designation, which Garcia says brought them strong ROI right at the start of this initiative.

Ongoing Efforts

Garcia points to the ongoing effort beyond the certification that is so important to this collaboration’s success. For example, on April 2, 2022, World Autism Awareness Day and start of National Autism Awareness Month, they partnered with two microbreweries to for a special beer release, Spectrum Double IPA. This partnership supports the autism-certified city while promoting Mesa’s burgeoning beer scene as they are also becoming known as a beer city.

A portion of the proceeds from the beer sales will go to support the recently formed Mesa Regional Foundation for Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion. The foundation was established to work on programs that further the cause. The first pilot program focused on introducing high school students from Title 1 schools to career opportunities in the hospitality industry. They are also developing a pilot program for sixth- through twelfth-graders who have an affinity for gaming, which many kids on the spectrum do. That program is a partnership with Arizona State University, who is opening a brand-new campus in downtown Mesa offering majors in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, gaming, and coding.

Garcia built a collaboration that has far-reaching impacts. Not only is he making a difference in his community, but he is also making the lives of autism families easier.

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History has shown us time and again: Companies with a forward-thinking attitude have reshaped how business gets done around the globe. As Simon Sinek says, “An infinite mindset motivates us to strive for something bigger than ourselves”.

In travel & hospitality specifically, we understand better than most industries just how significant our work is beyond achieving temporary success – it can truly create lasting change worldwide.

The top five essential components of a collaborative mindset identified in the study are:

• Communication (75%)
• Open-mindedness (75%)
• Flexibility (72%)
• Active listening (71%)
• Being a team player (68%)

These are key ingredients to being a successful collaborator, and honing your presentation and listening skills will go a long ways towards this collaborative mindset.

However, there are obstacles that can get in your way of successful collaborations. These could be considered invisible obstacles to collaboration because they are easy to overlook.  

Imposter Syndrome 

One of the biggest obstacles that many people suffer from is imposter syndrome. It gets in our way when we try to achieve something new. You know the phenomena when that little voice in your head tells you that your ideas aren’t good enough. If you try this new thing – what if it doesn’t work or what if others don’t agree with you.

One of my podcast guests, Kris Kelso, author of Overcoming the Imposter, calls this the comparison trap and he tells us not to fall for it. Kris explains that imposter syndrome is about feeling like a fraud.

In other words: it is about feeling like you are not really a success despite evidence to the contrary. 

The Comparison Trap 

The comparison trap tricks you into measuring yourself against others. It is the measuring stick that says you are only adequate or legitimate if you can measure up to another person or another business, or another part of the industry.

This comparison is not reality, it is just a trap – don’t fall for it.

Instead, Kris encourages us to measure success against ourselves. If you are making progress toward your goals, it doesn’t matter what anybody else has done. It doesn’t matter whether it seems like you’re keeping up or are falling behind. What matters is how you feel about your own progress towards what you are trying to achieve. 

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & the Comparison Trap 

Here is a perfect example of what you can accomplish when you move past the comparison trap. My daughter Maeve was the second one in our family to graduate high school. Three years before it was her turn, she attended her older sister’s graduation. She was inspired by the student commencement speaker and told me she wanted to speak at her graduation ceremony. Anyone who is a parent knows that sometimes, kids change their minds – but Maeve did not.

In our school district it’s not the smartest kids who get to speak, we don’t have a valedictorian or salutatorian. A panel of teachers and students select the commencement speakers through an audition process.  When the auditions came up in the spring of Maeve’s senior year, she started to think she wasn’t good enough and maybe she shouldn’t audition. She compared herself to other kids, thinking they were better speakers, students, you name it – better than her. I quickly told her there was one way to be sure she wouldn’t get picked – don’t even try. That must have sunk in because Maeve tried out and was one of two selected to give the commencement addresses. Maeve heard the little voices in the back of her head telling her not to try and she still went for it!  

Watch for the comparison trap and don’t let imposter syndrome stop you from showing up to a collaboration ready to make an impact.  

Mindset 

Another obstacle to successful collaborations is a fixed mindset. 

When you adopt a growth mindset, you view everything as an opportunity to learn, grow and expand. Versus those who adopt a fixed mindset – believing they only have a set amount of capabilities, they let challenges stop them in their tracks. Having a growth mindset can make all the difference in how you communicate and contribute.  

I explored this concept with Michelle Carlen from Alignment Advising on my podcast episode 219. Michelle talked about the importance of communication in leadership and pointed out that being open minded provides you with the opportunity to learn from every interaction.

According to Michelle, being open-minded means remembering that we don’t know it all: as soon as you think you know it all, that’s the red flag that you may be falling into a fixed mindset. Leaning on a growth mindset allows you to accept that you don’t know what you don’t know and opens you up to new ideas.  

Mastering a Growth Mindset

One way to master this thinking is to make a conscious choice every day. When I was in my early thirties, Seran Wilkie, my life coach, gave me the following affirmation that I have read every morning since: 

Today I will remember that 

I do not know “Everything” yet. 

I will entertain the possibility that 

Everything is perfect 

as it is for the moment. 

This affirmation helps me acknowledge that I still have a lot to learn. By accepting that everything is perfect in this moment, I open myself up to the possibilities of the next moment. In other words, I am not allowing imposter syndrome to creep in. I am staying in a growth-mindset and I am willing to dare to suck, because I don’t know what will happen when I share my idea with the world.  

The post Invisible Obstacles to Collaboration appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Why Listening Matters

Listening is crucial for effective communication. It helps build stronger relationships, fosters understanding, and resolves conflicts more efficiently. For tourism industry professionals, effective listening skills are essential for many instances, including creating successful collaborations and maximizing the benefits of attending travel tradeshows.

Effective Listening Skills Are Important for Successful Collaborations

Listening skills are essential for successful collaborations because they help build trust, respect, and understanding among team members. Being fully present in conversations allows individuals to engage genuinely, which fosters a collaborative environment where everyone feels heard and valued. Effective listening also involves using high-gain questions to draw out deeper insights, acknowledging others’ contributions, and addressing disagreements constructively. This enhances overall communication, making it easier to pitch ideas, gain buy-in, and work through conflicts, ultimately leading to more productive and harmonious teamwork.

Learn more about listening and presentation skills for collaborations. Go further with listening and presence skills in Episode 230, “Supercharge your Executive Presence,” with Carol Lempert.

Maximizing Your Tradeshow Experience Through Effective Listening and Communication Skills

Effective listening and communication skills are vital for maximizing the benefits of attending travel tradeshows. These skills enable meaningful engagement with buyers and suppliers as well as potential partners. By being an attentive listener, you can gather valuable insights, uncovering opportunities that might otherwise be missed. Additionally, clear and confident communication allows you to articulate your objectives and pitch your ideas effectively, fostering stronger connections and collaborations. This enhances your ability to network, negotiate deals, and gain strategic information, ultimately making your tradeshow experience more productive and impactful.

10 Tips to Enhance Listening Skills and Become a Better Communicator

1. Maintain Eye Contact. Face the person speaking and maintain eye contact to show that you are fully engaged.
2. Eliminate Distractions. Avoid looking at your phone or letting your attention wander. Stay focused on the conversation.
3. Be Attentive. Pay close attention to the speaker’s body language and physical demeanor. Mirroring their behavior can make them feel more comfortable.
4. Keep an Open Mind. Listen without judgment. Even if you hear something you disagree with, stay open to understanding their perspective.
5. Visualize the Conversation. Create a mental image of what the speaker is saying. This can help you better understand and remember the conversation.
6. Hold Off on Solutions. Sometimes, people just need to be heard. Recognize when to offer advice and when to simply listen.
7. Ask Thoughtful Questions. Show your interest by asking questions. This demonstrates that you are engaged and curious about what they are saying.
8. Pause Before Responding. Avoid interrupting. Wait for a natural pause before you speak to ensure the other person feels heard.
9. Respond to Emotions. Pay attention to the emotional tone of the conversation. React appropriately to show empathy and understanding.
10. Provide Feedback. Reflect on the speaker’s feelings and give feedback. Phrases like “You must be so excited!” or “That sounds challenging” can validate their experience.

The Power of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal cues such as tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language are essential components of effective communication. They can sometimes convey more than words themselves. By paying attention to these signals, you can gain a deeper understanding of the speaker’s true message.

Overall

Improving your listening skills can significantly enhance your communication abilities. By following these tips, you can become a more effective listener and a better communicator in general.

The post Master the Art of Listening: Elevate Your Communication Skills appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

DMOs, Community and Co-opetition

If you are natural at gathering folks at the table and getting them to work towards a common goal, you will be tapped to help your community in more ways than just marketing.

Are collaborations core to your organization’s success?

What about collaborations with your competitors?

I have been exploring the answers to these questions on my podcast for the last 8 years. It’s what I like to call co-opetition. You know how people like to put two words together to create a new word? co-opetition: cooperating + competition. It is where perceived competitors come together to create something bigger together than they can do on their own.

The brightest minds from the World Economic Forum identified co-opetition as the number two takeaway from Davos 2024. This insight was based on the global cooperation barometer published in conjunction with McKinsey in January 2024. The report concluded that:

“Cooperation is multifaceted and can coexist with competition. Leaders can practice “coopetition”—balancing cooperation and competition — to advance shared interests in specific areas, despite lack of alignment elsewhere.”

The Global Cooperation Barometer 2024

Showcasing Authentic Experiences leads to Economic Development Success

On Episode 337 with Danny Liedka from Visit Syracuse, I heard the story of how the tourism office was asked to help the area with the biggest economic development win in the history of the State of NY. The County Economic Development team was building a package to help attract chip manufacturer Micron. They asked the team at Visit Syracuse to create a video for the site selection team to sell the area as a great place to work and play.

Danny and his team realized people crave genuine experiences and prefer seeing real individuals rather than staged content. They decided to invest in various initiatives, such as professional photography and partnered with an agency to source a vast collection of authentic images. By showcasing real-life experiences in Syracuse, they aimed to establish an emotional connection between their audience and their brand.

One of the reasons the company picked Syracuse is what it has to offer future Micron employees and their families. The appeal is in their urban and outdoor lifestyles, an affordable cost of living and leading higher education institutions. This project will bring a $100 billion investment and 50,000 jobs to the region over the next 20 years.

Sustainable Destination Management

Visit Durango, under the leadership of Rachel Brown, evolved from a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) to a Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMMO). This change in focus started with adopting a new organizational structure, including a change in by-laws, adding to the team and re-prioritizing the budget. They added a full-time Sustainability and Policy Manager to the team. Sustainability programs was added as a line item that now accounts for 39% of the annual budget. They expanded sustainability programs to include a local stewardship campaign, along with event marketing and advancement grants. 

The shift to sustainable destination management brought many benefits to Durango. It helped alleviate the negative impact of overtourism, ensured the preservation of natural resources, and enhanced the local community’s quality of life. By prioritizing sustainability, Durango became a more desirable destination for socially- and environmentally-conscious travelers. Attracting visitors who appreciate and support responsible tourism practices.

With the shift to sustainability, Visit Durango adopted a triple-bottom-line approach to sustainability, encompassing environmental, social, and economic factors. While DMOs have traditionally focused on the profit aspect, Visit Durango is committed to prioritizing environmental conservation, supporting local communities, and creating a balance between the three aspects.

Focus on Community

On Episode 352 of Destination on the Left, Kevney Dugan explained how Visit Bend balances the visitors’ needs with those of residents by concentrating on workforce development and prioritizing sustainability. The scope of work for the organization has increased 3X since 2019, in part due to the greater role they are taking within the community.

The organization hired a Workforce Development Director who focuses on helping businesses in hospitality and tourism with training and resources needed to support workers. One strategy for this initiative is engaging middle school and high school-age students and encouraging them to consider travel and hospitality as a viable career path. Visit Bend hopes this approach will help with the labor shortages they’re currently seeing. Workforce development is all about planting that seed early on that the tourism industry has some amazing opportunities.

They also hired a Director of Sustainability who focuses on managing the carrying capacity of the community and balancing the needs of the visitors with those of the residents. Visit Bend worked with the community to create the Bend Sustainability Fund that contributes to projects such as riverbank restoration and creating new trails. The vision is for these projects to change the future of the destination.

Community Partnership Impacts

Partnerships and collaboration within communities can lead to stronger economies and a brighter future. Our 2022 study on the operationalization of collaboration found that 82% of organizations surveyed said that Collaboration is part of their on-going business strategy and 45% said that it was a documented part of their annual business plan. The top four benefits identified for operationalizing collaboration were increased customers, competitive advantage over companies that don’t operationalize, improved reputation and prestige, and increased opportunities for other collaborations. Consider making collaboration a strategic pillar of your on-going business plan because we can go further together.

The post Impacts DMOs Make Through Community Partnerships appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

1. Company Culture 

Clearly defined purpose

A clearly defined mission or purpose gives our entire company something to rally around. It defines why our business exists, it is intentional, shared with everyone in the organization, and focused on what drives us.

Our purpose statement is: We believe that tourism makes or breaks entire regions and is critical to economic development. Our purpose is to support economic growth within the communities we serve.  

Vision for the future

If we don’t know where we are going, then we will not know which path to follow. By creating a vision that describes where we are going and what it will look like when we get there, our team has a clear path and it is easier to make decisions, helps avoid shiny object syndrome and prepares us for unforeseen challenges that may arise.

Part of our 5-year vision statement includes: We are a leader in the tourism industry and serve our community of primarily small to mid-size destinations and tourism and hospitality businesses. Our clients, members, and industry turn to us first because we bring a competitive advantage for business growth solutions. They rely on us for our thought leadership, industry education, and strategic growth services. We are a people-first company centered in services-based teams, grounded in our core values and supporting work-life balance.  

Clearly defined core values

Values define and guide how you do business. They shape the culture of our organization, identify what is important and drive behaviors. Core values guide decision making and ensure everyone on the team is aligned.

Our core values: Growth-minded, Equitable, Transparent, Collaborative, Light-hearted, Innovative, and Passionate.  

Repetition

Our purpose, vision and values are repeated throughout the year daily, weekly, and quarterly. They are worked into our regular meeting cadence and reinforced in everything that we do. Repetition is the key to clarity and understanding.  

2. Meetings With Purpose 

Status meetings

Staying connected relies on committing to a regular meeting cadence that includes regular check-ins and updates. Our company status meetings are every Monday at 11am EST. We are a remote team, and these are held on video conference call with everyone’s video on. We used to do these in-person as a stand-up meeting when we had an office. To keep these meetings productive and efficient, we follow the same format each week. The agenda follows this rhythm: One person runs the meeting. The meeting lead calls on one person at a time to do a status update. The status update answers three questions: 1. Top three priorities for the upcoming week 2. Any concerns about the work or the week ahead 3. Do you have capacity? (answer: yes, no or it is stable).

After each team member provides a status update, we go around a second time to answer “what’s new?” Since we are a remote team, this agenda item fulfills some of the small talk that would happen if we were in an office together. This takes up most of the meeting but it leads to a stronger and more connected team. The meeting ends with a reading of the nICE jobs submitted over the previous week. More about that later. 

1 on 1 meetings

These meetings are held between a team member and their direct supervisor. They are 30-minute meetings where the employee comes to the meeting with a prepared agenda following a consistent format. In these meetings the employee checks in on their quarterly growth goal, shares client updates or headlines, identifies areas they may need help with and shares an example of a core value they had exhibited recently. You can get a copy of our 1 on 1 form here.  

Weekly leadership team meetings

In order to build a strong company, the leadership team needs to be highly functioning and aligned. The purpose of the weekly leadership meeting is to focus ON the business instead of being buried IN the business. Our company dedicates 90 minutes to these meetings each week. We follow the same agenda format which enables us to help guide the company to meeting its goals. The Leadership Agenda includes: 

• Segue: to open the meeting and focus everyone on the work ahead, each leader shares a brief segue. This can be personal or professional news, updates or something funny.  

• Scorecard: Each week we review progress of KPI’s (Key performance indicators) that we are tracking. For our company these numbers include, sales pipeline, new business wins, revenue, billable and non-billable hours.  

• Headlines: this is the part of the agenda where anyone can share a headline about a client, partner, team member or something else that would be important for everyone to know.  

• Key priorities: we look at the quarterly goals and each responsible team member shares whether or not the goal is on track or off track.  

• To Dos: During the meetings we sometimes end up with a to do assigned to someone to complete within two weeks. At this point in the agenda, we report on the completed To Dos, and it keeps everyone accountable for following through.  

• Issues: In this part of the agenda we spend the most time, ideally 30-60 minutes. We keep a running list of issues to process and solve. In each meeting we chose 1-3 issues to resolve, and we focus our time as a team identifying them, discussing and solving.  

• Rate the meeting: we end the meeting with each person rating the meeting on a scale of 1-10. We strive for 8 or better on our ratings to know that we are running efficient and productive meetings.  

Note: If you have read the book Traction or use the EOS system, you may recognize this agenda as a Level 10 meeting.  

3. Connection Through Coaching and Mentoring 

Weekly office hours/huddles

Our department leaders hold open office hours throughout each week. These are specified times they reserve on their calendars when they open a video conference window and are available to answer questions, work through challenges or bounce ideas around. The office hours are announced through our internal team chat channel and anyone can drop in. This format helps lessen the number of interruptions that our department heads were getting daily as they fielded questions from the team.  

Outside coaching for leadership team

We engage with a business coach and peer to peer networks for our leadership team to continually sharpen their skills. The learning and processing that takes place in these formats are incredibly valuable and we have gotten back multiple times our investments in added productivity, efficiency, and profit.  

Growth charts

We are a small company and even in companies our size, the team wants to know how they can improve and move up in the organization. We established growth charts for every level in the company from Associate Consultant (our entry level) through Senior Consultant, Director, Vice President and CEO. At a glance our team can see what competencies, professional skills, technical skills and relationship skills they need to master in order to move to the next level. This also provides supervisors and leaders the tools needed to mentor and coach their direct reports and to help identify growth goals.  

Lunch & Learns

We hold these on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 12pm EST over video conference. Each month we pick a different topic to dig into. Topics range from company process review to information sharing on a recent conference someone attended to guest speakers speaking on a specific topic. Having these held on the calendar gives us a standing time to use for company wide learning and the leadership team plans and schedules the topics. These have been invaluable to keeping our team trained and connected to what the company is working on. 

Mid-week check-ins

We hold these once a month on the second Wednesday at 4pm EST over video conference. We started having these as an added way to build connection between our remote team members. They have evolved into a productive meeting time where we review with the entire company our KPI’s, where we stand for the month, quarter and year against our goals. It also gives the team a chance to ask questions or share updates on progress they are making towards their goals.  

4. Celebrations 

Monthly wine time

Prior to the pandemic when we had an in-person office, we used to break for the weekend around 4pm EST on Fridays to enjoy a glass of wine and talk about our plans for the weekend. These were important team bonding times that deepened our connection. As a remote team, we decided to continue this tradition but have adapted it to the new way that we work. Our wellness committee plans these virtual gatherings that now happen once a month and have a theme to help guide the discussion and add an element of fun. Some of the recent themes were: Wear your favorite color, favorite thing to do in your current role, what superpower would you have, and most interesting or least favorite job. The discussion topics help us learn more about each other and create stronger connections. 

Company retreats

We have always done strategy retreats where we left the office for a full day off-site to discuss our plan for the upcoming year. Since becoming remote and adding team members from all over North America, in-person retreats have become even more important. Our most recent retreat included three nights in Niagara On the Lake where we spent meals together, had a full day of strategy planning and a full day of team bonding. The time spent with each other was energizing and strengthened our connections to make us an even more highly functioning team. 

Donut app for Slack

We use slack for our internal team chats and within Slack we have a celebrations channel. In this channel we announce work anniversaries and birthdays for each team member. The donut app automates this for us and helps us to celebrate our team. It also can ask fun questions to start conversations and further deepen connections. The app also works for Microsoft Teams. You can learn more about it here.  

Wellness channel & committee

Our team is dedicated to wellness, especially when you work from home we want to make sure everyone is finding the right balance and taking brain breaks and care of themselves throughout the day. We have a volunteer committee that brainstorms ideas for the team to do, they also maintain a wellness channel in Slack where they post tips and articles of interest. This committee is also in charge of our monthly wine time planning. 

Birthday flowers

We celebrate each team members birthday with flowers sent to their home. This is a great way to foster connection, to let everyone know that they are important and to celebrate the whole person. 

Nice Jobs online forms & wheel of names

To help reinforce our core values, we have a peer to peer Nice Jobs program where anyone can give someone else recognition for exhibiting one or more of our core values. Nice Jobs are submitted through an online form. Slack automatically reminds us on Fridays to submit Nice Jobs and we read the submissions aloud at our Monday status meetings.

We give away two prizes each month, one to a nominator and one to a nominee. The names of all the people receiving Nice Jobs get entered into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card and the names of all the people filling out the Nice Jobs also get entered into a drawing. The more you nominate or are nominated the more times you are entered to win. We use a free online tool to randomly draw the names each month and this is done live at the end of our status meeting on the first Monday of the month. To learn more about the wheel of names you can check it out here.  

Milestone celebrations can also turn into a great tourism marketing opportunity!

Fostering connection leads to stronger teams and stronger teams are more productive and efficient. These four areas of focus for creating connection may seem like they take a lot of time, this is what works for our company and the time investment has resulted in significant growth. How can you create meaningful connections with your team?  

The post Fostering Connection to Build a Strong Team  appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Why is Sustainable Tourism Important?

Sustainable tourism is critical for maintaining the natural beauty of a destination, minimizing littering and waste, protecting cultural and historical sites, and respecting the local communities. On Destination on the Left episode 290, we spoke with Professor Joe Conto, Dr. Eric Holmund, and Dr. Kelly Cerialo of Paul Smith’s College about why sustainability is an issue that destinations shouldn’t wait to address. They told us that more than ever, tourists are leaving the cities and visiting natural destinations like national parks and popular hiking spots. In order for places like this to avoid getting overrun and maintain the beauty that makes them so special to begin with, destinations need to recognize that sustainability is a necessity not just in tourism, but in every industry.

Collaboration Between Communities and Travelers

As a destination, you might be wondering how you can achieve sustainability while still increasing visitation. Through conversations with several industry professionals that recognize the importance of sustainable tourism, we’ve learned that it cannot be a one-sided effort. All the stakeholders need to be involved including the DMOs, residents, governments, local businesses, and visitors.

Jennifer Wesselhoff spoke with us on episode 223 about her experience leading the development of Arizona’s first sustainable tourism plan when she was with the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau. She learned that even though tourism was having a huge economic impact on Sedona, residents were struggling with things like traffic congestion, parking issues, noise, and short-term rentals. As a result, Sedona put forth a collaborative effort with the community to evaluate just how sustainable the city was. One of the most important parts of this process was including residents and local businesses in the conversation.

As a result of the whole community’s efforts, Sedona increased their role in visitors’ behavior by encouraging walking and the use of public transportation. They also implemented a Leave no Trace program and diverted visitors from the popular hiking trails by helping them find hidden gems. All these changes had a positive impact on residents of Sedona and made it possible for Sedona to maintain its status as a popular tourist destination, without having a negative impact on residents or the environment.

Looking to the Future

While every destination is unique, we all can learn from the model set forth by Sedona. The job of a DMO doesn’t stop after visitors arrive in a destination, they also have a responsibility to impact visitor behavior while there. As champions of the tourism industry, we want destinations to continue to thrive and see a rise in visitation. This is why it is so important that DMOs learn more about sustainable tourism and collaborate with their communities to protect the environment and the quality of life for residents. If they do this, destinations can remain beautiful places to visit for generations to come.

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Have you ever walked into a room, joined a group or attended a tradeshow and felt like you finally found your people? If you have, you know what it is like to belong to a community that supports and uplifts you. Maybe your experience was similar to my first tradeshow – where you show up and you think they are your people – but you feel like an imposter or an outsider and you wonder if you really fit in. But you know if you keep showing up that you will become an insider and that you have found a place that aligns with your purpose.  

I am grateful for the many communities that I have found over the years and the support I have received from them. Finding the right community can make a huge difference in your personal and professional success.

Finding Community

Many of us in the travel, tourism & hospitality industry belong to associations and attend trade shows. These are great places to find like-minded people whose purpose aligns with yours. For example, I am preparing to attend American Bus Association’s annual Marketplace. The event is a place where business gets done on the show floor but it is also a place where relationships are made and deepened through shared experiences, one-on-one meetings, networking and educational sessions.  

Volunteering

Another place to find your community is through volunteer work. If you are part of industry associations, get involved. Consider joining a committee, volunteering your time at registration at a show, or working your way onto the board of directors. This will allow you to meet people from all over the world who share similar roles or passions as you and these networks can be invaluable to your personal and professional development. 

Peer Groups

Peer groups are more formal organizations created to help you to connect with others who have similar roles, organizations or interests as you. Your local destination marketing organization is a great place to look. Usually DMOs host stakeholder events, educational sessions or monthly meetings where you can find peers who will help and support you. One of my favorite examples of this at work is the Visitor Industry Council started by Visit Rochester in Rochester NY over 30 years ago. The VIC as it is known, is the membership arm of Visit Rochester. It is led by the members who engage in committees that direct programming for the DMO each year. The VIC meets monthly at a different location throughout the community and showcases member news, offers educational and networking opportunities. The mentorship that happens at these meetings and through the committee work is incredible to watch. I was recently at a VIC event and was excited to see so many new young professionals there alongside the more seasoned and experienced tourism and hospitality professionals in our region. 

Another place to find peer groups is through your chamber of commerce. Some chambers have formal councils for different interest areas like professional women, small businesses, tourism etc. Others offer leadership development programs and formal CEO groups. These are great resources for finding your community.  

Other places to look are national or international associations such as Accelerate Women Leaders in Travel, Travel Unity, or SKAL International.

Connecting with Your Community

So, you’ve found your community – a network of like-minded individuals who share your passions and professional endeavors. Now, the question is: How do you make the most out of this invaluable connection? Here are some best practices to help guide you:

Show up

The first step is simple yet powerful – be present. Attend events, meetings, and gatherings. Your physical or virtual presence reinforces your commitment to the community. You need to be there in order to develop a connection and to gain the benefits from belonging in the first place.  

Listen & Be Relentlessly Helpful

Engage with intention. Listen actively to the needs and challenges within your community. Offer your expertise, insights, and assistance generously. Be the person others can rely on. 

Relationships Over Transactions

Remember, it’s not about the sale or sealing the next business deal. Communities thrive on authentic relationships. Focus on serving others, and genuine connections will naturally lead to opportunities. 

Be Transparent

Openness fosters trust. Share your experiences, successes, and even setbacks. Transparency builds a more authentic community where members feel comfortable being themselves. Transparency is what will make you feel more connected.  

Communities without transparency feed what my friend Kris Kelso calls the Imposter. That little voice in your head that tells you that you are not good enough or that you do not belong. Kris says transparency starves the imposter. To hear more about overcoming the imposter, listen to my conversation with Kris on episode 220. 

Prioritize Time

Life and work can get busy, but prioritize spending time with your community. Whether it’s attending regular meet-ups or participating in online discussions, carving out time reinforces the importance you place on these connections. 

Lean on Your Community for Support

In challenging times, your community can be a pillar of strength. Take the recent global pandemic for instance. We saw firsthand how a rising tide lifts all boats when everyone came together to move through that uncertain time. Share your struggles, seek advice, and offer support. Your community is a valuable resource during both good times and down times. 

The Power of Community at Work

Our annual travel conference TAP Dance is an example of the power of community at work. The event was designed to cultivate and build a community of collaborators with the common purpose of creating travel products that will sell.

TAP Dance celebrates the collaboration opportunities between tour operators, destinations, attractions, and travel product suppliers. Suppliers meet with each TAP tour operator and discuss how best to bring business to their area. Many attendees tell us that this conference is a highlight each year as it is a perfect blend of productive business discussions, relationship-building, fun and an opportunity to experience the best of our host region. 

A distinctive facet of TAP Dance lies in our innovative approach to orchestrating supplier meetings with TAP tour operators. Each supplier attendee is thoughtfully assigned to regional groups, comprising three to four industry peers. Meetings last 25 minutes with engaging and focused discussions with TAP tour operator partners. During this time, suppliers can showcase their products or areas in a personal atmosphere for increased promotion throughout the TAP network. 

The Value of Community

Remember, the value you derive from your community is directly proportional to the effort you invest. By embodying these principles, you not only contribute to the collective success but also create a thriving environment where everyone benefits.  

Now, go out there, engage authentically, and watch your community flourish. 

The post Belonging and Community appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Collaboration Data

While it might seem intuitive that collaborators are avoiding working with organizations who provide similar products and services to the same audience, we were surprised to see that the opposite is true. In our 2021 Rising Tide study, 76% of survey respondents say their organization collaborated with direct competitors, while 52% collaborated with organizations offering different products or services.

The number of organizations that respondents have collaborated with may be playing a factor in the prevalence of direct-competitor collaborations. Those who have collaborated with more than five organizations are far more likely to have collaborated with direct competitors (73%) compared to those who haven’t (29%). Perhaps a larger number of collaborations simply increases the likelihood that organizations will collaborate with a direct competitor sooner or later, but the gap is striking.

Experience also may play a role here. Respondents with the most collaboration experience are the most likely to embrace collaboration with direct competitors. 84% of those who say they have extensive experience have collaborated with direct competitors, compared to only 57% of those who say they don’t have much personal experience.

And regardless of their attitudes about collaboration, those with more than 30 years of experience in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry are more likely than those with less than 10 years of experience to collaborate with direct competitors regardless of the age of the respondent.

Benefits of Collaboration

If you aren’t collaborating with competitors, you may be missing out on tremendous opportunities that others are already tuned into. Respondents whose organizations have collaborated with direct competitors are more likely to say they have gained every one of the benefits we explored in our survey:

• Increased innovation
• Improved relevance to customers
• Economic gains
• Improved brand identity
• Increased levels of trust in the organization by stakeholders, customers, and partners.

Those who have collaborated with direct competitors are more likely to rate their collaborations as being extremely valuable––both for their organizations and for their own work and expertise.

Competing Destinations Collaborate for Broader appeal – Norfolk/Virginia Beach

In March 2020 among lockdowns and travel restrictions. Kurt Krause, President & CEO of Visit Norfolk (DOTL Episode 342) noted it was tough to figure out when his destination marketing organization should start to market again. But rather than sit idle, his team got ready for when the timing was right. They assessed the strengths of the area and the changing desires of travelers. Kurt recognized that the area had lots of water and great history. They had outdoor activities and attractions and there was always demand from Memorial Day to Labor Day for people seeking the beach, water, and the Chesapeake Bay. Kurt knew that eventually people would get tired of being locked up in their houses. He also recognized that Norfolk was one gas tank away from 72 million people. The traveler sentiment studies published at the time indicated that 30-40% of Americans wanted to travel in the coming 6 months. Kurt saw the opportunity that 30-40% of 72 million people offered.

A Collaboration is Born

With this information, an idea for a collaborative marketing campaign was born. It was unheard of, Norfolk would collaborate with Virginia Beach. These two destinations had a long rivalry as competing destinations. But this opportunity promised more than enough visitors for both destinations. Each destination contributed $500,000 dollars, a combined one million dollar campaign would deliver more reach than each destination could have on their own.

Virginia Beach offered an Atlantic coast beach resort experience with lots of things to do on the beach. Norfolk offered an urban waterfront, arts, culture, restaurants, and history. The two destinations felt that together they were better, so they put a campaign together set to the track of, Etta James song Together at Last. The name of the campaign was a twist that finally Virginia Beach and Norfolk are together at last, but it was more intended for families, couples, and friends who were together at last.

The campaign recognized that people were going to be anxious to get out, to exhale, to breathe, and get some fresh air. They weren’t going to travel internationally, and they weren’t going to be comfortable on a plane. Traditionally people travel south to the beach, rarely do they go from a Southern location up to the beach. So, the campaign focused on Pittsburgh, Columbus, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Collaboration Results

The Together at Last campaign was very successful to the point that the two destinations decided to extend it by one month. The $1 million investment into the campaign generated $6 million in hotel room sales. According to STR, a service that tracks occupancy for markets across the US, the Norfolk Virginia Beach market, which is one of the top 25 markets in the country, led the country as the number one market all summer long for 20 consecutive weeks.

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