What is a Brand Promise?

Your brand promise is an important part of your overall brand. It’s more than just words—it’s the experience you commit to providing every time. This promise is meant for everyone who interacts with your brand, from your team to your customers. For employees, it gives a clear direction and helps them understand what the company stands for. For customers and partners, it builds trust by assuring them of the quality and consistency they can expect.

When we launched our new brand, Travel Alliance Partnership, we revealed our brand promise at the same time. Our brand promise is the promise of the experience we aim to provide in every interaction. It’s the experience that brings our customers the value they have come to expect every single time they engage with our organization. The more we deliver on our promise, the stronger the trust, brand value and loyalty in the minds and hearts of our customers. 

The Importance of a Strong Brand Promise

Our new branding was led by Big Bold Brand, a strategic branding consultancy based in Vancouver, BC Canada. According to Big Bold Brand, there are several reasons why you need a brand promise.  

• A brand promise is the core principle for creating or improving your brand experience for everyone you serve (your customers, your strategic referral partners, your suppliers and team members). 

• It enables you to set people’s expectations and generate curiosity and excitement. 

•  It can allow you to set the bar in your industry or sector amongst the competition. 

•  It makes you a more attractive partner for other purpose-driven brands. 

• It can differentiate you amongst your competitors if you set or imply, a higher or different standard with your promise. 

•  It shows the people that you serve (i.e. your customers and team members) that you care enough to set a standard for which you can be measured. 

To hear more of Big Bold Brand’s insights, tune into episode 284 with CEO Karley Cunningham.  

The Travel Alliance Partnership Brand Promise 

Our brand promise is to create impact through connection, community and collaboration.  

Stating this is our promise is one thing, having our community (clients, members, team members, strategic partners) experience it is what it’s truly about. This promise is more than just words on a paper, it is the essence of what we do every day at Travel Alliance Partnership. Recently, I got to witness our brand promise in action when I watched Colleen Onuffer, our Director of Public Relations give a presentation with one of our clients at the NYS tourism industry association annual meeting.   

Our client, Tour Cayuga located in the Finger Lakes of NYS and known for being Harriett Tubman’s chosen hometown, was receiving a tourism excellence award for a FAM tour that we helped them plan and execute. Claire Dunlap, Tour Cayuga’s Director of Marketing & Sales and Colleen were asked to make a 10-minute presentation about the award-winning FAM. As I watched the two of them present, I could clearly see our brand promise of impact through community, connection and collaboration come to life.  Colleen and I discuss this on episode 400 of Destination on the Left.

Reflecting on how our brand promise has come to life over this past year, I wanted to know what other brands in the travel space were doing to live out their brand promises. So, I turned to Google and ChatGPT for some inspiration. Here are some of my favorite examples that I found.  

Brand Promises of Travel Companies 

These stories illustrate how these travel brands live out their brand promises by delivering thoughtful, personalized service that goes beyond expectations, creating lasting emotional connections with their customers. 

Hawaiian Airlines – “Ho’okipa – Hawaiian Hospitality.” 

In 2022, a TikTok video went viral showing a Hawaiian Airlines flight attendant using ASL to talk with a young deaf child aboard the flight. This is a perfect example of the airline’s brand promise of friendly and welcoming culture, known as ho‘okipa (Hawaiian hospitality). With the flight attendant making this simple yet meaningful connection, the airline shows its dedication to ensuring that all passengers have a pleasant and memorable flight experience, truly bringing the spirit of aloha to the skies.

Ritz-Carlton – “We Are Ladies and Gentlemen Serving Ladies and Gentlemen” 

The Ritz-Carlton is famous for its legendary customer service. One famous example comes from a family who stayed at a Ritz-Carlton property in Bali. Their son had severe food allergies, and the chef specially prepared meals to meet his needs. But the story takes an even more extraordinary turn: when the family left the resort, they forgot a beloved stuffed giraffe named Joshie. To comfort their distressed child, the father jokingly told him that Joshie was just extending his vacation at the hotel. When the staff at Ritz-Carlton found Joshie, they played along with the story. The hotel sent photos of Joshie lounging by the pool, enjoying a massage, and working at the hotel spa. They even returned Joshie with a photo album documenting his extended stay. 

This story demonstrates how Ritz-Carlton employees embody the hotel’s brand promise, offering a level of service that is not just luxurious but also thoughtful, personalized, and filled with unexpected delights that create emotional connections with guests. 

Brand Promises of Museums 

Several museums around the world have strong brand promises that reflect their unique missions, cultural significance, and visitor experiences. Here are some examples of standout brand promises from museums: 

The Louvre (Paris, France) –  “A Museum for All, a Museum for the World”   

 The Louvre promises to be a universal museum that serves as a bridge between different cultures and time periods, offering a vast and diverse collection of art and artifacts. Its aim is to make art accessible to all, regardless of background, by fostering curiosity and education through its exhibitions and programs. This promise highlights the Louvre’s commitment to inclusivity and global relevance. 

Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA) – “The Increase and Diffusion of Knowledge”   

The Smithsonian’s brand promise is rooted in its founding mission to expand and share knowledge. The institution’s museums and research centers aim to educate, inspire, and engage the public in a wide array of disciplines, including history, science, and culture. Its focus on accessibility and providing free access to its museums speaks to its dedication to democratizing knowledge. 

Brand Promises of Travel Agents and Tour Operators 

Several travel agencies and tour operators have distinct brand promises that highlight their unique value propositions, customer service philosophies, and commitment to providing unforgettable travel experiences. Here are some standout examples: 

Intrepid Travel – “Real Life Experiences”   

Intrepid Travel’s brand promise centers on offering sustainable and immersive travel experiences that connect travelers with local cultures and communities. They aim to create small-group adventures that are ethical and meaningful, promoting responsible travel. Their emphasis on authenticity, local immersion, and off-the-beaten-path experiences reflects a commitment to making travel a positive force for both travelers and the communities they visit. 

Audley Travel – “Your Trip, Your Way”   

Audley Travel specializes in bespoke, tailor-made journeys, and its brand promise is all about customization. They promise to create personalized, meaningful travel experiences that reflect the unique preferences and passions of each traveler. By offering one-on-one consultations and crafting itineraries based on individual desires, Audley focuses on ensuring that each trip feels personal and exclusive. 

Brand Promises of Destinations

These destination brand promises focus on creating an emotional connection with travelers, often highlighting unique qualities and experiences that can only be found in these locations. 

Las Vegas, USA – “What Happens Here, Only Happens Here”   

Las Vegas positions itself as a place of unparalleled entertainment, excitement, and indulgence. The promise emphasizes exclusivity and the idea that the experiences in Las Vegas are unlike anything else in the world. 

Puerto Rico’s – “Live Boricua” 

The brand promise encourages visitors to immerse themselves in the rich culture and unique lifestyle of Puerto Rico, which is deeply connected to the island’s identity and history. “Boricua” refers to the indigenous Taíno name for the island, and the phrase embodies the warmth, spirit, and vibrancy of Puerto Rican culture. It invites visitors to experience Puerto Rico in a way that goes beyond typical tourism by engaging in its local traditions, cuisine, music, and community, thus living as the locals do. 

This brand promise emphasizes Puerto Rico’s authenticity, natural beauty, and cultural pride, aiming to provide travelers with an immersive and genuine experience of the island’s distinctive heritage. 

To learn more about how Puerto Rico’s brand was developed, tune into episode 302 with Leah Chandler, CMO for the destination.  

Canada – “Openness” 

Canada’s destination brand promise focuses on “openness”, highlighting its vast open spaces, welcoming culture, and open-mindedness. It invites travelers to experience personal growth, connection, and emotional renewal through meaningful travel experiences. The brand emphasizes Canada’s natural beauty, cultural diversity, and spirit of inclusivity, offering opportunities for travelers to explore with curiosity and embrace new perspectives. Canada positions itself as a place where visitors can break free from everyday restrictions and find transformative, life-changing experiences.

Your Brand Promise 

What are some of your favorite brands? Exploring their brand promises and how they deliver on them can offer enlightening insights into what makes them so compelling. As you think about your own brand’s promise, consider how it reflects your values. How can you strengthen your organization’s brand to build your reputation and create brand loyalty?

The post Compelling Brand Promises for the Travel and Tourism Industry appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

My answer: yes and no!

Group travel in its most traditional sense – loading 50 seniors on a bus and carting them around for several days on a sightseeing tour with stops for dining and maybe a show – is slowly going away. It is being replaced by smaller, more active groups with varied interests seeking flexible travel options.

Through my discussions with our TAP Tour Operator Partners in recent years, recognizable trends continue to emerge. Let’s take a look at the key themes in the evolution of group travel.

The New Dynamics of Group Travel

It used to be that if your business or attraction could not accommodate at least 50 people all at the same time, you were not a fit for the group travel industry. That old way of doing business is a thing of the past. In the post-pandemic world of group travel, the way we think about a group has been forever changed.

Smaller Group Sizes

Travelers prefer smaller groups, and they are willing to pay a higher price for a bus that is half full, allowing for more personal space and an intimate experience. They seek more relaxed and slower-paced itineraries that focus on deeper experiences with fewer destinations per trip.

Implications for businesses & attractions

Think about the varying sizes of groups you want to attract and structure your price discounts accordingly. A smaller group may purchase more of your products because they will have more time to spend in your shop. They are also more likely to tell their friends and promote return visitation when they have a deeper connection.

Businesses and attractions working with smaller groups should consider the needs of the tour operator that is packaging your product. The tour operator is marketing your business for you, and they need to make a margin on the sale. Gone are the days of offering group discounts on groups of 35-50. To truly gain the benefits of this lucrative market, your tour partners require group discounts even if the group size is 12, 20 or 30 people. One way to enhance your offering and charge a little more is to add on unique experiences that a traveler cannot buy directly. This will give the tour operator a competitive edge in marketing your business as part of their package.

Group Demographics

Once thought of as only catering to retired senior citizens, the group tour industry is quickly changing to attract a wider variety of travelers. Programs with more choices and freestyle itineraries attract a younger customer who loves to have someone else do all the trip planning.

A sharp rise in female travelers is driving destinations to rethink their group offerings to appeal to this niche group. This market requires different room configurations – think singles instead of double doubles. They also look for unique experiences that appeal to a broad range of interests from women’s history to adventure to food and culinary.

Another niche market that is picking up steam is the Black traveler who seeks Black culture, history, and experiences.

Reinventing Group Travel Products

The Rise of New Destinations and Attractions

Tour operators are building programs to meet consumers’ demand for off the beaten path and lesser-known destinations. Travelers are still checking off bucket list items, and a visit to a big city is still on the list – however, the experience has evolved beyond the main attractors. Smaller destinations that may not previously have been able to attract travelers away from the better-known destinations are seeing a surge in interest from group tour operators. Itineraries and travel products include more outdoor activities, smaller towns, and out-of-the-ordinary, quirky places.

Implications for destinations big & small

This group travel trend is truly exciting for all destinations large and small. It’s good news for big cities that want to spread the visitor economy around to their little-known neighborhoods. Groups want to go deeper into the culture and people of the area. This is a perfect opportunity to show off unique neighborhoods and the businesses within them.

The rise in popularity of learning experiences provides an opportunity for small destinations to tap their local experts in new ways. From naturalists sharing a favorite hike to craftsmen, crafters and creators showing off their trade, programs that teach or offer hands-on demonstrations are becoming favorite additions to trips.

No matter the size of the destination, storytelling continues to be an important part of the trip. Think beyond the step-on guide or the experience itself. Younger travelers want to know more about the full array of what is happening at the destination. They are seeking interpretation of the natural surroundings and the stories behind them.

New Active Itineraries

As group demographics have expanded to include younger travelers, tour operators are offering more active itineraries – often with more flexibility, enabling a group to arrive in a destination and split up to explore on their own. Outdoor recreation has increased in popularity, leading to more nature focused itineraries, exploring national parks and natural wonders. Small group expeditions are a popular way to experience true adventure with the added benefits of a tour guide, and the convenience of a pre-planned itinerary that you can simply book and go.

Exclusive Experiences

Tour operators are prioritizing experiences that travelers cannot get on their own, to help attract new customers. Themed events and dinners are very popular, and many DMOs and tour operators are working together to add these special touches to their itineraries – and sometimes even surprising their guests with an unexpected “mystery” experience that is kept secret until it happens.

Steve Vance, from the Grand Adirondack hotel in Lake Placid NY, shared with us a great example of a mystery experience:

The Grand Adirondack Hotel in Lake Placid includes a complimentary welcome reception for each motor coach group tour on arrival. This usually includes drink vouchers per person and a cheese cracker board. Where the mystery “wow” factor happens is after welcoming the group: we announce that we are going to play a mini version of the old TV show “What’s My Line” adapted to: “What’s my Olympic Sport” and “will the mystery guest sign in please.” We pre-schedule a former Olympic Champion/Medalist that lives in Lake Placid to be behind the curtain in the room. We then pre-select several volunteers from the group to play the game. We then give clues to the participants about which Olympic Sport the athlete competed in. The first contestant that correctly “buzzes in” with the correct answer wins a prize from the hotel. The Olympic Athlete “appears” and meets the entire group for a quick presentation, meet and greet, autographs and photos with the athlete/Olympic medal.

Rail Travel for Groups

Rail journeys are a growing travel method for both independent and group travelers. Many tour operators are building group itineraries around rail journeys, or incorporating a rail component.

One of the key travel trends driving the resurgence of rail travel is the growing interest in slow travel—a movement focused on immersing oneself in a destination, rather than rushing through it. Travelers are increasingly seeking experiences that allow them to savor the journey itself, and rail travel offers a unique opportunity to witness stunning landscapes, visit off-the-beaten-path communities, and enjoy a more relaxed pace.

Sustainability has also become a major factor, with more people opting for eco-friendly transportation options. Rail travel produces significantly lower emissions compared to air or car travel, making it a top choice for environmentally-conscious travelers.

In addition, the focus on supporting local economies by visiting small towns and rural areas accessible only by train has added to the allure of rail travel, as it connects travelers with authentic, less commercialized experiences.

DMOs are Important Partners

In 2022, tour operators went from zero to one hundred overnight. With many bookings from 2020 being pushed years ahead, they were struggling to keep up with servicing rebooked business and managing new bookings from travelers who had pent-up demand. At the same time, tour operators were struggling with the same staff shortages and taxed resources as many of the businesses in hospitality and leisure. All this while trying to rebuild relationships with suppliers who had experienced their own staff turnover and are on a learning curve.

DMOS who knew the group tour market jumped in to help rebuild group travel in many ways:

• Training new team members at hotels, restaurants, and attractions where tour operators visit, because there was no one there to mentor them
• Educating stakeholders’ new employees who were hired post-pandemic and did not understand the tour and travel market or why it was worth their time.
• Seeking creative alternatives for dining such as privately-catered experiences or boxed meals to take to a park, since there was a shortage of suitable meal stops due to high demand for dining and staff shortages

While many of these challenges have eased off, the need for a strong partnership with local DMOs is still clear as day. Working together to rebuild the group travel industry has shone a light on the mutual benefits of collaboration within the tour and travel eco-system.

Collaboration is the Key

The tour and travel industry has always been a collaborative effort between buyers, suppliers, and DMOs. As the group travel product is evolving and the needs of the group tour are changing, DMOs are helping tour operators develop entire programs. They are curating experiences from food tours to meal and entertainment options. They are leading the way in developing new areas and off the beaten path product such as the Northern Lights of Canada. These are assets that can’t accommodate a full bus, but work for smaller groups. DMOs are going above and beyond, acting as tour planners, being creative and working across city, county and state borders to create new product for tour operators.

Implications for DMOs

Destinations who are committed to the group travel industry will see new opportunities come their way as they double-down on being great partners to tour operators. DMOs who understand the importance of remaining flexible and continuing to change with the industry will be the leaders who help shape the future of group travel while bringing lucrative business to their communities.

At TAP, our community embraces collaboration and win-win relationships. Find out how TAP can help you connect with tour operators and travel buyers.

The post Group Travel Trends: The Evolution of Group Travel 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.

The post Collaboration is a Key to Improving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Tourism appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

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.

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.

Branding is more than a wordmark, icon, or a color palette. It is a representation of who you are as a company, what you stand for and what your customers can expect from you. In a way, it seems like an abstract concept, but it is anything but abstract. In fact, when you have a solid brand, you have a concrete foundation to build and grow your business. 

Lesson 1: Start with a Clear Vision

A clear vision serves as the foundation for any successful branding project. Back in 2018, we embarked on a journey to build a company that transcended traditional marketing services, envisioning a community-driven platform for industry collaboration and growth. This vision, crafted with a 10-year outlook, provided a roadmap for our aspirations and guided our strategic decisions. 

Your vision should be written as if you were talking to someone on a future date. Pick a date 5 or 10 years in the future and write about yourself as if you have transported there. When you create your vision using a present tense it is easier to believe and to see what is possible. We created our first vision imagining how we would describe ourselves in 2028. This is important because without a vision, you cannot attract what you need to achieve it. It would be like driving somewhere without a map, just wandering aimlessly ahead. 

Lesson 2: Vision Drives Decision-Making

Throughout our journey, our vision has been our guiding light, steering us through uncertainties and informing strategic decisions. Even during challenging times like the pandemic, our vision provided clarity and direction, guiding us toward our long-term goals. With a clear vision in place, we were able to weather storms and stay focused on our mission of serving the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. 

It was because of our 10-year vision that we decided to acquire Travel Alliance Partners (TAP) at the end of 2021. We had been the marketing and operational partner for TAP since 2018 and we helped the organization that was owned by 26 tour operators survive the pandemic. At the end of that huge downturn, the tour operators who owned TAP needed to put their energy and focus into rebuilding their own businesses. Our team saw the value that TAP brought to the industry and how it aligned with our vision, so we decided to acquire the company and help to rebuild it into the collaborative innovative organization that it had been known for.  

Lesson 3: Define the Problem Before Branding

When you set out to create a new brand, recognize why you are embarking on this journey before starting it. In our case, we had three distinct brands: Break the Ice Media, Travel Alliance Partners, and our podcast, Destination on the Left. Recognizing the need for a branding overhaul, we sought expert guidance to define our challenges clearly. This step was crucial in laying the groundwork for our rebranding efforts and ensuring alignment with our overarching goals. Our initial conversation with branding expert Karley Cunningham from Big Bold Brand helped us pinpoint key challenges, such as communicating the value of our diverse offerings under three distinct brands. 

Lesson 4: Engage Employees in the Process

Our team’s involvement from the early stages proved instrumental in the success of our rebranding project. By keeping our employees informed and engaged, we fostered a sense of ownership and commitment to the new brand vision. We shared our progress transparently, solicited feedback, and empowered our team members to contribute their ideas and insights. 

Lesson 5: Build a Strong Foundation

A lasting brand requires a solid foundation built on purpose, values, and a clear brand promise. We invested time and effort in crafting these essential elements, ensuring they reflected our company’s ethos and aspirations. Working with Karley and her team, we developed a comprehensive toolkit encompassing our purpose statement, guiding principles, brand character, and more. 

Lesson 6: Recognize the Need for Additional Resources

As our branding project evolved, we recognized the need for additional resources to bring our vision to life. Hiring a dedicated team member proved invaluable in supporting the branding process and driving its success. We also leveraged external expertise to supplement our internal capabilities, ensuring a comprehensive approach to brand development. 

Lesson 7: Focus Internally and Externally

Balancing internal alignment with external brand development was key to our rebranding journey. By addressing operational aspects alongside brand strategy, we ensured a seamless transition and maximized organizational buy-in. Our quarterly leadership team meetings became forums for discussing operational changes, while our external communication efforts focused on generating excitement and anticipation for the new brand. 

We started using our new brand language externally before launching our new brand. This gave us the opportunity to start testing the language and practicing with it before launch. We included it in our job postings, client proposals and marketing materials. Our combined brands each used the language. We didn’t give away that we were becoming one brand, but we had strategic language that better aligned with the value we bring to our clients and members and we started using it as we were evolving in small steps. 

Internally, we focused on aligning everything with the new brand, including our organizational chart, job descriptions, accounting systems, internal communications, meeting cadence, project management and our standard operating procedures.  

Lesson 8: Brand Launch is Just the Beginning

A brand launch marks the beginning of an ongoing journey, not the endpoint. We adopted a phased approach to rollout, recognizing that continued engagement and refinement are essential for sustained brand success. Our launch plan included a timeline for quarterly activities extending through 2024, ensuring that our brand evolution remains dynamic and responsive to evolving market trends. 

Our brand launch plan identified four key goals: 

1. Create intentional content

2. Generate awareness & buzz

3. Provide a positive & exciting experience

4. Highlight our expanded offerings

The plan included our key messages, launch strategies, and paid, earned, shared and owned tactics. As you can imagine, a brand rollout plan has a lot of moving parts and a lot of details in it. It is important to have a written document that everyone on the team can follow with lists for all areas that need to be considered. Here is a checklist of things to consider when rolling out a new brand. 

Lesson 9: Embrace Cathedral Thinking

Embracing cathedral thinking, we approached our branding journey with a long-term perspective. We envisioned the impact of our brand for generations to come. By thinking beyond immediate results, we set the stage for enduring success. Just as medieval stonemasons, architects and artisans built cathedrals with future generations in mind, we laid the groundwork for a brand that will stand the test of time. 

Our branding journey has been a transformative experience, filled with valuable lessons and insights. From starting with a clear vision to embracing cathedral thinking, each lesson has shaped our brand’s evolution and will continue to guide our future endeavors. As we embark on this new chapter with our refreshed brand, we invite you to join us in embracing these lessons and charting your own path to branding success. 

We invite you to explore our new brand and learn more about our company’s journey. Explore our website to discover how a clear vision and strategic approach can transform your own branding efforts. Join us in embracing cathedral thinking and building brands that leave a lasting legacy in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. 

The post Lessons Learned from a Branding Journey: Insights from Our Company’s Transformation appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

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.

• The feeling of being time-starved combined with overcapacity and not having the resources needed to achieve their goals.
• Balancing various and sometimes competing priorities.
• Expectations are rising and they are working on expanded programs with fewer people. 
• The industry landscape keeps changing and shifting and it is hard to keep up.
• Speaking of goals, sometimes it is hard to articulate goals and other times the goal is clear, but they don’t know how they will achieve it.
• They must maintain higher-than-ever service standards to stay competitive.
• They need to streamline day-to-day operations to do more with fewer resources.

With all these pressures, it is hard to think about creating a 2024 business plan. However, a plan will help address most of the pressures and if done collaboratively with staff, a plan will turn your struggling, overworked organization into a well-oiled machine with everyone on the same page and working towards the same goals.

What should go in your 2024 plan?

Our company follows the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) created by Gino Wickman and detailed in his book Traction. One of the tools in EOS is the Vision Traction Organizer (V/TO), which is essentially a one-page business plan. There are many plan formats that you can chose from, we like this one because it is simplified and easy to update each year.

The elements of our 2024 plan include:

Our core values – these are the guideposts by which we make all decisions. They are what is important to our business and drive the behaviors of everyone within the company.  

Our purpose – this is our company mission statement. It explains why we do what we do and inspires everything that our organization does.

Our 5-year target – this is our vision of where we are going. It is written in the present tense, in other words, it describes who we want to be in 5 years. This used to be a 10-year target, but we have found 10 years is too far out to plan in the tourism industry.

Our marketing strategy – this section of our plan is an overview of your marketing strategy, it is not a full marketing plan. This section guides your overall marketing plan and includes:

Our unique point of view – how we stand out from our competition.

What we do – a clear description of what our business does.

Target markets- a list of the audiences and markets we serve.

Brand promise – the experience we deliver in every interaction internal and external.

Our 1-year plan – This is the 2024 plan and should summarize what you will achieve by the end of the year. We include the following:

              Future date – December 31, 2024 – placing the actual date on your plan helps keep you focused on the time by which you will achieve the goals you establish.

Revenue goal – this can be a gross revenue goal, gross profit goal, or net profit goal. We break down our goals by revenue category and include an overall net profit number. These are expressed in dollars and not percentages.

Measurables – these are the things that need to happen in order to achieve the goal.

In addition to the V/TO, one organization we belong to offers free planning resources. While these were created for marketing agencies, the tools are relevant for all industries. Check out the resources on this link at Agency Management Institute .

Planning a Strategy Meeting with your team

Engaging your team in the planning process will lead to a more effective and stronger plan. You will be using the power of your organization’s collective brain and experience and if the team is involved in the plan, they are more likely to be successful in executing it and achieving your goals. The way that I engage my team is through an annual strategy planning day. It has become my favorite day of the year and my team looks forward to it too! We spend a full 8 hours working on the business instead of in the business and the results have been meaningful and fruitful.

Here are the key components in our strategy meeting agenda that produce results.

We like to kick off our meetings with everyone answering the same questions. This way, we are all on the same page as we start our day. Focusing on the best news also sets the tone for a positive and forward-thinking day.

Agenda item #1: Meeting expectations

• Best business & personal news in the last 90 days
• What are your expectations for the meeting?  
• Is there a problem that you want us to help you solve? 
• Do you want to learn something? 
• Anything else? 

Agenda item #2: 2023 Accomplishments – this section helps the team celebrate the wins and focus on what is working. Everyone answers these questions:

• Personal & Professional
  • What did we do well as a company?
  • What did you do well personally?
  • What enabled the accomplishments?

A volunteer scribes on flip chart paper as everyone shares their input. I do one section at a time, first meeting expectations and then accomplishments.

Agenda item #3: 2023 Business Review – this section can be whatever fits for your organization. We spend time looking at our goals and performance in these areas, then ask for feedback at the end.

• Financials Sales goals
• Marketing metrics
• What key points stand out? /What did I miss?

The next sections of the agenda can vary in order depending on what we are trying to accomplish. If I already have the V/TO or one-page business plan updated from the previous year, I start by reviewing that. If I don’t have the one-page plan done because I need help from the team, we start with some team exercise. Here are a few exercises we have used at recent meetings:

Journey Line Exercise

We used this exercise to achieve the following goals:

1. We wanted our longest tenured employees to share the story of our company’s evolution.
2. To reflect on the building blocks that have brought us to the present day.
3. To create a vision for the next 5 years.

For this exercise, we put flip chart paper on the wall and drew a line through the center. At one end of the line, we wrote the year the company started and on the other end, we wrote the year that is five years from now. For us, the timeline went from 2009 to 2029. Then we ask every employee (new and seasoned) to write down the following on post-it notes.

• Past & Present: Identify key dates/milestones/accomplishments for BTI 2009-2023.
• Future: What will TAP bring to us & the tourism industry? Where do we see ourselves in the future?
• What stands out to you?

Once they finished writing on post-its, they placed their notes on the timeline. At the end of the exercise, we had a discussion and we all felt connected by the collective story this exercise told.

SWOT Exercise

We love to use SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) to help us create our one year and five-year plans. It helps us identify areas for improvement and growth, as well as prepare for what may be coming down the road. In this exercise, I have everyone fill out a SWOT worksheet and I collect them at the end. Note, when doing a SWOT, the strengths and weaknesses are internally focused, while the opportunities and threats are externally focused. This can get tricky for people to understand. Remember that there are no right answers and have fun!

Once the form is filled in, everyone shares their responses, we go through one quadrant at a time and scribe the answers on flip chart paper. After everyone’s thoughts are recorded, we circle any themes that stand out. Then, we answer these questions:

• Where should we focus next year? What are the benefits in moving forward on these areas?
• Is there anything else we need to consider to move closer to our goals?
• What else may we do to move closer to our goals?

Delegation Exercise

We used this exercise with our leadership team to help identify areas where they could find more capacity. Everyone answers the below questions and shares their answers and insights.

• What do you think you have to hold onto?
• What can you let go of?
• Who would you give it to on your team?
• If you do that what capacity does that open up for you?
• How can you use that capacity towards the effective and efficient application of our services?

Superpowers Exercise

This is one of my favorite team building exercises. Everyone has a blank sheet of paper in front of them. Each person writes their name at the top and then they pass the paper to the right. The person to the right then writes a word that describes a superpower that they admire about the person whose name is on the top. Then, the papers get passed to the right again and this continues until everyone in the room has written one word on each person’s paper. This is a great way to recognize everyone’s talents and what they bring to the team. I even did this for my family and then framed each person’s superpowers to provide a constant reminder of what makes them special.

Ending your meeting.

At the end of the meeting, we revisit the flip chart paper from the beginning of the meeting and answer these questions:

• Were your expectations met?
• What stood out to you?

And the last two years, I have added gratitude into our closing. I started this because I personally wanted to improve my gratitude practice, but the response from the team has been amazing and I think we will keep this one for every future meeting. Everyone adds to their closing comments with the following:

• 3 things you are grateful for – use the sentence “I am grateful for…, it makes me feel…”

Feel free to use our agenda format, SWOT worksheet, copy our V/TO format or reach out to me if you have any questions. I believe we are all stronger together and if creating a 2024 tourism business plan makes you a stronger company, it lifts the whole industry up too!

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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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