Unlocking Destinations, Enhancing Experiences

08/09/2026

Overtourism policy is splitting in two: the tax lever and the access lever are not the same fight

Overtourism policy works best when visitor taxes and access management are treated as separate tools. Explore how reservation systems, visitor levies and spatial planning help DMOs tackle crowding while protecting residents and local destinations.

04/09/2026

Infrastructure became the brand: why the destinations winning on identity are the ones that fixed the bus

AI stopped being a content toy for DMOs: the real jump happened in data and insight work

26/08/2026

AI stopped being a content toy for DMOs: the real jump happened in data and insight work

What a tourism satellite account tells a regional board, and where the national numbers stop being useful

Economic Impact Studies

06/09/2026

What a tourism satellite account tells a regional board, and where the national numbers stop being useful

The seasonality trap in hospitality staffing: destinations that smooth demand keep their people

Visitor Flow Management

03/09/2026

The seasonality trap in hospitality staffing: destinations that smooth demand keep their people

Spotlight

Hawaii wrote down what destination stewardship costs: the 2026-2028 action plans regional boards should steal from

Digital Promotion & Visibility

17/08/2026

Hawaii wrote down what destination stewardship costs: the 2026-2028 action plans regional boards should steal from

How Hawai‘i’s 2026–2028 destination management action plan (DMAP) reshapes tourism strategy, funding and resident-focused stewardship for regional tourism boards.

The DMO media mix is quietly rebuilding: display and TikTok are falling, paid social is carrying the load

19/08/2026

The DMO media mix is quietly rebuilding: display and TikTok are falling, paid social is carrying the load

Discover how destination marketing organizations are rebuilding the DMO media mix around measurable traveler journeys, with Sojern’s latest figures on display, TikTok, and paid social performance.

Q4 budget season opens in six weeks: the revenue assumptions hotel leaders should stress-test before locking 2027 plans

14/08/2026

Q4 budget season opens in six weeks: the revenue assumptions hotel leaders should stress-test before locking 2027 plans

As Q4 budget season nears, DMOs and hotel leaders must stress-test 2027 revenue, cost and levy assumptions, shifting from single-point forecasts to shared scenario planning.

Events as tourism infrastructure: why destinations that programme festivals outperform those that market landscapes

07/08/2026

Events as tourism infrastructure: why destinations that programme festivals outperform those that market landscapes

How event-led tourism turns festivals into destination infrastructure, smoothing seasonality, reshaping demand, and outperforming landscape-only marketing for DMOs and regions.

Tourism satellite accounts are the gold standard: regional DMOs still count bed nights and hope for the best

10/08/2026

Tourism satellite accounts are the gold standard: regional DMOs still count bed nights and hope for the best

How regional DMOs can move beyond bed nights toward TSA grade tourism data analytics, with partnerships, tech stacks and credible economic impact reporting.

Japan tripled its departure tax to 3,000 yen: the clearest signal yet in the global visitor-levy acceleration

27/07/2026

Japan tripled its departure tax to 3,000 yen: the clearest signal yet in the global visitor-levy acceleration

Japan’s higher departure tax is reshaping how DMOs use travel levies to manage overtourism, fund infrastructure and influence route viability, visitor flows and competitiveness.

Climate is doing the shoulder-season work that DMOs couldn't: when extreme heat redistributes demand by default

Sustainable Tourism Development

29/07/2026

Climate is doing the shoulder-season work that DMOs couldn't: when extreme heat redistributes demand by default

Climate change is turning shoulder seasons into new peak periods. Discover how DMOs and tourism boards must rethink pricing, governance and capacity to manage climate-driven seasonality shifts.

Climate adaptation for tourism destinations: the operational playbook beyond sustainability pledges

05/08/2026

Climate adaptation for tourism destinations: the operational playbook beyond sustainability pledges

Operational guide for DMOs and tourism leaders on climate adaptation for tourism destinations, covering risk, water, heat, finance, governance, and resilience.

Edinburgh's 5% visitor levy launches Friday: what the first UK city tourist tax tells destination leaders about the global funding shift

Infrastructure & Accessibility

21/07/2026

Edinburgh's 5% visitor levy launches Friday: what the first UK city tourist tax tells destination leaders about the global funding shift

Analysis of Edinburgh’s 5% visitor levy tourism model, its 55/35/10 spending split, governance structure, and implementation lessons for DMOs, councils and tourism boards in Scotland, the UK and Europe.

Housing, not wages, is the wall: why tourism destinations can't staff peak season when workers can't afford to live there

24/07/2026

Housing, not wages, is the wall: why tourism destinations can't staff peak season when workers can't afford to live there

Tourism workforce housing is now a core constraint on resort growth. Learn how cities, hotels and destination managers can tackle affordable housing pressures, protect the tourism workforce and sustain visitor experience.

Q3 2026 travel forecast decoded: what the data signals mean for regional planners setting autumn shoulder-season strategy

08/07/2026

Q3 2026 travel forecast decoded: what the data signals mean for regional planners setting autumn shoulder-season strategy

How regional travel marketing teams can use Q3 booking momentum, UNWTO and U.S. Travel Association data, and AI forecasting to optimise autumn shoulder-season demand, pricing and visitor mix.

Sustainable Tourism Development

10/07/2026

Place brand equity beyond the logo: how regions measure the gap between intended identity and visitor perception

Learn how regional DMOs measure and grow place brand equity, close the gap between intended identity and visitor perception, and turn destination branding data into smarter tourism investment decisions.

Regenerative tourism moved from manifesto to balance sheet: the financial models funding habitat restoration through visitor levies

06/07/2026

Regenerative tourism moved from manifesto to balance sheet: the financial models funding habitat restoration through visitor levies

Discover how regenerative tourism finance and visitor levies turn destination sustainability into a measurable asset, with GSTC-aligned governance, ring-fenced funds, and real-world examples from Rotorua and Venice.

Hospitality apprenticeship programmes that retain talent: destination models where training pipelines feed local employment

03/07/2026

Hospitality apprenticeship programmes that retain talent: destination models where training pipelines feed local employment

Discover how hospitality apprenticeship programs help destinations compete for talent, stabilise service quality and boost retention, with global benchmarks and practical guidance for tourism offices and DMOs.

How much training do you really need for Kilimanjaro – and what it teaches destination managers about product design

The co-creation trap in place branding: when consulting everyone produces a destination identity that speaks to no one

07/09/2026

How much training do you really need for Kilimanjaro – and what it teaches destination managers about product design

How Kilimanjaro training principles can help offices de tourisme design safer, more aspirational long-distance hiking, cycling, and cultural routes, with clear preparation plans and evidence-based active travel statistics.

Designing top animal experiences in the USA for high value destination development

29/06/2026

The co-creation trap in place branding: when consulting everyone produces a destination identity that speaks to no one

How co-creation in destination branding can dilute place identity, and how DMOs can design participatory place branding that protects distinctiveness, governance and resident trust.

02/09/2026

Designing top animal experiences in the USA for high value destination development

How European destination managers can turn the top animal experiences in the USA into strategic, sustainable tourism products built around national parks, wildlife parks, and zoos.

When destination rebranding fails: the hidden costs and warning signs regional boards miss before launching a new identity

Regional tourism development beyond capital cities: how secondary destinations build visitor pipelines without national-level budgets

22/06/2026

When destination rebranding fails: the hidden costs and warning signs regional boards miss before launching a new identity

Discover why destination rebranding so often solves the wrong problem, the hidden costs boards underestimate, and how to measure ROI with real benchmarks, case patterns, and practical alternatives to a full place brand reset.

01/07/2026

Regional tourism development beyond capital cities: how secondary destinations build visitor pipelines without national-level budgets

How secondary destinations can use gateway cities, infrastructure funding and community-led governance to build sustainable regional tourism development, grow visitor pipelines and spread economic benefits beyond capital hubs.

The DMO that owns its data stack outperforms the one that outsources it: a case for in-house analytics capability

19/06/2026

The DMO that owns its data stack outperforms the one that outsources it: a case for in-house analytics capability

Discover why in-house tourism analytics is now a strategic necessity for DMOs, how to build data capability and governance, and how hybrid models with vendors protect control over tourism, visitor and hotel performance data.

DMO funding models under pressure: transient-occupancy taxes, membership dues, and the push for performance-based public budgets

A comprehensive look at the towns on Whidbey Island, Washington: heritage, hospitality, and regional development

31/01/2026

A comprehensive look at the towns on Whidbey Island, Washington: heritage, hospitality, and regional development

Short-term rental regulation across three continents: what the patchwork means for destination managers who need policy consistency

12/06/2026

Short-term rental regulation across three continents: what the patchwork means for destination managers who need policy consistency

Understanding the essential role of...

16/07/2026

How château de Cassis can anchor high‑value tourism product development in Provence

17/01/2026

Understanding the essential role of tourism offices in shaping regional hospitality

Community tourism cooperatives that outlast the grant cycle: ownership structures keeping revenue local for decades

26/06/2026

Community tourism cooperatives that outlast the grant cycle: ownership structures keeping revenue local for decades

Destination marketing for AI engines: how DMOs structure data to surface in generative search results

24/06/2026

Destination marketing for AI engines: how DMOs structure data to surface in generative search results

Tourism workforce shortages by the numbers: where the labour gaps hit hardest and which destinations are closing them

17/06/2026

Tourism workforce shortages by the numbers: where the labour gaps hit hardest and which destinations are closing them

Personalization is the loudest promise in destination marketing, and 91% of DMOs still can't deliver it

05/06/2026

Personalization is the loudest promise in destination marketing, and 91% of DMOs still can't deliver it

Inside the 66%: how DMOs deploy AI for content, and the quiet failures behind the headline

Long-Term Planning

08/05/2026

Inside the 66%: how DMOs deploy AI for content, and the quiet failures behind the headline

Awareness campaigns collapsed from 59% to 25%: what DMOs are abandoning and why it matters

28/04/2026

Awareness campaigns collapsed from 59% to 25%: what DMOs are abandoning and why it matters

Why Nice, France is a strategic destination to promote on the French Riviera

05/07/2026

Why Nice, France is a strategic destination to promote on the French Riviera

How small towns of France can build powerful destination brands

04/07/2026

How small towns of France can build powerful destination brands

How french country towns can reinvent tourism products for long term value

03/07/2026

How french country towns can reinvent tourism products for long term value

How the fruits of the...

19/02/2026

How the fruits of the Dominican Republic can reshape regional tourism strategies

28/01/2026

Enhancing visitor engagement with tourism office loyalty cards: strategies for destinations and regions

Destination Strategy & Governance

Community-based tourism revenue without resident displacement: the governance frameworks DMOs deploy

Destination Performance KPIs

01/06/2026

Community-based tourism revenue without resident displacement: the governance frameworks DMOs deploy

Community-based tourism is now a board-level issue for DMOs and hotel GMs. Explore governance models, 60% local revenue benchmarks, zoning guardrails, digital data ownership and practical steps to align hotel P&L with community well-being.

350 DMO leaders confirm the pivot: Sojern's 2026 survey reveals economic-impact measurement has overtaken awareness as the strategic north star

29/05/2026

350 DMO leaders confirm the pivot: Sojern's 2026 survey reveals economic-impact measurement has overtaken awareness as the strategic north star

Why economic impact has overtaken awareness as the top priority for DMOs, based on Sojern’s global survey of 350+ tourism leaders, and how French destinations can close the personalization and measurement gaps in tourism data analytics.

Territorial Marketing & Promotion

11/08/2026

How the Sancerre versus Sauvignon Blanc narrative can elevate destination branding for Loire Valley tourism boards

Learn how to turn the “Sancerre vs Sauvignon Blanc” comparison into a powerful Loire Valley destination branding tool, linking terroir, wine tourism and AI-ready content.

11/08/2026

How valpolicella classico can anchor destination branding for ambitious wine regions

Discover how Valpolicella Classico evolves from a light, ruby red DOC wine into a full destination brand, aligning governance, sensory design, pricing, and digital visitor journeys for wine tourism in the hills north of Verona.

Tourism Development & Infrastructure

How sketching holidays can become a strategic tourism product for destinations

20/08/2026

How sketching holidays can become a strategic tourism product for destinations

How the Sancerre wine region and Sauvignon Blanc grape can elevate territorial tourism strategies

11/08/2026

How the Sancerre wine region and Sauvignon Blanc grape can elevate territorial tourism strategies

08/08/2026

How Lugana white wine can anchor high value tourism product development around Lake Garda

08/08/2026

How Lugana white wine can anchor high‑value tourism product development around Lake Garda

Data, Insights & Intelligence

How ancient village identities around Nice shape modern visitor intelligence

Visitor Insights

07/07/2026

How ancient village identities around Nice shape modern visitor intelligence

Discover how the historic villages around Nice, from Peillon and Peille to Èze and Sainte-Agnès, use their age and heritage to shape visitor insights, itinerary design, and sustainable tourism strategies along the French Riviera.

How a strategic map of northern France can power open data for tourism regions

Open Data & Sharing

02/07/2026

How a strategic map of northern France can power open data for tourism regions

How northern France tourism boards can turn historical War Office maps into a shared open-data backbone, using regional spatial platforms, APIs and visitor intelligence to design coastal, heritage and urban routes across multiple French regions.

Ecosystem & Local Stakeholders

How recommended Rioja wines can anchor a high value tourism ecosystem

01/08/2026

How recommended Rioja wines can anchor a high value tourism ecosystem

Learn how tourist offices and regional tourism boards can use recommended Rioja wines to build partnerships, design tastings, and strengthen wine tourism strategies without overshadowing local products.

Strategic places to stay in Bordeaux for a stronger local tourism ecosystem