In spite of all the chatter about ‘building back better’, it’s fairly unsurprising that old habits are proving once again to die hard. The Travel Foundation's Jeremy Sampson calls for better collaboration to tackle the greatest challenges facing tourism.

Vancouver Island recently announced that they are transforming their tourism marketing organisation into a social enterprise. We caught up with Anthony Everett, CEO at 4VI, to discover what prompted the change and how they’re navigating the challenges along the way.

For the past 20 years, Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo’s reputation has been dictated by outsiders, with locals left saying, ‘that’s not us!’ The region needed to start proudly sharing what they were instead of what they weren’t, and so the team at Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo [FMWB] started on the region’s first attempt to proactively manage the region’s identity and reputation.

With increasing evidence of the impact that climate change is having on our environment, 68% of people think that government and businesses need to act now or risk failing future generations – but just 39% agree that their government has a clear plan in place to tackle climate change. So, what is it that cities and nations should be doing to address the concerns of their citizens?

As the world went into collective pandemic lockdown, the last thing people stuck inside with their pent-up frustrations needed was a tourism campaign from somewhere they couldn’t go. But with Iceland’s tourism industry and much of the economy on the line, the team at Visit Iceland couldn’t afford to let that stop them. 

If you launch a place brand strategy, you have to be in it for the long haul. We reached out to our panel of experts to help you create a strategy that continues to deliver for your place in the long-term.

Here are the key trends and best practices for any investment promotion agency, tourism authority or firm looking to attract tourism investment.

We talk a lot about internal collaboration between destination marketing organisations and economic development organisations in order to tell a more holistic story about your place. But how can you go above and beyond that? Here are some of our favourite outside-the-box approaches to collaboration to inspire your next partnership!

For Helsinki, one of the biggest challenges in attracting foreign talent has been rather low awareness of the city globally. To showcase the best of their city and to attract the talent they need, they launched a new values-driven campaign: 'Helsinki Freedom.'

Measuring the success of your work is critical. However, as places increasingly look towards their quality of life, the KPIs we use need to evolve as well.

How is the world of travel and tourism changing? Before she joins us as one of the City Nation Place Awards judges, Gloria Loree, SVP & Chief Marketing Officer for Destination Canada, outlines how a loyalty programme created the space to re-engage prospective travellers in the country, how Destination Canada are collaborating with their Indigenous Tourism partners, and a few of her personal predictions for the future.

It is easy to make a strong case for why DMOs must lead the charge for climate action in this decade and beyond. However, it’s fair to say that, aside from some notable front-runners, DMOs are still learning what it takes to demonstrate leadership and meaningful action in this space.

In 2017, Courmayeur launched a new brand design identity to capture the spirit of the town and its history. Discover the process behind the wordmark here.

Last week, Sheffield announced the launch of a new campaign – Sheffield Your University City - created in collaboration between Sheffield Council’s marketing body and the city’s two universities. We caught up with the masterminds behind the innovative collaboration to understand more about the journey and what they learned along the way.

Your diaspora can be a hugely positive force in how you build your reputation and amplify your values. We spoke with Diane Edwards, President of Jamaica Promotions Corporation [JAMPRO] and one of our 2022 City Nation Place Awards judges, to understand how they engage the Jamaican diaspora in the economic development of their home nation.