“Tourism and economic development are seen as separate entities,” Kelly Groff, President & CEO at Visit Montgomery, told us. “But tourism is economic development.”

Let’s pause on that for a moment.

Tourism is economic development.

At its most basic level, tourism is an economic driver. People visit a place, and they spend money on accommodation, food, activities, and more. But that statement is true on a much deeper level as well; in many ways, visiting a place is the first step in a person’s relationship to that place. As Cecelia Thompson, Executive Director at Action Greensboro, said, “Today’s visitor could be tomorrow’s resident, worker, or business owner.”

Conversely, economic development is foundational to building a strong proposition that engages both residents and visitors. “This means engaging stakeholders, prioritising sustainable growth, and leveraging unique destination assets to create authentic, high-value experiences that benefit both visitors and residents,” explained Joel Walton, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives – Business Events at Destination Canada.

You need a purposeful, place-led, and holistic vision for economic development and tourism to ensure a thriving future for your place.

Structuring collaboration in place branding and place marketing

So, what does it take to connect the dots between tourism and economic development and ensure that your strategies are rooted in your place’s DNA?

Bob Ross, Chief Marketing Officer at Greater Topeka Partnership, referenced the importance of working together as a single collaborative force, and of having an overarching goal that all organisations can use to align their initiatives. According to Bob, “this holistic approach has not only strengthened Topeka’s brand as a destination, but has also enhanced its economic resilience, proving that when tourism, business, and community development work in concert, the entire city benefits.”

Collaboration takes work. It takes putting egos to one side and sometimes developing a new shared language that works for all parties. But when you have all your place promoters singing from the same hymn sheet, the result is exponentially more powerful.

“We think of our place brand as a shared asset,” explained Megan Knott, CEO at Tourism Kingston. “Key in this strategy is the idea that whatever sector we represent, we need to articulate Kingston’s brand consistently.”

If we accept that today’s tourists are tomorrow’s investors or residents, then the need for consistency in messaging becomes crystal clear. At the end of the day, place promoters are all promoting the same ‘product’. What is compelling to visitors is oftentimes an equally compelling addition to residential quality of life – a factor which is becoming as important to site selectors as it is to those looking to rehome their family.

“We have seen this in Kingston,” outlined Shelley Hirstwood, Director of Business Development at Kingston Economic Development Corporation, “where investment decisions are made on the many business-based attributes that the city has to offer, but the final decisions are based on it being a place the company wants to live.”

Adopting authentic storytelling

Done right, a place promotion strategy – whether for an overarching place brand or for tourism, or economic development – should reflect the everyday experience of your residents. And in doing so, it encourages them to amplify your work and act as ambassadors for your place.

“These messages and values must reflect the perspective of local citizens,” state Adriana Acosta, Marketing, Communication, and Country Brand Director at essential COSTA RICA, “as they are your natural brand ambassadors. Their role is crucial in bridging the principles you promote with the real experiences that tourists, investors, and exporters will experience in your destination.”

However, to get that right, you can enforce a top-down strategy on your residents. Or as Karen Kuhl, Executive Director at Cayuga County CVB, neatly put it, “a place-led vision for tourism and economic development should also be built with the community, not just for it.”

The best stories about your place are being already being lived by your residents every day. You just have to be able to tap into them. Take Pittsburgh, for example. Jerad Bachar, CEO at VisitPITTSBURGH, explained that “through partnership with our community organisations, we can develop an approach centred on harnessing Pittsburgh’s rich cultural heritage, diverse communities, and innovative spirit.”

We spoke earlier about the importance of collaborating with your fellow place brand and marketing agencies within your city, state, or country. But don’t forget to think outside the box to find ways of working with your community-led organisations. There is a wealth of organisations who can all play vital roles in developing and refining an authentic, place-led story that will capture the hearts of prospective residents, travellers, and investors.

Fostering civic pride

Action Greensboro’s Cecelia Thompson told us that “when you position a place as more than a destination – but as a home – you create something truly powerful,” and there’s a great deal of truth in that statement. After all, if you’re telling a story about your place that resonates with your residents, then they’ll likely adopt the languages and values you want to promote when talking about their community.

However, this is yet another area where the inextricability of tourism and economic development comes into play. It’s not just enough to be telling a good story about your place; you have to create the future you want to see every minute of every day.

“You have to first build a place where people are proud to live and recreate, and then they become your destination champions,” outlined Casey Ressler, President & CEO at Mat-Su (Alaska) CVB. “Rather than trying to build just a “place,” we want to build a “community” because there feels like ownership there.”

The halo effect of a place-led strategy

Michael Crockatt, President & CEO at Ottawa Tourism, shared a similar view to Casey, explaining that “local voices are what amplify a city’s story, while economic development creates opportunities and infrastructure that enhances not only the visitors experience, but the quality of life of our residents.”

If you build strong cultural assets for your residents, that creates equally attractive opportunity for visitors. If more people are visiting, then more people can be introduced to the unique charms and attractions of your place and more people will begin to relocate to your place. The more people who live in your place, the more investment occurs, the more money is generated, and the more services and attractions are developed that create that strong quality of life for residents.

From residents to tourists to investors and all the way back to residents. It creates a virtuous cycle that will allow your town to thrive.

“We can do that by ensuring tourism works to benefit our residents and their quality of life,” explained Mat-Su CVB’s Casey Ressler, “increase visitor infrastructure like trails, better wayfinding and improved outdoor recreation opportunities leads to more visitors, economic development and strengthens our community.”

Driving results through your holistic, place-led vision

Of course, it’s far easier to say it than it is to put this into practice. No plan survives first contact with the enemy, and the more organisations you have in the mix, the more potential there is for conflict.

However, there’s also the possibility of a much greater reward.

So, what do you need to do to get this right?

Most importantly, you have to agree on a shared vision for your place. You need a North Star that all teams can use to guide their actions.

Essential COSTA RICA’s Adriana Acosta recommends that you “define both a short- and long-term vision. This will help guide and measure each initiative you develop, ensuring alignment with your strategy and engaging with public and private stakeholders who can amplify your message.”

Then, you need to make sure that your story is reflective of what makes your place truly distinct. Engage with your residents early and often, and keep going back to them to ensure your strategy still resonates with them.

Alongside this is an ongoing piece of work to educate our place leaders on just why this is so important. “While tourism and economic development often have separate audiences and goals, their ultimate objective is the same: growing the local economy,” explained Visit Montgomery’s Kelly Groff. “For this value to be fully realised, local leaders must understand its potential.”

Finally, you have to prepare for the long-term. A product might be short-lived, but your place will still exist long-after you’ve moved on to other job roles. “Stewardship is a crucial aspect of building a purposeful, place-led vision,” explained Cayuga County CVB’s Karen Kuhl. “Considering the three tiers of sustainability – environmental, social, and economic – is vital.”

At the end of the day, we are only acting as stewards for our places. Taking a long-term view and balancing out the costs and benefits of your activities across that triple bottom-line will create a foundation from which your place can continue to flourish for the decades to come.

Adriana Acosta, Jerad Bachar, Michael Crockatt, Kelly Groff, Shelley Hirstwood, Megan Knott, Karen Kuhl,  Casey Ressler, Bob Ross, Cecelia Thompson, and Joel Walton, will all be sharing their expertise at CNP Americas this May 21-22^nd. Join us in Ottawa to discover how you can connect the dots between tourism and economic development and what you need to prioritise to weather the political and social turbulence of the coming years. Find out more here.