People, alignment & purpose: building belonging networks at the Certified Tourism Ambassador Summit

I recently had the privilege of joining an exceptional group of destination leaders and Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) program managers in Scottsdale, Arizona, for the 2025 CTA Summit — a gathering that quietly but powerfully reminded us what the real operating system of tourism looks like: people, alignment, and shared purpose. 

What struck me yet again is how deeply the CTA community is already living the four frameworks that will define the next decade of travel and tourism:  

1. Networked resilience 
2. Looking at data differently 
3. Engagement 
4. Identity congruency 

These aren’t theoretical concepts. They’re grounded practices that show up in your frontline programs, your stakeholder relationships, and the way you connect civic ambitions with visitor experiences. 
 

1. Networked Resilience 

Networked resilience was on full display. From Visit Anaheim’s long-standing commitment to reinvesting hospitality tax revenue into housing and transit, to Visit Greenville’s extraordinary community response to Hurricane Helene — led not by slogans, but by empathy, readiness, and strong civic networks. And in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, Jenissa Meredith and Allison Volcic showed us what proactive resilience really looks like. Their successful effort to secure “All-American Road” status for Flaming Gorge and the Green River Basin wasn’t just a designation — it opened the door to a decade of new funding, partnerships, and co-created development. That’s networked resilience in its purest form: building capacity before the storm, not scrambling after it.
 

2. Looking at Data Differently  

We also saw destinations looking at data differently — not as reports to admire, but as evidence that aligns people and guides strategy. Destination Ann Arbor’s work connecting academic data, civic insight, and community opportunity is a model for what comes next. Helsinki, through the VivaCITY project, continues to show the world how to convert overlooked data and invisible blind spots into shared advantage. And Choose Lansing’s use of accessibility data demonstrates how even “small data” can reinforce pride, inclusion, and the welcoming narrative of a destination. 
 

3. Engagement 

The CTA community also showcased what true engagement looks like. Visit Bellevue’s partnership with Amazon and the city — offering free electric taxis to residents and visitors — is engagement embedded in innovation. Explore Flint’s “Be a Tourist in Your Hometown” initiative is engagement as healing and pride-building. And Visit Seattle’s commitment to ensuring black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC), women, and LGBTQIA+ owned businesses are uplifted through tourism illustrates an important truth: even in one of the world’s artificial intelligence (AI) capitals, it’s still all about people, trust, and fairness. 
 

4. Identity Congruency 

Finally, identity congruency is emerging as one of the great competitive advantages of the next decade. From Visit Buffalo’s “People. Place. Pride.” to Little Rock’s honest, humble, deeply human visitor experience, and Visit Tucson’s co-created work with Indigenous partners — destinations are learning that identity isn’t something you declare; it’s something you share, invite, activate, and earn. 
 

A heartfelt thank-you to Mickey Schaefer and the CTA network for the invitation, the hospitality, and for stewarding a community that understands the heart of tourism better than most. 

As we look ahead to the Future of Tourism Executive Insights Symposium at Simpleview Summit 2026, it’s clear that the CTA community is not just part of the conversation — you are the early builders of the next era. You are creating the networks of belonging that will define tourism’s future.