The Layover Live: How DMOs can lead community resilience during disaster recovery

Natural disasters can alter the course of a destination overnight. Whether it's a hurricane, wildfire, flood, or severe storm, the impacts extend far beyond damaged infrastructure. Communities are disrupted, businesses face uncertainty, and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are often thrust into the role of trusted communicators, advocates, and recovery partners.

On this episode of the Layover Live podcast, hosts sit down with tourism leaders from Explore Asheville and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater to discuss their firsthand experiences recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Their stories offered valuable lessons about preparedness, communication, collaboration, and resilience that every DMO can learn from.

Tune in for big ideas

1. Relationships are your first line of defense: Strong partnerships with local government, small businesses, emergency management teams, and community leaders make it easier to coordinate response efforts and communicate effectively during a crisis. 
    
2. Trust is built before disaster strikes: DMOs that consistently engage stakeholders and residents are better positioned to become the trusted source of information when communities need them most. 
    
3. Communication must be timely, transparent, and empathetic: Clear messaging during and after a disaster helps reduce confusion, manage expectations, and keep residents, visitors, and partners informed. 
    
4. Recovery is about people before tourism: Destinations must prioritize community needs, business recovery, and local well-being before focusing on visitor demand. Sustainable tourism recovery follows community recovery. 
    
5. Preparedness creates resilience: Having crisis plans, communication playbooks, and recovery toolkits in place before an emergency can significantly improve response and recovery efforts.  

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