In Spring 2022, in Hamburg, Germany, the CityDNA International Conference & General Assembly convened its first in-person international conference and general assembly in two years. The theme was reunited destinations. It was a momentous event. Not only was it an opportunity for European Cities…
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Cultural heritage — is it a catalytic force for authentic destination development or a double-edged sword that must be wielded with skill and attention? The European Capitals of Culture (ECOC) initiative is an annual designation awarded to chosen European cities and designed to highlight the…
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If you found your way to this article, chances are that destination marketing organization (DMO) is a term you hear often … or maybe you're more familiar with the destination management organization? Perhaps you’ve never considered the difference between the two types of organizations and their…
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I had the honor to attend the annual IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism summit last month in Victoria, British Columbia. Listening to some of the best minds in the business articulate the challenges we face over the next decade, it struck me just how very many things we need to do well and get…
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As we power forward, a look in the rearview is warranted. As the French say, “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!” The more it changes, the more it’s the same thing. Two years ago now, in March 2020, the travel industry was hit by a crisis the likes of which we have never seen before. In the…
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In 2016, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) penned the Global Report on the Transformative Power of Tourism about a paradigm shift toward a more responsible and conscientious traveler. In his opening address, UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai wrote: “Tourism is much more than a…
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Tourism done well is the authentic sharing of people, places, and culture in a sustainable and regenerative framework. It creates deep connections between people, elevates our common connections as human beings, and awakens our appreciation of different place and people. Frankly, that is the…
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Over the course of the pandemic, so much has changed for tourism, tourists, and destinations. We’ve talked a lot in this “Future of Tourism” space about how destination organizations are at an existential crossroads. They must do everything they can to become more relevant, essential, and engaged in…
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Disruption is often described as a wave. When it comes to the wave of digital disruption, the conditions were based on previous disruptive waves, including the electrification of the world and, later, the creation and growth of computing. “The current wave of disruption is different,” said the…
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For a brief moment in January and February 2022, as we seemed to be coming out of the worst of the global pandemic, it looked like we were on track for a powerful reset that would usher in a new era of global tourism. The era would include a more thoughtful, careful, valuable, and intentional…
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