Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Tenerife Targets Tourism

On the 20th of this month, several groups plan to stage a day of protests on the magical island of Tenerife. The complaint is not uncommon. These groups maintain that life there is "collapsing," besieged by Short Term Rentals.

An activist said, "People are living in their cars and even in caves, and locals can't eat, drink or live well. Airbnb and Booking.com are like a cancer that is consuming the island bit by bit." 

Don't get me wrong. We sometimes use STRs when it fits our needs (though our recent experiences have been seriously lacking). But governments need to step in to regulate these lodging options so they don't inadvertently jack the price of available housing for residents and workforce.

 

Coming to the Aid of Families of Those Who Came to the Aid of Others

World Central Kitchen is a collection of driven volunteers that race headlong  into locales on this earth that are facing humanitarian food crisis. First, it was coming to the aid of displaced Haitians after the earthquake in 2010. Most recently, they've been providing food to those without in war torn Ukraine and Gaza. Since its founding, WCK has provided over 350 million meals to those who need them most.

Earlier this month, 7 WCK workers were killed in a series of Israeli air strikes on their convoy. Looking at the photos and the stories of those we all have lost was painful, as we caught up on e-mail last evening.

We have supported WCK with donations during the conflict in Ukraine, when we first learned of their work. And, WCK has recently set up a fund to support the families of the 7.

We encourage you to click the link to learn more about these brave souls...and give what you can.

No More War.

The Best of the Darkness

With the up front disclaimer that I simply didn't have the time to check out every DMO's plan for the Great Eclipse...here are some of my favorite plays.

Boone County IN: "Get Mooned in Boone" was brilliant.

Irving TX: The Convention Center's Executive Chef Eduardo Alvarez and crew baked up the world's largest Moon Pie. 180 pounds. Five feet across. 128 eggs. 45 pounds of marshmallow cream. 60 pounds of chocolate. Yeah...you wish you were there yesterday.

Perry County MO: The hospitality community there can be commended for not gouging visitors seeking totality. According to this article on NBC News, the community held to everyday pricing (with the exception of the Holiday Inn Express, which said they could have gone higher, but didn't).

Whether their compassion for their visitors' wallets will translate into future visits...we'll just have to see.

Just a snapshot of the creativity we love about the sector we serve.

Y'all rock!

Just Don't

As much as the former President has been shown to have a messianic influence on his most devoted followers, here's hoping they don't mimic his actions during the last Total Eclipse.

To paraphrase The Christmas Story, you'll lose an eye, kid.

Glenn Frye

When the Eagles went their separate ways in the '80s, several immersed themselves in solo projects. Don Henley's work was probably the most audible on American radio.

But it was Glenn Frye's smoky soulful love songs that always put me in their trance. His highest charting love song single shuffled forward while I was in the shower yesterday...and that's all the cosmic nudge I need to make it our Music Friday feature.

This is "True Love."

That's a Stretch

If you're following the growing media mania regarding next Monday's Solar Eclipse across North America, you've likely already heard this one.

Ohio's Lorain County Visitor Bureau has placed a number of Eclipse-related billboards in neighboring Cleveland, at least one of which claims the destination is the only place one can see "totality." One assumes they meant in Ohio...but since they've doubled down on the claim, despite scientific response that refutes the notion, one never knows.

To be sure, it's not often that the County can say they have something that's worthy of residents from "the Land" to make the trip (see website).  This is it, my friends...so swing for the fences, even though a link on the County's own website refers to a page that lists no less than 9 communities in Ohio that will experience "totality."

Of course, this sleight of hand very well could have been planned to generate just the media attention it has raised. As a County Commissioner said, "we got free advertising on Channel 3 last night; cost us nothing."

True...but, let's not start making stretching the truth a habit, eh? It's ultimately bad for the credibility of what professional DMOs do every day.

Don't Pick Up That Phone...Yet

One of the best books on Sales I've ever read (and not because he mentions me in one of his examples) is by Tom Martin. The Invisible Sale is one of those tomes that will change the way most people will look at the Sales process because it doesn't often go with the flow.

Like his newest blog post. You've just received a call from a prospective client that says they were referred by a mutual friend. Your first inclination is to pick up the phone and return the call.

Tom says don't.

It's a great read.

Next Up on DMOU: Maura Gast

The philosophies that underpinned the art and science of the Destination Marketing world changed 15 years ago this Summer. That’s when Maura Gast first uttered those now famous words, “If you Build a Place…” On this edition of DMOU, Maura shares the backstory of how her “Building Blocks” came to be and how the entire community development sector is coming around to recognize that “it all starts with the visit.” Plus, she shares her thoughts on additional ways to explain the value of DMOs and her take on highlights from the Board Leadership for Destinations Symposium.