Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

The Tax You Don't Pay

We hear it all the time. Elected Officials often reject the idea of raising Hotel taxes because, regardless of the ROI, they fear that voters won't understand (maybe they're the same people that don't understand that vegi-burgers are made out of vegetables). They fear the electorate will only hear the word "tax" and vote against the measure or, more importantly, them.

The Wichita Falls CVB has just launched a new campaign to encourage voters there to approve a Hotel tax increase with a brilliant twist: It's the Tax You Don't Pay."

As much as we've all explained it that way...this is the first time I've seen it actually lead the conversation. We typically tout all the advantages of such an increase and follow-up with the "and the best part is residents don't pay" angle as the logic. But the DMO in Wichita Falls is attempting to take the issue off the table first.

Smart...and I can't wait to see how this plays out.

How Do You Like Us Now?

Over the past decade, Iceland rapidly became one of those destinations that moved up on everybody's Bucket Lists. It got to the point over the past couple years that some on the island country were bemoaning the crush of visitors and encouraging the government to do something to stem visitation.

Then Wow Airlines collapsed...and inbound travel to the country for 2019 is projected to drop by 17%. Visitation was down 24% last month. Unemployment is up and the Airport is laying off 315 workers. Hotels are slashing prices. The country's total economy is now projected to drop by roughly 2% after a decade of growth.

So, to all those who clamored for the "tourist problem to go away?" How do you like us now?

It's simplistic and unsophisticated to say that tourists are the problem (we are more often the solution). The sophisticated response is to better manage the visitor economy, n'est pas?

Place Branding for All

Destination Marketing pros that don't have a copy of Bill Baker's initial tome (or its second edition) on the subject of Destination Marketing on their bookshelf have been, sadly, operating with half a deck. But, never fear...Bill is back with his latest effort, "Place Branding for Small Cities, Regions and Downtowns."

And, for those of us that highlighted and sticky-noted our dog-eared copies...the new book expands upon the tenants of the original with new case studies and an updated attitude to reflect the ever-evolving dynamic that is Destination Marketing. Indeed, our friend Reyn Bowman (former CEO of the Durham CVB) said, "Bill has taken a great book and, unexpectedly, made it better."

You can find the new masterpiece here. And, for a deeper dive into the mind of Bill and what you'll find in the new book (plus a big reveal), check out his interview with Florian Kaefer in The Place Brand Observer.

Congratulations, Bill...and thanks for all you do your our industry!

The Motivation to Do the Right Thing

As I move from town to town in this sensational gig that permits me a view into so many corners of the Americas, it happens only once in a while.

I stop, sensing something's off. And then, I realize that the sidewalks and gutters are meticulously clean (which is a sad state of affairs when the way it should be is the exception).

I was in a community a couple weeks ago and it happened again. And, as I made my way to my early morning appointment downtown, I spied an individual with a leaf blower on the next block.

Aha, I thought to myself; that's why it's so clean. But, I looked again...and he was blowing only leaves. No cigarette butts. No wrappers or shattered pieces of styrofoam cups. So, it must be the culture of the community to take pride in the downtown.

And...one must wonder if that culture hasn't been encouraged by the penalty for discarding butts around town (click image to enlarge).

If we desire a certain response, we must actively encourage that response. And, a $2,500 fine does just that.

Well played, Fredericksburg. Well played...

The Sustainability Mandate

Destination Marketing used to be easy; we simply played the hand we were dealt. We marketed our assets and went home at night.

Today, the "mandates" on successful DMOs continue to grow. Be involved in Destination Advocacy. Diversify our revenue streams. Evolve into a Shared Community Value. Be part of the solution for Homelessness and Hunger.

Our DMOs look almost nothing like they did in the last century. And, that's a good thing...because our communities need us to be more than we have been. And, it's time to add Sustainability to the list.

The Global Destination Sustainability Index, originally a Scandinavian initiative, has just released a powerful White Paper on the role of DMOs in this new mandate. It pulls no punches...and, for those that buy into the premise that "There is No Planet B," it's pretty clear: Take the Lead. Develop a Master Plan. Integrate the Plan into the Core Strategy. And Become a Master Collaborator.

These are all topics that we bridge with every one of our DMO clients...but, I've never seen them bundled in such a compelling manner.

The article in Meetings & Conventions is so worth your read...and I'll be surprised if you don't request the White Paper.

 

The Hubris of Going it Alone

The politicization of Destination Marketing continues to rise, with local governments increasingly thinking that they can achieve a higher ROI by taking their investment in their regional DMO and doing their own thing. And, while I can certainly understand the community pride that drives such conversations, the reality is that, unless a community is talking about the redirection of millions of dollars, this won't end well.

The City of Eureka has withdrawn from its regional DMO because community leaders there don't think that the organization's redwoods-centric marketing provides it with enough visibility. They've taken their $370,000 ball and gone home.

As the City searches for an ad agency to fulfill the role of DMO (which, in the immortal words of that esurance commercial, "that's not how any of this works"), the Times-Standard editorial board has weighed in with a brutal smack-down that underscores the folly at work.

Such a strategy, they opine, means that Eureka will have roughly $5,000 to spend per month per market...not counting agency commission, staff, website or design).

Exactly.

Somewhere, "That 70's Show's" patriarch is uttering his famous one-word line.

When Tourism and Residents Collide

It's like that Def Leppard song.

Both sides in their respective corners...one side acting like they want to work it out, the other saying there cannot be a solution as long as the other takes breath. So, maybe it's more like the theme song of Rocky IV.

My friend, brand-meister Duane Knapp, and I have been bouncing this conversation around for a few months: the term "Over-Tourism" needs to be stricken from our shared lexicon. It does nothing but inflame...and isn't even accurate. Communities do not suffer from too many tourists. If they suffer, it is from poor management of the visitors that, at one time, sounded like a pretty good idea.

After all, let's not forget, the residents causing the most ruckus surely benefit from non-resident taxes, lower unemployment and more cool stuff to do in their towns than if visitors didn't drop off boatloads of cash each year. And, yes...their counter-arguments are just as valid. Tourists can be self-absorbed pigs.

But, a recent story from Juneau AK exemplifies why we need to stop the name calling. Some local activists, calling themselves "Juneau Neighborhoods Affected by Tourism," called a meeting to discuss their grievances about the travel industry...without the travel industry in the room.

Organizers were beyond miffed when some industry representatives showed up to the meeting, one even asking them to vacate seats up front so that those that wanted to bitch could be seated. Astonished, representatives from cruise-lines and other hospitality businesses replied that they were only there to hear the concerns so they could attempt some form of mitigation.

But, no. Let's not enter into meaningful conversation to find a mutually beneficial solution. Let's just keep pointing fingers.

Destination Marketing Organizations have a role here...and we need to engage, pronto.

Image Credit: Der Spiegel

A Sharing Economy that Shares?

Home sharing plays, such as Airbnb, have not only disrupted the taxi industry...but, according to many, neighborhoods that report increasingly unaffordable housing, lack of sufficient parking for residents and the "evisceration" of the character locals love. And, as tourism must work first for residents, that's not a good thing.

Enter Fairbnb, a Dutch start-up that is about to launch a sharing play that gives back to the community to fund projects in the neighborhood, selected by the residents being impacted. It's not a perfect solution, but this story from City Lab offers hope to neighborhoods what welcome Fairbnb into their homes.

What Took Us All So Long?

Sometimes, we are so consumed with the job at hand that we can't see the opportunity before us. Sometimes we get comfortable with the "norm" of how business has always been done. And, that's when innovation is an orphan.

My alma mater DMO, Destination Madison is starting to pick up some serious industry buzz for its recent roll-out of a concept that is deceptively simple. One that sort of paraphrases Simon Sinek's "Start with Why" to "Start with the Customer."

The Destination Madison Team took the time to break down the challenges faced by today's meeting and event professional. And, juggling contract upon contract from each of the hotels they planned to use certainly floated to the top as one of a planner's biggest pain points.

How to solve the dilemma? Design one contract for all the hotels in the city the planner intends to use.

They call it "One City. One Contract."

It's One brilliant idea. 

Kudos to Deb, John and the Team that makes those of us that call Madison home so proud...

One Last Salute to National Tourism Week 2019

Another National Travel & Tourism Week is in the books...a week where we salute and honor the impact that the Visitor Economy (and all those that make it happen) has on our way of life.

Interestingly, last week was also International Economic Development Week. Which got me to thinking. As "Tourism is the First Date for Economic Development," shouldn't International Economic Development Week be this week? Just sayin...

A significant number of DMO pros wrote op-ed pieces for media releases and blogs that ran all last week. All pinpointed why Tourism and Destination Marketing are critical to a thriving community. One of our favorites came from John Groh (Rockford Area IL CVB). In "The Top 5 Reasons Travel Matters to Illinois...and to the Rockford Region," he clicks through many of the same points so many made last week.

What I admire most about John's missive was how he personalized the message beyond the stereotypical numbers we so often use. My two favorite lines: "Locally, more than 3,000 of our neighbors go to work every day at jobs generated by visitor spending." 

And then, this: "Travel helps families connect, creating everlasting memories and develops a lifelong bond. When surveyed, most children (61%) say the best way to spend quality time with parents is on vacation. At their core, adults know this: 62 percent of adults say that their earliest, most vivid memories are of family vacations taken between the ages of five and 10."

Drop the mic, my friend. That's how it's done. Touch their emotions...not their logic.

Bang on.