Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Here We Go Again

As the old saying goes,"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." And, the insanity is back...this time in Montana.

From the age-old case study in Colorado to Buffalo to Sedona and countless destinations in between, when revenues dedicated to destination marketing are slashed, revenues to the community declines. I don't care how cool a community is today (even with the Yellowstone Effect), it won't last without effective marketing. Case in point, I don't hear anybody talking about Sedona anymore.

A Senator in Montana is pushing a bill that would redirect the lion's share of the revenue from the State's lodging and rental car taxes into a property tax relief account. If successful, property owners in Montana could expect to see $437 in property tax assistance in 2026.

The hubris of the bill's sponsor (a builder of elegant multi-million homes by trade) however, is laughable: “Tourism is valuable. I get that. But tourism is also alive and well," he said after a hearing in which the measure was properly toasted last month. 

Tourism won't be "alive and well" if this bill passes. And, for $437 a year? Think of those hospitality workers living in apartments who will see no benefit (rents never go down) and could lose their jobs if tourism falters. Or the small business owners in the sponsor's hometown of Kila (pop. 440) that stand to lose thousands of dollars in sales.

As Explore Whitefish Executive Director Julie Mullins said, “While we understand the intent of this legislation to provide short-term property tax relief, we are deeply concerned about its long-term ramifications.” 

As are we all.

Next on DMOU > Courtney Cacatian

Kicking off the New Year on DMOU, we have for you a fascinating conversation with Visit Charlottesville Albermarle CVB CEO Courtney Cacatian. Her recent book “The Future of Destination Organizations: A Guide to a Community-Based Welcome,” chronicles her path in helping the community acknowledge its past and begin building for the future. From spearheading the award-winning Black C’ville to becoming the initial model for Tourism for All, Courtney recounts the journey her DMO has taken in building a more welcoming environment for residents and visitors alike.

Join us.

That's Not Gonna Happen

Catching up on the news from the holiday season when we were more focused on sharing good cheer.

Congress again averted a shutdown at the last minute (they so thrive on drama) last month...but Mitt Romney voted against the measure as a protest to how our government is run, calling it "absurd."

Mitt has also announced he will not run for re-election, saying it is time for a new generation of leaders.

Which is a fine aspiration...if all the new entrants into the field haven't already learned that the only way to get elected is swear allegiance to the tribe.

It's only gonna get worse without people like Mitt that exhibit a spine.

On Travel Shaming

Our friend George Tzougros of the Wisconsin Arts Board shared this fascinating story last week. 

Travel shaming has become a thing for people that are either jealous of those that travel (when they can't) or those that really believe we are harming the environment with our carbon footprint (OK, maybe). And, the story asked if there was a solution.

As someone who is on the road roughly half the year, working with our Destination Marketing clients across the Americas, I have the simple solution to the shame people are feeling.

Stop posting your travels on Social Media. I certainly don't...and I never take shit for the life I lead.

Simple as that.

Still Won't Be Enough

When Venice announced they were going to charge visitors to the city €5 a day in an attempt to slow mass tourism, most experts merely shook their heads in disbelief. How could anyone think that €5 would dissuade anyone.

And, of course, it didn't. Visitation was up again this year.

So, word is out that Venice will raise the fee next year to €10 a day...and the same thing will happen. Nothing.

Hey Venice? You really want to try and make a dent by taxing tourists? Try adding another zero.

Thanks to our friend George Tzougros of the Wisconsin Arts Board for the catch.

Next Up on DMOU: Scott Dring

While DMOs are increasingly engaged in (and in Destination Cleveland’s case, leading) workforce development and talent acquisition initiatives, Visit Dublin OH is playing the long game by working to show High School students the breadth and excitement of hospitality as a career choice. Scott Dring joins the DMOU podcast to outline how the newly launched Travel & Tourism Academy in the Dublin School System came to fruition. The program merges traditional learning curriculum (designed by the region’s top academic institutions) with really life onsite exposure, becoming one of the most talked about Academies on campus. Scott also shares how the Dublin Link has both created a new local destination but enhanced its historic downtown. And, a Bonus Round question that involves 4 guys in a van in an attempt to visit every major league baseball park on America without GPS or mobile phones. Join us.

Thanks for the Opportunity

I had the opportunity to guest on the Wright Here, Right Now podcast earlier this month while doing some preliminary consulting work in Austin MN. We are honored to be working with SEH Consulting and The Velocity Group (and a bevy of other subject experts) on that region's Comprehensive Plan.

Host John Wright, Discover Austin's Nancy Schnable and I discussed the process and the excitement he heard from participants in our focus groups.

Thanks, John. Enjoyed meeting you and being invited on your show.

Next Up on DMOU: Welcome Centers are Dead

We still believe in Visitor Centers, even though Visit Fort Colins CEO Cynthia Eichler recently wrote a CDME paper entitled, Visitor Centers are Dead. Why then did she just open a Visitors Center in Downtown Fort Collins? Because it’s not simply a Visitor Center. Join us for a fascinating conversation on the creation of a Community Hub, the partnerships that came together to make it happen and how the Center is blowing away initial estimates and expectations. And, we spend one of our questions on the innovative online retail hub they created during the Plague that helped save several Fort Collins businesses.

Next on DMOU > Travel Accessibility for DMOs

On this edition of DMOU, we settle in with John Sage of Sage Inclusion. We met John at the Destinations International Annual Convention and were fascinated by his take on what destinations and DMOs get right (and wrong) about travelers with disabilities, a market cohort that is only growing with an aging population. In our conversation, John demystifies ways that DMOs can play a pivotal role in making their destinations more accessible. Join us.

What Some of Us Would Like to Say

2024 will go down as the year of the grand resident push-back on mass tourism across the globe, most evident in Europe. Those of us in Destination Marketing and Leadership are well aware of what causes residents to protest levels of visitation that are simply unsustainable.

However, most of us are reticent to say what we believe. Except for Doug Lanskey.

If you laugh, it's because you know it's true.