Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

The End of Tourism as We Know It

Observers of the Destination Marketing sector watched in disbelief as forces within Sedona mounted a full-goose frontal assault on the local DMO in 2018. It's one thing to challenge community policies and strategies...but this got personally ugly.

Which is why, 18 months later, it is so cool to see an article in the Sedona Red Rock News showcasing how the DMO there has heard the complaints and moved rapidly to develop a long-term sustainability plan for the region.

This is what it means to be a Destination Marketing Organization in the third decade of this century. And, to hear the back story, check out the DMOU Podcast with Jennifer Wesselhoff. It's powerful stuff.

The End of Tourism as We Know It? Yeah...it will be Tourism as we redefine our approach to it. And, that will be different for each one of us.

Fire Fast

Terri shared this graphic with me the other day and it transported me back over two decades to a moment when I learned that truth.

I had an employee that appeared to be universally loved by our industry partners...but was an insidiously growing cancer inside our DMO. It took me weeks to pull the trigger, hoping against hope that I could cure the disease, believing that my partners would be furious if she left.

When I finally did what needed to be done, I watched my staff walk on air for a week and took calls from industry partners saying, "what took you so long?"

If for no other reason, fire fast to preserve the organizational culture you've nurtured.

And, for more on developing a kick-ass work culture, check out the latest episode of the DMOU podcast with Visit Anchorage's Julie Saupe.

Are We Really that Geographically Challenged?

It happened again last week...and, unfortunately, it happened again to Bermuda.

A recent news report confused Bermuda with another island that starts with the same letter in a story about Caribbean crime, erroneously stating that Bermuda suffered through 131 murders last year.

The actual number? Zero, making Bermuda one of the safest island destinations in the world. And, by the way, Bermuda isn't even in the Caribbean.

Being mistaken for another island stung Bermuda over two years ago when people confused it with Barbuda, which was devastated by Hurricane Irma. Resorts on Bermuda reported over 3,000 cancelations by consumers that were absolutely sure that what they heard about Barbuda was, in fact, Bermuda. One resort manager reported that, when he tried to explain that Bermuda was 1,000 miles away, consumers would try to argue with him, saying "Don't lie to me. I know what I saw on TV."

Sigh...

Travelability

We really need to create a central clearing-house for the scheduling of significant industry conferences. Two of this autumn's most important conferences in the Destination Marketing space were right on top of each other. And, many of us were forced to make a choice we didn't want to make.

Luckily, the inaugural Travelability Summit has laid out the key learning moments from their successful first foray into this essential topic for the future of travel.

Sensational intel for us all. Sign-up for future communiques.

You Can Check in Anytime You Like

Alas, the Night Man in the Eagles' classic "Hotel California" said that to a guest over 40 years ago...and it's just becoming a thing.

We've all been there, especially those of us that red-eye or fly internationally. But, even those of us that hit town at Noon have had to wait until the obligatory 3pm check-in time at most hotels. And, of course, short-staffed hotels are increasingly missing that mark.

But a movement has begun in the smaller, upscale, independent hotel groups around the world to allow customers, upon room availability, to check-in at any time of the day or night. While it could become an additional revenue stream, several of the hotels interviewed for a recent Skift article maintain the move is an opportunity to build loyalty among clients that have many choices in where they lay their head.

And, implementation is deceptively simple. Rather than having a morning and an afternoon crew to clean and prep rooms, these ingenious hotels are scheduling housekeepers on an hourly-rotating schedule.

Brilliant...and it only took 40 years.

Death to Stir Sticks*

The global Plastics crisis is just being recognized by the citizens inhabiting this planet. But, while 80% of Hilton's guests claim to care about that brand's environmental footprint, a Skift study found that only 53% would be willing to pay extra to ensure sustainable hotel practices. And, that's a challenge, as plastics make housekeeping faster and easier. There is no simple answer, as simple as the problem at hand may be.

But plastic straws? Please. Especially for those of us that consume our drinks straight. I totally get a straw or swizzle for a mixed drink.* But, bourbon on the rocks? Why wouldn't management encourage servers to consider whether a drink needs to be served with a stick? It would save them money plus suggest a modicum of environmental concern.

I gotta give serious props to Delta for eliminating straws in favor of bio-degradable bamboo stir sticks on their flights. For all the travel companies that say they plan to address plastics in 2021 or 2023, Delta has proven that a world travel brand can do it much faster...if they take the issue seriously.

Sadly though, I now get a bamboo stick in most of my Woodfords. So, there's still work to do.

Skift has made the Plastics crisis a focus of its reporting and analysis. It's a long read...but worth your time and consideration.

 

A Virtual Destination Marketing Summit

Excited to be presenting at The Destination on the Left Virtual Summit, a new kind of conference for the travel industry - one without registration costs or travel time. My friend and podcaster Nicole Mahoney has gathered 17 industry experts (and past guests on her show) that are ready to share their knowledge with you December 9th through the 11th.

The best part? You don't have to hop on a plane or book a hotel because you'll absorb hours of content, all from the comfort of your office or home. The second best part is it's free. Check out the lineup of speakers at the link above and reserve your free ticket.

And, you can get a sneak peek at some of the topics I'll be covering by checking out Nicole's interview with me earlier this year.

Alignment

Last week was one of those moments in time that so many things clicked. Destinations International brought its Advocacy Summit and CDME Fall Learning Weekend to our home town. We had the exceptional opportunity to break bread with and toast friends from around the world on our home turf. They had the chance to learn why we love this place as they sampled our city, cuisine and attractions.

We gathered together to discuss and debate the path forward for Destination Marketing Organizations. The best line of the Summit was that what we do isn't a Blue Issue or a Red Issue...it's a Green Issue. 

But, interestingly, the increasing realization that our most important customer is our residents was probably the biggest take-away for most Summit attendees. And, that's where the alignment kicks in, as the City Nation Place Conference in London simultaneously wrapped. And, in their Top 5 takeaways:

"Place marketing teams have a responsibility to put the citizen first: putting citizens first in all aspects of tourism and economic development protects and enhances quality of life, creating a virtuous circle. As Geerte Udo, CEO at amsterdam&partners, said so eloquently, perhaps it is time that we stop teaching locals to value tourism and instead begin to teach tourists to respect locals."

Deep.

A Classy Send-Off

Yesterday, our friend Chris Jennings announced that he was stepping away from the top spot at the Spartanburg SC CVB to get closer to his family in the Northeast. And, he leaves quite a body of work over the past decade...which was chronicled by his DMO's ad agency (click image to view the very cool tribute).

Chris and I traded e-mails yesterday in which he said that he knows there'll be a lot of interest in his soon-to-be vacated spot, as Spartanburg is a destination on the move (and, when it's posted, you'll find that opportunity on the biggest DMO Job Board on the planet). And, whoever steps up t0 the plate, they'll have Chris to thank for teeing up a sensational opportunity (yeah, I know I'm mixing sports, here).

Congratulations on a stellar run, Chris. We can't wait to see what's next.

Morris Andrews

On the road pretty non-stop over the past few weeks, I returned home over the weekend and began catching up on local news through my community's two weekly newspapers. Alas, I learned that a former collaborator and conspirator had departed terra firma during my absence. 

Morris Andrews was, truly, the most amazing political mind with whom I've ever had the opportunity to work. This obit in the Capital Times outlines his amazing accomplishments...and the ability to artfully and deftly work both sides of the aisle (a skill that few today possess).

My eulogy for Morrie will take a much more targeted tack. It was his involvement in the referendum fight for Madison's Monona Terrace the caused our two paths to collide. I was the new kid in town. He was the veteran. His lower lip would often protrude when I'd suggest a tactic for the campaign...and I never knew if it meant he was considering the concept or if he was trying to figure out how to tell me I was an idiot.

It was Morrie that suggested, early in the 2-year campaign, that we field phone banks. I (the padawan) questioned him (Yoda) as to the efficacy of such a move. Why would we attempt to sway public opinion more than a year out from the vote?

With a wry smile, he suggested that this phone bank wasn't to inspire...but to gauge public opinion. He needed to know why residents opposed the project in order to mount an effective response to ultimately win the public vote.

As I look back upon the keys to the win, it was that moment that rises to the top. Within days of the weeks-long phone banks, we knew that there were only two issues that concerned voters. The opposition was flailing away with 13 reasons why the project was a bad idea. It was Morrie that guided us to focus on what mattered to the electorate and to ignore the superfluous.

My other favorite memory of those heady times was that I was, admittedly, a bull in a china shop when it came to engaging the opposition. I desperately wanted to respond to every lie and misdirection they threw out into the public discourse. It was Morrie that subtly shook his head and held me back, knowing that it was not yet time.

I'll never forget the moment, a week before the vote, that he smiled that wry smile, nodded and said "Go." And, minutes later, I faced off against an opposition spokesperson on the evening news and took him down hard.

Days later, we won with 50.8% of the vote (4 out of 5 people on the street today will say they voted for Monona Terrace, so successful it has been in the renaissance of the Mad City). Morrie's brilliant counsel accounts for at least 10% of that vote...maybe more.

Madison is blessed to have had Morris Andrews and George Nelson in position to help lead the community through the '90s. We are who we are because of these two great individuals.

Godspeed Morrie...you were an inspiration and a teacher to so many of us. And, I'm able to guide others toward success because of the truths you taught me.