This Destinations International report provides a comprehensive global outlook on the evolving role of destination organizations amid rapid economic, social, and technological change. Developed in partnership with MMGY NextFactor, it identifies eight forces reshaping the industry, from securing investment and navigating geopolitical uncertainty to leveraging AI and advancing sustainability. Drawing from a global survey and expert panels, the study offers frameworks and actionable strategies for building organizational capacity, community alignment, and long-term resilience. It also redefines what success looks like for destinations, emphasizing social impact, resident well-being, and shared prosperity alongside economic outcomes. The report serves as both a roadmap and a call to action for destination leaders to evolve from marketers into multidimensional community leaders.

This white paper by Tourism Economics, in partnership with STR and Civitas, quantifies the measurable benefits of Tourism Improvement Districts (TIDs) across 100 U.S. cities over 30 years. It finds that destinations with TIDs consistently outperform those without, generating 2.1% higher room demand, 4.5% greater hotel revenue, and stronger long-term economic growth. Case studies from cities like Denver, San Antonio, and San Francisco show how TIDs drive local tax revenue, fund infrastructure, and expand marketing reach. The report highlights TIDs as stable, industry-driven funding tools that protect tourism budgets from government diversion. It positions TIDs as both a recovery and growth mechanism for destination competitiveness and community prosperity.

This Longwoods International report chronicles how Colorado’s elimination of its state tourism marketing budget in the early 1990s led to a sharp decline in visitation, billions in lost revenue, and a diminished national profile. It follows the state’s path to recovery after funding was restored, documenting strong returns on investment and a full rebound in market share. The report also details how efforts to replace public funding with private-sector support failed, underscoring the importance of coordinated, statewide promotion. Through decades of data, it provides one of the clearest demonstrations of the economic consequences of cutting tourism marketing.

Conducted by SMARInsights, this research measures the economic impact and audience reach of Washington State Tourism’s year-round FY2024 advertising campaign. The study found that the campaign generated 77,000 incremental trips, $103.5 million in visitor spending and an exceptional $184 return for every dollar invested. It also shows that ad-aware travelers spent more, stayed longer, and engaged in more activities than unaware visitors. The creative earned strong positive reactions across all generations, especially Boomers, and delivered high engagement in key markets like Denver and San Francisco. The findings confirm that sustained, well-targeted marketing can drive significant visitation and long-term economic returns for the state.

A high-level synthesis of research on the broad social and economic benefits of destination promotion. This report documents how tourism marketing positively impacts community quality of life, resident sentiment, tax revenue, business development, and more. Based on real case studies across North America, the report illustrates how strategic promotion supports placemaking and destination branding, especially in mid-sized and emerging markets.

This flagship report outlines the far-reaching, community-wide benefits of destination promotion. It features quantitative and qualitative analysis across seven thematic chapters covering tax revenue, workforce development, culture, economic growth, brand perception, and tourism improvement district (TID) impact. The report provides compelling proof that destination promotion delivers value beyond hospitality metrics, influencing quality of life, community pride, and business development.

Arizona’s tourism industry drives billions in spending, tax revenue, and local jobs, but other states are gaining ground. HB 2873 offers a powerful new way to compete. This bill would allow Arizona cities to create Tourism Improvement Areas (TIAs), a self-sustaining funding source that supports marketing, events, and infrastructure without relying on taxpayer dollars.

Across the U.S., communities with TIAs have seen stronger hotel demand, new revenue, and long-term growth. By adopting TIAs, Arizona could generate more than $140 million in new tax revenue while keeping its tourism economy strong and competitive.

This presentation, based on Longwoods’ work with over 70 destinations, explains how to effectively use data to defend tourism funding in high-stakes budget conversations. It centers on Colorado’s funding collapse in the 1990s as a cautionary tale and offers a repeatable framework for using visitor research, economic impact, and storytelling to justify tourism investment in modern-day debates.

This federally funded report profiles Indiana’s ‘IN Indiana’ branding campaign as a case study within the larger Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Recreation (TTOR) grant program. It showcases how strategic marketing, inclusive planning, and cross-sector collaboration helped Indiana use ARPA recovery funds to bolster economic resilience, create placemaking infrastructure, and engage diverse communities. Part of a broader national effort to evaluate TTOR outcomes across 50 states.

This comprehensive econometric report analyzes the return on investment for Brand USA’s marketing efforts in fiscal year 2024. The analysis combines survey data, market performance metrics, and mobile device tracking to quantify how Brand USA influenced international travel to the U.S. It reveals that Brand USA’s efforts generated 1.6 million incremental visits and $5.9 billion in visitor spending, with a $23.37 ROI per dollar invested. It also contextualizes U.S. market performance globally, citing shifts in market share, especially from Asia and Latin America.