This study explores how safety, politics, public sentiment and broader societal issues shape meeting planners’ perceptions of destinations, and ultimately influence event selection and economic outcomes. Using survey data, interviews and traveler sentiment analysis, the report offers clear insights into what drives destination trust, how reputational challenges can be addressed and why transparency, collaboration and consistent storytelling matter. It equips destination organizations with actionable strategies to mitigate risk, strengthen appeal and support planners in advocating for their locations.

Tourism funding is shifting nationwide, with 221 TIDs now operating across 25 states and new legislation emerging every year. This section helps destinations understand how TID models work, analyze the legal stability of their revenue streams, and evaluate risks such as legislative or local government action. Use this framework to benchmark funding stability and strengthen long-term financial resilience.

Destination organizations face intensifying pressure as traditional public funding becomes more politically vulnerable and subject to diversion. This section outlines the shifting funding landscape, including rising competition for public dollars, philosophical opposition to tourism spending, and new laws that reallocate bed tax revenue, and explores stable, proactive solutions such as TIDs, assessments, increment financing, and diversified private revenue. Learn how destinations can build long-term funding stability through stronger advocacy, trust-building, and data-backed strategies.

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 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 joint report from U.S. Travel and Civitas examines changes in lodging taxes across 100 U.S. destinations and how those revenues are allocated. It finds that most rate increases occur at the city and county level, not statewide, and that more than half of new revenue is directed back to tourism promotion or related programs. The study includes regional comparisons, trend data from 2018 through 2025, and detailed rate breakdowns for each destination. It also spotlights emerging statewide assessment models in places like Washington and California that may shape future tourism funding structures. Together, these findings provide a clear picture of how local tax policies influence destination competitiveness and tourism investment.

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.

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.

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.