Power of Travel Promotion 3.0
At a glance
- Investment in travel promotion attracts new visitors and generates significant local economic activity for US states and cities.
- Report comprises case studies from US destinations demonstrating both positive outcomes of promotion investment and negative consequences of funding cuts.
- Effective destination branding is essential to maintain competitiveness in the global marketplace and prevent visitor benefits flowing to rival destinations.
- Travel promotion generates tax revenue supporting essential community services, positioning marketing as advocacy tool for local leaders and policymakers.
What the report covers
Power of Travel Promotion 3.0, published by Destinations International in August 2016, examines the strategic importance of destination marketing investment across US states and cities. The report comprises case studies illustrating both positive outcomes from sustained promotion funding and negative consequences from budget reductions. Designed as an advocacy resource, it educates local leaders and elected officials on why travel promotion investment generates visitor acquisition, local economic activity and tax revenue essential to community services.
Key findings
Destinations International argues that in today's highly competitive global marketplace, travel destinations require sustained investment in branding to remain relevant. The report contends that without effective promotion, states and cities cede visitor acquisition and associated economic benefits to competing destinations, implying that promotion funding directly influences destination market share and competitiveness.
The report draws on case studies from multiple US destinations across different regions and market segments. These examples document outcomes where investment in travel promotion generated positive results, including new visitor attraction, increased local economic activity and enhanced tax revenue available to support essential public services and infrastructure.
Conversely, the report identifies destinations that experienced negative consequences following reductions in travel promotion funding. These case study examples underscore the risks and costs associated with budget cuts, reinforcing the argument that sustained marketing investment remains strategically critical for destination performance.
The report positions destination marketing as a key communication tool for articulating travel's economic and fiscal value to lawmakers and community stakeholders. By illustrating connections between visitor traffic, promotion investment and tax revenue generation, the report enables local leaders to understand destination marketing's contribution to essential services and economic development objectives.
Key numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Primary audience for report advocacy | States and cities across the United States |
| Case study approach | Multiple destinations with positive and negative promotion outcomes |
Figures as published in the source; forecasts and survey results are labelled as such in the note.
Why it matters
DMOs & destinations
DMO leaders require evidence-based advocacy tools to justify marketing budgets to boards and elected officials. This report provides case study ammunition demonstrating tangible links between promotion investment and visitor acquisition, local economic activity and tax revenue—strengthening budget justification and sustainability arguments.
Hotels & hospitality
Hotel operators and hospitality businesses depend on effective destination promotion driving visitor volume and occupancy. The report validates industry collaboration with DMOs by illustrating how promotion funding directly correlates with visitor flow, occupancy rates, revenue generation and employment in local hospitality sectors.
Travel tech & distribution
Travel distribution platforms and marketing technology providers operate within destination ecosystems shaped by DMO promotion budgets and strategies. The report reinforces market demand for destination marketing services by demonstrating that underfunded promotion translates to reduced visitor acquisition and competitive disadvantage.
Methodology and limits
This brief is based on the publicly available summary only; the full report content is not disclosed. According to Destinations International, the report comprises multiple case studies from US destinations, updated in August 2016, documenting both positive outcomes from promotion investment and negative consequences from budget reductions. The summary does not specify sample size, quantitative methodology, data collection period or analytical limitations. Specific figures, ROI calculations or visitor impact metrics are not provided in the available summary text.
Official source
The report is © Destinations International. This brief is an original editorial summary by TourismIntel — it quotes only figures published in the source and never reproduces the document.
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