Marketing isn’t enough—DMOs must lead, advocate, and reinvent—or risk falling behind
The 2025 DestinationNEXT Futures Study, conducted by Destinations International (DI) and MMGY NextFactor, arrives amid volatile geopolitical landscapes, advancing AI technologies, and shifting expectations around community benefit. With input from over 530 professionals across 36 nations, the report delivers a commanding message: destination organizations must evolve—from broadcasting to brand-building, to proactive place-making, stewardship, advocacy, and broader economic development. Incremental tweaks won’t cut it; fundamental reinvention is essential.
Funding under Fire—Advocacy as Armor
Nearly 42% of DMOs fear funding cuts within three years—up from 37% in 2023. Recognizing this, the study urges destination leaders to become vocal advocates with governments, residents, and businesses. Diversified revenue streams—like visitor levies or rental taxes—aren’t a cure-all; they must be used strategically, and paired with public funding narratives that spotlight tourism’s role as a shared public good.
Expanding Mandates, Deepening Impact
What began as destination marketing is morphing into multidimensional leadership. Study respondents expect rapidly shifting traveler motivations and generative AI to alter marketing playbooks, favoring data-driven, authentic storytelling—and campaigns co-created with locals. Unsurprisingly, 84% of DMOs now see destination development (master planning, placemaking, policy shaping) as central to their roles.
Eight Strategic Forces Reshaping the Industry
The report identifies the eight forces that will define success in the next decade:
1. Advocacy & Impact – forging public-private trust lanes.
2. Economic & Geopolitical Resilience – moving from rigid planning to agile scenarios.
3. Capacity & Expectation Scaling – strengthening institutional structures to meet broader roles.
4. Place-Shaping – attracting investment through masterful destination development.
5. AI-Driven Marketing – personalized, AI-enhanced storytelling rooted in authenticity.
6. Purposeful Events – using festivals, sports, and summits as identity and investment magnets.
7. Regeneration & Sustainability – embedding social, environmental, and cultural KPIs beyond visitor numbers.
8. Workforce Transformation – combating tourism labor shortages with career pathing and DEI commitments.
FURTHER READING: TOWNSIZING AND AWAYBORHOODS: 2025’S HOTTEST TRENDS FOR MEETINGS
Redefining Success
Traditional metrics—room nights, visitor spend—remain relevant, but they’re no longer enough. Future-focused DMOs are introducing broader scorecards: resident sentiment, environmental health, equity measures, and long-term event legacies. These non-economic indicators are increasingly front and center.
A Blueprint for Reinvention
The implications are stark: organizations must reshape internally, investing in governance clarity, data systems, cross-sector partnerships, and community advisory structures. Success will depend not only on internal agility but on the ability to share ownership of vision and metrics with governments and residents.
Any thoughts, opinions, or news? Please share them with me at vince@meetingsevents.com.
Photo by Galina Nelyubova For Unsplash+
