Founder, AIMCLEAR®, Integrated Brand & Performance Marketing, Photographer, Explorer, Coach
In this holiday season, as we reflect on the ways communities thrive, consider how tourism mirrors the shared spirit of closeness and commitment supporting each other at home. Living, sharing, and buying local foster a space where cultures, histories, and offerings combine to create opportunities for discovery and connection with visitors. It is not negative to say tourism is inherently competitive. For someone planning their trip, destinations compete to stand out and make a memorable first impression. When two destinations offer many similar experiences, they vie for attention from travelers who may be still undecided. Tourists weigh their options carefully and how well each destination presents itself can tip the scales. Smaller marketing budgets vs. Mariott or Delta mean competition is more acute, not less. Travelers' budgets, too, make tourism competitive, especially in these times. They often have limited resources for this year's trip, forcing them to choose one experience over another. Others may only have one vacation a year. Companies often have a single major gathering annually. We can't wait to sell. To say tourism isn’t competitive is like suggesting vendors at a farmers market don’t need to sell their products first and best. If a vendor—whether offering fruit preserves, baked goods, or handcrafted items—assumes customers have unlimited budgets and will eventually buy from all vendors, they’ll struggle to make an immediate living. Instead, great farmer-marketers work to catch the eye and spark interest in this moment to gain the first sale- because they understand choices must be made. Competition doesn’t detract from tourism—it enriches it. By striving to highlight the distinct qualities of our destination, we inspire more people to choose their first visit and ensure that they’ll be eager to return. When Duluth's experiences are similar to others, we can tell them why we're better overall. This holiday, let’s embrace the drive to share our unique offerings and create moments of local connection to encourage exploration, discovery, and loyalty. (Picture from Chester Park Neighborhood, Duluth, IYKYK)
Great insights on the competitive nature of tourism! 🌍 How do you think smaller destinations can effectively differentiate themselves in such a crowded market? On a different note, I’d love to connect and share ideas!
Some great points here, Marty Weintraub! 🙂 I’m curious to hear your thoughts on "over-tourism" and the need for "de-marketing" certain destinations. It seems that some places suffer from excessive tourism, and, ultimately, even the tourists don’t get the experience they were seeking ? 🤔
When we do marketing right, we are answering a craving. Our job is to take the need or intense want of the consumer and satiate it with whatever brand/product/experience we are presenting to the best of our ability. It’s cerebral, marketplace dating, and in a world of finite financial resources, the goal in tourism is to make our (Duluth) “The One” that families want to attach memories too. Solid article, Marty.
Love this take, Marty Weintraub Tourism is definitely about standing out and showcasing what makes a place special. First impressions matter, and creating connections keeps people coming back. With right marketing we can achieve this by leveraging storytelling, targeted campaigns, and visuals like that breathtaking photo of Chester Park. Combining seasonal content with localized SEO, social media ads, and partnerships with travel influencers can amplify a city’s unique charm. Highlighting #Duluth’s cozy holiday appeal through user-generated content and interactive campaigns could really strengthen its position as a must-visit destination!
Great insights, Marty! Ever thought about student interns to boost those unique Duluth offerings? We connect founders with top university talent eager to contribute.
Owner, Zenith Research Group
1wAll good tourism marketing campaigns begin with research that defines the traveling public's specific interests in a region. In our multiple efforts for Visit Duluth and the City of Duluth, we spoke with thousands of individuals and families about why they chose Duluth and dozens of other questions specific to their visit and other areas they have frequently visited. We've also spoken with thousands who had never visited our city or region. Marketing that puts the interests of the "pay to play" financial supporters of specific marketing agencies over those of the audience most likely to visit does a disservice to all non-paying businesses and the community at large.