Destination Discourse

106: Are DMOs Paying Agencies for the Wrong Thing? (Agency Panel Reaction, Pt. 2)

In part two of their reaction to episode 103's agency panel, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker pull on the two threads the panel left hanging. First: at ESTO, 80% of the room

105: What Are DMOs Actually Paying Agencies For? (Agency Panel Reaction, Pt. 1)

This is part one of a two-part reaction to episode 103, where a panel of leading destination agencies agreed on two big things: AI is commoditizing tactical execution, an

104: Why Aren't DMOs Weaponizing Their Local Universities for Visitors and Advocacy? (Kristen Adamo)

Every DMO says it wants community partners, yet most ignore the one institution already moving thousands of people into their destination every year. Kristen Adamo, Presi

103: What Do the Industry's Top Agencies Really Think About the Future of Destination Marketing?

For the first time ever, four of destination marketing's biggest agency partners sat down together, on the record, to talk openly about where this industry is headed. Dan

102: Is Your Destination Chasing Luxury at the Expense of Its Locals? (Shannon Lowery)

Luxury hotels keep going up. Affordable housing doesn't. As destinations chase the top of the K-shaped economy, the residents who staff the front desks and pour the pints

101: Does Your DMO Need a Hive Mind? (Janette Roush)

Every DMO generates a constant stream of intelligence - agency reports, meeting transcripts, sales calls, partner conversations - and most of it ends up trapped in someon

100: After 100 Episodes, Which of Our Own Beliefs Didn't Survive?

Two years, 100 episodes, and zero preparation. In the first-ever live edition of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker take audience questions in real time

99: Who's Actually the Theater Director of Your Destination? (Seth Lieber)

Destinations International's 2025 Destination Next study says DMOs should stop just promoting the visitor experience and start owning it. Seth Lieber, founder of Seth Lie

98: Are DMOs to Blame for Their Own Funding Crisis? (Bill Geist)

A city council in Georgia just replaced a high-performing DMO with a firm that faked its client list - and barely anyone with standing pushed back. Returning guest Bill G

97: Are You Marketing a Destination, or Exporting a Culture? (Josh Albrecht)

Most DMOs still ask how to get outsiders to notice their destination. Josh Albrecht, CMO of VISIT Milwaukee, argues that's the wrong question - a DMO's real job is to exp

96: Are You Optimizing Your Destination Into a Death Spiral? (Dan Janes)

Stuart and Adam open with Dubai's viral resident-referral campaign - turning locals into paid travel advocates - before returning Destie Dan Janes (KHM Agency) lays out h

95: When's the Last Time Your DMO Admitted a Campaign Bombed? (Dan Gibson)

Every DMO panel is a highlight reel - so why does no one ever mention what didn't work? Returning guest Dan Gibson (Visit McMinnville) joins Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker

94: Are LLM Visibility Audits Total BS? (Emily Zertuche)

Every vendor in the industry suddenly has an "AI visibility score" to sell you. Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker dig into whether GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) is rea

93: Are You Paying Attention to the Trends Reshaping Marketing Right Now?

Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker step outside destination marketing to spot the trends reshaping consumer attention right now - and don't even agree on which ones matter mos

92: Is Your DMO Chasing Relevance When It Should Be Fighting for Significance?

In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker recap Adam's latest CMO Jam - a live, candid roundtable with six DMO marketing leaders - and dig i

91: Is Your DMO Website Still Just a Listings Page in an AI World? (Will Wright)

AI is already cutting DMOs out of the trip-planning conversation - and Will Wright (Destination Core) thinks most destination websites are wasting the one asset that coul

90: Why Would AI Ever Trust Your DMO's Content?

In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker tackle a question most DMOs would rather avoid: why should AI ever trust your content over anyone

89: Is Your DMO Still Treating AI Like a Toy Instead of a Teammate? (Dan Flores)

Dan Flores, Head of Tourism at Satisfi Labs, joins Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker with an uncomfortable premise: most DMOs are still treating AI like a gadget instead of a

88: Is Your DMO Protecting Itself Into Irrelevance? (Chris Fair)

Most DMOs talk about economic impact. Chris Fair, CEO of Resonance Co and author of the annual Best Cities report, talks about something harder to measure — and more cons

87: Would Your Stakeholders Fight to Keep You If You Disappeared Tomorrow? (Gary Sherwin)

Most DMOs measure success in website clicks and visitor guide downloads. Gary Sherwin has spent 20 years at Visit Newport Beach asking a harder question: if you disappear