Ask it or answer it!

We are excited to introduce DMA West's newest member service -- EXCHANGE -- the online community for western destination marketers.

EXCHANGE is the best space to participate in in-depth discussions and receive feedback and resources from your professional peers. Employees who work for DMA West member DMOs are encouraged to participate in DMA West's EXCHANGE.

Join the exchange
Ask or answer a question.
Share strategies and best practices with your DMO industry colleagues.
Active participants create a thriving online community.

Let's Get Started

• Employees from DMA West-member DMOs are welcome to access the EXCHANGE discussionsite.
• Are you an employee from a DMA West-member DMO ready to join this online community?
• When you create your account, please use your real name in the "Username" field (First name Last name). Also, you must use a valid DMO email address.

Create Your EXCHANGE Account

NEXT STEPS
Once your account is created and approved by DMA West staff, you will receive an approval notification for your EXCHANGE participation. At that time, log in and click on your name above the "New Discussion" button (left panel). Then, click on the arrow next to the head silhouette icon (far right - across from your name) which will bring up the "Edit Profile" option. In this section, you may add your profile image and set your "Notification Preferences" and "Category Notifications."

If you need assistance at any step in the process, contact DMA West staff at 916.443.9012 or info@dmawest.org. Welcome to EXCHANGE.

Industry Research - Executive Summary of Study Now Available
MEASURING VISITOR CONVERSION FROM DMO SOCIAL MEDIA INVESTMENT + TRAVELER PROFILES OF DMO SOCIAL MEDIA AUDIENCES

The DMA West Education & Research Foundation retained Destination Analysts, Inc. to conduct a comprehensive research study to measure visitor conversion and estimate the economic impact of DMOs’ marketing to their audiences on major social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The combined (blind) findings from all participating DMOs produced industry averages on DMO social media marketing impact and performance. This research also gathered important insights into DMO social media audiences to deepen the industry’s understanding of these traveler profiles and their content preferences.

Special thanks to the participating DMOs in this study: Albuquerque, Central Oregon, Huntington Beach, Lane County, Lubbock, Mesa, Oceanside, Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory, Park City, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Luis Obispo County, Sedona, Stockton, Temecula Valley, Tri-Valley, Vacaville, West Hollywood and Yosemite Mariposa County.

The executive summary of the study was released in late April and is available to destination marketers on a complimentary basis.

Executive Summary

An Arizona First: Sedona Unveils Sustainable Tourism Plan

Famed red rock destination responds to the challenges of being “loved to death”
 
During National Travel & Tourism Week, the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau announced a revolutionary change in how tourism is managed in one of America’s premier travel destinations. The Sedona Sustainable Tourism Plan responds to the challenges posed by high tourism numbers with actions ranging from environmental stewardship of Sedona’s famous red rocks to reducing noise, traffic congestion and overcrowding at popular locations.
 
The Plan is the result of 18 months of planning by thousands of residents, community groups and visitors.
 
“It is all about balance,” said Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism President and CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff. “By applying sustainability principles to our economy, our quality of life and our visitor experience, we keep tourism strong while assuring Sedona will always be ‘The Most Beautiful Place on Earth.’”
 
The four pillars of the Sustainable Tourism Plan focus on balancing and enhancing residential quality of life, protecting our fragile lands, creating memorable visitor experiences and growing a strong economy.
 
Other initiatives will lessen light and noise pollution; increase recycling, water and energy conservation; and improve sustainable business practices at Sedona's hotels and hospitality businesses.
 
The Plan was spearheaded by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau and recently approved by the City of Sedona City Council. Implementation is funded by a portion of the City’s bed tax.

Visit SedonaSustainable.com for a media fact sheet and Plan details.
 

Free Webinar | November 20, 2019 | 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time

The State of the American Traveler™: Trends Impacting Tourism and Destination Management

Register today

This webinar will explore how American travelers are feeling about their travel future, as well as examine these travelers’ perceptions on tourism’s impact on the destination experience and greater environment - and their current and planned behaviors in response. You won't want to miss these unique insights on the very topical trend of destination management.

The 5 things that keep today’s DMO CEOs up at night

Just as the role of the DMO is evolving, so too is the role of the CEO (and many other positions) within destination marketing and management organizations. Over the summer, Chris Fair, President of Resonance Consultancy, facilitated a panel discussion among the CEOs of the DMOs in Aspen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego at the DMA West Leadership Summit and picked their brains as to what they saw as the key issues and opportunities for their destinations in the years to come. They discussed the new and emerging issues each of their destinations are facing. Based on the conversation, it seems that there are five key themes that are top of mind for these CEOs as they lead their destinations into the future. You can read about the five things that keep DMO CEOs up at night here.