DMOs: What your attractions want you to know

I have worked at both a regional DMO ( Destination Markting Organization) as well as various attractions during my tourism career. I have seen how successful partnerships work, and drive visitation. But I  have also seen relationships between DMOs and attractions that were civil, but with subtle turf wars over information and progress.  By working together, you will beat the competition, have more visitors, and employ more people. 2020 will prove to be a year that shows cooperation is the only way to get back on our feet.

DMOs- Here is some information your attractions would like you to know:

Understand their business cycle 

When your attraction partners are in their busy season, all their energy goes towards welcoming the visitors and keeping staff scheduled, trained and effective. If you schedule big partner meetings or training sessions during their busy season, you will probably have a small turn out. Instead, host a kickoff event to start the season, check in and see if there is anything you can be doing to help in the busy season, and wait for the slower season to ask for sit down meetings and strategy sessions.

2020 update: Make sure you know what partners are open, and what their capacity and limitations are.

Make sure your staff has been to partner attractions and restaurants 

An engaged and knowledgeable DMO staff is a big benefit. When they take time to get to know an attraction and spend an afternoon enjoying it, not only will they be better advocates for the property, but the attraction will appreciate the effort. Make sure you have multiple contacts at each attraction and know the hierarchy of the teams.

It makes an attraction feel good about their DMO when they know that all the staff have visited and can speak about it. Ask your attractions for complimentary tickets for your staff- I bet they will be thrilled to offer it! And make sure your staff lets someone at the attraction know they will be visiting. I always tried to come out of my office to say hi to industry visitors.

2020 Update: Go to the attractions that are open so you can get a better idea of how the experience has changed, and how it is still the same.

Understand your partner’s budget cycle.

No one has unlimited budgets- every penny is allocated. So having your marketing plans in advance directly impacts their ability to take part in programming. I worked for a DMO whose budget ran from April 1- March 31. We would often approach attractions in the summer for our latest programs and the attractions would have to scramble to participate since their budgets were set in late fall to begin on January 1. Set up an Excel spreadsheet with partner information such as this so you can work to their schedule as best as possible.

2020 Update: Ask for a meeting to explain why it is still important for them to invest in DMO programs, despite the challenges with next year’s budget.

Attractions would like you to offer training and educational programming since they have limited budgets.

Offer various levels of training- for newcomers to the industry as well as information for experienced staff. The majority of attractions are small businesses with limited budgets for training and education. Perhaps they have money set aside to go to the annual state tourism conference, but that might be it.

If you can offer more training for them, it is a win-win for both. They will have better-trained staff and you will have partners whose staff understand the tourism industry, business practices, and tourism sales and marketing strategies. You will look like a leader when you can offer training, and the fact that it will be local and cost-effective will make attractions want to participate.

2020 Update Reach out to me for assistance in offering online live training for your partners. My expertise is in helping tourism professionals gain understanding and give them tools to increase sales. Email me for more information!

Introduce them to key regional tourism partners and state tourism staff.

Offer opportunities for your partners to network in your area with influential people they might not meet otherwise. When I worked at a small family-owned attraction, I never thought I would meet the head of the state tourism office. It made me feel important, and like I wanted to get more involved and do a better job.

You get to interact with key influencers every day. When they come to your area, make sure they get to meet some of your stakeholders. Say notable things about them and their attraction and I can guarantee you that you will have an advocate for life.

Offer opportunities for the attractions to help at tradeshows.

I know, our 2020/2021 Tradeshow season is a mess. Some are trying in person, some are virtual. But having a presence either way is important. Here are some ways to support your partners

•  Many attractions now have junior people with no sales experience in charge of sales. Trade shows can feel scary and overwhelming. Provide a training workshop that explains how to sell, how to speak about other attractions in the area, and how to close a sale. You do this every day, they do not. They will look to you for expertise and leadership. Provide it and you will have a loyal partner.
• I think it is good for them to see the competition out in the marketplace. Help them to understand that the competition is not just businesses nearby, but those in other states and elements such as limited travel money and time, and concerns about health and safety. Help them tailor their sales pitches to the audience they will be meeting.

Set up sales missions to key markets.

These are business development opportunities they might not be able to create themselves. Provide pre-sales mission training and information on meetings.

• Beyond tradeshows are sales missions where you and your partners will go to tour operator offices. A DMO has a better understanding of how these calls should work and who to call on. Again, offer a training workshop on what tour operators are looking for. Help set them up for success. I am also a big believer in charging a fee. Having skin in the game makes everyone more motivated.

2020 Update- How about virtual sales calls with your partners? I have DMO clients that send boxes of goodies to tour operators (at home) and then do a Zoom call to show off their destination and the gifts. It’s a fun way to build relationships and keep your destination top of mind.

If you have visitor centers, make sure all staff and volunteers are familiar with the attractions.

It sounds so simple, but it always surprises me when someone at a visitor center says they have never been to a location. Make the time to get everyone trained on the top attractions, and how to get to them. I did some ‘secret shopping’ at a regional visitor center where we paid to have our brochures distributed. I asked the gentleman about my attraction and he told me it was” not that easy to get there from here.” When really it was. Not everyone uses GPS so being able to give directions is still important.

Want more information?

Check out this free resource: DMOs and Attractions: Work together and Beat the Competition. Share it with others. And watch for next week’s post where I will tell attractions how to help their DMO!

How can I help you in September 2020?

DMOs/Tourism Organizations:

Are you looking for a way to provide value to your partners during this challenging time? Check out the Online Tourism Training Program with this link. I can help you provide monthly virtual training for you to offer to your partners/members. My team will take care of registration, reminders, and even a post-webinar survey! Let me know what topics your partners need help with and we will develop impactful training. We are currently booking new clients for January 2021. Prices start at just $995 for each training.

Looking to increase your Tourism knowledge and skills?

Then check out Tourism Pro Academy. This platform is a one-stop-shop. You can check out free resources, courses and other ways to work with me. I am adding new offerings this month. Click here to see what’s available.

How’s your Profile Sheet?

If you are ready to build back your group tour business, a great profile sheet is key. How is yours? Need help? I am going to host some live profile sheet reviews on my Facebook Business page this fall.  Reply to this email if you are interested in trying something new – and upgrading your profile sheet in time for trade show season!

How about eTourism Summit?

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