Yes, you read that correctly, a Pizza! When I am hosting webinars and speaking to groups, I try to think of analogies as ways to explain how our industry works. And today I am going to show you why a Pizza is a perfect example of your D.M.O!
First, a definition!
Before we go any further, let me define the term D.M.O. It stands for Destination Marketing Organization. It can also be referred to as a Visitors Bureau, or Tourism Promotion Organization. They can be a stand-alone organization or it can be a department in a Chamber of Commerce, and/or a branch of the Economic Development office. Whatever its called and wherever it is, the role of a DMO is to promote visitation to a destination. And to do that, they need partners (or members if they are a membership organization).
What does a D.M.O do?
In short, a D.M.O creates an economic impact. They have multiple markets and various ways of creating interest that will translate into visitation – which becomes money and jobs. And the more diverse their offerings, the more markets they can serve.
D.M.O’s also provide networking opportunities, training and webinars ( by hiring me!), and various marketing and sales programs that can help stretch a partner’s resources even farther.
A DMO is as unique and diverse as its members are. And that’s when I thought of a pizza.
A Great Pizza needs lots of ingredients!
A pizza with nothing on it- no sauce, no cheese, no toppings – would not be tasty or interesting to anyone, would it? Think of your D.M.O as the pizza shell. Your location is the ‘secret sauce’ that only your destination offers. Cheese is necessary so think of that as all your lodging options- hotels, motels, campgrounds, Vacation rentals and even the homes of friends and family!
How about the toppings?
Think of the toppings for the DMO pizza as all the fun things to do and see. Museums, breweries, hiking trails, shopping, restaurants, historical sites, amusement parks, casinos, concert venues, colleges and universities, national and state parks,boat rides, horseback adventures- the list goes on! All the ‘ingredients’ of your destination help your DMO position itself in various markets. Let’s explore a few:
Leisure visitors
These visitors arrive by car and can come any time of year. They are families, couples, singles, people with pets, retirees, and so on. They are looking to create memories and get a break from their daily routine.
Media Outreach and Public Relations.
A DMO is always looking for ways to get the word out about its destination. They might host travel writers, social media influencers or submit information to trade publications that target different types of visitors. The more ‘ingredients’ they have to pitch or talk about, the better the chance that they will receive exposure for the destination and many of their individual partners.
Community Outreach and Connection
It happens everywhere: we think there isn’t much to do in our hometown while meanwhile, people from all over the country and world are coming to see our offerings! Many destinations have programming to help the residents see the value of tourism, and be ambassadors while enjoying their hometowns.
Tourism Trade Sales
This is an area I am very familiar with as I spent my whole career working with Tour Operators and companies that would send visitors to my destination. Tourism Trade means Business to Business sales. Tour companies that send buses, or companies that specialize in F.I.T ( Foreign Independent Travelers) are examples of this type of business. D.M.O’s can help tour operators develop new itineraries and answer destination-specific questions.
Meetings and Conventions/ Sporting Events
This is a market that is for destinations that have convention centers and sporting venues that can host large groups. These are niche markets that can be very lucrative for a destination.
Events
Does your destination have a festival that draws visitors from all over? Or maybe a big event that takes place every year? D.M.O’s can help promote these events and often use them as anchors when selling the destination. I’ve been involved in destinations where they hosted travel writers during music festivals. When I was a Corporate Meeting Planner, I was invited to Houston during the Crawfish festival- which was so fun and broke up all the visits we had to hotels and other venues. I planned 2 meetings in Houston after that trip!
Are you a Supplier?
Do you welcome visitors through your doors? Then you are a supplier. What pizza ingredient are you? Mushrooms, pepperoni, peppers, pineapple, olives? Whatever it is, you help make your destination even better!
Do you work at a D.M.O?
Feel free to share this post with your partners! And if you are looking for help providing educational and training opportunities for your partners, I would love to chat. My Online Tourism Training Program has helped dozens of destinations and organizations. I am booking clients for December 2023 and beyond. Click here for more information, and set up a time to talk with me by clicking here.
Are you looking for a speaker for your upcoming conference? I have presented for many organizations and attendees say that my sessions are informative, fun and that I give people tools to take action.
Check out TourismPro Academy!
TourismProAcademy.com was created in 2019 for people like you. Hospitality professionals with questions about how to be successful in this industry. How to get more Group tours. What does that acronym mean? Check out TourismProAcademy for the free resources, and courses created to make your life easier.
Want the DMO Pizza to share?
I have made “Your DMO As a Pizza” available as a PDF for you to download, print and share. I will place it in the Free Resources section of Tourism Pro Academy. Click here to create a free account and share away!
And Last but not least, Welcome!
If you just joined my mailing list, thanks for being here! We added lots of folks who are taking the SYTA Essentials Course this fall, which is housed on the TourismProAcademy platform. If YOU are interested in getting student tours, check out SYTA’s website.