5 Emerging Trends in the World of Visitor Services

September 4, 2024
By Alyssa Poulin, CTA, Destinations International

Fully recovered from a busy week in Tampa, I returned to my desk to ask Community Connection Professionals Task Force members to weigh in with their thoughts on the key trends uncovered at the event. As staff liaison for this task force, I meet with these professionals monthly to share knowledge, identify issues, and develop solutions around the emerging challenges of community engagement and destination development.  

Below, you’ll find insights from all corners of the visitor services and destination development world, spanning destinations from Medellin, Colombia, to Tualatin Valley, Oregon, USA. 

• “Little Rock is one of our newest CTA destinations. They just launched their mobile visitor center and had a community-wide contest to name it. The outside of the van is wrapped and says, BIG ON LITTLE ROCK, which is their brand theme. After the van was unveiled to the public, 200 citizens completed a naming contest. P - E - B - B - L - E was the winner, which stands for: Promote Every Bit of Big Little Rock Excitement 
  Equipped with a visitor info counter, television, and brochure racks, the van is located at local events throughout the year and travels to other states.” Mickey Schaefer, FASAE, CAE, CTA, CTA Network LLC
   
• “The CTA program is being used to fill the 'call for volunteers' for festivals and fairs and has helped CTA destinations keep these events 'afloat' with FREE help - volunteer CTAs - vs. paid staff. Our CTA destination CEOs see this as strong benefit of the CTA program. CTAs receive points for volunteering, which goes toward their annual renewal of certification – which helps increase overall destination volunteering.” Mickey Schaefer, FASAE, CAE, CTA, CTA Network LLC
   
• "High Tech, High Touch has been top-of-mind for decades. While visitors appreciate digital experiences, they still appreciate someone taking time to help them one-on-one. We are a people society. Deep down, we crave the personal touch. That will never change." Mickey Schaefer, FASAE, CAE, CTA, CTA Network LLC 
  
  Full article