Strategic Plans

Today’s destination leaders find themselves in a hyper-competitive marketplace with an incredible pace of change. With so much uncertainty on the horizon, you need a plan. Not having one is akin to navigating unknown territory without a map.

In just the last five years, we have worked with more than 70 destinations worldwide to help navigate a future ripe with opportunity amid all the uncertainty. Our approach allows an organization to define its mission and vision, determine the actions needed to best drive the visitor economy forward, and develop performance targets to know if they are successful. 

The result is a clear vision for a purpose-driven organization and a series of strategies to achieve this vision.

SELECTED CASE STUDIES

Destination Plans

The visitor economy has become an inherent and integral part of destinations, requiring  destination leaders to take a more holistic approach to their thinking. Destinations must now balance sustainable visitor growth and the long-term health and vibrancy of their communities. 

Destination planning makes the connection between the visitor economy, economic development and community well-being. Having worked hand in hand with over 40 destinations throughout North America, our team delivers successful destination plans that ensure economic sustainability for destinations while preserving the quality of life for residents and quality of place for visitors. Our approach combines data-driven assessments, inclusive stakeholder and community engagement, economic forecasting, governance and policy analysis, scenario modeling and performance measurement.

The result is a shared vision for a future-proof, liveable, lovable and valuable destination.

SELECTED CASE STUDIES

Destination Scenario Models & Assessments

Our proprietary DestinationNEXT Scenario Model and Assessment Tool is a data-driven framework to assess both the destination strength and community support for the visitor economy. We believe that these two factors are critical success drivers for destinations today. To date, we have completed over 350 detailed assessments of destinations in 13 countries and our assessment tool is the only platform officially endorsed by Destinations International – the global trade association for destination organizations, convention bureaus and tourism boards.

SELECTED CASE STUDIES

Recovery Plans

Visitor economies are particularly vulnerable to crises and disasters. Potential vulnerabilities include both physical infrastructure and more intangible elements such as destination image and reputation. 

While each crisis has its own uniqueness, there are general principles that apply to all crises recovery plans. We work with clients to understand crisis impacts and outlooks, restore confidence and provide assurance to residents and visitors; rally stakeholders to participate in and support recovery efforts; rebuild industry capabilities, identify opportunities amid the current situation, and develop a recovery strategy that differentiates the destination from its competitors.

The result is a strategic recovery plan to mitigate the impact of a crisis in your destination and accelerate recovery.

SELECTED CASE STUDIES

Organization Assessments

Clear, well-understood roles and relationships are key to organization performance – a blueprint for formal expectations and exchanges among internal players (board, executives, managers, employees) and external constituencies. We work with clients to look internally at their governance structures and business models to ensure their organization has the structural alignment and skill sets to effectively implement their strategic priorities. This evaluation requires a rethinking and possible re-engineering of how they are designed to achieve success. Our organization assessments are created to assist both new and existing organizations.

SELECTED CASE STUDIES