The Future of Tourism

The road to inclusivity is a long one. Hear what Ka Vang, Vice President of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Meet Minneapolis, says about the role tourism plays and how to start.

On this episode of the Future of Tourism podcast, Ross Calladine from Visit England speaks about demystifying accessibility and developing initiatives to help destinations embrace accessible tourism.

Visitors are increasingly seeking immersive experiences that allow them to understand not just their own history, but the history of other people and places. On this episode of the Future of Tourism podcast, David Peacock is joined by Bennish Brown, CEO of Destination Augusta, and Joe Veneto, chief experience officer of Veneto Collaboratory, for a conversation about authentic destination development.

David Peacock interviews Janette Roush, executive vice president of marketing and digital for New York City Tourism + Conventions, and Paul McLeod, director of analytics at Simpleview, about the current landscape of generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Roush has spent decades in industry-leading organizations and modern media agencies. McLeod is a maverick in the data and insights space and runs Simpleview’s internal think tank known as “Insights Group.” Together, they discuss why AI is on everyone’s radar, where the technology is going, and the positive — and negative — applications of it.

David Peacock interviews Milena Nikolova, chief behavior officer at BehaviorSMART, about how behavior optimization strategies can influence change-for-good in the tourism industry.

Nikolova and her team of experts leverage their knowledge in tourism, sustainability, data analysis, and economic and behavioral sciences to provide innovative solutions to the travel sector’s most pressing issue — supporting global sustainable development.

Their projects range from small-scale, small-enterprise sustainability improvements to nationwide initiatives aimed at regenerative tourism. Here’s the point — it works. Their strategies have proven effective in achieving meaningful change.

When we look for inspiration and ideas that will help us optimize the success and sustainability of our own destinations, we often look to Europe. More than a decade ago, their early work on overtourism highlighted the need for a more engaged network of destination stakeholders who prioritized ensuring that tourism was a restorative and not a depleting force.

After the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, these insights further informed a lot of great work on how to build resilient local stakeholder and citizen networks to help harness the restorative power of tourism. One vehicle this happens through is CityDNA’s seven knowledge groups. 

Simpleview’s David Peacock talks with Pablo Ortega Novillo and Adil Abbach. Novillo is the head of promotion for the tourism offices of Catalunya in Spain. He is co-chair of the CityDNA Tourist Information Centres Knowledge Group. Abbach is the managing director of hospitality and products with amsterdam&partners and a Tourist Information Centres Knowledge Group member.

David Peacock interviews Al Hutchinson from Visit Baltimore, and Steve Brunner from KOM Sports Marketing, about placemaking and the Maryland Cycling Classic.

This episode of Future of Tourism features Edmar Luiz Xavier Neto and Joel Marriott. Neto is the visionary creator of the Strong Farm & Rural Shores Destinations program, whose project aims to create new paths for sustainable development and empower families and businesses in rural communities.

Marriott, an Indigenous entrepreneur from White Bear First Nations in Saskatchewan, Canada, is the founder of TOP Carbon Capture. Through sustainable options for various structures, TOP Carbon Capture is revolutionizing how we build— from single-family homes to large-scale projects in the US and Canada.

David Peacock is joined by Anthony Everett, CEO of 4VI, to discuss Vancouver Island’s bold experiment in sustainable tourism. Discover how 4VI has redefined itself as a social enterprise, with a mandate to serve 800,000 residents and ensure that tourism is a resilient force for good on the island.

David Peacock talks with Jack Johnson and Adam Burke about changes needed as DMOs look inward at stakeholders and residents as part of the new social license for tourism, engagement, and alignment.

On this Future of Tourism, David Peacock talks with Eliza Voss and David Holder about the model they’re designing to address visitor pressure and enhance the Aspen, Colorado, experience while preserving its small-town character.

Voss is vice president of destination marketing at the Aspen Chamber Resort Association. David Holder is the CEO at Clarity of Place. David Peacock is senior advisor of the Future Tourism Group at Simpleview.

Listen in as David Peacock explores how DMOs and other companies should confront the changing expectations surrounding work. How do you cut through the clutter regarding recruitment and retention? Or create a strong corporate culture in a predominantly remote workforce?

David’s guests are Mike Gamble and Ryan Bolton. Gamble is the CEO of SearchWide Global, an executive search firm primarily for the travel, tourism, and venue management industries. Bolton is the vice president of product at Simpleview.

Listen in as David Peacock talks with Jessica Vandy and Alexis Kurelek, sustainability vanguards who work globally on a host of projects. The topic is how to get the traction needed to create enduring value with sustainability projects and move toward regenerative tourism.

On this episode of Future of Tourism, David Peacock interviews Kristin Dunne about the challenges that come with aiming for regeneratie tourism and the magic that happens when it starts to come together. Dunne is the former chief executive of Tourism Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.

Listen in as Simpleview’s David Peacock talks with Ben Switzer and Ed Tomasi about ways to combine digital development and legacy value creation in this modern era of destination marketing. Switzer is the chief growth officer of EXAR Studios. Tomasi is the co-founder and managing director of Subnation, the esports powerhouse.

On this episode of Future of Tourism, David Peacock interviews Rob Holmes and Casey Canevari of GLP Films about how they help destinations achieve sustainability goals through film and storytelling. GLP clients include Visit Portland, Visit Sedona, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Listen in as David Peacock talks with Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares, about the evolution of the ‘meaningful map’ that spotlights social enterprises in destinations. Tourism Cares has a strong history of bringing players from across industries together to collaborate and drive development and innovation.

Featuring Tristin Vogel, project manager at Regional Tourism Organization 4 (RTO4) in Ontario, and Peter Smith, a renowned Canadian actor, director, and playwright. This episode delves into the power of stakeholder engagement in developing the Grand River in Southern Ontario. Hosted by David Peacock, senior advisor to the Future Tourism Group.

Featuring Petra Stušek, president at ECM and CEO of Ljubljana tourism, and Flavie de Bueil-Baudot, chief operating officer at City Destination Alliance, this episode of the Future of Tourism reflects on the powerful role that tourism can play to fix the world and how DMOs can be a catalyst for change. Hosted by David Peacock, senior advisor to the Future Tourism Group.

Featuring Chris Brown, director of marketing Liverpool, and Richard Veal, managing director at Simpleview Europe, this episode of the Future of Tourism covers the situation that Liverpool, England, faced after becoming a European Capital of Culture (ECOC) in 2008. Cultural heritage — is it a catalytic force for authentic destination development or a double-edged sword that must be wielded with skill and attention? Let’s discuss.

Learn how Frontiers North has sparked destination development in Churchill, Manitoba, with its world-renowned Tundra Buggy Adventures and is helping lead the charge in the region’s regenerative tourism. David Peacock interviews John Gunter, CEO of Frontiers North, about the role local businesses can play in destination development in this episode of the Future of Tourism.

This edition of the Future of Tourism looks back to the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting 13 interviews, five themes emerged then that hold true today.

Destination transformation doesn’t happen overnight. Hear about the decades-long journey Liverpool went through in this Future of Tourism episode featuring Richard Veal, managing director of Simpleview Europe.

Seeking experiences is the currency of today’s travelers. Learn about experiential tourism development in today’s travel landscape and what it means for tomorrow’s in this Future of Tourism episode. Simpleview’s David Peacock interviews Joe Veneto, chief experience officer at Veneto Collaboratory; Ben Switzer, chief growth officer at EXAR Studios in London, Canada; and Andreas Weissenborn, vice president of research and advocacy at Destinations International.

Join Simpleview’s David Peacock as he interviews Paul Nursey, CEO of Destination Greater Victoria, about the destination’s commitment to regenerative tourism, the importance of locally-owned businesses in maintaining destinations’ efforts to deliberately and jointly plan the future, and the IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism 2022 conference.

Join David Peacock as he interviews Jeff Katz, the Founding CEO of Orbitz Worldwide, CEO of Swissair, and an executive at both Sabre and American Airlines. He’s now the CEO of Journera, a travel technology company that works to connect the traveler and his data on all parts of his journey.

In this episode of the Future of Tourism,David Peacock interviews Sophia Hyder Hock, chief diversity officer at Destinations International, about her new role. Tune in to hear her thoughts on the intersection between tourism and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

As destinations and tour operators are realizing that the future of tourism must be a sustainable balance of people, planet, and profit, they’re seeking insight and perspectives. Join David Peacock as he interviews Anne de Jong of the Good Tourism Institute about how the pandemic accelerated this imperative.

In this Future of Tourism podcast, David Peacock talks with Allister Scorgie, Director of Sport Hosting at Explore Waterloo Region, and Ed Tomasi, Cofounder and Managing Partner of Subnation Media, about how Waterloo Region expanded its focus to include esports in the midst of the pandemic.

Hear how one young entrepreneur works for change in the restorative tourism space and uses 30 percent of his company’s profits for legacy improvements in Uganda. In this week’s Future of Tourism, David Peacock interviews Keneth Hafasha.

Hear how Panama is flipping the sustainability script in its new master tourism plan. In this week’s Future of Tourism, David Peacock interviews Woodrow Oldford, chief marketing officer for Promtur Panama.

What do we need to know about cannabis tourism? Find out in this crash-course interview as David Peacocks speaks with Brian Applegarth, founder of Cultivar Brands, a destination solutions provider for the cannabis-related travel trend, and The Cannabis Trail, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and celebrating the cannabis heritage of northern California. He also founded the Cannabis Travel Association, an international nonprofit organization focused on advocacy, education and networking.

This week’s Future of Tourism features David Noack Pérez, director of the Madrid Convention Bureau. Tune in and hear how Noack Pérez and his team are creating legacy value projects as one of the world’s leading meetings & conference destinations. Hosted by David Peacock, Senior Advisor, Future Tourism Group.

Is there anyone who still thinks that global warming and climate change are a hoax? Well, then, assuredly, this episode of the Future of Tourism podcast is not for you. But for the rest of us …

This episode features Guy Bigwood, managing director at Global Destination Sustainability Movement, a platform to promote and develop the regenerative thinking and practices that will support destinations of the future. Tune in and explore the questions at hand: why is the DMO the right organization to tackle sustainability at the local level, and how can it do so?

This week’s Future of Tourism features Dave Herrell, president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities. Listen in as he and David Peacock discuss placemaking and the unique interconnection between making a place vibrant for its residents and visitors alike.

Listen up! The younger generation of tourism industry leaders brings forth an avalanche of new ideas. Ignore at your peril. Tune in for this week’s episode of the Future of Tourism in which David Peacock talks with Patrick Delaney, managing partner at the SoolNua strategy and marketing agency, about the need to listen to urgent new voices.

This week’s Future of Tourism features Ben Switzer of EXAR Studios, a technology company bringing tourism into the future with augmented reality. Immersive virtual reality (VR) is accessible, relatively inexpensive, and creates legacy value assets that are always on for the destination. In these challenging times, it’s an excellent way to forge new and enduring local partnerships and connections.

This week’s Future of Tourism features five guests David Peacock has welcomed over the last year. Each brings an important message and — long before the pandemic — pushed the envelope of what we do as destination organizations. Hear what Michael Nagy, Petra Stušek, Castro Ambiyo, Greg DeShields, and Elke Dens have to say.

This week on the Future of Tourism, hear what Andy McNeill, the CEO of American Meetings, Inc., has to say in discussion with David about the incredible pace of technological change coming in the meetings and events industry. The big question — are you ready?

This week on the Future of Tourism, David Peacock is joined by Elizabeth Tovar, president of Turenlaces del Caribe, SRL, in the Dominican Republic and also president of the Federation of Congress Organizing Entities of Latin America (COCAL). Tune in for a conversation around Tovar’s perspective on the Latin American meetings industry and how to build back better.

This week on the Future of Tourism, David Peacock is joined by Kristin Dunne, CEO at Tourism Bay of Plenty, and Frank Cuypers, senior strategist at Destination Think. Listen in as they talk about regenerative tourism and how it’s about ensuring destinations are loved by visitors — but not loved to death.  

This week on the Future of Tourism, David is joined by Barbara Jamison Woods, Head of Business Development at London & Partners, exploring what lessons — what new models of business, new partnerships and new technologies, tempered with a keen awareness of longstanding values — might help address pandemic impact in destinations around the world. 

Don Welsh, CEO of Destinations International, has spent more than 35 years in travel and tourism, including a five-year stint as president and CEO of Choose Chicago where he and his team broke records for visitation, tourism spending, hotel tax revenue and jobs.

In this week of DI's Annual Convention, presented this year in Baltimore with the theme of "Embrace Disruption," Don joins David in a wide-ranging discussion of destination marketing today and how the industry is being reshaped by unprecedented compressions and accelerations resulting from the pandemic.

What does it take to break out of a longstanding pattern and perspective? To not only see the world and your world in a different way, but then also reorganize around that new understanding? In short: What drives a paradigm shift?

This week, David is joined by Royce Chwin, President and CEO of the newly renamed Destination Vancouver (formerly Tourism Vancouver) about the values, goals and paradigm shift this new name represents and what it means to reimagine travel and tourism for the triple bottom line of not just financial benefit but also positive social and environmental outcomes.

This week on the Future of Tourism, David explores new work realities, as many organizations embrace remote work not as a pandemic necessity but as a way to recruit and retain top talent. He's joined by Pranam Lapinski, co-founder of Door of Clubs, an online platform that connects employers to Gen Z talent through college campus clubs. Pranam is passionate about bridging understanding gaps between Gen Z and other generations to create more empathy and effectiveness and has surveyed 15,000+ Gen Z-ers about the future of work in addition to facilitating hundreds of focus groups with many, many more across the US.

Skift and the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association have both posited that LGBTQ travelers will likely be significant "early adopters" in the return to domestic and international travel. How should destinations prepare to make new "first impressions" with these "first-wave" travelers? And in a time when so much of the world is grappling with what it means to be diverse, equitable and inclusive, what is authentic destination development and marketing for LGBTQ visitors?

These are the questions explored this week on the Future of Tourism, as David is joined by LoAnn Halden, Communications Director for the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association, and Greg DeShields, Executive Director of PHL Diversity with Discover Philadelphia and Executive Director of Tourism Diversity Matters