Interviews Archives - Page 2 of 17

Meet Rachel Thompson: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Greater St. Cloud, Minnesota

May 31, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Congrats to Rachel Thompson, Executive Director at Visit Greater St. Cloud. She’s one of nine winners in the second annual Emerging Tourism Stars program in partnership with MMGY Global.

Readers can meet all the winners in weekly issues of The Travel Vertical and they’ll be recognized in person during the 23rd Annual eTourism Summit on June 6-8, 2022 in Orlando.

What’s an Emerging Tourism Star? Savvy individuals (of any age!) in destination marketing and attractions that are new to the eTourism Community of digital travel and tourism professionals or have risen to the challenges of a role.

Winners will be directly connected with a travel and tourism leader as a mentor
Winners receive a scholarship to attend eTourism Summit
Winners will participate in a panel conversation at eTourism Summit moderated by MMGY Global
One winner will fill the eTS Emerging Tourism Star Advisory Board Seat (an annual appointment)

*Enjoying a beautiful morning along the Mississippi River and capturing some digital content for a travel industry video*

Q: While you joined Visit Greater St. Cloud in 2015, you assumed the role of Executive Director last September. Any tips for others at DMOs that might be looking at such a career advancement?

The DMO world is fast paced, exciting, and full of opportunities. I would encourage anyone that is looking to get into the industry, starting out in the industry, or looking to advance their career to lean into their creativity, passion, and desires to better the destination they represent. Get fired up about the wonderful things in your community and don’t be afraid to share them in creative ways. Take risks, try new markets, and be prepared to change direction as you see what is and isn’t working.

Q: As a drive destination, how has your destination fared regarding road trips, sports events, bleisure travel and Canadian visitors during the pandemic?

St. Cloud, Minnesota is centrally located in the state and in the Midwest. This makes it the perfect location for holding conferences, tournaments, and taking the family on a road trip. We lean into that in our marketing and event bidding process as it has always been our primary market. Now, more than ever, we are seeing that our average traveler is embracing the unique outdoor activities the area has to offer with a focus on experiences. Activities such as Cliff Jumping at Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, Kayak excursions on the Mississippi River, and Biking on the Lake Wobegon Trail.

We have the ability to monitor traffic patterns in our destination and can see traveler flow from convention locations to leisure locations and extended trips associated. As companies continue to embrace the remote worker, it allows for convention attendees to extend their trips to encompass a leisure component. We also see that extended families have returned to market with youth sporting tournaments. Restaurants are full with large family parties after a game, hotels are filled with sport teams that can utilize additional function spaces for team get-togethers, and sporting field stands are full again.

*Promoting the Greater St. Cloud area at a trade show for event professionals*

Q: What data do you evaluate in planning marketing efforts and how do you work with partner vendors?

We currently partner with Zartico, a data analytical company focused on DMOs. The data that we receive from them helps us identify the user seasonally in our market, the origin of the traveler, the spend of that traveler, and how long that traveler is in market. This helps us answer the question of which markets are the best ROI for us to attract (days in market, dollars spent) and which travelers are our primary audience (gender, age, income level, etc). We then can apply new ad content to specific markets and watch if it changes who we see show up in destination. Once Canada reopened their borders, we were able to watch the trickle in of Canadians into our market and where they were going while they were here, this assisted us to know what ads to serve that region to obtain more economic dollars.

We also, like many, utilize Google Analytics to see what people are searching for and how they’re finding us. It was fascinating to see the uptick in search results leading to our outdoor activities during the pandemic, and now how quickly that has changed back to events on our calendar. Understanding what users are searching for helps us produce better content to answer their questions and of course, encourage a visit.

Q: What are the things you’d tell a first time visitor to St. Cloud, Minnesota that might come as a surprise?

We embrace all four seasons with outdoor activities year-round. It isn’t always frozen, but we would love to take you snowmobiling, ice skating, dogsledding, or ice fishing when it is! Come in the summer and we will get you on the same lakes water skiing, boating, kayaking, and soaking in the 80+ degree weather.
Located in the middle of Minnesota and yes, “Minnesota Nice” is true.
On the banks of the Mississippi River, St. Cloud offers a unique blend of nature with all the amenities of urban.
The St. Cloud area is a live entertainment destination, with two theaters, a brand new amphitheater, and four community concert series weekly in the summer, among many individual business patios and live music series, St. Cloud offers music and live entertainment daily!

Heading into the newsroom to report about the local tourism recovery, advocacy at the Capital, and upcoming events

Q: Crystal ball time: How is recovery looking overall for Greater St. Cloud?

Much like other parts of the state and country, Minnesota has made a faster recovery in leisure and sporting travel than convention and corporate. With the increase seen in ADR (Average Daily Rate) and occupancy, there is great momentum moving forwards. The unknown factor in the foreseeable future for Greater St. Cloud, and most destinations, is the strained workforce and change in the economy. If anyone has access to that crystal ball, I believe most DMOs, including myself, would love to use it.

Q: What do you personally hope to achieve by attending as an Emerging Tourism Star for the first time?

I am looking forward to the new connections, education sessions, and the ability to connect with my peers. The conference agenda is slated full of inspiring stories, practical education, leading trends, and useful tools, I hope to see you there!

Meet Frank Filice: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Sonoma County Tourism, California

Meet Courtney Spiess: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Marietta GA

Meet Reshonda Perryman: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Jackson, Mississippi

Meet Astrid Emmanuelli Ruiz: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Discover Puerto Rico

Meet Ana Reyna Arzate: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Laredo, Texas

Meet Brianna McEnroe: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Discover Long Island, New York

Meet Ana Reyna Arzate: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Laredo, Texas

May 9, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Congrats to Ana Reyna Arzate, Marketing Coordinator at Visit Laredo. She’s one of nine winners in the second annual Emerging Tourism Stars program in partnership with MMGY Global.

Readers will meet more of the winners in upcoming issues of The Travel Vertical and they’ll be recognized in person during the 23rd Annual eTourism Summit on June 6-8, 2022 in Orlando.

Winners will be directly connected with a travel and tourism leader as a mentor
Winners receive a scholarship to attend eTourism Summit
Winners will participate in a panel conversation at eTourism Summit moderated by MMGY Global
One winner will fill the eTS Emerging Tourism Star Advisory Board Seat (an annual appointment)

“I found a place where I can feel like home: Laredo, Texas”

Q: Your home town is Mexico City, one of the most populated cities on earth. What brought you to Laredo and why do you love it?

I’m a city girl and I love to travel to different places and meet new people. I came to Laredo for a six week internship, but fell in love with the city on day one. The warm and friendly people, small-town feel, and its fast growth made it a perfect place for me to live. I remember people telling me, “If you drink the water you’ll never leave,” so I’m here 20 years later promoting Laredo as my own community.

Q: What are five quick facts that would surprise a first-time visitor to Laredo, Texas?

Laredo offers plenty of history and facts that you might not know about the city:

Laredo is the largest inland port in the U.S. Laredo moves approximately 60% of all Texas-Mexico trade. Annually more than $200 billion in exports and imports move through our port.
Seven flags have flown over Laredo, one more than the six that have flown over Texas. Laredo was founded in 1755, and in 1840 together with two Mexican states became its own country, the Republic of the Rio Grande, for less than a year, with its capital in Laredo’s downtown.
Laredo is the home of the professional Mexican baseball team: “Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos” the world’s only binational baseball team, splitting their home games between Mexico and the United States.
Kayaking on the Rio Grande, between two countries is an eye opener and an escape from the daily routine, great for nature lovers and a great “bucket list” item.
The cuisine of Laredo is an intense mix of cultures some would interpret as Mex-Tex, and it’s unlike any other, always a favorite for our visitors.

Before kayaking at the Rio Grande with Mexican Influencers

Q: You produce multicultural marketing in two languages for two audiences for Visit Laredo. How is that strategy more than a translation, but also a different message?

Some sentences or phrases do not mean the same in English as in Spanish, the translation can’t describe what we want to offer to both markets, so we need to ensure the message is understood, that’s the reason that we decided to create two different campaigns for our tourists, one for our Mexican market that is located mostly northern Mexico and now central Mexico with the new direct flight to Mexico City and other campaign for the U.S. market.

Giving an interview in Mexico City to promote Laredo

Q: How are things looking so far in 2022 for recovery from the important inbound Mexican market?

From a local economy perspective, 30-40% percent of sales tax is derived from Mexican shoppers who visit Laredo on a yearly basis. Since last October, we can see the return of the Mexican tourist, some travel because it is a tradition to visit Laredo, others to visit with family and friends. During the last year vaccination tourism has also been a source of visits.

Q: How does the “Hola Laredo,” podcast figure into your outreach strategy?

We started the podcast as another way to reach the U.S. market. With many different messages about the border being on the news, we wanted a way of telling our own story, sharing with people what makes our destination a unique place to visit. The podcast episodes are evergreen, talking about attractions and offerings that are available in Laredo and guide you through the planning of your trip and give you tips for the best experience.

This type of detail cannot be achieved with any other medium, and has been a great addition to our toolkit, plus it’s a great way of giving our tourism partners a platform to promote their offerings.

Q: Your office is bringing two people to eTourism Summit. What do you personally hope to achieve by attending as an Emerging Tourism Star for the first time?

I’m very excited to attend the eTourism Summit, it’s a one of a kind event, where you can find the latest digital products and services for the tourism industry, but can also meet other clients/users that can share their results and experiences. I am honored to be recognized as an Emerging Tourism Star going into my first participation at the conference. This is an amazing opportunity to meet and share experiences, speak with all my colleagues, and meet future mentors. This is a one in a lifetime experience and I can’t wait for the summit to arrive.

Meet Frank Filice: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Sonoma County Tourism, California

Meet Courtney Spiess: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Marietta GA

Meet Reshonda Perryman: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Jackson, Mississippi

Meet Astrid Emmanuelli Ruiz: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Discover Puerto Rico

Meet Astrid Emmanuelli Ruiz: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Discover Puerto Rico

May 3, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Congrats to Astrid Emmanuelli Ruiz, Social Media Manager at Discover Puerto Rico. She’s one of nine winners in the second annual Emerging Tourism Stars program in partnership with MMGY Global.

Readers will meet more of the winners in upcoming issues of The Travel Vertical and they’ll be recognized in person during the 23rd Annual eTourism Summit on June 6-8, 2022 in Orlando.

Winners will be directly connected with a travel and tourism leader as a mentor
Winners receive a scholarship to attend eTourism Summit
Winners will participate in a panel conversation at eTourism Summit moderated by MMGY Global
One winner will fill the eTS Emerging Tourism Star Advisory Board Seat (an annual appointment)

**Black Sand Beach in Vieques, Puerto Rico**

Q: Tell us about your professional journey beginning with your master’s degree and how social media has been a part of your life for the past decade.

Social media sneaked into my life without me even noticing and took me by storm, and ever since that moment I can truly say I found my passion – or maybe it found me. When I was in Spain in 2012 doing my master’s degree on journalism for TV, social media was starting to become something big. I was so impressed with the impact it was having at the moment on TV, that it became my thesis topic. Later, when I was doing an internship in a Spanish television channel working on the creation of a new TV show, one of the channel’s executives saw how I was always glued to Twitter on my breaks and thought it would be a great idea for me to open an account for the show. When it finally aired, the docuseries turned out to be a huge success, winning many awards with record-breaking TV ratings in Spain and an engaging social media presence on Twitter. Little did I know that this would be the beginning of a 10-year career to this day.

When I returned to Puerto Rico, I had the opportunity to become the social media manager at one of the most famous and historic resorts of our Island, La Concha Resort. There, I was able to finesse and further develop my skills getting certified in social media management and winning medals from Marriott International.

After almost five years at La Concha Resort, I started my journey with Puerto Rico’s destination marketing organization, Discover Puerto Rico, as their social media coordinator. Before my two years, I was promoted to social media manager, and I can truly say that this has been the most rewarding professional experience I’ve ever had, having the honor of promoting my Island and its unique beauty to the world.

Talking to graduating students about promoting brands and big events on social media at the
Ana G. Méndez University in Carolina, Puerto Rico

Q: Sounds like social media is running in your veins? Just a guess…what’s the first and last thing you do every day?

I am not kidding when I say that the first thing I do when I wake up is checking my social media and it is also the last thing I do before going to bed. I love what I do so much that it is also my hobby! As a devoted street art fan, I love going around the Island and using my personal Instagram account to show beautiful murals and artsy spots people can enjoy in Puerto Rico. As you can see, social media is my 24/7.

Q: What’s your favorite social media platform and why? Do you think sometimes an image can tell a story in ways that words cannot, especially about Puerto Rico’s diverse, natural beauty?

My favorite social media platform is Instagram. Because of its visual power and the emphasis it gives to images, this is the ideal platform to show the world why a visit to Puerto Rico will redefine their definition of travel. One single picture can be the tiebreaker in the decision-making moment of a traveler. And with the landscape variety that Puerto Rico offers a visitor with beaches, mountains, rainforests, and even three of the bioluminescent bays in the world, most of the time a picture taken on our Island will leave a person speechless. Pictures taken while on vacation in Puerto Rico don’t need a caption – the Island’s beauty will speak for itself.

**Left: Finca de Girasoles (Sunflower Farm) in Guánica, Puerto Rico. Above: View from the mountains of Cayey, Puerto Rico.**

Q: How are you able to develop regional tourism via social media and what does that mean to you?

Being from a beautiful small town in the south of Puerto Rico called Peñuelas, shining a light on every corner of our Island has always been a goal of mine since the moment I started working in Discover Puerto Rico. With the help of our organization’s social media coordinator, Miguel Bahri, we’ve been able to create initiatives and activations that have put center stage towns that are not used to be protagonists in the vacation experience of a visitor. Activations like our “Holidays in the Mountains of Puerto Rico: The Live Takeover” in which we shared the traditions and showed our audiences what it feels like to experience the holidays in two towns of the mountainous regions of our Island through Instagram Lives, or “Monday Coffee Break” in which we highlighted four towns known in Puerto Rico for their coffee production and coffee culture through engaging infographics.

Our goal is to show visitors that there is more to see beyond San Juan, our stunning capital. It feels amazing giving other towns and regions a chance to show their beauty, and nothing fills my heart with more joy than seeing messages from small towns thanking Discover Puerto Rico and showing their increase in visitation since our organization presented them to our audiences.

Q: What do you hope to achieve by attending eTourism Summit?

My goal by attending eTourism Summit is to acquire all the possible experience and advise from the admirable professionals I will meet. I am extremely excited for the mentorship program this experience provides and I can’t wait to acquire the knowledge that will be imparted to then pass it along and serve as a bridge to open doors for future Emerging Tourism Stars in Puerto Rico.

Meet Frank Filice: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Sonoma County Tourism, California

Meet Courtney Spiess: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Marietta GA

Meet Reshonda Perryman: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Jackson, Mississippi

Meet Courtney Spiess, 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Marietta GA

April 19, 2022 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Congrats to Courtney Spiess, Executive Director of Marietta Visitors Bureau in Georgia. She’s one of nine winners in the second annual Emerging Tourism Stars program in partnership with MMGY Global.

Readers will meet more of the winners in upcoming issues of The Travel Vertical and they’ll be recognized in person during the 23rd Annual eTourism Summit on June 6-8, 2022 in Orlando.

Winners will be directly connected with a travel and tourism leader as a mentor
Winners receive a scholarship to attend eTourism Summit
Winners will participate in a panel conversation at eTourism Summit moderated by MMGY Global
One winner will fill the eTS Emerging Tourism Star Advisory Board Seat (an annual appointment)

Courtney Spiess, Mason Jordan, and Abby Smith make up the Visit Marietta GA team

Q: What are some of the advantages of promoting a smaller community as a destination?

We are able to promote the whole City of Marietta as a unique destination to visit versus a larger community promoting different areas and neighborhoods. This creates partnerships within our community and tourism partners. Visitors often leave surprised over the fact that there is so much collaboration and local support.

Courtney spends free time exploring her home in Metro Atlanta

Q: And what do you consider to be the main obstacles?

One of the main obstacles in promoting a smaller community like Marietta is overcoming the stereotypes that people associate with small towns. These could be that we are stuck in the past, not easily accessible, and that there are a lack of attractions. We love proving people wrong!

Q: If you could add one staff position to your DMO team tomorrow, what would that position be?

I would love for us to post an Events and Special Projects Manager position. This position would plan and coordinate the execution, operation, and promotion of our signature events throughout the year. In addition to the events responsibilities, the manager would also work closely with tourism partners and community on special projects. As a smaller community, our DMO works very closely with the City of Marietta to promote events.

Visit Marietta GA team working the annual Chalktoberfest event

Q: How did you first come to Marietta as a resident and come to love promoting it?

I moved to Marietta in January 2018 to start my job as Marketing and PR Coordinator. Throughout the years I’ve made personal connections with tourism partners, community leaders, and tourists. I love introducing visitors to my personal connections as it always adds to their experiences. Playing a small role in helping others make memories in Marietta is so special!

Q: Name three things you’d want people to know about Marietta, Georgia.

Marietta is a hotspot for the film industry! Some movies and tv shows include: Hidden Figures, Selma, Haunting of Hill House, MacGyver, and Dumplin’.
The Big Chicken resides in Marietta! This 56-foot beloved landmark is home to a KFC restaurant. Locals love to use it to give directions when driving and it has played a role in aviation as Dobbins Air Reserve Base pilots use it as a landmark, as well.
Art is as strong as history in Marietta! Murals and other public art can be found throughout the Marietta Square area.

Q: What do you hope to gain by attending eTourism Summit in Orlando this June?

I’m excited to hear new ideas and learn about what other destinations are doing to promote tourism! I’m also looking forward to gaining new connections as we all celebrate the industry.

Meet Kathryn Shea Duncan: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Lake Charles, Louisiana

Getting it Right From the Get-Go: Talking DEI with ELMNTL

September 21, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

At the 2021 Connect THRIVE Summit in Las Vegas this past weekend, a cautionary thread (representing really solid advice) resonated in many of the expert-led #LGBTQ travel presentations.

What Not To Do

Simply put: Don’t just hang out a rainbow flag and/or talk about gay travelers during Pride Month in June. Inclusive tourism marketing needs a great deal more thought. As someone said, there’s no second chance to make a good first impression.

*Romey Louangvilay* (*credit: IG @wheresromey*)

Voices at the Table

We talked about the importance of getting the approach right with Marc Liu, Head of Strategy & Operations / Founder at ELMNTL and Romey Louangvilay, Head of Communications & Creative Director. The multicultural full-service agency represents Thailand, among other destinations.

“We’ve been approaching diversity as a by-product of who we are. We know what questions to ask to create authentic storytelling. We make it a point to hire diverse talent but if we don’t have the voices at the board table, we’ll make sure to get them there,” said Marc.

And from Romey, “If you’re targeting lesbians, hire someone from that community to tell that story. Put the people you want to target on the team.”

The Holistic Approach

Importantly, when the ELMNTL team discusses diversity, they emphasize a wide range of considerations. There are different types of abilities and disabilities among people who enjoy travel, millions of baby boomers aging into a disability, websites that need to be ADA compliant, adverts and videos that should be captioned.

Moreover, the team says, “We recognize there are sub-groups within a group. Recognizing people as complete human beings is the holistic approach that we employ.” Importantly, Marc and Romey add, “We can help destinations reach people in such a way as to make a truly meaningful connection…the kind that turns people into loyal advocates.”

The Good & The Bad

Romey shared several standout examples—the good and the bad—of adverts that hit or missed their mark. Note: The homophobic Snickers ad, shown during Super Bowl XLI in 2007, was widely called out as being downright cringeworthy, prompting complaints from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Human Rights Campaign and others.

Ad Age notes, “Snickers might also have tried to argue that the creative made fun of the protagonists precisely for their homophobia. But it’s hard to count on landing that sort of nuance on Super Bowl Sunday…” So, the lesson here is where we began, you only have one chance to make a good first impression.

The Good

VRBO
Orbitz
Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty

The Bad

Snickers
7-Up
Wai Wear

Romey explains, “Wai Wear, which is a men’s shorts line that steals inspiration from Northern Thailand designs, uses the word “wai” which in Thai is how we respectfully greet people by bowing our heads and raising our hands in a prayer motion, and they target gay men specifically with the models they perform sexually provocative dance moves. I have nothing wrong with brands being sexually provocative but since they are stealing our culture’s design and form of respect to sell sex just rubs me the wrong way. And none of their models are even Asian.”

Romey, who grew up as a gay Asian in the Bible Belt says, “I try to tell the client when you think about LGBTQ marketing, it mustn’t be all these buff white gay guys we keep seeing as models. We have a much broader community. And it’s more than just a rainbow flag or a drag queen on a poster.” Instead, he encourages marketing campaigns to show LGBTQ couples “in a normal setting.”

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Meet Rachel Thompson: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Greater St. Cloud, Minnesota

Meet Ana Reyna Arzate: 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Laredo, Texas

Meet Courtney Spiess, 2022 Emerging Tourism Star From Visit Marietta GA

Getting it Right From the Get-Go: Talking DEI with ELMNTL

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