Destination Marketing Organizations

Leveraging Cultural Heritage Conservation for Inclusive Growth with Communities Report ICCROM, supported by The British Council, is publishing a new learning report on Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth. Around the world, there is growing recognition that cultural heritage can do more than preserve the past. When communities are empowered to care for and shape their heritage, it can become a powerful catalyst for social well-being, environmental resilience and sustainable economic development. Yet understanding how this potential can be translated into practice remains an important challenge for the heritage sector.   Leveraging Cultural Heritage Conservation for Inclusive Growth with Communities: A Learning Document Based on Cases from Southeast Asia, developed by ICCROM with the support of the British Council and regional partners, contributes to this international conversation. It explores how people-centred and community-led heritage practices can foster more equitable development and create lasting benefits for local communities while strengthening the heritage they sustain.   Drawing on experiences from across Southeast Asia, the publication demonstrates that inclusive growth is not achieved through predefined models, but rather through locally rooted processes that enable communities to engage with, influence and benefit from the heritage that gives meaning to their everyday lives. In doing so, it presents cultural heritage as a shared resource capable of stimulating sustainable change through community-led action.   Beyond documenting case studies, the learning document offers practical reflections on translating theory into practice. In highlighting the importance of inclusive approaches that foster community ownership, capacity building, adaptability and partnerships, the resource showcases innovative funding models and sustainable business frameworks that can support the long-term viability of heritage initiatives and their wider social impact.   By consolidating lessons from ICCROM, the British Council, and project partners, the publication contributes to an evolving body of knowledge on cultural heritage for inclusive growth. Through practical insights and emerging frameworks, it can support practitioners, policymakers and institutions in designing conservation and management initiatives that place communities at their centre and generate lasting local benefits.   #inclusivegrowth #sdgs #culturalheritage The learning report is online here https://lnkd.in/e7KEstNz.

After years of conflict and upheaval Syria now faces the challenge of redefining its identity on the global stage and fostering unity among its diverse population A well-crafted Country Brand (National Identity) can play a crucial role in this process helping to rebuild Syria's image attract investment, and promote social cohesion --- A country brand is more than just a logo or slogan it's a comprehensive strategy that communicates a nation's values, aspirations and unique attributes to the world For Syria, developing a new brand could be a powerful tool for: 1. Rebuilding international reputation 2. Attracting foreign investment and tourism 3. Fostering national unity and pride 4. Highlighting Syria's rich cultural heritage and potential for growth --- Learning from Successful Rebranding Efforts Croatia 🇭🇷 Croatia faced the challenge of establishing its identity separate from Yugoslavia The country's rebranding efforts including the "Croatia: Full of Life" campaign have helped position it as a top Mediterranean tourist destination Rwanda 🇷🇼 Following the 1994 genocide The "Remarkable Rwanda" campaign coupled with economic reforms and infrastructure development has transformed the country's image Rwanda is now known for its stability clean cities, and growing tech sector --- The Role of Syria's New Generation 1. Digital ambassadorship: Leveraging social media and digital platforms to share authentic stories about their country, its culture, and its people 2. Entrepreneurship: By starting innovative businesses and social enterprises, young Syrians can showcase the country's potential for growth and creativity 3. Cultural preservation and promotion: Playing a vital role in preserving and promoting Syria's rich cultural heritage, making it a cornerstone of the country's national brand 4. Civic engagement: Active participation in community-building initiatives and local governance can help young Syrians shape the values that will define their country's brand 5. Education and skill development: By pursuing education and developing in-demand skills, Syria's youth can contribute to the country's human capital, making it more attractive for investment and partnerships --- Building a Cohesive Brand To create a successful country brand for Syria, several key elements must be considered: - Inclusivity - Authenticity - Long-term vision - Stakeholder engagement - Consistency --- Developing a new country brand for Syria is a complex but essential task It offers an opportunity to redefine the nation's identity promote social cohesion, and position Syria for future growth and prosperity By learning from successful rebranding efforts and harnessing the energy and creativity of its youth Syria can craft a compelling narrative that resonates both at home and abroad A well-executed branding strategy can help Syria overcome the challenges of its recent past and showcase its potential as a nation rich in culture, resilience, and opportunity

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐨? In my latest conversation with 𝐍𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐀𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐚 from 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐬, we explored a powerful question: 💭 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? We’ve seen how climate action is increasingly youth-led. So why not heritage? Why not forgotten forts, fading oral traditions, and neglected tombs? Nitika’s work with Darwesh uses storytelling, experiential learning, and performance to bring alive Delhi’s rich and often overlooked cultural landscape. And it’s not just for tourists. Schools, educators, and students are now stepping into roles of curiosity, ownership, and even activism. 🎒 Imagine a world where: - Children adopt monuments the way they plant trees - Heritage storytelling becomes part of school curriculum - Communities rediscover pride in forgotten neighbourhood sites - Social media becomes a platform to preserve, not just consume We spoke about: 📚 Schools using interdisciplinary learning for heritage education 📽️ Students making reels to spotlight crumbling sites 🧹 Children cleaning up forgotten spaces as part of civic learning 🧓 And building bridges with the communities that live beside history, but often feel left out of it It’s not a far-fetched dream. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture and others have already shown us that community-led heritage revival is possible. But as Nitika reminds us, awareness alone isn't enough. We need ownership. We need stories. And maybe—just maybe—we need our children to lead the charge. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here [https://lnkd.in/gYBceDiQ] 📺 Watch the highlight video here [https://lnkd.in/gxdzZ7sZ] Let’s get talking. 💬 What role do you think storytelling plays in preserving cultural heritage? 👧🏽👦🏻 How might we empower children to be heritage stewards in our cities? Yuveka Singh #Storytelling #StoriesOutsidetheClassroom #HeritagePreservation #ExperientialLearning #DarweshWalks #CulturalLeadership #EducationInnovation #ChildrenAndHeritage #HeritageWalks #YouthActivism #DelhiHistory #PodcastConversation #StoryLedChange #AgaKhanTrust #CommunityEngagement #HeritageWarriors

UNESCO for the People – Preserving Underwater Cultural Heritage Amid Rising Challenges   At the crossroads of nature and culture, underwater cultural heritage (UCH) reveals the profound links between human history and marine ecosystems. Submerged shipwrecks, ancient ports, sunken cities, and artifacts bear witness to past civilizations and pivotal historical events, while offering valuable insights into natural and climatic changes over time.   Today, rising sea levels, shifting marine habitats, climate change, and human activities such as tourism and industrial development place many of these irreplaceable sites under unprecedented threat. Submerged heritage—often absent from national heritage policies—remains invisible, fragile, and highly vulnerable. Protecting it requires sustained, coordinated action that respects ecosystems, draws on traditional knowledge of coastal communities   The 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage provides a strong international framework, yet its implementation must be reinforced. Greater efforts are needed to safeguard sites from illicit excavations, looting, and destruction.   During my public service in Egypt, I collaborated with national and international partners to identify, preserve, and promote this heritage. I was particularly moved by the public’s engagement during temporary Egyptian exhibitions of underwater archaeological treasures across continents—clear evidence that these hidden legacies can inspire and connect people worldwide.   “UNESCO for the People” links culture, nature, science, and sustainability, while valuing knowledge, anticipating threats, and fostering collective responsibility to safeguard UCH. This vision calls for a UNESCO that: • Supports Member States in integrating UCH preservation into national strategies and protecting sites through legal measures and strengthened coastal controls. • Promotes documentation and mapping of sites and strengthens risk preparedness by providing modern tools and tailored capacity-building programs. • Strengthens the UNITWIN Network for Underwater Archaeology, fostering global scientific cooperation by sharing best practices for UCH preservation and promotion in line with the 2001 Convention, and encouraging interdisciplinary research and international collaboration that combines archaeology, geoscience, and climate data. • Integrates UCH into education, raising public awareness through innovative tools such as immersive technologies and AI-powered experiences.   Protecting underwater heritage is not only about conserving the past—it is about safeguarding our shared identity, knowledge, and inspiration for generations to come.   How can we better preserve our UCH? I welcome your ideas: contact@khaledelenany.com

The travel industry is leaving serious money and impact on the table. Hotels, airlines, and tourism boards still lean heavily on traditional editorial coverage when it comes to media or FAM trips. Journalism will always matter (I’m a freelance journalist myself), but the data is undeniable: most travelers are booking trips because of what they see on social media. I have worked in this space from every angle: ✈️ as a journalist telling destination stories 📸 as a content creator with a loyal, engaged audience 🌏 and as the founder of a travel community that physically brings travelers to destinations, directly impacting tourism dollars From where I stand, one thing is clear. Creators and community founders are not just a “nice-to-have” in your marketing mix. They are one of the most powerful, conversion-driving tools a destination can have. Yet somehow, we are still being asked to work for free. The same brands who will spend tens of thousands on a glossy print ad will hesitate to invest in the people actually driving bookings. Here is why that mindset needs to change: Recently, I worked with a tourism board as an influencer on a media trip and at the same time, I hosted a private trip there. While on the FAM, I brought 5 paying travelers booked in 24 hours, two weeks before departure. Those travelers posted content too, even though they are not influencers. The tourism board was shocked at both the speed of sales and the ripple effect of organic content created by everyday people. Next month, I am hosting a trip to Bali. Seventy Americans are flying across the world for this experience. That is over $300,000 in tourism dollars generated from one trip. That is 70 travelers capturing moments, telling their own stories, and inspiring their own networks. That is 70 sources of user-generated content, plus my own, plus the long-tail impact when their friends and followers start planning their own Bali trips. This is not hypothetical ROI….It’s real and measurable right now. Travel brands, this is your sign. Stop asking creators to work for free. Start seeing the value of influencer and community-led travel, and pay accordingly. The future is not just about one campaign or article posted once. It is about the social ripple effect that drives bookings, loyalty, and lasting brand love. If you want travelers to choose you, you need to meet them where they are already planning and booking. Right now, that is on social media and in communities they trust. #travel #tourism #hospitality #communitybuilding #creatoreconomy #hotels #airlines #tourismboards #journalism

A lot of destinations are spending big money on marketing and still blending into the background. Not because the places aren’t incredible, but because the content feels completely lifeless. I visit roughly 15 countries per year, I see it every single day, drives me crazy. Every destination says the same things. Hidden gem. Authentic culture. World class hospitality. Breathtaking views...blah blah blah. Once you’ve seen it a thousand times, it all becomes wallpaper. The problem is that most destination marketing is built around what executives want to approve instead of what travelers actually connect with emotionally. Real travel is messy, emotional, funny, loud, human, spontaneous, cultural, and personal. But most tourism content feels like it was written by committee inside a boardroom. Here’s the tactical part that DMOs seriously need to understand: 1. Stop marketing your destination like a brochure. Nobody opens social media hoping to read tourism slogans. 2. Put real people at the center of the content. Chefs, taxi drivers, bartenders, musicians, fishermen, hotel staff, street vendors, grandmothers cooking local food. That’s the soul of a destination. 3. Show movement and energy. Too much destination content feels static. Travel is emotion in motion. 4. Create content around moments, not landmarks. A place becomes memorable because of how it made someone feel. 5. Stop trying to make every post look luxury. Some of the best performing travel content online feels raw and immediate. 6. Think platform first. A LinkedIn audience, Instagram audience, TikTok audience, and YouTube audience consume content completely differently. Most DMOs still post the exact same thing everywhere. 7. Build long-term creator relationships. One influencer trip and 12 Instagram Stories is not a strategy. 8. Start creating content for AI discovery now. The destinations that tell deeper stories online today are going to dominate search visibility tomorrow. Tourism marketing has changed. Attention spans changed. Consumer behavior changed. The algorithm changed. AI changed discovery. But a huge part of the tourism world is still marketing destinations like it’s a printed magazine ad from the good old days. And then they wonder why engagement is flat. 🙄🙄🙄 --- If you like the way I look at the world of hospitality, let’s chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com

While the travel industry races to dominate Instagram and TikTok, many sustainable travel brands, especially those who are unbranded, local or community-driven are missing out on a quieter but incredibly powerful platform: 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭. Unlike traditional social media, Pinterest isn’t designed for likes or virality. It’s a visual search engine where users go to plan their lives, not scroll through them. And that’s precisely why it’s one of the most aligned platforms for sustainable tourism. Pinterest is where people search for how they want to travel, not who they want to travel with. And here’s where it gets interesting: as of now, 96% of all searches on Pinterest are unbranded. That means users are typing in things like “eco retreats in Latin America”, “cultural trips for women”, or “offbeat travel experiences” not company names. This creates a rare opportunity for grassroots, regenerative, and offbeat tour operators to be discovered without needing global recognition or massive ad budgets. 𝟏. 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 In a space where big OTAs (online travel agencies) dominate Google and social algorithms, Pinterest flips the script. The fact that almost every search is unbranded makes it the perfect discovery tool for small, community-rooted experiences from a women-led trek in Morocco to a seaweed-foraging tour in Chile. If your brand centers around values instead of volume, Pinterest is your space. 𝟐. 𝐈𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐀𝐠𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥 Pinterest’s core users are women aged 25-44, many of whom are sustainability-conscious, wellness-driven, and in a phase of life where they’re actively planning meaningful travel solo retreats, family holidays, cultural immersions or low-impact honeymoons. These women are not just dreaming, they’re deciding. This demographic is increasingly steering tourism demand toward slower, greener, and more inclusive experiences. 𝟑. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 One of Pinterest’s biggest advantages is how content remains evergreen. A post today about “regenerative farming stays in Portugal” can resurface six months or even six years later and still drive traffic. This is vastly different from platforms where visibility dies within hours. Plus, Pinterest doesn’t rely on followers. It's driven by visual design and keyword search, meaning anyone can get visibility with the right content strategy. If you're a sustainable travel brand or tour operator especially one focused on authenticity, culture, and community. Pinterest could be your most impactful channel. The conscious traveler is already out there, searching. Pinterest is where many of them begin that journey.

Your travel content isn't a destination anymore. It's raw material. While most travel marketers are still optimizing for clicks, smart brands are realizing their content has become infrastructure for AI systems. Here's the shift that's happening right now: - From Traffic Driver to Training Data Your destination guides, tour descriptions, and travel tips aren't just web pages anymore. They're being retrieved, understood, and assembled into AI answers that millions of travelers will see. - New Goal: Get Included, Not Clicked Success used to mean someone clicked through to your site. Now it means your expertise gets cited, quoted, and synthesized into the AI response. The traveler might never visit your website, but they're still consuming your knowledge. - Content as Building Blocks Think of every piece of content as a LEGO brick that AI systems can snap together. Your "Best Time to Visit Santorini" blog post might get combined with someone else's flight data and hotel recommendations to create the perfect AI travel answer. The metrics that matter are changing. Instead of just tracking pageviews, ask yourself: Is my content quotable? Is it becoming part of the collective travel intelligence that AI systems rely on? Your content strategy needs to optimize for retrieval and synthesis, not just search rankings. Are you creating content that AI wants to include? DMOs... you may be in trouble if you haven't changed your reporting to focus on this over traffic.

Tourism marketing is not like any other industry. And most marketers who enter this space figure that out too late. I remember sitting in a social media training some months ago. The trainer was explaining marketing funnels. Problem → solution → purchase. Classic. But I kept thinking: this doesn't apply here. Because the person booking a trip to Costa Rica? They don't have a problem. They're not suffering. They're not lying awake at night, desperate for a fix. They want to feel something. They want to come back different. That's not a pain point. That's a desire. And desire works completely differently. Here's what makes tourism marketing structurally different from almost everything else: The audience is already self-selected. Nobody stumbles into a booking page for an eco-lodge by accident. They searched for it. They've been dreaming about it. They're already motivated. Your job is not to convince them they need a holiday. Your job is to make them feel certain that your experience is the right one. That shift from persuasion to confirmation changes everything about how you communicate. And then there's the second layer. Every traveller is different. Not just demographically. Emotionally. Psychologically. Motivationally. One person wants silence. Another wants adventure. One wants to disconnect from everything. Another wants a community to connect with. Same lodge. Same week. Completely different needs. Which means generic content "beautiful nature, authentic experience, sustainable values" doesn't land for anyone specifically. It registers as background noise. The brands that convert don't speak louder. They speak more precisely. They've identified the emotional state of their ideal guest, and they create content that meets that person exactly where they are. That's not copywriting. That's psychology. Tourism marketing doesn't sell a product. It sells the version of yourself you could become. The traveller who finally disconnected. The one who found something real. The one who came home knowing something they didn't know before. If your content doesn't speak to that it's just noise with a nice photo. What's the biggest mistake you see tourism brands make in their content? Drop it in the comments, I read every reply.

After six years of extensive research on Hail City, Saudi Arabia, to understand the city's dynamic, morphology, public spaces, building typology, and Cultural Heritage. I concluded my work on the city by outlining a strategic framework for how Hail City can serve as a cultural tourism anchor for Saudi Arabia and support the Saudi 2030 Vision. “Cultural Tourism as a Driver for Sustainable Urban Development in Hail City, Saudi Arabia,” The study explores how cultural heritage can be operationalized as a driver of sustainable urban development, moving beyond conceptual narratives by applying empirical indicators, environmental thresholds, and comparative international insights. This work contributes to ongoing discussions on sustainable cultural tourism, urban heritage management, and evidence-based planning, particularly in contexts where heritage assets are rich but tourism systems are still evolving. Link: https://lnkd.in/dNA3y_9P #CulturalTourism #UrbanHeritage #SustainableUrbanDevelopment #HeritageStudies #SustainabilityIndicators #SaudiArabia #Hail #AcademicPublishing #UrbanStudies