From “Heads in Beds” to “Catalyst for Community Vitality”: the role of Destination Organizations in a More Competitive World

Destinations International (DI), the world’s leading association representing destination organizations and convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs), shared insights and announced new resources to support and advance the travel and tourism industry during its 2024 Advocacy Summit, held in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, October 22-24. The underlying message, represented in the theme “The Advocate as Catalyst,” is that the tourism industry, and destination organizations in particular, need to be recognized as catalysts for community vitality and an essential public good rather than simply sales and marketing organizations, as in the past.