• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

Public Relations & Branding
/
February 15, 2021

Most influential Travel Voice: Local’s

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

Here we are, well over a year since COVID 19 took over the world and changed everything. So many lives impacted, so many more lost, so many livelihoods threatened.

According to Forbes, the global travel industry alone lost over $935 billion just 10 months into the pandemic in 2020, with the U.S. suffering the biggest drop in great part due to its jaw-dropping numbers of COVID cases, the highest in the world. This has left many in the industry reeling and left many more trying to figure out how they will recover.

Though the active distribution of the vaccine has given much hope, the truth is the recovery will remain slow. For one, consumer confidence is at an all-time low, but even more prevalent is the financial hardships and forced limitations on the same, as many households are dealing with income losses. It will be a while before business travel – a massive income generator for many destinations – will pick up again, leaving leisure travel as the most foreseeable generator of visitor investment.

In addition to the psychological and financial impact that COVID has had, there have been social shifts that stand to greatly influence how this demographic will travel when they do again.

For years now, there has been a change happening in the consumer mindset and travel selection process. I have for long been forewarning of the challenges destination marketers and local leaders face should they fail to diversify their marketing and community efforts to be more representative and welcoming of a consumer that is younger, more ethnically and racially diverse, and progressive-minded.

When I travel through rural New York, for example, and see confederate flags ignorantly displayed on lawns and flagposts, it feels dangerous, violent, and unpleasant. It communicates to me, as a Black Latina especially, that a threat exists and that I should be alert. But the negative reaction is not mine alone. Though these discriminatory symbols may steer a certain demographic away, one that might feel physically threatened, it also influences the traveler who sees this as a symbol – and thus community – that stands against their moral and ethical convictions. And this is regardless of race.

With social media influencing so much of how people perceive and decipher a destination, even without them ever being there, the optics of a place are left vulnerable to the outsiders’ experience – even if just in passing. And when threats exist, like through discriminatory symbolism, it makes it that much harder for the visitor to invest in a deeper experience that could stand to contest that perception – which in turn becomes a stereotype, which results in an identity that is reflected in not only visitor demographic, but also in outside investment, talent retention, community growth, and prosperity.

In other words, if local destination marketers and leaders feel that their destinations’ visitors are very white and very old, and very conservative – it isn’t just because those are the only people who like what their destinations have to offer or because those are the only people who would be interested in buying property or working there. It is because those leaders and marketers have failed to demonstrate that their destination is welcoming of or safe for anyone else. It is because they have failed to set a higher standard in their own communities, through their leadership, messaging, and marketing representation. And that can be a huge problem when looking at travel trends for the coming year and on their bottom line.

As Clayton Reid, CEO for MMYG Global recently stated, “Contentious political environments around the world have changed the ways in which business is done. And a transformative awakening of social justice has asked of all of us to be more inclusive and thoughtful for the underrepresented communities around us. So whether it is the effects of Brexit on business travel or the way U.S. communities better embrace diverse travelers, marketers must be aware of these social changes to ensure their brand and customer engagement strategy remains relevant.”

So what can be done?

Don’t leave the definition of what your community is to the outsider

Luckily, more and more industry leaders are recognizing how powerful engaging local communities is for tourism. This practice not only supports sustainability efforts, as engaged communities are more protective of their lands and waters, and other sites but also increases job opportunities and economic growth. Of course, this is only possible when the local residents value and appreciate their communities too and often this is made possible by making room for local voices to not only be heard but be involved in the planning and decision-making process.

It is imperative that local communities are assisted in the efforts to not only market themselves, but to tell their stories, sharing who they are, what they do, and what they stand for. In May 2020, The University of Minnesota Tourism Center offered the following findings from national research and provided insights from industry leaders, “Local residents must love the community as much as your travelers in order for you to have sustained success. This ‘reset’ time is the perfect opportunity for the community to come together to attract visitors and help the local economy recover.”

Yeah, influencers can be great but they don’t always know your story

Though influencer marketing does have a significant impact on brands, it is a mistake to give it exclusivity in telling your community stories.

Some of the best influencer media relationships happen over the course of slow relationship-building. They are initially non-transactional, and non-commital, and more “get to know you”. This matters because finding the right person to tell the story of your destination, and your community in ways that are genuine, truthful, informed, educated, respectful, and open-minded is imperative to not only building brand awareness but also in the fight against stereotypes and misperceptions.

Influencer marketing is a powerful approach, but completely worthless when investing in outsiders only committed to storytelling for profit. Now, finding a talented and skilled, local influencer? That is the golden ticket and one that should be prioritized above all else.

Sometimes, your local story is one that needs to be changed for the greater good of the community and its survival

I have heard marketers tell me, more often than I care to retell, that there’s nothing they can do – say about those discriminatory symbols, or the blinding whiteness of their community and its visitors – it just is who they are.

But the reality is that the world is changing. Demographics, especially in the United States, are changing. According to Dudley Poston, a professor of sociology at Texas A&M University, “Hispanics and the other racial minorities will be the country’s main demographic engine of population change in future years; this is the most significant demographic change Americans will see.”

The LGTBQ+ community, which continues to be highly underrepresented in travel media, are eager to support and invest in destinations that support their communities.

According to Thomas Roth, CMI founder, and executive vice president, “95% [of surveyed travelers in the LGTBQIA community] really do care that you’re engaged with the LGBTQ community, that you’re not just out there looking for our money, that you’re involved with us, that you get us, that you genuinely want us to be embraced.”

Black leisure travelers in the United States spent $109 billion in 2019 alone, and that number is expected to continue to grow.

What this means is that it is time for destination leaders, marketers, and community members to really have a heart-to-heart and decide the direction they want to take for the survival of their hometowns, businesses, the sustainability of their communities, and retention of their youth and future talent markets. I’ve talked about the need for taking the long road to racial equity and diversity , and it is important to educate yourself on diverse recruiting, as all of these internal elements also help influence visitor attraction.

“As destination marketing and community leaders, there is no longer room for cowardice. It is no longer acceptable to give weight or to concede to the racist, homophobic, and intolerant tropes sporadically displayed throughout the destinations you represent. It is time to stop allowing for those to be the influential voices that dictate how you will market your destination and to whom. It is time to empower the local voices that are inclusive and welcoming of diversity, whose stories not only inspire but are representative of the best among you and the community you want to be. This isn’t a pipe dream. This is the path to success.”

Of all the opportunities that exist in the travel media space, complacency is not one of them. And the idea of “going back to business as usual” is a possibility that, thankfully, has withered into oblivion with this pandemic.

It is time to empower the best among our communities and give the mic to their local voices, arm them with their stories and marketing prowess, and embrace diversity, inclusivity, and progress in all you do. That is the future of travel, and the only path to move forward.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Blogaversary: A Blog Turns One, The Adventure Continues

December 10, 2009

Ice Skating in The Pond, Bryant Park, NY

December 28, 2009

Life’s Journey and The Marks You Leave Behind

August 14, 2010
1 Comment
  • myline
    April 9, 2021

    Absolutely! This is the most honest article about the travel voice. This is why I love reading your articles. You always says the truth!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
The Long Road to Racial Equity and Diversity
Next Post
Travel is Slowly Opening Up. Now What?

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe54 Post(s)
  • North America318 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Contact

  • caincarol@gmail.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! @travisjcain will be painting MARK YOUR CALENDAR! @travisjcain will be painting a beautiful new mural at Elmira’s Mural Fest this year (weather permitting on Saturday, if not on a less rainy day)! Last year he painted this board which was recently on display still at @communityartselmira. 

Hopefully we have a sunny day and you can come out to support Travis and all the muralists that day! See you there!

#elmirany #painter #artist #communityarts
Sometimes it’s like I never left. #newyork Sometimes it’s like I never left. 

#newyork
SHOUT OUT to our oldest, @davidacain_, who carries SHOUT OUT to our oldest, @davidacain_, who carries with him the entrepreneurial spirit he’s inherited from his parents. 

While successfully working in supply chain management for a global corporation based in NYC, he continues to manage and operate his own product, @getcalma, a comforting heated eye mask that is currently on the Amazon top seller list for two years in a row and has a growing consumer following! 

We are so incredibly proud of David and his growing success as an entrepreneur and in his career, and know the future will continue to be bright for him!

To learn more about Calma and make a purchase, visit his website at GetCalma.com. 

#proudmomma #getcalma #entreprenuer #smallbusiness
The time has come to move on from my role as a bar The time has come to move on from my role as a barista at @the_garage_at_rye and towards my next adventure. 

I started this journey with a curiosity for a craft I admired and wanted to learn more about. It turned into a job. Then a serious passion. And now here I am, launching Café Cómodo (KOH-moh-doh), which means “Comfortable/cozy” in Spanish, a pop-up café serving espresso and seasonal drinks at local farmers markets and private events! (@cafecomodony)

Starting yet another business was never my intent…and yet, I fell further in love with the craft, the industry, and the culture.

I owe so much of what I have learned to @seschieber, who took me under her wings and taught me so much (and still does) and who embraced my nerdiness and eagerness with patience and kindness….and in the process became one of my dearest friends. Working alongside her has felt like winning the golden ticket. She further instilled in me a respect for the craft, the industry, and a commitment to always strive for a quality product, even in a world of Dunkins and Starbucks. 

Grateful for @abbdawes, @hannahmariee93, and Amanda who tolerated my clumsiness at the start while I fumbled my way through the register and the various drink recipes!

I wasn’t sure where this journey would lead, and as I look back at these clips I realize how much I have changed in the process. It’s not always a place that impacts you, but rather the people in it.

I will miss the regulars I’ve gotten to know whose names and drink orders I memorized and who I looked forward to serving. 

I’m so grateful for everything I learned, beyond just making coffee, because I know it will help me to further grow as a leader, an entrepreneur, and a team member wherever I go and in everything I do next.

I won’t miss the dark morning wake ups and long drives before sunrise though! 

I’m proudest of myself for wanting to develop a new skill and ✨DOING IT✨ even when it felt awkward, nerving, and impossible. I hope you will follow me on this next chapter and come say hi at the market (and hire me for your next event)!

Thank you to Charlie Hunter, owner of The Garage for this opportunity.

#coffee #cafe #popupcafe
Recently took a moment to slow down and enjoy the Recently took a moment to slow down and enjoy the sounds of this beautiful place I call home. 

#fingerlakes #newyork #upstateny
Barista training = Trial by fire. 🔥 This is the Barista training = Trial by fire. 🔥 This is the way. 

@shellyk_025

#baristalife #barista #coffeeislife

Copyright © 2025 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice