SxiftX Showcase: Destinations

In this video conversation from Skift Global Forum, we hear from Destination Canada Business Events about the crucial role that local experts will play in driving the future of business events and sustaining economic growth.

Atlanta’s BeltLine loop has already transformed the way meeting and event attendees can experience the city, and will continue to do so as the project continues to develop through 2030.

Tapping into local experts like Dr. Vikram Misra, a professor in microbiology at the University of Saskatchewan, is helping Destination Canada attract meetings, break down silos, and drive long-term economic growth.

Supported by a WTTC Safe Travel Stamp, Costa Rica’s borders have slowly re-opened to international tourism. We chat to hotel operators on the ground about the fresh protocols, and the path to recovery.

With the Covid-19 tourism crisis upending traditional marketing strategies, destinations are placing local residents and businesses at the heart of their recovery plans. Instead of reaching out to visitors traveling from other regions, destination marketing organizations are finding creative ways to encourage locals to explore their own communities.

Community tourism is a concept that places emphasis on bridging the economic and social divides between travelers and locals that is gaining prominence in the travel industry. As we learn in the case studies below from G Adventures, the pioneers of community tourism, redefined, it also has the potential to empower the industry employees who organize, lead, and sell travel experiences to customers.

Singapore’s meetings and events were put on pause earlier this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But event industry leaders, meeting planners, vendors, venues, and tech innovators across the country were able to quickly shift many of these events from physical to virtual, showcasing the country’s innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.

The meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry in Thailand is stronger now than ever before and is expected to continue growing. Today, Bangkok is one of Asia’s most exciting cities and a major business hub for the region, especially after hosting the ASEAN summit in 2019.

Technology plays an important role in helping tourism companies market local attractions and businesses more effectively. As smartphone functionality expands, Visit Houston is proving that augmented reality tools can have a real impact on visitor experience.

Today’s stressful, modern era has increasingly led travelers to plan transformational trips that will make them feel physically, mentally, and spiritually healthier. Aruba is one destination that has innovated its wellness offerings to meet this growing consumer demand.