Travel Tech Insider

Destination marketing is one of the biggest forces powering the travel industry that we rarely talk about. It’s the Goliath economic influencer hiding in plain sight, using its invisible hand to directly and indirectly guide the way we think about where to travel, how to travel, and what we do once when we get there.And it’s an industry in tremendous flux: Covid, “revenge travel”, rising interest rates, stimmy checks, overtourism, the ‘work from anywhere’ trend, sustainability, war, Gen Z & the influencer demographic, TikTok and (of course) AI have all had an impact on how destinations position themselves to their various constituencies.How are destinations managing this revolution in their business? Guests Dr. Richie Karaburun of NYU’s Tisch Center of Hospitality and Rafat Ali, founder of travel trade media outlet Skift, join the pod to talk about the places and institutions leading this next generation of destination marketing, how to address ethical concerns with tourism, and how technology is creating new approaches to influencing where and how we travel.Destination Marketing: bigger than you thinkDestinations as products, destinations as brandsAre we over overtourism?What does “sustainability” mean for a destination?Making the pie bigger: how are destinations expanding their focus on inclusivity?Technology: AI, TikTok, personalization vs. mass marketIs tourism a force for good?Follows:Travel Tech Insider podcastGilad Berenstein - hostCara Whitehill - hostDr. Richie Karaburun - guestRafat Ali - guestGo Deeper:Destinations International organizationArchitects of Destination Advocacy podcast by Destinations InternationalSkift Tourism Skift’s hub for destination marketing & tourism coverageMesa recognized as one of the most accessible destinations by travel booking app AZ FamilyNYU SPS Tisch Center of Hospitality, Destinations International collaborate **Hotel ManagementDestination organizations: Supporting the tourism industry, sustainable travel, and more HospitalityNet

Exploring the delicate balance between innovation and regulation, Mark Farrell discusses lessons from Uber, Lyft, and AirBnB. He advises startups on how to engage with regulators and emphasizes the importance of technology brains in government. The podcast dives into the regulatory environment for AI and driverless vehicles, highlighting the need for constructive engagement with authorities.