Last week our accounts team attended the annual SLO CAL Destination Summit. A tourism marketing symposium that brings together a range of tourism or tourism-adjacent professionals to discuss travel trends at the national, state and local (Central Coast) level.
From AI to creative development and customer service, the topics of discussion spanned across industries and concerns. But one of the most important lessons came from Annie Briggs, SVP of Industry Partnerships and Engagement and Chief Development Officer at Brand USA. She discussed their close monitoring of international travel trends, and the findings that were exposed through the 2026 FIFA World Cup games hosted throughout the US. She spoke to the surprising amount of joy and excitement visitors expressed over things that US citizens tend to find mundane. Things like unlimited soft-drink refills, endless ice, and Buc-ee's gas stations.
We’re guessing destinations didn't have Buc-ee's woven into their marketing strategies.
But what if they had?
Now, we are not suggesting your destination should build its brand around endless ice. You're perfectly capable (and entitled) to determine your destination's positioning, where you want to compete, and which audiences you want to attract. But that doesn't mean the visitors you bring in will follow the experiential path you've so carefully laid breadcrumbs for.
We frequently hear from clients “we can’t just talk about (insert their most well known asset here).” And to be fair, there’s something to be said for knowing when it's time to reposition or redefine what you want your destination to be known for. But when it comes to travel, just because your destination is ready to try on a new pair of shoes doesn't mean travelers won't go looking for those iconic, well-worn Jordans you became known for.
Cathy Cartier, the CEO of Visit SLO CAL, spoke to how travelers plan their trips around the experiences they want to have. And that got us thinking about the difference between the experience that inspires someone to visit and the experience they actually remember. While many FIFA viewers came here to watching their favorite teams, one of the memorable experiences they are taking away is the culture shock they experienced while grabbing snacks at Buc-ee's. Someone might book a trip to the Central Coast for the wine, the beaches, or the promise of a slower pace. But what if the highlight of their trip ends up being a roadside farm stand? Or a simple sandwich shop that locals have been frequenting for decades? Or something so wonderfully ordinary that it would never have made it onto the first page of a destination’s sample itinerary?
There's a difference between what makes someone want to visit and what makes them fall in love with a place. As marketers, we spend a lot of time thinking about what makes a destination different from its competitors. We study audiences, build positioning statements, develop content pillars, and create campaigns designed to tell a very specific story.
And we should. That's our job.
But how often do we get so focused on telling the story we want people to hear that we overlook the <obvious> stories they're already telling each other. Locals have a tendency to become desensitized to the things that make their communities memorable. The scenic drive becomes your commute. The historic downtown becomes where you run errands. That quirky roadside attraction? You've driven past it a thousand times without stopping.
Meanwhile, someone visiting for the first time might see those same things as the very experiences that make your destination unlike anywhere else. And the same goes for the attractions we've been promoting for decades. Just because we're tired of talking about them doesn't mean travelers are tired of experiencing them. So, what does that mean for our content strategies?
We’re not suggesting we throw our brand playbooks out the window and start promoting gas stations. But we are suggesting that we leave a little room for the unexpected. Read the reviews that have nothing to do with your marquee attractions. Pay attention to what visitors photograph without being prompted. Ask hospitality partners what their guests were genuinely excited about. Look at the stories travelers tell after their trips, not just the experiences they searched for before booking.
And then ask yourself: Are we giving those experiences enough room in our content?
Not every unexpected attraction deserves a campaign, and not every viral moment belongs in your content calendar. But when you start seeing patterns in what visitors find memorable, there's probably something worth paying attention to. Maybe it's an opportunity to bring a familiar attraction back into the conversation with a fresh perspective. Maybe it's a local experience that deserves a bigger spotlight. Or maybe it's simply a reminder that the story you're telling isn't the only story worth telling.
Sometimes the best content isn't about introducing a new story. It's about recognizing the value in one that's been there all along.
And maybe those old Jordans still deserve a place in the rotation.