Destination Strategy

We work with destinations, DMOs and donor projects on destination strategies and assessments to surface core cultural, culinary, historical and natural strengths and stakeholder needs, as well as challenges and opportunities to sustainable and inclusive tourism development. Our advisory is grounded in market realities, aligning tourism product development and positioning that build on key destination assets with market research and leading travel trends — including sustainable tourism and adventure travel. Our approach and model helps destinations attract their target market visitors, find market access, share their unique destination story, and engage travelers deeply through immersive travel experiences in a way that benefits the local community.

Our destination strategies include comprehensive assessment and evaluation, market research and segmentation, product development, branding and positioning, promotional and digital assets, and communication with local stakeholders. We are most known for helping “little known” or emerging destinations, including regional areas, become more well known to travel consumers and travel trade in a way that reflects the destination's values, strengths and story.

Each destination strategy is unique because each place is unique.

You can learn more about our different destination tourism strategy projects below.

“Dan and Audrey’s real-world industry expertise has been vital to achieving robust gains across selected destination stakeholders in a very compressed time-frame. This was no easy feat, and from early stages the assistance they offered was top notch – high level strategy and thought leadership, practical and actionable implementation in complement with local counterparts, and most importantly results orientation at every turn.”

Kyle Gunther

Senior Consultant, USAID BGI Kyrgyzstan

“With Dan and Audrey’s help and guidance Osh DMO was able to identify its position in the tourism market and a clear and consistent marketing strategy. Their mentoring and coaching in doing a ‘destination from scratch’ has been invaluable. Dan and Audrey’s expertise and advisory work have contributed enormously to the development of Destination Osh, i.e. identifying its uniqueness, strengths and outlook, and the tourism sector of Kyrgyzstan in general. ”

Nargiza Kudaiberdieva

Program Manager, USAID BGI Kyrgyzstan

“Dan and Audrey helped Karakol DMO see our destination in a completely different way. They developed destination positioning/branding strategy which became a handbook for the tourism stakeholders to look further in tourism development perspectives of Karakol town. Their work brought real results to the development of local economy, because the products they have helped to develop give positive impacts to the entire value chain of tourism sector which completes the mission of our DMO. “

Rakhat Dzhamalova

Executive Director, Destination Karakol

“Audrey and Daniel represent the top combination of New Media strategists and practitioners in our industry. Explain your tourism-related business to Dan, give him a few minutes or a few days to think about it. Then sit down while he explains what your business really is, in the form of an infinitely more interesting story.”

Richard Edwards

Founder, GreenSpot.travel

Featured Destination Strategy Projects

Regional Destination Development and Strategy

Karakol, Osh, Jyrgalan and South Shore - Kyrgyzstan

Created destination positioning, branding and market access strategies for four regional DMOs in Kyrgyzstan for the USAID Business Growth Initiative (BGI). Developed, tested, packaged, promoted and took to market 20+ new cultural, culinary and adventure tourism products across five regional destinations working with local SMEs as tourism providers. Resulted in…

Featured Strategy

City Tourism Strategy

Chisinau. Moldova

Advisory and input for the tourism development strategy for Chisinau, the capital city of Moldova. Includes assessment of current tourism assets and how to leverage existing cultural, geographical and natural strengths for better positioning of city as a standalone destination. Funded by the USAID Edge Buy-In Moldova Competitiveness Transition Activity…

Strategy

Covid-19 Recovery Task Force Facilitation

Remote, Worldwide

Served as facilitators and practitioner collaborators in the Travel Foundation COVID Recovery Task Force.  Moderated a 40+ member discussion channel composed of destinations, companies and NGO stakeholders on pandemic recovery and integration of sustainable tourism initiatives.

Strategy Training & Facilitation

Rapid Website Implementation / Remote DMO Build-Out

Central Asia (Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan)

Executed rapid website design and content marketing strategy. Process served as strategic tool to drive destination asset inventory, positioning, and tourism product ideation. Informed destination identity and DMO build-out. Funded by GIZ.

Marketing & Branding Strategy

Ecotourism Product Development Methodology

Mediterranean (Europe, M. East, N. Africa)

Assessment and documentation of DestiMED methodology for the MEET Network of Mediterranean protected areas. Created case studies and consolidated development, impact measurement and marketing process for viable ecotourism products.

Product Development Strategy

Regional Tourism Evaluation

Alay Region, Kyrgyzstan

Product evaluation and hands-on consultation to local community-based service providers in the Alay Region to improve delivery and promotion of existing and new trekking, adventure and cultural travel experiences. Funded by Helvetas.

Product Development Strategy

Regional Destination Assessment

Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

Assessment of local cultural, historical and natural assets for tourism potential to develop a destination and marketing strategy. Capacity building with Naryn Community-Based Tourism (CBT) organization and local stakeholders on tourism product development of cultural, culinary and adventure experiences. Funded by USAID.

Product Development Strategy

Silk Road Destination Development

Osh, Kyrgyzstan

Full destination assessment of local cultural, historical and culinary assets. Worked with Osh DMO and local stakeholders to develop a destination and marketing strategy. Results: new destination branding, development of cultural and culinary products and a strong online presence – all within one tourism season. Funded by USAID.

Marketing & Branding Product Development Strategy

Culinary / Cultural Destination Development

Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

Performed destination assessment of local cultural, culinary and natural assets in Karakol, Kyrgyzstan. Worked with DMO and local stakeholders to develop destination and marketing strategy. Results: big shift in destination image, new cultural and culinary products and a strong online presence – all within one tourism season. Funded by USAID.

Marketing & Branding Product Development Strategy

Regional Cultural Tourism Strategy

Lake Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

Destination assessment of existing and potential tourism products, travel market segmentation and value chain in the South Shore region of Lake Issyk-Kul. Drafted a regional destination plan, marketing strategy, product development plan. Created website aligned with leading adventure and cultural travel trends. Funded by USAID Business Growth Initiative (BGI).

Marketing & Branding Product Development Strategy

Other Services