Hot Tea Monday

The tea is hot, and the trends are messier than a delayed red-eye with no gate agent in sight. While most tourism pros are still playing nice, we’re here to talk about what’s really happening behind the scenes.

☕ 1️⃣ Another Week, Another DMO Exit—What’s Really Going On?

At this point, we might need a leaderboard for all the DMO execs suddenly “exploring new opportunities.” Leadership turnover is happening at a speed that’s impossible to ignore, and while the official press releases are all smiles, you have to wonder: Are these departures planned… or are they escape routes?

Maybe it’s burnout. Maybe it’s politics. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the realization that some destinations want their leadership to follow, not lead.

UPDATE 9am MST: After publishing this piece, a good colleague and friend reminded me that a whole slew of departures have been due to "bad actors" (HR violations, misappropriation, arrogance in the face of adversity, or the ol' jingle of "you can't do that!") My op on that: You are, indeed, in the public eye. Do better.

Either way, expect more “stepping away to spend time with family” posts in your feed this month. 👀

🔥 2️⃣ The Tourism Trend That’s Looking a Little… Stale

Every year, the industry loves to recycle a buzzword and pretend it’s groundbreaking. And this year’s top offender? “Experiential Travel.”

Not that there’s anything wrong with it—it’s just that literally all travel is experiential. You cannot, in fact, teleport to a destination and not experience it. The real question is: Are destinations creating something worth experiencing?

Some places are finally catching on and ditching the copy-paste itineraries. Others? Still pushing “live like a local” campaigns where the local experience is… brunch and a mural. We can do better.

📉 3️⃣ The DEI Divide: Who’s Doubling Down & Who’s Quietly Backing Out?

For a while, destinations couldn’t talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion fast enough. But now? Some are quietly scrubbing it from their messaging, hoping no one notices.

🔥 Who’s still standing strong? Cities like San Francisco and New York are weaving DEI into their tourism strategies in ways that feel authentic and long-term.

🚨 Who’s backing out? States and cities once vocal about inclusivity are now shifting their focus, pulling funding, and letting “all are welcome” be the extent of their messaging. Some claim it’s about politics. Others say it’s about budget cuts.

But we all know: Silence is a statement, too.

Where do we go from here? The destinations that make inclusivity more than a tagline will be the ones that travelers trust long-term. The rest? They’ll find out soon enough that today’s traveler is paying attention.

So, Who’s Getting It Right?

While some destinations are playing it safe, others are making moves that actually matter: ✅ Connecticut’s Pizza Trail—Because leaning into what people already love about you? That’s marketing gold. Read more

✅ Amtrak’s “Retrain Travel” Campaign—Turning a train into a “hotel on wheels” is exactly the kind of repositioning we love. Read more

✅ Destinations ditching the filters—The places showing up as they are are the ones earning long-term loyalty. Read more

Meanwhile, the ones still pushing AI-flavored, overly-filtered, hashtag-heavy fluff? Let’s check back in a year and see who’s still standing. 😉

The trends are shifting, the execs are leaving, and the AI-generated captions are taking over. Welcome to another chaotic week in tourism. Sip accordingly. 🍵