Stakeholder Theater Isn’t Strategy

Tourism leaders love to say they’re engaging stakeholders. They throw that word around like it means something.

But here’s the truth: Most stakeholder engagement is just theater. A few listening sessions. A survey no one follows up on. A committee meeting where nothing real changes.

Then it’s back to your regularly scheduled programming: Big campaigns, big buys, and big ideas that leave your local businesses wondering if you even know they exist.

You say “stakeholder.” But you mean: the Chamber. Or worse, the legacy hotel that refuses to evolve but still collects the tax. You treat them like royalty because of the check they cut, not the culture they help shape.

Meanwhile:

• The bodega that’s been a community hub for 30 years? Uninvited.

• The Gen Z-owned flower truck that’s going viral? Ignored.

• The taco shop with a line down the block? Not “on brand.”

Here’s the kicker: Your stakeholders are not scenery. They’re strategy.

They’re the reason people return. They’re the reason your brand feels real, not just pretty. They’re the difference between a scroll and a story.

So if your engagement plan doesn’t include:

• Collaboration (not just communication)

• Co-creation (not just comment periods)

• Representation (beyond the usual suspects)

Then guess what?

It’s not strategy. It’s stakeholder theater. And your audience can smell the disconnect.

Want to lead? Start by listening. Really listening. Then build something with them, not just for them.

The campaign will be better. The conversion will be stronger. And your destination? It’ll finally feel like theirs, too.

Looking to engage in better tourism? Pre-reg for DestiCon here: https://destinationinnovate.com/desticon/