Every destination has something to offer – striking landscapes, cultural landmarks, maybe a signature festival or culinary experience. But what truly defines a place and gives it its soul is the community that calls it home. Destinations are communities first, and that’s why destination marketing starts with residents.
Locals should be considered the primary stakeholders in your tourism economy. Not only are they the custodians of your destination’s identity, their everyday lives, traditions and civic pride shape the experience that visitors come seeking.
When we put residents first – in planning, storytelling and sustainability – tourism becomes more than an economic driver. It becomes a tool for preservation, pride and shared prosperity. That’s why the most successful destination marketing today starts by looking inward and asking: how are we serving our own community first?
Sustainable Storytelling Begins at Home
Visitors may come for the weather, natural beauty, culture or an event, but they return for that feeling of connection that was forged through their travel experience. That feeling is created by the people who live there and who contributed to their journey.
I once overheard a couple at Oistins Fish Fry in Barbados, tucking into grilled marlin and sipping rum punch. It was their fifth visit. “We come back for the people,” one said. “Sandra behind the bar still remembers our order. It’s like coming home – but sunnier.”
That kind of familiarity and warmth doesn’t appear in brochures – it’s built by locals simply being themselves. Which is why marketing a destination isn’t just about listing attractions. It’s about elevating the everyday: the bougainvillea that spills over garden walls, the sound of dialect in a corner shop, the stories woven into buildings and traditions.
Sustainable tourism storytelling starts here. It honors what’s real and worth protecting – for both locals and visitors. Destination marketing starts with residents.
Real-World Models of Community-Centric Tourism
The best tourism strategies put locals at their center in both principle and practice. Here’s how different destinations have succeeded — or stumbled — when in their communications with their communities:
Good: Napa Valley, California
In Napa Valley, towns like Calistoga, Napa, St. Helena and Yountville have proactively increased their Transient Occupancy Tax to fund affordable housing for local workers. By reinvesting tourism dollars into workforce wellbeing, the region protects the people who keep its hospitality economy humming. The region’s destination management organization (DMO), Visit Napa Valley, has been an advocate for a such initiatives as well as helping finance a 47-mile community bike and pedestrian path and supporting tourism workforce training through a partnership with Forbes Travel Guide.
Good: San Diego, California
La Jolla Cove’s sea lions draw crowds in San Diego – but not without consequences. In response to harassment during pupping season, the city launched education campaigns, added signage and increased enforcement to protect the animals. It’s a small but effective example of managing tourism while safeguarding community and ecosystem integrity. As America’s most biodiverse urban landscape and one of America’s top travel destinations, San Diego’s tourism leaders work to strike the right balance and drive visitors primarily during need periods.
Mixed: Venice, Italy
Venice now charges a €5 fee to manage day-trippers and generate maintenance revenue. But decades of overtourism have already hollowed out the city’s population, driving residents away and shifting its identity toward spectacle rather than substance. The fee helps, but according to residents it’s not enough of a measure. They need more, and also need crackdowns on short-term stays. Fewer than 50,000 residents now call the historic city of canals home.
Mixed: Yosemite National Park, California
To prevent overcrowding, the National Park Service introduced a reservation system for Yosemite during the pandemic. While effective for conservation, it has unintentionally hurt nearby communities like Oakhurst, where tourism is a lifeline. These towns have since promoted alternative experiences, but the disconnect between park policy and local economic health remains. NPS reservation system decisions are being developed and announced unilaterally without consulting with the gateway communities that depend on park visitors.
Poor: New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans has long leaned into party tourism – to the point where locals say it’s come at a cost. Noise, disruption and a lack of regulation have led to calls for more sustainable, culturally sensitive tourism. Yet, little has changed, particularly outside of the French Quarter where more Black residents live and are still feeling sidelined.
Poor: “Show Us Your Regina” Campaign, Canada
This ill-conceived campaign for Saskatchewan’s capital city sparked national ridicule over its vulgar double meaning. Intended as tongue-in-cheek, it ended up embarrassing locals and drawing attention for all the wrong reasons – a clear case of misalignment between the DMO’s branding and community identity. More research and consultation with local stakeholders would have helped avoid this misstep.
The Role of DMOs in Stewardship and Story
Destination marketing organizations are more than storytellers – they’re stewards of their destinations. When destination marketing starts with residents, locals become the primary stakeholders served by a DMO. The result is more empathetic and authentic approaches where everyone in the community benefits from increased and well managed visitation, through:
- Tourism taxes for local government services benefiting public safety and quality of life
- Wildlife and ecosystem protection through visitor education that can include voluntourism or philanthropic support from visitors
- Preservation of cultural and architectural treasures through controlled access and guided interpretation
It’s not about turning visitors away – it’s about welcoming them responsibly, in a way that protects what makes a place worth visiting in the first place.
If you’re working in destination marketing, center your strategy around the people who live in the community year-round. Elevate what locals love, not just what visitors want. Sustainable marketing features messaging and storytelling that drives broad community benefit beyond ADR, RevPAR and occupancy.
Danielle Crebbin leads creative services at (W)right On Communications. Raised in Barbados, where tourism shapes daily life, she brings lived experience to campaigns that balance community and visitor needs. Need support with destination marketing? Let’s talk: (858) 886-7900 or info@wrightoncomm.com.
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