The U.S. Travel Association is meeting with more than 650 destination leaders in Los Angeles to chart the future of tourism marketing.
The annual Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO) is one of the largest national gatherings of destination marketers since the beginning of the pandemic.
The event, taking place from August 15-17 at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE is also leading the way in showing that professional meetings and events can take place safely once again, using all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's health and safety protocols.
"The pandemic fallout is unlike anything our industry has faced, resulting in a new paradigm for travel and tourism marketing," said U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow. "By convening hundreds of professionals, we're not only learning and sharing knowledge, we're showing by practice that large business meetings can safely be held."
It is important for these destination management organizations to engage on these issues since these organizations play a key role in the economic recovery, drive tourism demand and will help aid in the recovery of lost jobs within the economy.
This year's featured speakers include Bonin Bough, a marketing executive and host of CNBC's Cleveland Hustles; Heather McGowan, a future-of-work strategist; and Dr. Justin Laborde of Kantar, a specialist sales and marketing consultancy for brand owners and retailers.
"To revive this crucial segment of the U.S. travel economy, we are leading by example," said Nan Marchand Beauvois, general manager of ESTO. "By convening ESTO live in L.A., we are showing that it is possible-and necessary-to safely restart professional meetings and events and advance the education and professional networking that is critically important to our future success."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
