American Great Lakes x Michelin Guide

Michelin Guide announced an expansion to cover six cities in the Great Lakes region. Lots of buzz was generated by press conferences, community announcements, and local broadcasts in cities across the region. The new Great Lakes edition will cover dining in Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Pittsburgh. Restaurant selections will be unveiled next year.

A local ABC-TV Eyewitness News report indicated that in one of these cities, the fee to Michelin Guide is $750,000 over three years, confirmed by Meet Minneapolis.

Where else? Michelin Guide officially debuted in the United States in 2005 with its first New York City edition. Since then, it has expanded to include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington DC, followed by DMO partnerships in Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec, California, Florida, Colorado, Boston, Atlanta, Texas, American South, American Southwest, and more regional guides are expected.

More DMO and Vendor News

Visit California entered into a two-year international partnership with the National Football League to elevate California’s presence in key global markets and connect the state with millions of NFL fans around the world.

Visit Mesa is collaborating with local TV news to produce “Arizona Midday” segments spotlighting a community-driven beverage initiative in support of Mesa For All Foundation. Spectrum IPA is the beer that celebrates inclusion and connection during Autism Acceptance Month.

Visit Burbank introduced a new brand identity. The campaign, “Go Off Script,” invites visitors to explore Burbank without a fixed itinerary. The DMO partnered with Verdin Marketing for the rebrand, new logo, campaign development, and media strategy.

Destination Augusta has a new campaign around the “Feel Good City.” The effort is highlighting a walkable downtown, soul-filled food, vibrant murals, Savannah River views, and the combination of Southern charm with modern creativity.

Destination British Columbia is doubling down on new global content directed at Refined Globetrotters and Outdoor Explorers as a strategic approach to key markets: UK, Germany, California. Emotionally compelling narratives and targeted distribution is being distributed across platforms such as YouTube, Meta, and Pinterest. Read more here.

Visit Durango is nearing DarkSky International certification after years of community effort to reach compliance, reports Rocky Mountain PBS. Colorado leads the nation with 20 certified DarkSky places.

Madden Media is now partnering with Visit Berkeley, a new client. In another announcement, Madden Media is named the official strategic marketing partner for AFCI | Association of Film Commissioners International, where one objective is to attract major productions.

Mindtrip established has another DMO partnership. “Mindtrip helps travelers discover those experiences, not just the well-known ones, and that’s exactly the kind of connection we’re working to create,” said CEO Racene Friede, Western Montana’s Glacier Country.

Arkansas Tourism has a new website that blends in 52 state parks. Partners are CRJW Advertising and MMGY Global/MMGY Origin.

New Orleans & Company is filming now for their new regional campaign launching in May, targeting visitors from neighboring states arriving by road and rail.

Discover LA is partnering with Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner to promote summer FIFA World Cup soccer matches. Amtrak is adding an extra daily service between San Diego and Los Angeles and a 20% discount May 1 through July 15. Some train carriages are getting a branded wrap as well.

It takes a village…Visit Shenandoah Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a fully redeveloped VisitShenandoahTX.com website with vendor partners. The technology highlights are:
– Re-platformed website using Tempest CMS/CRM
– Aerial Virtual Tours through SkyNAV
– Business Virtual Tours with Threshold 360
– AI-powered, personalized travel recommendations and itineraries with Mindtrip.

Edinburgh to Implement 5% Visitor Levy

Edinburgh, Scotland will introduce its new visitor levy from 24 July 2026, marking the first city-wide scheme of its kind in the UK. It’s a controversial decision. Other cities considering such a move, notably Aberdeen and Glasgow, are sure to keep a close eye on how this unfolds. Read more here and also in this article from Meetings & Incentive Travel.

Anyone staying in paid, overnight accommodation in Edinburgh needs to pay the levy. This includes tourists, people staying for work or visiting the city for other reasons. UK and Scottish residents are included.

More details:

a 5% payment on the cost of the paid, overnight accommodation. It will be charged before VAT and will not be charged on extras like parking, meals, drinks or transport
will only be charged on the first 5 nights’ stay
will be charged at the same rate every day of the year, indefinitely, for stays from 24 July 2026 onwards. Stays on or after 24 July 2026 which were booked and paid for (in part or full) before 1 October 2025 will not be subject to the levy.
will apply to all accommodation types including hostels, residential short-term, B&Bs, camp sites, etc.