Each month, Longwoods International releases its American Travel Sentiment Study, in which it shares the latest consumer research regarding travel in North America. And we offer our enduring thanks to Amir, the folks at Miles Partnership and the teams that compile this data each month, long after the study launched during the early days of COVID. You all rock.

I’m sure each of us who spends time with the research and analysis takes something different away each time. And it was the confluence of yesterday’s data release and an op ed piece I saw in TP&B that made me think about all those conversations I have had as travel has rebounded (post-plague) with people from smaller destinations across America. When I talk about the pressures that poorly managed tourism (often referred to as over-tourism) has been having in destinations around the world, most waved me off and said that could never happen here.

Really?

If the Longwoods research and analysis is to be believed, this is gonna be one hell of a great summer for America’s lesser-traveled destinations (unless we start lobbing nuclear missiles at each other). And that means visitor levels never before seen in many of our communities, as almost a third of consumers say they are choosing destinations closer to home, meaning that regional drive markets will be big winners this year. Which means all that work that you have done over the years will be rewarded.

But, how will your residents feel about it? The author of the op-ed piece in Bentonville isn’t calling for water pistols…but he raises some interesting points.

Time for every DMO pro to start paying attention…not just those in high-traffic destinations.

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