Skift Take
That big welcome sign may not cut it anymore. Destinations need to figure out a clever way to make a strong first and last impression with visitors.
A destination only gets one chance to make a strong first impression.
And that goes for last impressions as well. So a fair question for destination marketing organizations to ask themselves is: What are we doing to make that a positive and memorable one?
Maybe there's a nice welcome sign at the airport or along the highway. But these days, visitors aren't going to be overly impressed by a sign. They're looking for something extra.
For example, Disney, the masters of "something extra," played a major role in the creation of the Orlando Airport. Disney understood that visitors expected their magic journey to begin the moment they set foot off the plane and wanted that first (and last) impression to create solid bookends for the experience.
Orlando International's monorail-like transport from the gates to the main terminal sets the tone and then entry into a huge
