Tourism Boards Used New Platforms to Woo Connected Travelers in 2017
Photo Credit: Tourism boards made strides with adopting new technology in 2017. Visit NH
Skift Take
Tourism boards have their critics who say destinations don't drive as much innovation as other travel sectors. But destination marketers are increasingly proving their naysayers wrong, and in some cases they are changing the tech landscape in their communities.
From Facebook advertising to 360-degrees photos and video to outfitting visitor centers with more interactive exhibits and devices, 2017 was a year of experimentation and growth for tourism boards learning new platforms and technology.
As quasi-governmental organizations that often have a lot of red tape to cut through, tourism boards have been stereotyped as not driving as much innovation as other travel industry sectors such as booking sites or hotel chains.
But that reputation is slowly eroding as more destination marketers accept that new technology is one of the only ways they can stay relevant in an era when travelers have more resources at their fingertips than just a tourism website.
Tourism boards also have unique challenges when it comes to testing new technology on consumers. Destination marketers don't have a product in the way that hotels and airlines have buildings and planes, nor do they have loyalty programs.
Despite those challenges, many destination marke
