Ep 23 Connecting with Travelers: Insights from Tourism Research
This podcast episode introduces the pivotal concept of "JOMO travel," or the joy of missing out, as a counterbalance to the prevailing fear of missing out (FOMO) in contemporary society. Our esteemed guest, Joseph St. Germain, Ph.D., president of Downs and St. Germain Research, expounds upon the significance of relaxation in travel amidst an increasingly hectic lifestyle. St. Germain articulates how the act of traveling can facilitate profound connections with oneself and others, thereby enriching the human experience. He further explores the essential role of market research in understanding consumer preferences, which can ultimately guide destination marketers in crafting more resonant campaigns. Through a series of insightful discussions, we delve into the transformative potential of tourism and its ability to foster meaningful engagement with diverse audiences.
IN THIS EPISODE
- 00:07 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
- 02:56 - Understanding Tourism Trends: The Joy of Missing Out
- 07:43 - Journey into Tourism: Understanding Human Behavior
- 12:57 - Understanding Destination Appeal
- 23:21 - Understanding Brand Perception in Tourism Marketing
- 28:24 - The Importance of Research in Tourism
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The podcast emphasizes the significance of understanding consumer behavior in tourism marketing, which is vital for effective strategy development.
- In the current marketing landscape, the concept of 'JOMO' or 'Joy of Missing Out' highlights the increasing desire for relaxation and meaningful connections during travel.
- The integration of complex data techniques such as structural equation modeling is essential for discerning key variables that influence visitor satisfaction and marketing decisions.
- Destinations must continuously adapt their branding strategies to align with evolving consumer values, particularly among younger generations seeking authenticity and unique experiences.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Joseph St. Germain, Ph.D., is President and Partner at Downs & St. Germain Research, a full-service market research firm based in Tallahassee, Florida. Since joining the firm in 2007, he has helped lead its evolution from Kerr & Downs Research into a nationally recognized consultancy serving clients that range from local businesses and associations to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.
With advanced degrees in educational psychology, Joseph brings a unique perspective to research—using numbers not just to measure, but to tell compelling stories. He is highly skilled in predictive modeling, survey design, and multivariate statistical techniques, as well as focus group moderation. His ability to translate data into clear insights and actionable strategies has guided organizations across a wide range of industries.
Beyond his client work, Joseph has taught at Flagler College’s Tallahassee campus and is active in professional and community leadership roles, including Leadership Tallahassee. Known for his approachable style and deep expertise, he blends technical rigor with a practical, results-driven outlook, helping decision-makers better understand audiences and make smarter choices.
Transcript
Welcome to Aqua Talks where marketing meets bold game changing ideas.
Speaker A:Join your hosts, Larry Aldrich and Maddie Dudley as they explore the art and science of cutting through the noise, capturing attention and fostering meaningful connections with your audience.
Speaker A:Whether you're a destination marketer, government contractor, or simply passionate about the transformative power of marketing, Aqua Talks offers engaging discussions, fresh insights and actionable strategies designed to inspire and inform.
Speaker B:Hello and welcome to Aqua Talks.
Speaker B:This is a podcast for marketers just getting started or if you're a pro in the industry.
Speaker B:I'm Maddie, I'm the PR director of Aqua and this podcast is sponsored by brensystechnology.
Speaker B:I'm joined by co host Larry.
Speaker C:Hello.
Speaker C:Hello.
Speaker D:I'm Larry Aldridge, President CEO of Brensis Technology and Aqua Marketing Communications.
Speaker B:Today on the podcast we are joined by Joseph St. Germain, Ph.D. president of Downs and St. Germain Research.
Speaker B:Thank you for coming on the pod today, Joseph.
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker D:Joseph, can we hear a little bit more about who you are and what you do?
Speaker C:Yes, thank you so much for having me.
Speaker C:Again, my name is Joseph St. Germain.
Speaker C:I'm the president of Downs and St. Germain Research.
Speaker C:We're a full service market research firm that focuses on tourism research.
Speaker C:So whether it's a variety of studies of understanding your visitor, what people think about your destination, branding, unique emotional positioning, focus groups, that kind of thing, ultimately we're just trying to find ways to help marketers better understand their consumer so they can market more efficiently.
Speaker D:Wow, that's.
Speaker D:That sounds interesting.
Speaker D:It's a mouthful.
Speaker D:Glad, glad we have you.
Speaker D:Yeah, that's going to be very intriguing conversation we're about to have here.
Speaker D:So again, moving a little bit forward this segment, we like to talk about trends or good topics or bring up one or two, a good case study, something you'd like to talk about.
Speaker D:We're just kind of opening the floor here for you and something that might be near and dear to your heart.
Speaker C:Yeah, I mean there's a lot of ways we could go here.
Speaker C:I mean, I think tourism is just, I love discussing tourism.
Speaker C:I love being in this space because I'm really a researcher that ended up in the tourism space because I just think so many things in our society can be aided by folks going to new places, meeting people of different cultures and just kind of better understanding the world.
Speaker C:And I, that's why I love this space.
Speaker C:I love the people who are working in this space.
Speaker C:When it comes to trends, there's so many these days, I mean, I frankly, I have two presentations the next couple weeks just on, hey, what are the trends that we're seeing, um, it's an interesting world we live in.
Speaker C:I, I think one of the ones that I've noticed recently that is, I don't want to say it's near and dear to my heart, but it kind of is like the importance of relaxation.
Speaker C:Travel has always been important, but it's been more and more important these days as people tend to be over scheduled, over stressed and things of that nature.
Speaker C:You're getting pulled in so many different directions and, and true to form, anytime there's a trend like this, they always put a phrase on it.
Speaker C:And the one I've been seeing recently is calling it Jomo travel.
Speaker C:You've heard of fomo, the fear of missing out.
Speaker C:But people Jomo trips as the joy of missing out.
Speaker C:A chance to put everything away that's at home and a chance to really connect with yourself.
Speaker C:If you're traveling by yourself, your, your loved ones, whether that be a significant other or a family.
Speaker C:And, and frankly it's one of the reasons I love this space is because I love sometimes the only time you can really connect with friends and family is when you're away from things.
Speaker C:You're not getting pulled into a hundred different directions like we do in every day.
Speaker C:So that's one of the things.
Speaker C:Anytime when I take a trip, that's one of the things I do kind of have that joy of missing out because it's just nice to just focus on being a human being and connecting with people.
Speaker D:Yeah, I'm seeing a bit of a trend there myself.
Speaker D:We had a conversation.
Speaker D:Maddie brought up a really good topic a few months ago.
Speaker D:Sleep travel.
Speaker D:So there's the joy of missing out travel and sleep travel.
Speaker B:There's also now vitamin T which people are saying that travel is essential to well being as much of like going out and getting the sun, getting some sun or like going on vacation.
Speaker B:It's essential to well being which I co sign it all goes back to.
Speaker D:Travel for health, healthy traveling.
Speaker D:And that could be mental, physical and emotional.
Speaker B:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:Well, let's dive into our questions for you today, Joseph, if that's all right.
Speaker B:You work with complex data techniques like structural equation modeling and conjoint analysis.
Speaker B:I'm not familiar with this at all.
Speaker B:For our listeners, can you break down how these tools help destinations make smarter marketing decisions?
Speaker C:Yeah, it's a great question.
Speaker C:I'm going to start with.
Speaker C:I'm going to talk specifically about those things, but then also an important piece because frankly, you know, structural equation modeling and conjoint analysis are fun.
Speaker C:Phrases for us nerds.
Speaker C:But frankly, at the end of the day, they're tools to help any person better understand their data.
Speaker C:Structural equation modeling really helps us understanding complex relationships.
Speaker C:Not just what drives like satisfaction, but also how different variables move with each other.
Speaker C:You know, is there certain influences on certain things in that, in that, in that regard.
Speaker C:But I think the most important thing.
Speaker C:And again, try to use the link I've always tried to use.
Speaker C:I'm not trying to expect you to learn what a structural equation modeling is.
Speaker C:I want to use the language that you folks would best understand.
Speaker C:You got to know your audience there.
Speaker C:So it really is.
Speaker C:Structural equation modeling helps us better understand what variables are moving the needle the most.
Speaker C:So if you focus on those two variables, like if your focus was on satisfaction and you knew two variables like the cost and safety, you know, if you could put move the needle on those two items, that's going to move satisfaction the most.
Speaker C:So I think that's, that's the best thing there.
Speaker C:And conjoint, you know, we don't do a conjoint analysis very often, but it's basically a way to simulate trade offs.
Speaker C:You know, if you're going to take a trip, the price of the hotel that you're going to stay, the type of excursion, the, the amenities within the hotel.
Speaker C:It's a study that makes them make choices.
Speaker C:One or two makes the choices fairly easy.
Speaker C:And then by doing the analysis you can just understand like what amenities are, the things that people prioritize and people value more.
Speaker C:Like they may having a pool at your hotel may be important to some people, may not be important to others and that kind of thing.
Speaker C:So we're really just trying to help people, both of those with any research we do, it just helps you prioritize where to put your money and then shape your brand messaging, you know, to be specific to your audience instead of trying to do this like one size fits all type of strategy.
Speaker B:I love that.
Speaker B:That's so cool.
Speaker D:It's fascinating.
Speaker D:And you mentioned it's a nerdy way of thinking.
Speaker D:I love having conversations with people much smarter than me.
Speaker D:As I said in the previous episode, a little bit about my son's a computer engineer.
Speaker D:You obviously have a fascinating background.
Speaker D:We spoke with a robotics engineer earlier, all going into destination marketing.
Speaker D:So blending psychology data and destination marketing.
Speaker D:Can you share a little of your journey that led you into travel and tourism?
Speaker C:No, it's a great question.
Speaker C:I'm actually speaking in a, at a conference in about a month and all the panelists we were kind of having this conversation of like, well, I never really planned on being here, but here we are.
Speaker C:So we all had this secured this journey.
Speaker C:I mean, I. I'm a psych major because I just like to study human behavior and understand what motivates people, how do they make decisions, things of that nature.
Speaker C:My background's in sports psychology is what I got my master's and doctorate in.
Speaker C:I even wrote my dissertation on poker decision making.
Speaker C:I did that while working full time at this firm where I'm at.
Speaker C:It used to be current downs research.
Speaker C:Now I selfishly put my name in the title as well because I'm giving so many of the presentations.
Speaker C:But we were.
Speaker C:So I was working here while finishing school and we were a research firm and we did a research in a lot of different spaces with tourism being the occasional product or project.
Speaker C: And then really around: Speaker C:And it's.
Speaker C:I've always thought in life, like, you know, you were told, like, do something that you love and you never work a day in your life, which cool.
Speaker C:But if that was the case, I'd be a professional basketball player or professional golfer.
Speaker C:And that didn't work out.
Speaker C:But my point is I found something I'm very good at, and then I found a role that I really enjoy and a space I enjoy.
Speaker C:I'm from a really small town in Minnesota, and therefore tourism has become something very important to me.
Speaker C:It has helped open my eyes on a world in a world that would grow up, that was very.
Speaker C:A few blocks and a stoplight when I was 14 and things of these nature.
Speaker C:But it's opened my eyes on this world and it's just, it's.
Speaker C:It's been a fun place to really sharpen my skills as a researcher because it's.
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:It's something that's important to me and it's that way it can drive me every day.
Speaker C:Like when we're, you know, you mentioned conferences and I've seen both of you at conferences before.
Speaker C:And it's one of the things that I tell my team is that like one of the things when you're checking in, but you get to see this family really connecting with each other that they probably can't do at home because the kids got friends or device or whatever it is.
Speaker C:And it's this thing that we love in tourism that allows people to really connect with each other.
Speaker C:Because this all goes back to where I said at the start, I want to understand human behavior and you know, that's why I like to connect as humans and I think tourism and travel really helps us do that.
Speaker C:So I'm just really happy to take this skill that I have.
Speaker C:But I found a space that I really love.
Speaker D:Yeah, going to the conferences.
Speaker D:I'm newer to the industry, travel and tourism.
Speaker D:You know, my background coming from the federal marketing and going to a lot more of these, the di, the Florida destinations, the governor's conferences.
Speaker D:And I'm running into and meeting a lot of great people from Florida industry, the DMOs, the different companies, lots of different people.
Speaker D:And you're seeing them more and more and more regularly.
Speaker D:And the conversations get easier because you feel like you know them even when you haven't spoken to them.
Speaker D:So when you do speak to them for the first time, the conversations just flow.
Speaker D:So I can really relate to what you were just saying there.
Speaker C:Yeah.
Speaker B:So that being said, would love to hear an exact example of when your research actually changed the direction of a tourism campaign.
Speaker C:Yeah, I won't take one.
Speaker C:I, I, I won't mention the client, but it was, it's, I, I always love.
Speaker C:One of my favorite types of research to do is whether it's unique emotional positioning or branding and doing some focus groups because number one, I, I like talking to people and you really get to intersect.
Speaker C:But then I also love what folks like yourself do with this creative feedback, this feedback from consumers and then how you make it happen.
Speaker C:That's the part of my brain that doesn't work.
Speaker C:It's logic, it's not creative.
Speaker C:So I love, I love being a part of that process.
Speaker C:But like, what we notice a lot, particularly with like Florida beach destinations, is that beach is vital.
Speaker C:I mean, it's the reason people click.
Speaker C:You need the beach.
Speaker C:You know, it's, it's a part of the reasons people come.
Speaker C:But then how do you differentiate yourselves from the other?
Speaker C:You know, you're not going to be the only Florida beach destination.
Speaker C:There's 15, 20, 20, 25.
Speaker C:So it's finding, finding that other thing that is unique to your destination and then, and then utilizing that within, throughout your brand.
Speaker C:I mean, it's interesting.
Speaker C:You know, we've had a few clients, you know, where they have these beautiful beaches, but then we do some research and you talk to the visitor and they're like, well, so does your neighbor.
Speaker C:Those all kind of look the same to us.
Speaker C:Whereas a local resident will say, well, our beaches are so much better than our neighbors, but you got to look it through the eyes of the consumer.
Speaker C:So it's fun finding like, what is that thing?
Speaker C:Whether it's a downtown that's really close to the beach that you don't have anywhere else.
Speaker C:Maybe it's a.
Speaker C:The local hospitality or a sense of inclusion, or maybe it's like a unscheduled thing.
Speaker C:I like in this destination, I don't have to be running from here to there.
Speaker C:So a lot of those studies, it kind of pivots the DMO from just doing the beach, beach, beach, which you need, but also really dig into like that storytelling of the lifestyle within the destination and then highlighting those things, whether it's culture or food or just this feeling that I get in this place that I don't get this elsewhere.
Speaker C:So it really drives engagement to their visitor, which is unique to them.
Speaker B:That reminds me of a guest we had on a couple of episodes ago where it was beyond sand, sun and surf, and they really wanted to establish that part of the destination to get people like you said, to enjoy the beach, but also enjoy the community and understand the community.
Speaker D:Yeah, you use the term that thing in your experience.
Speaker D:What is that thing?
Speaker D:What are the top factors that drive people to choose a particular destination?
Speaker D:And have those factors changed in the recent years?
Speaker C:It's a good question because the thing, whether it's a.
Speaker C:There's always a feeling and that's very unique to a destination.
Speaker C:But when you look like across surveys, there's some things that come in as being important to a trip and, you know, starts with like safety and affordability.
Speaker C:And those are important, but they're not necessary.
Speaker C:They're necessary but not sufficient to get you to a destination.
Speaker C:Like, if I'm going to take a vacation, I need to feel safe there, but that's not the reason I can go.
Speaker C:I need to be able to afford it, but that's not the reason I go.
Speaker C:Another couple of things that we always notice are just natural beauty.
Speaker C:One of the things I love about a plate, whether it's the beach or the, the mountains or whatever, it is like one of the things in, in happiness research is finding, you know, being part of something bigger than yourself.
Speaker C:And I've always thought natural beauty is one of those things when you like, awestruck that the size and scope of this world, this universe and things of that nature.
Speaker C:And then also just, is there something unique that you can do there that you can't do elsewhere?
Speaker C:That those will always bring folks back.
Speaker C:And to the second part of your question, what's been changing?
Speaker C:We're starting to see.
Speaker C:We're starting to see a little bit more People want to see like emotional alignment, lar, meaning they want to see themselves in the brand, whether it's seeing themselves demographically or just like they want to see the fun that they want to have on their trip in the brand, in the creative, in, in that kind of thing.
Speaker C:There's a lot more values based travel, meaning what's important to me, I want to be important at the destination that I'm going through, going to.
Speaker C:So some people sustainability is important.
Speaker C:Some people inclusion is important.
Speaker C:This is especially true for the younger generation, you know, Gen Z and Millennials.
Speaker C:And it's also a really interesting thing I've never heard of.
Speaker C:We simultaneously have never seen authenticity be more important at a time where we're utilizing artificial intelligence more than we ever have.
Speaker C:And it's, it's how do, how do folks like yourselves manage both of those things?
Speaker C:And then I think the other thing is people are, I mentioned earlier, they want unique, unique experiences.
Speaker C:But a lot of people want, when, when they want authenticity, they really want to immerse themselves in the culture of a place.
Speaker C:And you can think about that as like, I went to another country or I went to another place, but it could be something as simple.
Speaker C:I went two counties over and I've never been there before.
Speaker C:And I want to know what people are like here and really kind of becoming, you know, like that, you know, travel like a local.
Speaker C:But understanding what that experience really looks and feels like.
Speaker C:They want to have that, that feeling inside, not, not just something to, to check a box.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, that's across industries.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:Like Vogue was just getting so much people, so many people talking smack to them because they used AI generated models in their recent issue.
Speaker B:And then same with like celebrity endorsements.
Speaker B:There's that Sydney Sweeney American Eagle campaign that's out versus the Oak Bluffs Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren campaign that's out.
Speaker B:And it just shows like community versus something that's inauthentic.
Speaker B:Something like Sydney Sweeney talking about how she wears American Eagle jeans.
Speaker B:Yeah, that's cool.
Speaker D:Are there any common mistakes you see destinations make when interpreting or implying research insights?
Speaker C:They vary.
Speaker C:I think one of the things right away is a lot of folks don't want to hear the bad news.
Speaker C:And I just think that in general, it's like, I want to know the things that people don't like about our destination or what are the barriers we need to overcome.
Speaker C:I think those are important to know.
Speaker C:They don't always feel great to hear.
Speaker C:But you know, these are, these are important things in research.
Speaker C:There's Always a lot of confirmation bias, meaning they expected to see these results.
Speaker C:And then when they're listening to the results, they're really only paying attention to the things that were like, oh, yeah, that's what I thought.
Speaker C:And I think it's really important for the person listening to the research, but also the researcher themselves to just focus on the total narrative.
Speaker C:That's why we, like, I think my LinkedIn starts with.
Speaker C:I use numbers to tell a story.
Speaker C:Like, you need the story.
Speaker C:So they remember the numbers.
Speaker C:Like, that's, that's why that piece is important.
Speaker C:Wow.
Speaker C:And then I think, I think another.
Speaker C:There's two, two other things.
Speaker C:I think a lot of people, occasionally they hear one data point like, hey, my neighbor's German, and he told me that we don't need the market in Germany anymore because everyone under destiny, everyone in the country knows about this destination.
Speaker C:And you're like, that is not representative of anything.
Speaker C:And I, I use that as an example because I had someone tell me that once there, there's, there's making entire strategy decisions based upon what one person told them.
Speaker C:I can never, I, I always think it's a good thing.
Speaker C:If there's a whole bunch of data and you have a story or anecdote that brings it to life, that's fine.
Speaker C:But when people take the anecdote as that's the whole story, that's problematic.
Speaker C:And then, and then finally, I think this is the thing that it's always, it's not frustrating, but when you get that research done and then no one does anything with it, you, like, you paid for this thing.
Speaker C:Like, you wouldn't pay for the marketing and then not run the ad.
Speaker C:It's like, you paid for this thing, help utilize it.
Speaker C:And then, frankly, sometimes it's important to, like, whether you're talking, if you're a destination, whether you're talking to your residents or your visitors to let them know that you heard them.
Speaker C:Like, hey, we, we, we reached out to you, we got that feedback.
Speaker C:We heard you.
Speaker C:And it helps, it helps create more loyalty within that because you know that you're not only just listening to them, you are creating action that's going to make it a better destination, whether it's for the residents or.
Speaker D:Yeah, and I was just connecting some thoughts as we were having this conversation.
Speaker D:We talked a second about the joy of missing out and travel so you can relax.
Speaker D:You're a psychologist, you're a researcher, you, you collect data.
Speaker D:Tells me you're always thinking when you, you're also in the travel industry.
Speaker D:As a marketer.
Speaker D:So when you travel for personal reasons, do you find yourself working even if just in your head?
Speaker C:Yeah, I mean every time like I can't not do, do that like you were saying.
Speaker C:Like it's, I'm always kind of collecting like I'm making, I'm collecting data to make decisions in my life or you know, we do a lot of visitor studies.
Speaker C:So when I'm on a trip I can't help but notice like what do the, what types of people are coming?
Speaker C:Is this like, is this a trip where I see grandma and grandpa and the parents and the kids?
Speaker C:Is it, is it a fairly diverse destination?
Speaker C:Is it a very homogeneous destination?
Speaker C:I can't stop those things from happening because those are things that I do on a day to day basis.
Speaker C:I am quantifying and classifying and.
Speaker C:But it does help me understand.
Speaker C:But it's also, it's not just the data stuff of like the raw numbers.
Speaker C:I love understanding how locals interact with visitors that tell, that tells me a lot about that destination.
Speaker C:Especially in a, in a time, especially in Europe where you're hearing about a lot of over tourism.
Speaker C:But it's just like it is in, it is interesting just to see how, how those two interact.
Speaker C:But then also I, when I book a trip I tend to get more of the ads of that destination that I'm going to and I try to pay attention to them a little bit because I love comparing, hey, I was marketed this thing and now that I'm here, do those things match each other?
Speaker C:That, that's getting back to the authenticity earlier.
Speaker C:But I think it's an important thing because if you're selling one thing and then they come and your, your destination can't deliver on that, that's going to decrease satisfaction, that's going to decrease willingness to recommend, that is going to decrease willingness to come back.
Speaker C:And of course I went to three metrics that I, that we use in our studies all the time to help us better understand how the destination was.
Speaker C:Because again my brain can't stop classifying like that.
Speaker C:But I think it's an important piece that isn't just because it's a good hook to bring people if it's not.
Speaker C:If you can't live up to what you're promising while they're in destination, that, that can kind of create some problems on the, on the back end.
Speaker B:Yeah, yep, absolutely.
Speaker B:So for tour tourism boards or destination marketers, listening today or watching, what's one actionable piece of advice you'd give them about connecting with Any future, future travelers?
Speaker C:No.
Speaker C:It's a good question.
Speaker C:I think the biggest thing, I think you folks are experts in your field.
Speaker C:The boards and the DMOs, they are experts.
Speaker C:They know their place.
Speaker C:At the same time, I think you need to test your assumptions, not just be like, I think it's this thing based upon my years of experience, which, don't get me wrong, are valuable.
Speaker C:But you're looking at the destination differently than your consumer is.
Speaker C:So you just need to test those things and it needs to be.
Speaker C:And like just investing in understanding your brand perception is vital.
Speaker C:You know, you have a logo, you have a tagline to have this brand.
Speaker C:But you know, at the end of the day, it's really how the people feel about your destination.
Speaker C:And we live in a world where people's views on things can change a little bit more quickly than it.
Speaker C:Than it used to.
Speaker C:So it's always just good to check that temperature to make sure something that you're like, hey, this is our brand.
Speaker C:This is how we're marketing the destination.
Speaker C:But let's make sure that still resonates, let's make sure that still differentiates and let's make sure these thoughts that we might have done off of research done five, seven years ago, have those changed over time?
Speaker C:Because more than likely some things are still the same.
Speaker C:In fact, probably more things are still the same, but there's going to be certain tweaks and you still just need to be.
Speaker C:It doesn't need to be a heavy investment, but you do want to be cognizant of that in this day and age.
Speaker B:Yeah, the same goes for the media cycle and journalists as well.
Speaker B:So constantly having people in to either update their articles or just get the lay of the land for anything new and that type of thing.
Speaker D:Is there a recent campaign that you've worked on that you really love or really proud of?
Speaker C:One answer I should say is they're all the same importance.
Speaker C:Of course they are.
Speaker C:But no, I do say that at the start because every project is very important, just like every one of your.
Speaker C:And it's like it's.
Speaker C:But the one that's top of mind.
Speaker C:And I know when we were originally setting this up, you knew I was coming back from the Travel and Tourism Research association conference in Ireland.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker C:And we presented on.
Speaker C:On one study there.
Speaker C:So that's.
Speaker C:I'll mention that one, but that was some brand and creative testing that we did for the main office of tourism.
Speaker C:And the reason I find that one so interesting is it involved a lot of audiences because they Were going through a destination management plan, just kind of basically to come up with their strategic plan.
Speaker C:So we were going through this rebrand, but we also had to make sure we not only got feedback from their team, but we also had to talk to stakeholders.
Speaker C: s, because this was like late: Speaker C:So we really had to get feedback from all of them and then better understand, you know, and then utilize, you know, the.
Speaker C:The marketing company working on that was trying to understand, like, how do we create this brand that will resonate with all of those audiences and, you know, something that resonates emotionally, not just what looks good on the page.
Speaker C:And what I've enjoyed about that is that took them in a different direction.
Speaker C:And now it's even starting to evolve one more time as they better understand, like, what way of life should feel and how they can connect, like the resident experience and the visitor experience.
Speaker C:Because I think that's becoming more and more common because what's.
Speaker C:What's good for the resident is good for the visitor, but it's not always.
Speaker C:The inverse is not always true.
Speaker C:So you can find those wins.
Speaker C:And again, this is a brand creative thing.
Speaker C:But what stemmed from it with that plan has really.
Speaker C:This view that we took for the study has really kind of matriculated throughout the rest of the destination.
Speaker C:It's been a really cool thing to see how things have changed.
Speaker C:Not a ton, but a little bit, but just in how they view the world.
Speaker C:And it kind of stems from a study like that.
Speaker C:So it's just an interesting, fascinating look at a variety of different perspectives on the same place and how they're similar.
Speaker C:But also there's some important differences.
Speaker B:So do you have anything coming up that you're particularly excited about or something else that you wanted to discuss?
Speaker B:Thank you so much for coming on, by the way.
Speaker B:This is such an amazing conversation.
Speaker B:We loved every bit.
Speaker C:Hey, I know.
Speaker C:I appreciate you having me and I love talking with, like, smart folks like yourselves.
Speaker C:I. Larry, alluded to it earlier.
Speaker C:I try to.
Speaker C:I try to surround myself with people, start smarter than me, and I can learn from everyone around me.
Speaker C:I think there's a quote that I've always liked.
Speaker C:I'm the combined efforts of everyone I've ever met.
Speaker C:So, like, conversations that we had today or our conversation at DI in Chicago, you take a little bit and you create.
Speaker C:I'm a better person because of conversations like this.
Speaker D:Yes.
Speaker C:Things that we, we have coming up.
Speaker C:I mean, frankly, I, we're, we're cranking through reports right now.
Speaker C:We have conferences coming up like the Florida Governors Conference, the Southeast Tourism Society Connections.
Speaker C:I get to present there on a.
Speaker C:Some workforce work that we're doing.
Speaker C:And, and it's part of a panel.
Speaker C:What I'm looking forward to that is we get to talk about research, which, you know, near and dear to my heart.
Speaker C:But we're also getting an academic researcher on that panel.
Speaker C:We're getting someone who works in the DMO space, but then we're also getting someone who works on the front line there.
Speaker C:And we're basically going to talk through what this research is and then how these different views meld with each other so we can figure out how to move forward.
Speaker C:I mean, so ultimately the reason I'm excited about that is this workforce.
Speaker C:I'm not excited that it's a problem, but it's like, what can we all do to help to help in this space?
Speaker C:And it's going to be an issue in, for, for the next months, years, who knows?
Speaker C:But it's like, how can we help?
Speaker C:And that's, that's really, again, getting back to my background in psychology.
Speaker C:How can I help?
Speaker C:And how I can help by doing research and helping people understand this world.
Speaker C:And if I can do that and I'm making a difference and it ends up with other people making a destination, a better place so more people can come and visit and just have a better Jomo experience.
Speaker C:It sounds hokey, but that's why I do this.
Speaker C:It's.
Speaker C:I love being able to give back in some way so someone else's life is a little bit better.
Speaker C:And it's.
Speaker C:Research doesn't directly do that, but it does indirectly.
Speaker C:And that's what gets me out of bed in the morning.
Speaker B:You have to know where you're starting to know where you're going to go exactly.
Speaker B:Or where you are.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker D:Well, thanks for being with us, Joseph.
Speaker D:We look forward to having some additional conversations and I definitely look forward to speaking with you at the Governor's conference for a little bit of time that you plan on being there.
Speaker C:All right, I look forward to it.
Speaker C:And yeah, I really enjoyed this conversation.
Speaker C:I look forward to the future conversations I have with both of you.
Speaker D:Thank you.
Speaker D:If you want to learn more about Joseph St. Germain, please go to aquatacs.com we will have all of his information on there, his socials and how to reach out to him.
Speaker B:Thank you for joining us and see you next time.
Speaker C:Thank you.
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