Case Study

Powering Destination Potential with Regional Collaboration

ATVing on white sand dunes under a blue sky

The Challenge

Few industries are as siloed as tourism. Destinations that pride themselves on unique attractions and experiences might view other communities as competitors rather than collaborators. Tourism directors are under pressure to deliver memorable experiences and boost visitation, even as their budget, staff, and available resources remain the same. Tourism directors need to find a way to collaborate, strategically leveraging their collective strengths to thrive in a highly competitive market.

The Solution

Regional Collaboration is a powerful way for tourism directors in multiple markets to join forces to reach destination management goals despite limited resources. Partnerships come in all shapes and sizes. Destinations can team up with cities or counties or even form multi-state alliances. Regional Collaboration goes well beyond verbal agreements of support. Partners coordinate everything as a single entity, from marketing and product development to investment strategies. Strategic partnerships make tourism initiatives more efficient and effective, giving tourism professionals innovative ways to promote an entire region.

The Results

By collaborating and cooperating with neighbors, destinations capitalize on niche travel markets, positioning regions as multi-destination travel options.

Other benefits of Regional Collaboration include:

Shared resources: When destinations share the costs of marketing efforts and infrastructure investments, they get more bang for their buck.
Collective influence: By uniting, destinations can offer more resources to attract big-name conferences and events or negotiate stronger deals with local businesses.
Itinerary development: Through Regional Collaboration, destinations deepen the assets available to develop creative itineraries. By working together, tourism directors can create curated journeys that let visitors fully experience a region.
Broader reach: Investing in coordinated efforts broadens the geographic reach of regions. Instead of competing for the same target markets, destinations within a region can strategically share resources to attract a wider spectrum of visitors.
Collaborative crisis management: When the unexpected happens, handling it as a team is not only more effective—it is more bearable. Regional Collaboration enables collective response in times of natural disasters or health emergencies that lead to a faster rebound in a region.

Success Spotlight

DestinationiQ connected Juab, Millard, and Beaver counties in Utah and developed a five-year comprehensive plan for The Backyard, a Regional Collaboration to promote OHV trails under a single brand. The Backyard's ongoing goals are to increase tourism, improve local economies, improve visitor and resident safety by providing official trail designations in digital form, and become the country's largest and most comprehensive region for OHVing.

By positioning Utah and, specifically, this region as open and welcoming to OHV users, Juab, Millard, and Beaver counties are drawing more OHV riders to the area to enjoy multiple trails. This translates to overnight stays and increased tax revenue at local businesses in each county.

Among DestinationiQ’s five-year deliverables for The Backyard:

Brand development
OHV trail mapping and digitization
Obtaining grant funding
Executing all required grant reporting
Developing a media library and website
Creating a three to five-year marketing plan
Partnership development
Social media management
Google ads
Newsletters
Finding and enlisting social media influencers
Designing and distributing printed guides
Public relations
Devising key performance indicators to monitor progress for each tactic

The Backyard allows these counties to capitalize on thousands of square miles of desert. By forming The Backyard, they are now better positioned to compete against areas with national parks and other well-known attractions.

Ready to build powerful Regional Collaborations with other destinations? Get started at DestinationiQ.com.

Fill the gap in your DMO

Do you feel like there is not enough time or expertise for you and your staff to elevate your community tourism efforts to the next level?

Hiker on a large mountain in beaver county overlooking a sunset

Dive Into More

Insights

Dive Into More

Insights

Illustration of tourism director sitting on top of hourglass

Bridging the Gap: A Tourism Director’s Road Map to Overcoming Time, Expertise, and Funding Challenges

Tourism directors face increasing pressure to manage destinations effectively despite challenges in time, expertise, and funding. This white paper explores these barriers and provides practical strategies to help tourism directors unlock their destination’s full potential, ensuring sustainable growth and impactful visitor experiences.

Read

DestinationiQ GAP Evaluation

The DestinationiQ GAP Evaluation helps tourism professionals identify challenges in time, expertise, and funding, providing a foundation for tailored solutions that maximize destination success. By assessing key operational gaps, this tool supports strategic growth and more effective tourism management.

Read

DestinationiQ’s 4 Steps to Calculate Your Tourism ROI

Discover how DestinationiQ’s four-step approach to calculating tourism ROI helps destinations quantify the true economic impact of visitor spending, from tax revenues to job creation. By understanding and leveraging these insights, you can make informed decisions to maximize growth and investment in your region.

Read

Two people paddle baording in Morgan, Utah

People Are More Interested in Travel Based on Experiences than Attractions or Destinations

In a world where travelers prioritize personal growth, authenticity, and meaningful interactions, experience-based tourism is not just a trend—it’s the future. Read on to discover how DestinationiQ can help harness its potential.

Read

Two young adults on the Royal Gorge Train

3 Steps Every DMO Can Take to Boost Community Engagement Now

The way local people feel about your tourism efforts can make your tourism dreams take off, or well, crash and burn. That is why engaging and collaborating with your community is not just a nice gesture; it is a strategic move that benefits everyone.

Read

Two stargazers staring out at a vivid, yellow-tinted milky way galaxy

How Beaver County, Utah Increased Tourism and Lodging Tax Through Captivating Stargazing Branding

To establish Beaver County as a premier stargazing destination, our team developed the Rugged Skies brand, a 1 to 5-year marketing plan, built a microsite, and managed photography, social media, ad campaigns, and PR.

Read

four young people on a harvest festival ride in Fremont, Colorado

Long-Term Partnerships and Increased Lodging Tax – Fremont County, Colorado

Discover how our long-standing partnership has revitalized the Royal Gorge Region, driving increased lodging tax revenue through strategic management and marketing solutions.

Read

Nine Counties Grow Travel Spending and Overnight Stays Through Statewide Stargazing Program

Colorado Stargazing: Experience the Night reached millions of potential visitors in just nine months. According to the 2022 Colorado Economic Impact of Travel Report, counties involved in this statewide program experienced consistent year-to-year growth in travel spending since the program’s launch.

Read