Destination Discourse
Destination Discourse is the essential podcast for DMOs and travel industry professionals who want to stay ahead in destination marketing, stewardship, and management. Hosted by industry experts Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker, each episode delves into the key issues and trends shaping the future of tourism. From cutting-edge innovations to the complex challenges of destination management, we offer thought-provoking insights, honest debates, and practical takeaways. Part love letter to the industry, part therapy session, and part user manual, Destination Discourse is your trusted source for real talk and expert advice. Join us to explore inspiring campaigns, hear from leading voices, and gain the insights you need to elevate your destination strategies.
Episodes
November 20, 2025 • 69 mins
Stuart and Adam are joined by Brand USA’s Janette Roush for a provocative exploration of the question no one in tourism wants to ask out loud: what happens to DMOs when AI becomes the primary interface for travel inspiration, planning, and booking?
The conversation pushes past hype and digs into the existential challenge ahead. If AI tools replace the website, the visitor guide, the itinerary builder, and even the dis...
The conversation pushes past hype and digs into the existential challenge ahead. If AI tools replace the website, the visitor guide, the itinerary builder, and even the dis...
Mark as Played
November 13, 2025 • 52 mins
The game has changed, and not just for marketers. In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker are joined by Kara Franker, CEO of the Florida Keys & Key West, for a candid conversation about how artificial intelligence is forcing DMOs to redefine their purpose.
Kara argues that the future of destination marketing isn’t just about promotion, it’s about education. As AI transforms how trav...
Kara argues that the future of destination marketing isn’t just about promotion, it’s about education. As AI transforms how trav...
Mark as Played
November 6, 2025 • 54 mins
This week on Destination Discourse, Stuart and Adam dive into one of their most candid conversations yet, a real-time therapy session about the changing relationship between DMOs and agencies in the age of AI.
The episode kicks off with Stu’s News and a jaw-dropping update: OpenAI now allows users to shop and pay for products directly inside ChatGPT. No clicks. No websites. Just conversation. Stuart calls it “the mome...
The episode kicks off with Stu’s News and a jaw-dropping update: OpenAI now allows users to shop and pay for products directly inside ChatGPT. No clicks. No websites. Just conversation. Stuart calls it “the mome...
Mark as Played
October 30, 2025 • 49 mins
We promote the power of travel—but are we actually taking it ourselves? In this episode, Jennifer Walker from Visit Dallas challenges the tourism industry to practice what it preaches. With burnout on the rise and vacation days left unused, this candid conversation explores whether DMOs are setting the right example when it comes to rest, recovery, and experiencing their own destinations like a visitor.
From mandated ...
From mandated ...
Mark as Played
October 23, 2025 • 49 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, we’re joined by returning guest Caleb Sullivan and first-time guest Tyler Ford, an outsider from the automotive world who just might have the fresh perspective the tourism industry needs.
The conversation kicks off with a lively debate about Las Vegas’s new “Five Days of Fabulous” campaign—is it a smart earned media play or a short-sighted brand devaluation? But the real shift...
The conversation kicks off with a lively debate about Las Vegas’s new “Five Days of Fabulous” campaign—is it a smart earned media play or a short-sighted brand devaluation? But the real shift...
Mark as Played
October 16, 2025 • 54 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart and Adam sit down with marketing strategist John Gardner to unpack a bold new framework for modern marketers: The Four I’s of Marketing — Intelligence, Individualization, Integration, and Inspiration. As traditional approaches like the Four P’s (Product, Price, Place, Promotion) lose relevance, this conversation explores how DMOs can better serve visitors and stakeholders in an ...
Mark as Played
October 9, 2025 • 52 mins
It’s the 50th episode of Destination Discourse, and Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker mark the milestone by taking a reflective walk through their biggest learnings and shifts in perspective since launching the show. In a heartfelt, humorous, and occasionally roast-filled conversation, they unpack how their thinking has evolved on three major fronts: the role of paid vs. owned media, the importance of measuring what truly matters,...
Mark as Played
October 2, 2025 • 52 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart and Adam sit down with Joe Heller, CMO of Discover Philadelphia, to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing DMOs today: how to break through the sea of sameness in meetings and conventions marketing.
The conversation explores why traditional advertising often falls flat in the B2B space and how destinations can shift toward disruptive promotions and attention-g...
The conversation explores why traditional advertising often falls flat in the B2B space and how destinations can shift toward disruptive promotions and attention-g...
Mark as Played
September 25, 2025 • 62 mins
This week’s episode goes deep into one of the most complex and often misunderstood conversations around artificial intelligence: its environmental impact. Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker are joined by returning guest C.A. Clark, who first appeared back in Episode 7 to talk about AI ethics. This time, the three pick up a conversation that started off-mic and turned into one of the most challenging, thought-provoking discussions w...
Mark as Played
September 18, 2025 • 62 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart and Adam are joined by Christian Mengel of St. Joseph CVB—who is not the dating site, despite the name—for a compelling discussion about what destination marketers can learn from the decline of traditional media.
Christian brings his background in journalism to unpack how newspapers, TV, and radio lost their position as trusted sources, and how DMOs may be on a similar ...
Christian brings his background in journalism to unpack how newspapers, TV, and radio lost their position as trusted sources, and how DMOs may be on a similar ...
Mark as Played
September 11, 2025 • 49 mins
We brought Destination Discourse to the main stage at ESTO 2025 for a special live debate—and it did not disappoint. In this high-energy session, Stuart and Adam tackled two provocative questions shaping the future of destination marketing:
1. Will DMO websites be irrelevant in 5 years?
2. Will the ROI of paid media continue to decline?
With the audience choosing which side each of us had to argue (regardles...
1. Will DMO websites be irrelevant in 5 years?
2. Will the ROI of paid media continue to decline?
With the audience choosing which side each of us had to argue (regardles...
Mark as Played
September 4, 2025 • 51 mins
In this jam-packed episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart and Adam welcome Kristen Adamo, President & CEO of Go Providence, for a powerful conversation about the evolving role of destination marketing organizations—and more specifically—the CEO’s role in product development and community stewardship.
They explore:
• How Go Providence helped save WaterFire and turned it into an economic development lever
...
They explore:
• How Go Providence helped save WaterFire and turned it into an economic development lever
...
Mark as Played
August 28, 2025 • 46 mins
In this no-guest, think-out-loud episode, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker tackle one of the most urgent shifts in destination marketing: how AI-powered trip planning and booking could change everything DMOs know about awareness, attribution, and conversion. They unpack Google Ads’ new branded search metric and why it may signal a swing back toward brand-first strategies, then dive into the coming challenge of Large Language Mode...
Mark as Played
August 21, 2025 • 53 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker welcome Dan Janes from Madden Media for a wide-ranging conversation that connects the dots between AI, agency structures, RFPs, and the way destinations approach marketing funnels.
The trio kicks things off with Stu’s News on the release of ChatGPT-5, exploring its leap in reasoning, ability to understand intent, and potential to transform how tea...
The trio kicks things off with Stu’s News on the release of ChatGPT-5, exploring its leap in reasoning, ability to understand intent, and potential to transform how tea...
Mark as Played
August 14, 2025 • 58 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart and Adam welcome long-time listener and industry friend Caleb Sullivan for a candid conversation about what makes the vendor–DMO relationship thrive—or fail. Drawing from experiences on both sides of the table, they share the right (and wrong) ways to approach business development in the tourism space, why trust and authenticity are more valuable than a hard sell, and how playin...
Mark as Played
August 7, 2025 • 59 mins
In this episode, Stuart and Adam are joined by Steven Totten of Visit Phoenix for an unfiltered conversation on risk, innovation, and the sameness plaguing the travel and tourism industry. The trio tackles the dangers of navel-gazing, the repetitive creative churn from agencies, and the cultural fear that stifles innovation across DMOs. Stuart shares behind-the-scenes details on the launch of Charlie’s Place, a six-part podcas...
Mark as Played
July 31, 2025 • 72 mins
In Episode 40, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker welcome Jim Harenchar, President of RMG USA, for a deep (and at times spicy) conversation on marketing attribution, ROI, and the complicated relationship between DMOs, agencies, and vendors. What starts as golf banter quickly tees off into a much larger dialogue about how—and whether—the travel industry is measuring what truly matters. From changing consumer behaviors to the dangers...
Mark as Played
July 24, 2025 • 59 mins
In this episode, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker welcome special guest Rebecca Wormleighton, co-founder of Zendelity, to explore a nuanced challenge in destination marketing: How much influence do DMOs actually have over the guest experience—and what can they do about it?
Despite Stuart battling some lingering Covid brain fog and Adam fresh off his 18th wedding anniversary trip to see Morgan Wallen, the crew dives deep ...
Despite Stuart battling some lingering Covid brain fog and Adam fresh off his 18th wedding anniversary trip to see Morgan Wallen, the crew dives deep ...
Mark as Played
July 10, 2025 • 55 mins
What does the future of hiring look like in the world of destination marketing? In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker dive deep into that very question with industry experts Cambria Jones and Nicole Newman of SearchWide Global.
From the shifting expectations of today’s workforce to the growing importance of culture, adaptability, and leadership, this conversation covers what DMOs must...
From the shifting expectations of today’s workforce to the growing importance of culture, adaptability, and leadership, this conversation covers what DMOs must...
Mark as Played
July 3, 2025 • 11 mins
In this special July 4th mini-episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker preview their upcoming session at ESTO 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. The duo reveals the inspiration and format behind their live show on Monday, August 18 at 2PM - an interactive, debate-style session designed to challenge groupthink and spark honest dialogue across the destination marketing industry. They tease two provocative statement...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.