Destination Discourse

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

48: Are We Overstating AI’s Environmental Impact? (CA Clark)

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

47: What Can DMOs Learn from Media’s Demise? (Christian Mengel)

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 ...
Mark as Played

46: Who Won at Destination Discourse LIVE at ESTO 2025?

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...
Mark as Played

45: Where Should DMO CEOs Be Spending Their Time? (Kristen Adamo)

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
...
Mark as Played

44: Are DMOs Ready for the “Brand in the Prompt” Era?

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

43: Is It Time to Rethink Agency Models and the Marketing Funnel? (Dan Janes)

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...
Mark as Played

42: What Do DMOs Actually Want From Vendors? (Caleb Sullivan)

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

41: Should DMOs Think More Like a Startup? (Steven Totten)

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

40: Are We Measuring What Matters? (Jim Harenchar)

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

39: Can Destinations Influence the Guest Experience? (Rebecca Wormleighton)

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 ...
Mark as Played

38: Are DMOs Ready to Compete for the Best Talent? (Cambria Jones and Nicole Newman)

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...
Mark as Played

37: Will You Join Us At ESTO?

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

36: Are CMOs Focused on the Wrong Thing? (Emily Zertuche)

June 26, 2025 • 48 mins
In this candid and cathartic episode of Destination Discourse, we welcome Emily Zertuche, CMO of Visit Corpus Christi, for one of our most honest conversations yet. Emily bravely steps onto the soapbox to explore a tension every destination marketing leader will recognize: Are today’s CMOs spending more time justifying their existence than driving meaningful impact?

We talk about the increasing pressure on destination...
Mark as Played

35: Are Websites Dying or Just Evolving? (Tim Peter)

June 19, 2025 • 60 mins
Welcome back to Destination Discourse! In this episode, we’re joined by digital strategist, author, and podcast host Tim Peter to challenge and expand on ideas from our most popular episode to date — Episode 26.

We dive deep into the evolving role of websites, the risks and opportunities presented by AI-generated RFPs, and whether the future of digital customer interaction really requires throwing everything out and s...
Mark as Played

34: Are RFPs Ruining Destination Marketing?

June 12, 2025 • 52 mins
Welcome back to Destination Discourse! In this episode, Stuart Butler (Visit Myrtle Beach) and Adam Stoker (Brand not The Brand Revolt) tackle one of the most frustrating and broken systems in destination marketing: RFPs.

Are they fair? Are they functional? Or are they just outdated relics doing more harm than good?

With Stuart bringing the DMO perspective and Adam representing the vendor side, this conversat...
Mark as Played

33: Should Tourism Be Treated as Economic Development? (Maree Forbes)

June 5, 2025 • 54 mins
This week on Destination Discourse, we welcome Dr. Maree Forbes, CEO of the National Travel Center and one of the leading voices pushing DMOs to see themselves as core players in economic development. Maree brings a fresh, unapologetic thesis: tourism is economic development and most communities have failed to treat it that way.

In this episode, we dive into
• Why tourism and economic development need to stop livi...
Mark as Played

32: Families or Fans: Who’s the Real MVP of Sports Tourism? (John David)

May 29, 2025 • 51 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, we dive into a surprising new dataset that’s forcing destination marketers to rethink everything they thought they knew about sports tourism. Stuart and Adam are joined by John David, President and CEO of Sports ETA, to unpack the latest national research. Spoiler alert: youth tournaments might just be delivering a bigger impact than we all realzed.

John reveals the findings f...
Mark as Played

31: Is There a Right Way to Roll Out AI? (Janette Roush & Vimal Vyas)

May 22, 2025 • 59 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, we’re digging into one of the biggest questions facing DMOs today: how should you be rolling out AI in your organization? Should you move fast and figure it out as you go, or slow down, build the right guardrails, and then scale?

To explore both sides, Stuart and Adam are joined by two of the smartest minds in the space:
 • Jeanette Roush, whose early experimentation with ...
Mark as Played

30: What if the Critics of DMOs are Right? (Camden Bernatz)

May 15, 2025 • 52 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker are joined by special guest Camden Bernatz, who brings a bold thought experiment to the table: What if we asked AI to make the best case against DMOs? What followed was a fascinating debate that covers criticisms of the DMO model, potential vulnerabilities, and the critical need for evolution in the face of decentralization, AI, and shifting traveler behav...
Mark as Played

29: Is Politics or Pricing Keeping Canadians Away? (Amir Eylon)

May 8, 2025 • 51 mins
In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker welcome back Amir Eylon, President & CEO of Longwoods International, for a deep dive into two major issues shaking the DMO world: threats to tourism funding in Florida and shifting sentiment among Canadian travelers.

We kick things off with “Stu’s News,” breaking down two proposed Florida bills that could upend the state’s tourism funding mode...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    On Purpose with Jay Shetty

    I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    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 Joe Rogan Experience

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

    True Crime Tonight

    True Crime Tonight

    If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.