28: Is Destination "Stewardship" the Right Word - or just the best one we have? (Jason Holic)

In this episode of Destination Discourse, Stuart Butler and Adam Stoker sit down with Jason Holic, Vice President of Digital Marketing at Experience Kissimmee—and a former elected official—to unpack a loaded topic: destination stewardship. What does it really mean? Is it marketing dressed up with a new name? Or a fundamental shift in the role of DMOs?

We talk through how Kissimmee approaches stewardship without abandoning its core mission, why the word “sustainability” can be politically limiting in Florida, and how the term “stewardship” offers more flexibility and opportunity. Jason shares how his team managed to plant over 100,000 trees globally through a meetings incentive program—and how it’s helped them gain community support without overstepping their role.

We also debate whether small DMOs can or should take on stewardship—and why your organization doesn’t need a big budget to think bigger about impact.

From AI in education to creating slam poetry about owned media, this episode has a little of everything—and ends with an unexpected idea: what if we built a matchmaking platform that connected destinations with the right kind of travelers?

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