Looking back on my decades-long career in tourism consulting, one of the most persistent and disheartening observations I’ve made is how much Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) copy each other.
Despite operating in an industry that thrives on unique experiences and the promise of discovery, DMOs frequently replicate strategies, campaigns, and even website designs.
This homogenization creates an alarming paradox: the very organizations charged with showcasing their destinations’ uniqueness often undermine their missions by failing to differentiate themselves in a competitive market.
Imagine visiting ten DMO websites selected at random. It is not uncommon to find strikingly similar slogans, layouts, imagery, and messaging. They all promise "adventure," "relaxation," or "hidden gems," often paired with nearly identical stock photography.
While this might stem from a desire to emulate perceived industry’s best practices, it raises critical questions: Have DMOs, in their effort to benchmark against each other, done themselves a disservice? Is this tendency to copy a strategic misstep with far-reaching consequences for the tourism industry?
This article explores the motivations behind this phenomenon, the significant downsides of replication, and why originality is essential for DMOs to thrive. By drawing on lessons from my career in tourism consulting, I aim to offer actionable insights for DMOs seeking to break free from the cycle of imitation and reclaim their competitive edge.
The Prevalence of Copycat Behavior
The tendency of DMOs to mimic each other is not incidental; it is deeply rooted in the industry's dynamics. Benchmarking, for instance, is a common practice among DMOs as they strive to evaluate their performance against peers. While benchmarking can provide valuable insights, it often leads to an overemphasis on replicating what others are doing rather than innovating. The result is an industry where cookie-cutter marketing strategies and indistinguishable branding proliferate.
The shared reliance on creative agencies, research firms, and digital platforms amplifies this problem. Many agencies that serve DMOs tend to recycle templates and strategies across clients, creating a landscape where campaigns, websites, and even social media content begin to look strikingly similar. In some cases, this replication is an unintentional byproduct of the industry’s best practices becoming overused. In other cases, it reflects a conscious choice by DMOs to play it safe by adopting strategies that have been validated elsewhere.
However, in the pursuit of safety, DMOs risk losing what sets them apart: their authenticity. A destination’s culture, heritage, and natural assets are its most valuable resources. Yet, these are often overshadowed by generic marketing efforts that fail to capture what makes a place truly unique.
The Role of Creative Agencies in Copycat Marketing
Creative agencies can play a significant role in shaping DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) strategies, and their influence often contributes to the trend of DMOs copying one another.
Too often, DMOs mistake a branding or marketing strategy for a destination or organizational-level competitive strategy. Because of this confusion, DMOs tend to cede their destination-level competitive strategy to creative agencies in the form of an advertising or branding strategy.
While these agencies bring expertise and fresh perspectives, certain dynamics within their operations and relationships with DMOs can inadvertently drive homogenization in destination marketing. Here’s how:
Off-the-Shelf Solutions: Creative agencies often rely on standardized approaches, reusing strategies or templates that have worked for other destinations. These “plug-and-play” solutions can lead to similar campaigns across multiple DMOs.
A focus on Best Practices vs. Innovation: Agencies frequently pitch "proven" strategies based on industry best practices, which may discourage innovation and promote replication instead.
Trend Adoption Over Differentiation: Agencies tend to emphasize current marketing trends (e.g., influencer campaigns, VR experiences, or hashtag challenges) that are popular across the industry. While these trends are effective, they often lack customization, making campaigns look similar.
Pressure to Deliver Quick Wins: Agencies are incentivized to produce immediate results, leading to reliance on tried-and-true methods rather than taking risks with more creative or experimental approaches.
Serving Multiple DMOs: Many agencies work with several DMOs, particularly within the same region or market segment. This overlap can lead to recycled ideas, creative overlaps, or even conflicts in differentiation. Agencies may unintentionally bring concepts or themes from one client to another, especially if those ideas were successful in a comparable destination.
Superficial Research: Agencies sometimes lack the time or resources to deeply understand a destination’s unique assets, culture, and local voice, leading to campaigns that rely on generic tropes or common themes.
Industry Homogenization: Just as DMOs copy each other, agencies also monitor competitors and replicate successful creative concepts, which then trickle down to their clients.
Fear of Failure: Agencies may prioritize safe, familiar approaches over innovative ones to protect their reputation, leading to strategies that resemble others in the market.
Echo Chamber Effect: Agencies and DMOs frequently rely on the same market research firms, creating a feedback loop where the same insights are used to design multiple campaigns.
Pressure to Emulate Success: DMOs may request agencies to replicate campaigns they've admired from competitors, believing this will yield similar results.
Data-Driven Uniformity: Agencies often prioritize campaigns that are optimized for measurable outcomes (e.g., clicks, impressions, or bookings), which can lead to formulaic strategies that mimic others.
Fear of Diverging from Norms: Agencies may avoid taking creative risks if data suggests sticking to established methods yields higher short-term results.
Why DMOs Copy Each Other
To understand why DMOs so often fall into the trap of imitation, it’s important to examine the underlying motivations. These include:
Risk Aversion: Tourism is a high-stakes industry, and DMOs operate under significant pressure to deliver results, often with limited budgets. Copying successful strategies from other destinations feels like a safer option than taking creative risks.
Perceived Best Practices: Many DMOs equate "best practices" with "best solutions." When they see another destination achieving success with a particular campaign or strategy, they assume it will work for them as well.
Resource Constraints: Smaller DMOs with limited staff and budgets may lack the resources to develop original campaigns, leading them to rely on templates and pre-existing frameworks.
Stakeholder Expectations: Local governments, tourism boards, and industry partners often push DMOs to replicate what appears to be working for competitors, reinforcing a culture of imitation.
Globalization of Tourism Trends: The globalization of travel has led to a homogenization of marketing themes. Universal concepts like “adventure,” “romance,” or “family fun” dominate campaigns, leaving little room for differentiation.
The Downside of Copying
While copying may seem like a low-risk, cost-effective strategy, it often comes with significant downsides that can hinder a destination’s long-term success. These include:
Loss of Authenticity: DMOs dilute their destination’s unique identity by mimicking others. This reduces the destination's appeal and fails to meet the growing demand for authentic, local experiences.
Erosion of Competitive Advantage: In a crowded marketplace, differentiation is key. When DMOs copy each other, they fail to stand out, making attracting and retaining visitors harder
Decreased Visitor Engagement: Generic campaigns and messaging fail to create emotional connections with visitors. Travelers are more likely to engage with destinations that offer unique, personalized experiences.
Short-Term Gains, Long-Term Losses: While imitation may deliver short-term results, it is not sustainable. Over time, destinations lacking originality will likely fall behind more innovative competitors.
Homogenization of Tourism: The widespread replication of strategies contributes to the homogenization of tourism, making destinations feel interchangeable and diminishing the overall value of travel.
A Competitive Mistake
Copying is not only ineffective but also a strategic misstep in an industry where differentiation is paramount. Travelers today are inundated with options, and a desire for unique, meaningful experiences increasingly drives their decisions. DMOs that fail to differentiate themselves risk becoming invisible in a sea of sameness.
Moreover, copying often stems from a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes other campaigns successful. A strategy that works for one destination may not be translated to another, particularly if the two destinations have different audiences, cultures, or assets.
By focusing on what competitors are doing, DMOs may neglect their strengths and miss opportunities to innovate.
The Path Forward: Embracing Originality
Amenities vs. Culture
In the competitive landscape of tourism, destinations often attempt to attract visitors by showcasing modern amenities—luxury hotels, state-of-the-art convention centers, or upscale shopping districts.
While these features are important, they are rarely enough to create a truly unique and memorable experience. Instead, the local culture—deeply rooted in the traditions, people, and way of life—forms the backbone of a destination’s authenticity and sets it apart from competitors.
Authenticity has become a central theme in tourism. Modern travelers increasingly seek experiences that allow them to immerse themselves in a place's culture rather than simply consuming its amenities. They value destinations that feel distinct, offering stories and connections they can’t find elsewhere. Local culture provides that authenticity, making it a powerful tool for differentiation.
Travelers often view their journeys as opportunities for personal growth and discovery. Destinations that focus on communicating a “Sense of Place” with local culture enable them to step outside their comfort zones, learn new perspectives, and find inspiration. These transformative experiences are more valuable than simply enjoying amenities, which tend to blur into the background over time.
Local culture is a destination's soul. It provides authenticity, fosters emotional connections, and creates sustainable, community-driven tourism.
In an era when travelers increasingly seek meaningful, transformative experiences, DMOs must prioritize the preservation and promotion of local culture over the construction of interchangeable amenities. By doing so, they attract visitors and ensure that tourism benefits the destination and its people for generations to come.
To break free from the cycle of imitation, DMOs must embrace originality and authenticity as core principles of their strategy. This requires a shift in mindset, moving away from benchmarking as a competitive crutch and toward a deeper focus on what makes their destination unique.
Rediscover the Destination’s Identity: Start by thoroughly assessing the destination’s unique cultural, historical, and natural assets. Collaborate with local stakeholders to uncover stories and experiences that set the destination apart.
Prioritize Creativity and Innovation: Encourage creative agencies and internal teams to experiment with bold, original ideas. While this involves taking risks, it is often the most effective way to capture attention and drive engagement.
Tailor Strategies to Local Strengths: Instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, DMOs should focus on crafting campaigns that align with their destination’s specific strengths and audience preferences.
Focus on Authentic Storytelling: Travelers are drawn to genuine stories that reflect a place's soul. Use storytelling to create emotional connections and highlight what makes the destination special.
Measure Success Differently: Move beyond traditional metrics like visitor numbers and website traffic. Focus on qualitative measures such as visitor satisfaction, community impact, and brand perception.
The tendency of DMOs to copy each other is not merely a harmless habit; it is a competitive mistake that undermines the essence of destination marketing. In an industry that thrives on the promise of unique experiences, imitation stifles innovation, erodes authenticity, and diminishes the value of travel.
To remain competitive and relevant, DMOs must embrace originality, focus on their unique strengths, and prioritize authentic storytelling. By doing so, they can differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace and inspire travelers to forge deeper connections with their destinations.