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Field Notes

Field Notes

By: Advance Travel and Tourism
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 The travel industry is evolving fast—how are you keeping up? Field Notes: Insights and Strategies for the Travel Marketer is your go-to podcast for expert insights, real-world strategies, and candid conversations with the people shaping the future of travel marketing. What You’ll Discover 🚀 Actionable Strategies – Learn from top industry experts, marketing leaders, and travel professionals as they share what’s working now. 🌍 Industry Trends – Stay ahead of emerging trends in digital marketing, destination branding, customer engagement, and more. 🎙️ Exclusive Interviews – Hear the voices behind successful campaigns, innovative tourism strategies, and game-changing marketing approaches. 📈 Real-World Insights – Get firsthand experiences, case studies, and behind-the-scenes knowledge from those who know the travel marketing landscape best.Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Economics Marketing Marketing & Sales Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
Episodes
  • Accessibility, Trust, and the $25 Billion Opportunity in Travel

    Accessibility, Trust, and the $25 Billion Opportunity in Travel
    Mar 14 2026
    In this episode of Field Notes: Insights and Observations for the Travel Marketer, Eric Hultgren sits down with Arturo Gaona and Sofia Bravo from Wheel the World, a company focused on making travel more accessible for people with disabilities. Recorded during the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism, the conversation explores how accessibility data, trust, and verification are transforming how travelers with disabilities plan trips—and why destinations that ignore this market are leaving billions on the table. Wheel the World operates both a consumer booking platform and a verification system for destinations and hospitality businesses, helping travelers confidently plan accessible trips while giving destinations a clearer way to understand and promote their accessibility offerings. Key Topics in This Episode What Wheel the World Does Wheel the World operates two core services. On the consumer side, travelers with accessibility needs can use the platform to search and book accessible experiences—from hotel rooms to multi-day trips around the world. On the industry side, the company works with destinations, hotels, and tourism organizations to verify accessibility information and improve how those offerings are communicated. To gather that information, the company deploys trained “mappers” who physically visit properties and collect more than 200 accessibility data points, ranging from door widths and bed heights to mobility considerations throughout a property. Why Accessibility Data Matters Traditional hospitality listings often describe accessibility in vague terms—simply labeling a room as “accessible.” But for travelers with disabilities, that binary description doesn’t provide enough information to plan a trip confidently. Wheel the World solves that problem by combining detailed property measurements with personalized traveler profiles. Travelers can create accessibility profiles that include information about mobility needs, assistive devices, or comfort requirements. The platform then uses that information to match travelers with properties that best fit their needs. The goal is simple: replace uncertainty with trust. Oregon’s Accessibility Leadership Oregon has become a national leader in accessible tourism. The state has invested roughly $8 million in accessibility initiatives over the past six years, funding improvements, training programs, and verification projects across destinations. Through partnerships with Wheel the World, Oregon has verified more than 770 tourism businesses, making it the most accessible-verified state in the country. That verification effort began along the Oregon Coast and later expanded statewide as more destinations saw the benefits of standardized accessibility data. Accessibility as a Major Travel Market Accessibility is often framed as a compliance issue or a diversity initiative. But Arturo and Sofia argue that the travel industry should view it as something else entirely: A massive growth opportunity. In the United States alone: • Travelers with disabilities and their companions generate about $25 billion in travel spending annually • Roughly 40 million trips are taken by travelers with accessibility needs each year Despite that demand, the industry frequently fails these travelers. Research suggests that three out of four accessible trips experience a problem, ranging from incorrect accessibility information to inadequate facilities. The Real Problem: Lack of Trust Interestingly, the biggest barrier isn’t technology or booking systems. It’s trust. Travelers with disabilities often struggle to find accurate, detailed information about accessibility before they arrive at a destination. That uncertainty prevents many people from traveling at all. Studies show that half of travelers with disabilities would travel more frequently if they had reliable accessibility information before booking. Providing transparent data—even when a property isn’t perfectly accessible—builds trust and allows travelers to make informed decisions. Accessibility and the Future of Search One of the more interesting insights from the conversation touches on how accessibility data intersects with AI and search. Because Wheel the World has spent years collecting structured accessibility data, their platform has become one of the most comprehensive databases of accessibility information in hospitality. As AI systems increasingly rely on trusted data sources to answer travel questions, platforms that provide structured, authoritative data are more likely to surface in AI-generated search results. In other words: The future of travel discovery may depend heavily on who owns the best data. The Network Effect of Accessible Travel Wheel the World has also built a large online community of travelers with disabilities who actively share experiences and recommendations. Their Facebook group alone has grown to more than 40,000 members, where travelers exchange ...
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    21 mins
  • Curiosity, Wine, and Community — Marketing Southern Oregon with Travel Medford

    Curiosity, Wine, and Community — Marketing Southern Oregon with Travel Medford
    Mar 13 2026
    In this episode of Field Notes: Insights and Observations for the Travel Marketer, Eric Hultgren sits down with Carol Skeeters Stevens, Chief Marketing Officer at Travel Medford, to explore how curiosity, community partnerships, and evolving marketing strategies shape tourism in Southern Oregon. Recorded during the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism, the conversation touches on the changing role of destination marketers, the power of third-party validation in shaping perception, and how Medford’s connection to Oregon’s wine industry plays a critical role in its tourism story. Stevens also shares how staying curious—about travelers, industries, and experiences outside our comfort zones—can help tourism leaders remain effective in a rapidly evolving marketing landscape. Key Topics in This Episode How the Destination CMO Role Is Changing Stevens notes that one of the biggest changes in destination marketing over the last three years has been the shift from traditional media toward digital channels. For many destination marketers who came up in more traditional advertising environments, this shift requires a level of trust in targeting systems and audience segmentation that can feel unfamiliar. Rather than physically seeing an ad placement, marketers must rely on data signals to ensure the message is reaching the right traveler at the right time. The Power of Third-Party Validation In 2025, Sunset Magazine named Medford one of the best small towns in the West. For Stevens and her team, recognition like this serves as valuable third-party validation that helps reshape perceptions of the destination. While awards don’t necessarily translate directly into immediate bookings, they provide credibility and open the door to new conversations with potential travelers. The real value lies in the ripple effect: partners, stakeholders, and community members share the recognition, amplifying the destination’s story beyond traditional marketing channels. The Role of Wine in Oregon’s Tourism Story Before joining Travel Medford, Stevens spent years working in the wine industry—an experience that continues to shape how she approaches destination marketing. Oregon’s Rogue Valley is now the second-largest wine region in the state, following the Willamette Valley, and wine tourism plays a central role in the region’s visitor experience. But Stevens emphasizes that wineries represent more than just tasting rooms. They serve as hospitality hubs where visitors learn about local restaurants, outdoor experiences, and community culture. In that way, the wine industry functions as both an economic engine and a storytelling platform for the region. Wine Trends to Watch Stevens also highlights several emerging trends shaping the wine experience in Oregon: • Growth in sparkling wine production • Increased focus on approachable, experience-driven winery visits • Expanded offerings for visitors who may not drink alcohol Rather than focusing solely on traditional tastings, wineries are increasingly creating social spaces where visitors gather for music, food, and shared experiences. Staying Curious as a Tourism Leader Curiosity is a central theme of the conversation. Stevens believes staying curious requires constantly reminding yourself that your personal preferences are not the audience. Destination marketers must step outside their own travel habits and consider the needs, fears, and motivations of different traveler segments. That might mean asking simple but powerful questions: • What barriers might prevent someone from trying this experience? • What information would make it easier for them to explore? • What would make a destination feel more approachable? By examining those questions, marketers can better understand how travelers engage with destinations. The Value of Industry Community One of Stevens’ favorite aspects of tourism conferences is the opportunity for collaboration across destinations. Oregon’s tourism leaders—from coastal communities to mountain towns—share a common goal: promoting the state while celebrating the diversity of its regions. Stevens believes the industry benefits when destinations actively share ideas and best practices rather than competing in isolation. Her philosophy mirrors a simple idea sometimes used at tourism conferences: “Steal this idea.” If a strategy works for one destination, it may inspire innovation elsewhere. Takeaways for Travel Marketers This episode highlights several lessons for destination marketing professionals: • Digital targeting now requires trust in data-driven placement • Third-party recognition can reshape destination perception • Local industries like wine can become powerful tourism storytellers • Curiosity helps marketers understand new audiences • Collaboration across destinations strengthens the entire tourism ecosystem About the Guest Carol Skeeters Stevens Chief Marketing Officer Travel Medford Carol ...
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    12 mins
  • Claire Fisher of Tualatin Valley on the Evolution of the CMO in a DMO

    Claire Fisher of Tualatin Valley on the Evolution of the CMO in a DMO
    Mar 12 2026

    Eric Hultgren sits down with Claire Fisher, CMO of Explore Tualatin Valley at the Oregon Governor's Conference for Tourism. Claire brings an agency background and broad DMO experience beyond Oregon and the US, and she shares how the CMO role has evolved, how her team is navigating AI and social media, and what's on the horizon for Tualatin Valley in 2026.

    Key Topics & Takeaways The Evolving CMO Role at a DMO • Claire frames the CMO role today as fundamentally about alignment — breaking down organizational silos. • Constantly returning to the "why" behind strategy is critical as the marketing landscape shifts. • Favors a "compass, not a map" mindset: direction is set, but the route to get there must stay flexible. • Structure with flexibility — experiments should be allowed to guide the team down unexpected paths.

    Social Media & Channel Strategy • TikTok: A priority growth channel — grew from ~300 followers to 5,000+ in about 18 months. • Younger audiences are increasingly using TikTok as a search tool; presence is non-negotiable. • Viral moments are meaningful for top-of-funnel awareness but shouldn't be confused with conversion. • Instagram is outperforming Facebook within their Meta investment. • Pinterest is on the radar as a pre-planning/inspirational tool, but KPIs and engagement benchmarks must be defined per channel before scaling. • Guiding principle: expand channels with purpose, not for the sake of presence.

    AI — "Know Thy Frenemy" • AI is directly impacting DMO website traffic — AI-generated search overviews are reducing click-throughs. • The team is working to understand how their site is being referenced in AI summaries and ensure discoverability. • Uses a 28-day AI challenge program (one new AI tool per day, 10–20 min each) to build team fluency. • Explored tools across image generation, music, video, voiceovers (mentioned 11 Labs as notable), and content strategy. • Team-first philosophy: prefers directing feedback to human designers and writers over replacing them with tools — but acknowledges AI's value for under-resourced DMOs. • Sees parallels to early social media: the landscape is moving so fast that we won't know which tools survive until years from now. • Called for more regulatory structure around AI, drawing a direct comparison to how social media was left to grow unchecked.

    2026 Priorities & World Cup • Excited for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — Tualatin Valley is positioned as a stopover between World Cup host cities San Francisco and Seattle. • Potential for international soccer teams to train in the region. • Internally focused on building a culture of "test and learn" and being data-forward. • Annual planning focus: fewer priorities, deeper impact — "a mile wide and an inch deep doesn't help you."

    Destination Development & Partnerships • Strong existing relationships in wine, brewery/tap room, and cidery segments — these partners are becoming brand ambassadors. • Growth segments: agritourism, culinary, and outdoor — working to bring partnership trust up to the level of their beverage industry relationships. • Long-game thinking is essential, even when the instinct is to want results today.

    Accessibility • Explore Tualatin Valley is a Wheel the World verified destination. • Completed Cohort 1 of Wheel the World assessments (10–20 locations: attractions, hotels, wineries, etc.). • Cohort 2 underway — expanding variety and geographic coverage within the destination. • Accessibility lens is broad: inclusive playgrounds, sensory rooms, and movie theater times for neurodivergent families. • Oregon is the #1 state in the nation for accessibility — a key point of distinction and storytelling. • Philosophy: accessibility isn't just a box to check — there are real stories to tell.
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    16 mins
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