2026 Annual Convention

Join us for this pre-conference workshop! Destinations International’s Tool Symposium will bring together destination professionals who are both current users and those exploring the Tourism Economics and Destinations International's suite of solutions.

This free half-day event will provide hands-on insights into several of Tourism Economics’ leading solutions, including the Event Impact Calculator, the Symphony Platform, and TE’s attribution solutions including both the Website and Media Impact Calculators.  Through practical demonstrations, case studies, and peer discussion, attendees will learn best practices and actionable strategies to strengthen measurement, communicate impact, and maximize the value of these industry-leading tools.

Film is more than a marketing tactic—it’s a powerful demand channel that drives immediate economic impact and long-term tourism growth. This free half-day workshop at Destinations International will explore how DMOs and film commissions can better align to attract productions, generate visitation, and build lasting destination visibility. Join us for practical insights, real-world examples, and actionable strategies to turn film into a true sales and marketing driver for your destination. Location: Off-site at Weiden+Kennedy Agency (224 NW 13th Ave, Portland, OR). Contact Jessica Hill ([email protected]) with any questions. Register here.

The 2026 Annual Convention offers two meaningful opportunities to serve alongside Blanchet House, a nonprofit making a difference one relationship at a time through food, shelter and compassionate support. As destination leaders, we understand that welcome begins with how we care for people. If you are ready to step into service and support Community Well-Being in action, we invite you to sign up. 

Blanchet House  

Blanchet House serves an average of 1,200 meals each day to anyone who walks through its doors. Their restaurant-style meal service ensures every guest is welcomed with respect and offered a nutritious hot meal in a setting that feels like a café, not a cafeteria. 

15 volunteers will support lunch service, engaging with guests directly and grounding hospitality through equity. 

Bethanie’s Room 

Bethanie’s Room serves as Blanchet House’s overnight emergency shelter for women. Offering a secure and welcoming space for up to 75 women each night, Bethanie’s Room responds to an urgent community need, as four out of 10 unsheltered people in Portland are women. Named in memory of a beloved guest, the shelter stands as a commitment to safety, compassion and hope. 

20 volunteers will participate in a special project to support the shelter which opened in early 2026.  

On-site education with both the Blanchet House and Bethanie’s Room teams will provide volunteers with insight into each program’s mission and impact. 

Cost: $30 – Proceeds will go directly to support Blanchet House’s resources and programs.
Location: Transportation provided to/from OCC.
Dress Code: Closed-toed shoes and shirts with sleeves.

Join Expedia Group Advertising to uncover the latest research on what inspires travelers to explore new destinations. Combining emotion-reading and eye-tracking research with a global survey of 7,000+ travelers, the Science of Wanderlust reveals the creative elements, formats, and storytelling approaches that resonate most.

Learn how to apply the WANDER framework to craft content that captures attention, builds trust, and drives action. From the impact of video and authentic messaging to the thoughtful use of AI, these insights will help you reach the travelers you want and design campaigns that ignite wanderlust throughout the trip-planning journey.

If the last year has proven anything to our industry, it is the significant impact of international visitation on the travel economy.  Today, destination leaders across the globe need both data and local context to determine where and how to prioritize their sales and marketing efforts amidst a shifting landscape.  

In this session, you will join executive leaders from MMGY Global’s teams across Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, the GCC and the United States who will share perspectives from their respective source markets. Drawing on traveler research and on-the-ground experience, you will learn the nuances of travel sentiment, trade relations and media perspectives from each of these important outbound markets. 

Designed as a working discussion for destination leaders from around the world, the session will balance global macro trends with practical application at the local level. Speakers will explore questions many destinations are actively navigating today. Will the impact of Canadian travel sentiment toward the U.S. continue and where are these travelers choosing to go instead? How have American travelers shifted their behaviors when traveling abroad amidst current geopolitical conditions? How should travel leaders prioritize their efforts in historically strong outbound markets like the U.K. and Germany in today's environment? And how is India’s steadily expanding outbound market influencing long-haul travel patterns across multiple regions?