About The Foundation

The Destinations International Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering destinations globally to excel through innovation and resource incubation.

We believe that destination organizations are essential to the success of destinations worldwide and the cornerstone of their communities. That is why we invest in research, advocacy, talent development and global engagement and exchange.

The Cornerstone

With every dollar raised, the Foundation takes aim at and helps ensure the continued growth of our industry worldwide. We know that destination organizations must compete with every other community for their share of the world’s attention, customers and investment. Efforts must be made to promote, market, sell and engage potential visitors. However, we know that the need for destination promotion is for the benefit and well-being of every person in a community. We believe it is a common good and essential to develop opportunities for all the residents.

Investment in the Foundation directly supports innovation and incubation. We ensure that people working at destination organizations are supported with knowledge and programs.

Research

Together we will create new knowledge.

The Foundation takes aim at the issues destinations face daily. As one of the largest funders of research to develop a better understanding of our industry and the environment we operate in, we are committed to exploration. We set industry standards through Destination Organization Performance Reporting, Compensation and Benefits Study, and Standard Performance Reporting studies. We identify trends and opportunities through our DestinationNEXT Futures Study, as well as current threats through our Weaponization of Travel Study. We demonstrate the catalytic impacts of our efforts through the Destination Promotion: An Engine of Economic Development study; and we build the foundations for products such as the Event Impact Calculator by funding baseline calculations.

Advocacy

Together we will raise the voice of the industry.

The Foundation works diligently to help destination organizations better advocate for the outcome of their efforts. We monitor political conversations and track legislation that impacts our industry utilizing the world’s most comprehensive database of legislative information. We develop policy briefs and threat analysis reports to help destination organizations mitigate current threats and get ahead of future issues on the horizon. We assembled a team of industry leaders and crisis management experts to help destination organizations assess a crisis situation and set them on the path to creating an effective response strategy.

Talent Development

Together we will develop the leaders of tomorrow.

The Foundation invests in preparing the leaders of tomorrow through professional development and mentorship opportunities. Through programs like 30 Under 30, we are developing future industry leaders that represent a diverse set of backgrounds and perspectives.

Global Engagement

Together we will foster a passion for learning.

The Foundation believes that destinations learning from each other will only help each community grow. By fostering the opportunity for exchange and global engagement, organizations will be able to be on a world stage in promoting their destination.

Make a Contribution

Your gift will directly impact the incubation of new ideas, research, talent and global initiatives to support the broader travel and tourism industry. 

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