Most destination marketing organizations are guided by a board of directors that plays a crucial role in shaping the organization's strategic direction. These boards often include a diverse mix of professionals—such as hoteliers, restaurateurs, attraction owners, local politicians, and experts from adjacent industries like real estate and economic development. While nearly all board members recognize tourism as a key economic driver and are able to provide potent and valuable insights, most lack a full background in the broader work of destination promotion. Instead, they bring expertise from specific areas within the broader tourism landscape, making it essential for DMO leaders to provide a holistic view of their work in order to convey impact.

Communicating the value of your organization to a board of directors with limited or specialized experience in tourism can be a unique challenge. Board members may appreciate the economic importance of tourism on a broad level, but understanding the complex role DMOs play in driving that impact often requires a more strategic approach.

In this blog, we ask experts for their best advice for bridging the knowledge gap between DMO and BOD. We’ll explore three tips for positioning your organization not only as an important promotion and marketing component for your destination, but also as an essential economic engine driving sustainable growth, community pride, and economic resilience. 

Tip 1: Skip the Fluff, Don’t Try to Overimpress With Vanity Metrics 

Skip vanity metrics—like follower counts, likes, and impressions—because these figures not only often fail to reflect true impact, but can also fall totally flat with your board. While impressive on the surface, vanity metrics don’t directly contribute to revenue, customer retention, or meaningful engagement. Instead, focus on metrics that measure real results, such as conversion rates, inbound visitor value, and ROI. These provide actionable insights into how your organization actually drives growth, and everyone understands the language of dollars and cents.

“We always try to give real numbers of economic impact. No multipliers or algorithms.  Even a conservative real number can have a greater impact on board members than something that’s open to interpretation or cynicism. Real dollar conversions through an OTA, Adara or other independent body speak volumes.” - Patrick Harrison, Chief Marketing Officer, Visit Tampa Bay

Tip 2: Be a Translator, Turn Metrics into Stories that Resonate 

Turning numbers into stories is essential when communicating with a board of directors, as most are unfamiliar with what marketing metrics mean. A compelling narrative transforms raw data into relatable insights, connecting metrics to real-world community outcomes like visitor loyalty, revenue growth, and sustainable expansion. By framing metrics within a story, you can illustrate the "why" behind the numbers, demonstrating how strategies contribute to the organization’s goals. This approach not only clarifies complex data but also engages board members emotionally, making the case for marketing investments more persuasive and memorable.

“Not everyone understands why four million cars seeing a billboard or 200,000 views on a video has value because the numbers are so dramatically out of context for small business owners and elected officials. The economic impact of travel marketing can be like a mystic ghost, hard to explain. But a well explained and impactful story around those metrics that can make sense to our community influencers at any level is pivotal to ensuring our success. A successful campaign isn’t quite as important when we can’t explain what we did in a way they can hear!” - Marcus Carney, Executive Director, Visit Yuma

Tip 3: The Stickiness Factor of Emotional Connection

DMOs are adept at using emotional storytelling to promote their destinations. Similarly, emotional storytelling can help DMOs convey to their board the true value of their work by making an impact that data alone cannot achieve. By creating an emotional connection, marketers can highlight how their efforts drive not just numbers but also meaningful relationships and long-term brand equity felt by visitors and, most importantly, the local community they serve. This approach transforms abstract metrics into relatable, memorable stories demonstrating marketing’s strategic value in building a destination brand and outcomes that people genuinely care about.

“While our board is still very interested in financial results, we, like many other DMOs around the world, have had to start focusing on more emotional metrics that speak to our community needs and quality of life. Yes, we need businesses to thrive, but now we also report on resident sentiment and how visitation dollars impact locals through infrastructure and programs that wouldn’t exist without our visitation.” - John Urdi, President & CEO, Mammoth Lakes Tourism 

In summary, effective marketing reporting goes beyond numbers—it requires translating metrics into relatable, impactful stories that resonate with a board and showcase real business outcomes. By focusing on meaningful metrics over vanity figures and weaving in emotional storytelling, marketers can clearly illustrate the strategic value of their work. This approach not only makes complex data accessible but also underscores marketing’s role in driving growth, building loyalty, and strengthening the brand in ways that genuinely matter to the destination’s future.