As wildfire risk continues to intensify, destination marketing organizations (DMOs) across the western United States and beyond face a challenging and, in some instances, a somewhat new and daunting reality. The era of “fire season” has shifted into a year-round concern. For communities like Flagstaff, Arizona—surrounded by emerald national forests below a canopy of sapphire blue skies, and beloved for outdoor adventure experiences including easy access to national parks—this means preparing for fire is not a seasonal strategy, but a permanent pillar of operational readiness embracing responsible visitation and community values.

In the case of Discover Flagstaff, the DMO is a municipality governed organization operating as a section within the city.  The city’s organization has many sections/divisions such as water, police, public works, etc. Another section is the Communications & Civic Engagement Office with responsibilities of managing all emergency alerts, evacuation orders, and resident updates.  But this fact does not diminish our responsibility. Instead, it sharpens our role: to provide accurate, timely, and appropriate visitor-facing communication—especially in the lead-up to visitation and during unfolding wildfire events.

This blog provides an actionable framework for DMOs to prepare for and communicate effectively during wildfire events. It’s drawn from the detailed wildfire communications strategy developed by Discover Flagstaff, in partnership with city leadership, first responders, and community stakeholders. Our hope is that this blueprint can help other DMOs safeguard their tourism economies while standing in solidarity with their communities during times of crisis. 

Why DMOs Need a Wildfire Communications Plan

Wildfires can emerge and escalate rapidly, disrupting not only public safety but visitor expectations, business operations, and destination reputation. In April 2022, the Tunnel Fire near Flagstaff destroyed dozens of homes, closed iconic trails and national monuments, and rerouted regional traffic. While much of the city remained unharmed and open, including our downtown, many visitors were exposed to media messaging, some of which may have caused uncertainty to continue their travel plans. Discover Flagstaff readily accessed a plan to provide timely, transparent visitor communication intended to mitigate confusion, and expressing and reconfirming the need for responsible visitation which included a pivot on available outdoor activities.   

A wildfire marketing and communications plan for DMOs can bridge gaps and provides:

• time to create a well-thought-out plan providing a template for strategic real-time implementation with minimal distractions or hasty decisions    
• time to seek consult from leadership, professionals and key community business leaders

It empowers tourism leaders to think about and plan for assets, and speaking and copy points and provides a ready-to-implement action plan/template if staff are impacted:  

• Pre-arrival awareness plan educating visitors before they leave home.
• Reinforce community values and sentiment which include Stay & Play Responsibly with wildfire education (prevention and awareness) and responsible recreation.
• Communicate clearly about what’s open and closed.
• Encourage visitation when officials and community deem it safe.
• Pause marketing when officials and community deem it necessary and respectful.
• Support recovery with sensitivity and care. 

The Role of a DMO in a Wildfire Crisis

Before diving into tactics, it’s crucial to define boundaries. DMOs must avoid messaging that overlaps or conflicts with official emergency communications. Instead, DMOs should focus on pre-arrival and in-destination visitor communication, always leaning in and taking direction from emergency professionals, city leadership, and understanding community sentiment. 

In Flagstaff, the DMO approach is organized with a two-prong model depending on wildfire status:

No Active Fire:

• Focus on fire prevention, responsible recreation, and readiness.
• Promote evergreen wildfire awareness content.
• Highlight “Know Before You Go” messaging.

Active Fire:

• If visitation is still safe: Promote open businesses and alternative attractions.
• If visitation is unsafe or discouraged: Pause promotional messaging, support community sentiment and plan for recovery. 

Let’s explore how these strategies come to life across channels.

Part 1: Wildfire Awareness - preparedness & prevention

Effective wildfire communication begins long before the first spark. The DMO should build internal alignment, pre-produce assets, and educate your visitor base. 

1. Build Cross-Department Relationships

• Establish communication protocols with city government, emergency services, tourism commissions, and local business leaders.
• Know when and how you’ll receive fire status updates.
• Designate a wildfire response lead or team within your DMO.

2. Create Evergreen Fire Safety Content

• Develop static and video assets educating visitors on fire restrictions, general awareness and prevention tips, and Leave No Trace principles.
• Consider messages like:
  • “Only use designated open forest roads and trails for recreation.”
  • “Smoking and use of electronic cigarettes are prohibited in all public areas within the city of Flagstaff.”   

3. Owned media

• Prepare Website Infrastructure - Design and activate an alert banner system on your homepage to communicate the most important information – could be a staged restriction message, could ask for a ‘pause’ in visitation depending on your destination’s situation.
  • Sometimes wireframes don’t provide for emergency messaging or perhaps the emergency messaging content section isn’t where you prefer.
  • Do you know what your website can accommodate?  Know the possibilities and get the templates in place.
• Build a wildfire information landing page with:
  • Fire restriction updates
  • Open/closed trails and parks
  • Visitor FAQs
  • Links to official fire agencies.
• Don’t get too involved with being THE resource for the most up to date information.  Rather, provide links to your local wildfire professionals who are the subject experts and always have the most updated situational information.   
• Social media - Pre-Schedule Social & Email Campaigns
  • Craft and create a draft calendar with posts  
  • Create an asset file with photos and videos to eliminate in-the-moment searches
  • Give thought to situations such as:  if XYZ attractions close, then pivot and plan to support ABC attractions (again, create your photo and video libraries now)
  • If air quality is impacted, create content and templates to support indoor activities
  • Use consistent hashtags: #FireAwareness #StayAndPlayResponsibly
  • Encourage respectful visitor behavior: “Do not fly drones over fire zones.”
  • If appropriate, reshare posts from local fire departments or public information officers.
  • Email campaigns and templates can also be created now with similar planning shown above  
  • Team work makes the dream work -- encourage and help prepare tourism partners to amplify consistent messages. 

4. Identify paid media flexibilities:

• What media buys (digital, print, OOH) can pivot quickly.  Stay in touch with those vendors, routinely communicate reminding them you may leverage the contract for emergency messaging.  This helps them be more flexible should the need arise.  
• Plan backup creative for messaging being mindful of the various platforms and contracts that can be utilized – digital, video, print, OOH
• Negotiate contingency clauses with media vendors.
• Discover if your partners have access to grant funds that may be used for marketing – double-check if funds may be used out-of-market, in-market only, for an educational campaign or in an emergency situation only.   

5.  Earned media:

• Coordinate speaking points with city PIO, fire officials and other partners
• Have a plan for routinely updating your media emergency contacts as well as the usual DMO media contacts  
• Prepare in advance a photo and video asset link to be shared with media points of contact, mindful to show inspiring destination images 

Part 2: Communications During an Active Fire

When a fire breaks out, rapid clarity is key. Your job as a DMO is to:

• Understand degree of impact (two tiers mentioned below)
• Support city leadership and official’s goals/needs by providing visitor education with clarity 

Tier Your Messaging Based on Fire Severity (two scenarios in this blog) 

Scenario 1:  Fire nearby, but visitation is safe deemed by city leadership, officials

Emphasize “open for business” messaging, e.g.:

• Provide parameters for your audience to understand experiences that are available and operational such as:
  • “Downtown is open.”
  • “Flagstaff’s 56 miles of urban trails remain accessible.
  • “Here’s what’s open and welcoming you . . .”
  • Include indoor alternatives if air quality is in question: museums, restaurants, breweries, shopping . . .
• Collaborate with city staff and tourism partners to ensure accuracy. 

Scenario 2:  Fire is in city limits and is devastating / Fire threatens community or limits visitation  

• Shift tone to community-focused empathy and sentiment
  • Pause all promotional messaging
  • “We’re heartbroken. We’ll see you soon.”
  • Our hearts are with those impacted.”
  • Share how visitors can help: donation links, shelter info, etc.
• Manage Website and Email Updates
  • Keep wildfire landing page current with:
    • Closure updates
    • Visitor advisories
  • Email campaign templates should shift to a lower-frequency, and have an empathetic tone.
  • Highlight future events visitors can look forward to post-recovery.
• Coordinate with Sales and Travel Trade
  • Align messaging with the DMO’s plan
  • Inquire on partner plans, understand and communicate closures  
  • Notify groups, travel writers, journalists, and tour operators of current status
  • Provide talking points that reflect accurate and respectful conditions
• Support Visitor Center and On-The-Ground Efforts
  • Equip staff with updated signage and talking points
  • Launch a forest closure hotline using existing vendor infrastructure
  • Prepare alternative activity lists for walk-in visitors 

Part 3: Post-Fire Recovery Marketing

Once safety is restored and the community signals readiness, the DMO can help rebuild confidence and visitation through recovery marketing. 

Plan to execute recovery campaigns using owned, earned and paid media platforms

1. Wait for the Right Moment

• Do not resume promotional efforts until the city approves and community sentiment aligns.
• Start with low-key messages: “We’re reopening and ready to welcome you back.” 

2. Develop a Recovery Budget

• Request additional funds if needed.
• Reputation restoration 

3. Use a Sensitive, Community-First Tone

• Feature locals in recovery narratives.
• Acknowledge the losses. Express hope and gratitude.
• Avoid “business as usual” phrasing too soon. 

4. Focus on What’s Open, Not What’s Lost

• Highlight accessible attractions, new experiences, and community events.
• Position your destination as resilient and ready—but not untouched. 

Key Takeaways for Destination Marketing Organizations

Preparing for wildfires is no longer optional for outdoor destinations—it’s essential. Here's a checklist to guide your DMO’s wildfire communication readiness: 

• Clarify roles: Know what your DMO owns and what belongs to emergency officials.
• Build internal playbooks: Draft scenarios, approval processes, and templates in advance.
• Invest in evergreen education: Fire safety is everyone’s business—make it part of your brand.
• Stay nimble and sensitive: Fire impacts change daily; your messaging should too, and your audiences need to know.
• Support the long recovery: Tourism helps communities heal—when done thoughtfully.

Discover Flagstaff understands the most powerful marketing during a crisis isn’t about persuasion—it’s about responsibility, truth, and care. We hope this framework assists other DMOs in preparation for what could occur.  Let’s build wildfire-resilient destinations—together.