Reflecting on the 2025 Advocacy Summit in Sacramento

The 2025 Destinations International Advocacy Summit in Sacramento was a welcome reset for our industry. Nearly 200 destination leaders gathered to tackle complexity: funding pressures, engagement fatigue, AI disruption, and the growing expectation that destination organizations act as civic integrators rather than solely marketers. The tone was clear: advocacy is no longer a function; it’s a leadership discipline tied to governance, alignment, and long-term value.

What stood out most was the shift from defending tourism to embedding tourism in civic systems. From Helsinki’s data-driven alignment tools to Los Angeles’ integration of UN Sustainable Development Goals into its tourism master plan, the examples shared were as inspiring as they were practical. The message? If we want to lead differently, we must build differently. 

Key Takeaways

Whether you attended or not, here are the essentials you need to know:

• Advocacy = Leadership Competency 
  Use the Advocacy Leadership Imperative to audit governance structures and align KPIs to community outcomes. 
  Link: https://destinationsinternational.org/reports/destinationnext-futures-study 
   
• Resident Sentiment Is an Operating Metric 
  The Resident Sentiment Study shows perception isn’t just a metric—it’s a mandate. Move from annual checks to continuous tracking and action loops.
  Link: https://destinationsinternational.org/resident-sentiment-study 
   
• Reputation Is Strategic Capital 
  The Destination Reputation Study emphasizes transparency and accountability as drivers of resilience, especially for meetings and events. 
  Link: https://destinationsinternational.org/destination-reputation
   
• Tools for Resilience Are Here—Use Them 
  Start with DI’s Tools Symposium outputs and DestinationNEXT frameworks to shape funding resilience and stakeholder alignment.
  Links: https://learningcenter.destinationsinternational.org

The Future of Tourism

For 2026 and beyond, advocacy-focused roles should prioritize:

• AI as Governance & Infrastructure 
  AI isn’t just for marketing—it’s shaping decision-making and transparency. Build AI literacy into leadership plans now.
  Links: 2025 Executive Insights Report
   
• Identity Alignment Across Systems 
  Tourism cannot operate in isolation. Align destination identity with civic priorities and sustainability goals using frameworks like the UN SDGs. 
  Links:
  https://tourism.lacity.gov/city-los-angeles-tourism-master-plan
  https://www.untourism.int/global/publication/tourism-and-sustainable-development-goals-journey-2030
   
• Operationalize Sustainability as Activation 
  Move beyond metrics to projects. Gothenburg’s new UN Sustainable Lifestyle Hub is a model for cross-sector collaboration. 
  Links:
  https://goteborgco.se/en/2025/09/gothenburg-selected-as-new-global-un-hub-for-sustainable-lifestyles/
  https://unpartnerships.un.org/press-center/gothenburg-named-new-un-sustainable-lifestyle-hub
   

Wrap-Up

Kudos to Destinations International for curating a summit that sparked real dialogue and action—and to every attendee who showed up with humility and intent. Sacramento was the right city at the right time. The work continues.