Why Data Is the Foundation of Smarter Destination Marketing
The DTTT and Data Appeal Company have partnered to help DMOs move beyond dashboards. By combining tourism intelligence with expert strategic analysis, they transform complex data into actionable insights for smarter destination management.
The tourism industry has never had more data available to it. From visitor spending patterns and flight booking trends to online sentiment and sustainability indicators, the volume of information flowing into destination marketing organisations is vast and growing. Yet for most DMOs, having access to data and knowing what to do with it are two very different things. The gap between a dashboard full of numbers and a confident strategic decision remains one of the biggest challenges in destination management today.
The challenge is not about having access to the right tools. Most DMOs already work with data platforms and reporting systems, yet still struggle to make sense of what the data is actually saying. Numbers on a screen do not explain why a particular source market slowed down, whether a new audience segment is worth pursuing or how visitor spending connects to broader trends in the destination. Data needs context and interpretation to become useful, and without that layer, even the best platforms can end up being something teams log into but rarely act on.
This is exactly the challenge that has shaped a new partnership between the Digital Tourism Think Tank (DTTT) and the Data Appeal Company. Rather than simply providing another data product, the collaboration is designed to close the gap between having data and making decisions with it. It brings together Data Appeal's comprehensive tourism intelligence platform with DTTT's deep expertise in destination strategy and digital transformation.
Who Is Data Appeal?
Data Appeal is one of the leading providers of tourism intelligence globally. The platform brings together a wide range of datasets that collectively build a detailed and connected picture of how a destination is performing across multiple dimensions. Through this partnership, DTTT Members can access these insights directly from their DTTT account using their existing login credentials, making it easy to get started and share access across their teams. Here is what you could gain access to:
Credit card transaction analysis to understand where visitors are actually spending money. This is critical for understanding economic impact at a granular level and for directing investment towards the areas that generate real returns.
Flight booking forecasts to anticipate demand before it arrives. Rather than reacting to visitor trends after the fact, this forward-looking view helps DMOs identify which markets are growing and adjust campaigns accordingly.
Sentiment monitoring to track how visitors perceive your destination in real time, drawn from reviews, social content and other online signals. This is particularly important for reputation management and for spotting emerging issues before they become structural problems.
Competitive benchmarking against peer destinations using millions of online data points. Understanding your position relative to competitors is essential for strategic planning, stakeholder reporting and making the case for investment.
Visitor flow tracking to understand movement patterns across your destination. This has direct implications for sustainability management, infrastructure planning and redistributing visitors away from overcrowded areas towards communities and businesses that need the footfall.
A Data Appeal licence is required. We can provide this and the data available depends on the level of access included.
Dashboards have come a long way. They are faster, more visual and easier to navigate than they used to be. But there is a difference between looking at data and knowing what to do with it. A dashboard might show you that visitor numbers from a particular market went up last quarter. What it will not tell you is why that happened, whether it is likely to continue, how your destination compares to others competing for the same audience or what your next step should be.
This is where the role of a strategic partner becomes important. Even well-resourced DMOs can find it difficult to dedicate the time and focus needed to move from monitoring data to interpreting it in the context of a broader destination strategy.
The DTTT and Data Appeal partnership addresses this directly. DTTT's team can combine Data Appeal's datasets with a destination's own proprietary data and strategic priorities to provide an additional layer of expert analysis. From there, we work to build digestible outputs in a range of formats, including quarterly reporting or board-ready presentations. The result is intelligence that connects directly to your strategy and is genuinely accessible for the people who need it most, helping you move from viewing data to acting on it with confidence.
A Partnership Built for Strategic Impact
What makes the DTTT and Data Appeal partnership different from a standard data subscription is the emphasis on turning intelligence into action. Whatever data plan a destination chooses, the advantage of working through DTTT is that it comes with all the added value of complementary Engage Membership, giving teams access to Data Appeal's datasets through the DTTT platform alongside over 600 case studies, 1,000+ reports and strategies and access to all DTTT events. For destinations that want to go deeper, upgrading to DTTT's Advisory Membership provides strategic support that translates those datasets into clear, actionable recommendations.
This includes monthly intelligence briefings tailored to each organisation's priorities, quarterly strategic analysis covering competitive positioning and market opportunities, board and stakeholder reporting designed for leadership presentations and ongoing advisory support from DTTT's destination transformation experts. The aim is to ensure that data does not sit in a platform waiting to be explored but actively informs the decisions that shape a destination's future.
For DMOs that have felt the frustration of having data without direction, this partnership offers a practical way forward. It removes the burden of interpretation, connects insights directly to strategic priorities and delivers intelligence in formats that stakeholders will actually engage with.
To help destinations navigate this complexity, the DTTT has developed a Data Flow diagnostic tool, mapping out specific priorities, challenges, current data capabilities and long-term objectives. This initial assessment allows us to dive deep during a discovery consultation, ensuring a bespoke approach to reporting according to each destination's needs.
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The tourism industry has never had more data available to it. From visitor spending patterns and flight booking trends to online sentiment and sustainability indicators, the volume of information flowing into destination marketing organisations is vast and growing. Yet for most DMOs, having access to data and knowing what to do with it are two very different things. The gap between a dashboard full of numbers and a confident strategic decision remains one of the biggest challenges in destination management today.
The challenge is not about having access to the right tools. Most DMOs already work with data platforms and reporting systems, yet still struggle to make sense of what the data is actually saying. Numbers on a screen do not explain why a particular source market slowed down, whether a new audience segment is worth pursuing or how visitor spending connects to broader trends in the destination. Data needs context and interpretation to become useful, and without that layer, even the best platforms can end up being something teams log into but rarely act on.
This is exactly the challenge that has shaped a new partnership between the Digital Tourism Think Tank (DTTT) and the Data Appeal Company. Rather than simply providing another data product, the collaboration is designed to close the gap between having data and making decisions with it. It brings together Data Appeal's comprehensive tourism intelligence platform with DTTT's deep expertise in destination strategy and digital transformation.
Who Is Data Appeal?
Data Appeal is one of the leading providers of tourism intelligence globally. The platform brings together a wide range of datasets that collectively build a detailed and connected picture of how a destination is performing across multiple dimensions. Through this partnership, DTTT Members can access these insights directly from their DTTT account using their existing login credentials, making it easy to get started and share access across their teams. Here is what you could gain access to:
Credit card transaction analysis to understand where visitors are actually spending money. This is critical for understanding economic impact at a granular level and for directing investment towards the areas that generate real returns.
Flight booking forecasts to anticipate demand before it arrives. Rather than reacting to visitor trends after the fact, this forward-looking view helps DMOs identify which markets are growing and adjust campaigns accordingly.
Sentiment monitoring to track how visitors perceive your destination in real time, drawn from reviews, social content and other online signals. This is particularly important for reputation management and for spotting emerging issues before they become structural problems.
Competitive benchmarking against peer destinations using millions of online data points. Understanding your position relative to competitors is essential for strategic planning, stakeholder reporting and making the case for investment.
Visitor flow tracking to understand movement patterns across your destination. This has direct implications for sustainability management, infrastructure planning and redistributing visitors away from overcrowded areas towards communities and businesses that need the footfall.
A Data Appeal licence is required. We can provide this and the data available depends on the level of access included.
Dashboards have come a long way. They are faster, more visual and easier to navigate than they used to be. But there is a difference between looking at data and knowing what to do with it. A dashboard might show you that visitor numbers from a particular market went up last quarter. What it will not tell you is why that happened, whether it is likely to continue, how your destination compares to others competing for the same audience or what your next step should be.
This is where the role of a strategic partner becomes important. Even well-resourced DMOs can find it difficult to dedicate the time and focus needed to move from monitoring data to interpreting it in the context of a broader destination strategy.
The DTTT and Data Appeal partnership addresses this directly. DTTT's team can combine Data Appeal's datasets with a destination's own proprietary data and strategic priorities to provide an additional layer of expert analysis. From there, we work to build digestible outputs in a range of formats, including quarterly reporting or board-ready presentations. The result is intelligence that connects directly to your strategy and is genuinely accessible for the people who need it most, helping you move from viewing data to acting on it with confidence.
A Partnership Built for Strategic Impact
What makes the DTTT and Data Appeal partnership different from a standard data subscription is the emphasis on turning intelligence into action. Whatever data plan a destination chooses, the advantage of working through DTTT is that it comes with all the added value of complementary Engage Membership, giving teams access to Data Appeal's datasets through the DTTT platform alongside over 600 case studies, 1,000+ reports and strategies and access to all DTTT events. For destinations that want to go deeper, upgrading to DTTT's Advisory Membership provides strategic support that translates those datasets into clear, actionable recommendations.
This includes monthly intelligence briefings tailored to each organisation's priorities, quarterly strategic analysis covering competitive positioning and market opportunities, board and stakeholder reporting designed for leadership presentations and ongoing advisory support from DTTT's destination transformation experts. The aim is to ensure that data does not sit in a platform waiting to be explored but actively informs the decisions that shape a destination's future.
For DMOs that have felt the frustration of having data without direction, this partnership offers a practical way forward. It removes the burden of interpretation, connects insights directly to strategic priorities and delivers intelligence in formats that stakeholders will actually engage with.
To help destinations navigate this complexity, the DTTT has developed a Data Flow diagnostic tool, mapping out specific priorities, challenges, current data capabilities and long-term objectives. This initial assessment allows us to dive deep during a discovery consultation, ensuring a bespoke approach to reporting according to each destination's needs.
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