On World Tourism Day, we were thrilled to see Stephanie Dunford, our Commercial Director for Destinations at Sojern, take the stage at Destination Think's 24 Hours of Travel Innovations event. In our latest blog, we delve into the core of our disaster recovery campaigns, highlighting our unwavering commitment to supporting partners during challenging times.
We are dedicated to giving back to the communities where we live and work. Through our initiative, Sojern Gives Back, we partner with local organizations worldwide to ensure we make a meaningful impact. Recently, our team joined disaster recovery efforts in Nebraska after a tornado devastated the community, providing on-site support for cleanup and beyond.
To support our destinations in recovery when disaster strikes, Stephanie put it best: “Mother Nature has not been kind over the years. From earthquakes to hurricanes to forest fires and more—communities and industries, including tourism, have been deeply impacted by these devastating events. I’ve been deeply enmeshed in the travel industry for nine years because I love this industry and the people in it. Seeing the devastation these events have on friends, colleagues, and communities, I knew we had to step up and give back.”
Disasters are both frequent and costly. Often unpredictable, they have the potential to devastate destinations. Many of which are linked to environmental changes driven by our shifting climate. Additionally, wars can severely impact destinations, requiring extensive disaster recovery programs. In 2023 alone, natural disasters caused $92.9 billion in losses, and the American Red Cross responds to an average of 65,000 disasters annually. Globally, these events create significant challenges that demand robust support systems.
Our role is to help destinations implement recovery programs that communicate vital messages through digital advertising. These messages, whether aimed at the general public or travelers, come from a direct and trusted source. Tourism is vital for destinations, and we focus on helping them re-establish communication with travelers, ensuring they know when it’s safe to visit. By targeting travelers in the dreaming and planning phases, we help address concerns and inspire visitation, driving much-needed revenue to local businesses.
Destinations can also serve as a first line of defense during disasters, working to mitigate the impact on tourism. Recovery isn’t just about rebuilding—it’s about maintaining sustainable progress. Focusing on tourism that aligns with the destination’s recovery needs and the level of damage sustained is key to long-term success.
People are often eager to support struggling communities and economies when given clear guidance. We assist destinations in crafting messages that inform potential visitors when and how they can help, whether through tourism or other means. Let’s take a closer look at how disasters impact tourism, why travelers tend to avoid affected destinations, and how recovery plans can make a meaningful difference.
Destinations, hoteliers, attractions, and other stakeholders in the travel industry can face severe challenges when natural disasters strike. Here are some key ways they may be affected:
Sixty-five percent of U.S. adults believe it’s inappropriate to visit a destination recently affected by a natural disaster. This perception can lead many travelers to cancel trips or reconsider their plans. As a result, destinations face not only the direct impacts of the disaster but also the loss of critical tourism revenue. Clear communication about when, how, and why it is appropriate to visit is essential to recovery efforts.
Here are some reasons travelers might avoid a destination in the aftermath of a disaster:
This is why it’s vital for destinations to convey the right message about their readiness to welcome visitors, addressing these concerns and encouraging appropriate support through tourism.
After a disaster, a destination immediately loses its primary source of recovery funding: tourism. Tourism revenue is essential for both immediate recovery and long-term success. Without these funds, destinations struggle to pay for critical community rebuilding efforts, creating a snowball effect.
Often, destinations must attract tourists even before they are fully operational because they rely on those funds to repair damaged infrastructure like roads, bridges, and businesses. Tourism not only helps destinations recover faster, but it also provides vital income for local businesses and employees. However, many tourists are unaware of this or unsure when it’s appropriate to return and whether they can still enjoy their trip.
While some locals may be unable to work after a disaster, others, especially those running tourism-related businesses, need support to pay their employees and keep their operations afloat. For example, after a hurricane, some businesses may be completely destroyed, but others—like restaurants—remain open and depend on visitors to survive.
It’s crucial to communicate the right message, at the right time, to the right audience, addressing these questions. Here are some examples:
Clear, direct messaging from the destination is essential to counter negative press and rebuild its image post-disaster. Travelers need reassurance and guidance to feel confident in returning, ensuring their visit contributes positively to recovery efforts.
With the right plan in place, destinations can disrupt the chain of events that typically follows a disaster. By quickly shifting focus and sharing clear messaging about where and when travelers are welcome, destinations can minimize the impact on tourism revenue and prevent a total economic standstill.
A real-world example is Fort Myers, which was severely affected by a hurricane that devastated Sanibel Island. Many businesses ceased operations, and critical tourism revenue was lost for months. However, there was an outpouring of support from people eager to help. Sojern stepped in to amplify this message, driving much-needed funds to the local economy and helping sustain employees who had lost income.
Let’s explore how Sojern supports destinations like Fort Myers and others in navigating recovery when disaster strikes.
Our disaster recovery planning has been in place for more than five years, with the goal of reducing the negative impacts that destinations and their stakeholders face in the aftermath of disasters. As digital marketers, we are just one part of the recovery puzzle. Destinations need to manage multiple moving parts and have comprehensive disaster recovery plans. Our role is to ensure that the right message reaches travelers who demonstrate qualified travel intent signals. We can identify travelers searching or booking for a specific destination or even considering a competitive destination. Using data from our partners, we see critical points like travel dates and length of stay.
With this data, combined with a strategic plan, we help destinations quickly and effectively share messages with travelers still interested in visiting once the destination is ready. This accelerates recovery for the local economy. Visitor perception is crucial in this process, and we play a vital role in shaping it. While DMOs focus on crisis management, they can rely on us to assist in post-disaster recovery.
Timely digital messaging across relevant channels ensures the right information is distributed immediately after a disaster. We help share updates on safety, available attractions, and how the public can assist, while also providing critical information to locals about safe places to go during the crisis.
Accurate, up-to-date information is essential, as destinations can often offer a great experience shortly after a disaster. our operations are turnkey and agile, allowing us to quickly update creatives and targeting to deliver the right information to the right audience at the right time. Going digital enables nimble execution—no waiting for printers or physical mail. We ensure messages are updated and distributed across digital channels efficiently, using intent data to target qualified travelers.
This approach maximizes the use of advertising dollars for disaster recovery, ensuring no resources are wasted. Whether the funds come from the destination, grants, or government support, we ensure every dollar is spent effectively, serving ads to the right audiences and aligning with the campaign’s strategy.
When storm season causes billions of dollars in damage to tourism-dependent destinations, we help businesses let the market know they are open and ready to welcome visitors post-disaster.
To support recovery efforts, we offer a 50% added value in media spend for any new post-disaster marketing campaigns. For every advertising dollar spent, we match it by 50%, significantly boosting media budgets and campaign reach. This ensures more impressions per ad dollar, enabling destinations to spread their message faster and to a broader audience.
We help destinations reach the right travelers by retargeting individuals who browse their websites and serving ads tailored to their search behaviors. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the ad spend, we provide an Economic Impact Report that tracks post-impression actions such as hotel and flight bookings. Additionally, we offer foot traffic attribution, allowing destinations to see when travelers served by our ads arrive and what they do during their stay. This service comes at no additional cost, recognizing the importance of proving value to stakeholders, board members, and government agencies. A self-serve, on-demand dashboard also gives destinations instant access to digital campaign performance.
To further support recovery, we offer a co-op recovery program, enabling destinations and their partners to rebuild together. This program allows individual businesses within a destination or local regions within a state to run tailored disaster recovery campaigns. Each partner benefits from the 50% added value, significantly increasing the media budget and amplifying the impact of their campaigns.
We have implemented numerous hurricane recovery programs across Texas, Florida, Bermuda, and other locations, as many of our destination clients have been severely impacted by hurricanes. Hurricane season occurs annually and has become increasingly prevalent over time. While Florida has experienced fewer hurricanes this year compared to previous years, we remain on standby, ready to activate recovery programs whenever needed.
In the Fort Myers example mentioned earlier, following a devastating hurricane, we supported the recovery efforts by serving ads to raise funds for the destination. In collaboration with the American Red Cross, we targeted ads to both tourists and locals to generate financial support quickly, addressing the extensive damage and urgent need for resources.
For a full year after the hurricane, we provided a significant match to their media program to support effective recovery. Our efforts ensured the destination remained top of mind for travelers, focusing on businesses that stayed open after the storm, those that reopened shortly after, and others that gradually resumed operations.
Wildfires are another natural disaster that we are unfortunately encountering more frequently, particularly in California, Canada, and northern destinations. For one California destination we supported, our efforts focused on communicating critical safety information and informing travelers when it was safe to return to the area.
Red Tide frequently impacts Florida’s coastline, known for its world-renowned beaches. While it can sometimes pass quickly, it often lingers, leaving some beaches open while others remain closed. This presents a unique challenge, where we assist destinations in communicating which beaches are open and safe, even if others nearby are closed.
Travelers have specific concerns and want detailed information: Can I go to the beach, and is it safe? Is the water toxic? Does it smell bad? Addressing these factors requires regular updates to ensure travelers know when and where they can safely enjoy the beautiful waters they came to see.
Want to ensure your destination recovers swiftly after a disaster? Get in touch with a Sojern expert and find out how we can help.
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