Destinations International’s 2024 Annual Convention will take place July 16-18, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. This year’s premier gathering of travel and tourism leaders underscores the critical role of destination organizations in fostering community engagement, resilience and stewardship.

Attending the Annual Convention? We’d love to connect. Find out where we’ll be and what to expect from the Wayfinder!

Downtown Tampa Bay waterfront

About the Wayfinder

The Wayfinder is a best-practice destination management framework—built by industry, for industry—giving organizations the ability to examine nine key modules and self-assess against external standards. The Wayfinder was built within a tried and tested platform, guiding destination organizations through a continuous improvement pathway that measures, monitors and improves destination stewardship capability and outcomes.

It’s a transformational way of looking at tourism and how destination organizations do what they do.

Meet Our Team

Learn more about the Wayfinder and how it works for all destinations by connecting with our team members at Annual Convention! Various members from the Wayfinder’s Global Stewardship Innovation Lab will also be in attendance.

Kristin Dunne, Director

[email protected]

Abby Parkin

Abby Parkin, Strategist

[email protected]

Where to Find Us at Annual Convention

The Wayfinder will be hosting a series of events throughout the Annual Convention. While we won’t have a designated Wayfinder space, find us networking on the floor, giving product demos or leading an insightful panel discussion.

Flashes of Brilliance

15-minute microsessions from leading industry professionals

Preserving Cultural Heritage: Strategies for Destination Organizations
  • Date: Wednesday, July 17
  • Time: 2:40 – 2:55 p.m.
  • Location: Green Stage

Join Dawnielle Tehama, Senior Associate Principal at the Coraggio Group, for strategic insights on how to identify, preserve and honor your destination’s story of becoming. Gain tools to ensure the vitality of culture and heritage for future generations, fostering responsible tourism development and community well-being.

Approaching and Activating Your Stewardship Journey
  • Date: Wednesday, July 17
  • Time: 11 – 11:15 a.m.
  • Location: Green Stage

Join Andrew Leary M.S., Principal of Coraggio’s Travel and Tourism Practice and former Director of Sustainable Tourism at Leave No Trace, as he delves into the vital role of community-centered tourism in destination management. Learn about the new global framework for destination stewardship, and discover how to approach and activate it through this crucial lens and adaptive management that can lead to transformative change in our destinations.

Laptop with the Wayfinder platform on screen

Product Demonstrations

See how the Wayfinder is transforming destination management

  • Date: Wednesday, July 17 – Thursday, July 18
  • Time: All Day
  • Location: Miles Partnership Meeting Room 9, Floor 3 at Tampa Marriott Waterstreet

Join the Wayfinder team in the Miles Partnership room for a product demonstration. Take a deep dive into the best-practice framework, explore product features and services, and learn how the Wayfinder can help you build confidence in strategic planning while centering community in decision-making.

Destination Leaders Unplugged

Candid insights from Waymakers shaping the future of tourism

  • Date: Tuesday, July 16
  • Time: 10:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
  • Location: Tampa Bay History Center
  • Invite Only

An industry-wide collaborative effort can mature tourism into a sector that contributes to the overall well-being of destinations and the communities they serve. In this immersive forum at the Tampa Bay History Center, hear from a panel of destination leaders advancing destination stewardship within their own communities and actively balancing the needs of residents and visitors alike.

Together, we’ll look back at lessons learned, asking our panel of destination leaders: “If you could start over, what would you do differently?”

Our panel of Waymakers share insights on what worked, what didn’t and the guidance they wish they had from the outset. Come prepared to contribute your own wisdom and personal experience as a leader in your destination, as we open the floor for questions and engage in facilitated discussion.

Leading Through Transformation

A fireside chat navigating community-led tourism

  • Date: Thursday, July 18
  • Time: 2:15 – 3 p.m.
  • Location: Destinations International CEO Lounge

Evolving social, cultural, environmental and economic priorities are compelling destination organizations to expand their role—well beyond the traditional destination promotion scope of the past—to a community-centered approach.

In this fireside chat with destination leaders, learn how to inspire change, empower your team and embrace a transformational perspective on tourism. Discover the key strategies that destination organizations can adopt to thrive in this dynamic environment and navigate a community-led approach to tourism.

Let’s Stay Connected

If you can’t make it to Destinations International’s Annual Convention this year, connect with us on LinkedIn to see what we’re up to, and make sure to schedule your virtual demo of the Wayfinder!