Global All-Stars 2021

The 2021 session featured five leading destinations from around the world, sharing ideas, insights and innovations for a post-COVID world. Singapore led the world in their health and safety response to COVID-19 and in mapping an exciting hybrid future for events. Iceland has been a pioneer in the reopening of international tourism after COVID-19 and a long time innovator in both destination marketing and management. Gothenburg, ranked as the world’s most sustainable destination, has led the world in what ‘building back better’ means in practice. Leaders from the U.S. discussed how to turn local and global lessons into action, and how destinations must embrace and thrive in the face of disruption.

Global All-Stars 2020

In its ninth year at Destinations International’s Annual Convention, Global All-Stars 2020 boldly reimagined tourism and DMOs in a world recovering from the COVID-19 crisis. Two leading state tourism directors, Todd Davidson, CEO of Travel Oregon, and Rita McClenny, President & CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation, collaborate to identify the five ways tourism will be changed forever. Signe Jungersted, CEO and Founding Partner of Group NAO, summarized three key ways DMOs must adapt to survive and thrive in a world post COVID-19 vaccine.  

Global All-Stars 2018

In this exciting session, we experienced a global storytelling journey with Airbnb, learning about the elements that drive their most compelling and buzzworthy content; heard from a world leading urban architect on the latest trends in “placemaking,” reimagining downtown and public spaces to benefit visitors, locals and businesses; and saw how Google Street View is bringing more advanced and compelling content to their platform and what this means for destinations.   

Global All-Stars moved to the main stage at the 2016 Annual Convention. This session discussed the power of user generated content and social media and the use of new technology, showcased the learnings and successes of new influencer and content programs and took an exciting, fresh look at new developments in the hotel sector, highlighting what they can teach destination marketers in targeting the affluent traveler, nurturing community, connectivity and a sense of place.