LOGIN
BOOK A DEMO

Four Strategic Planning Principles for Destination Success

Leverage data intelligence to move your destination forward

SPP Header Image

Tools to Measure and Influence the Visitor Economy, At Your Fingertips

With Zartico’s first-of-its-kind Destination Operating System for state tourism offices, you have access to data intelligence to discover high-value visitors and visitation patterns by season, geography, and type. Align exceptional visitor experiences with resident sentiment, quality of life, and economic opportunity.

Zartico powers the possibilities of place, inspiring positive change by empowering visionary leaders.


We guide destinations toward a future marked by innovation and excellence, by encouraging the industry to embrace:

  • Data-led decision-making
  • Agile optimization
  • Continuous strategic planning

Setting the stage for continuous strategic planning 

The label “strategic planning” is most often applied to a complex annual undertaking that produces detailed plans for the future. And while those big-picture conversations are important, our approach recognizes a deeper reality — that strategic planning happens in smaller, yet no less powerful, ways in every department on every day of the year.

At Zartico, we believe effective destination leaders champion strategic planning as a continuous, ongoing process. 

These leaders understand that data is so much more than just a source of metrics to report out. Instead, they put it to work, using data — with context — to optimize their actions for greater future impact as defined through four key strategic planning principles.

Drawing on our many combined years of experience in the industry and everything we’ve learned from working with more than 250 destinations, these are the themes that rise to the surface again and again. The Zartico Destination Operating System® (ZDOS®) delivers the data insights that fuel innovation and impact in these areas.

Strategic Planning Principles

Photo - ZDOS Elements

Setting the stage for continuous strategic planning 

The label “strategic planning” is most often applied to a complex annual undertaking that produces detailed plans for the future. And while those big-picture conversations are important, our approach recognizes a deeper reality — that strategic planning happens in smaller, yet no less powerful, ways in every department on every day of the year.

At Zartico, we believe effective destination leaders champion strategic planning as a continuous, ongoing process. 

These leaders understand that data is so much more than just a source of metrics to report out. Instead, they put it to work, using data — with context — to optimize their actions for greater future impact as defined through four key strategic planning principles.

Drawing on our many combined years of experience in the industry and everything we’ve learned from working with more than 250 destinations, these are the themes that rise to the surface again and again. The Zartico Destination Operating System® (ZDOS®) delivers the data insights that fuel innovation and impact in these areas.

Strategic Planning Principles

Download our latest white paper and learn about the fundamentals of geolocation data

Destination Leadership

Guiding your community forward

Step into your role as stewards of your destination by aligning the visitor economy with your community values. Actively manage what exists today and envision what it can become tomorrow — but don’t do it alone! Invite community stakeholders in the process. 

Information is power, and data intelligence is an invaluable tool in collaborative conversations about product development, managing visitation trends, and engaging with the businesses, places, and neighborhoods that make up your destination.

Demand Optimization

Creating your balanced visitor economy 

Build a sustainable visitor economy by balancing volume and value. Optimize economic impact, visitor distribution (across time and geography), product development opportunities, and market segmentation.

Right-size your demand generation efforts to meet your community’s needs, managing crowding or compression while creating robust opportunities for a wide array of economic sectors.

Marketing Strategy

Maximizing your return on investment with calculated tactics 

Efficiently and effectively reach and engage the ideal visitor through strategic marketing that represents the destination’s brand, resonates with the target audience, and converts to a quality visit. 

Apply robust insights to your paid, earned, and owned media channels. Develop web content, PR pitches, and advertising creative based on behavioral trends, then fine-tune your distribution strategy.

Impact Reporting

Leveraging your performance trends as a catalyst for future action 

Think beyond traditional performance dashboards by using integrated data, backed by science and layered for context, to tell the full story of tourism’s impact and spark future action.

Meaningful reporting is about so much more than big totals and year-over-year increases. Instead, focus on metrics and performance indicators that point you down the next path and close the loop on continuous strategic planning.

Book a demo to learn more.
Book a Demo