It has long been suspected that tourism advertising and visitation to a destination play a role in economic development by promoting the destination, not just as a place to visit, but as a place to relocate to, open a business, or attend college, among other economic objectives.
However, it was not until Longwoods International studied this effect, that the "Halo Effect" of tourism advertising was first quantified. In partnership with Destinations International (then DMAI), we surveyed over 18,000 consumers on their impressions of 10 destination marketing campaigns, including cities, states, and regions. The results were consistent across all destinations.
The findings of the study are supported by the case of Michigan, which unified its tourism marketing and economic development efforts under a single brand, Pure Michigan, in 2011.
The research supports the expansion of tourism advertising efforts, not only as a driver of visitation, but as leadership in promoting destinations for all purposes.
