We had heard the word “disintermediation” a few times...but not enough to really be paying attention. The word “relevancy” hadn’t yet bubbled into our lexicon. And I’m guessing that most DMOs weren’t analyzing things like mortgage markets, the stock market and the unemployment rate as they were developing their market plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

Many of us are now. And, the recently released “2010 Tourism Outlook” from SMG reminded me of just how radically different the world is for Destination Marketers than it was a decade ago. To be sure, we still advertise, sell and service...but we certainly don’t do it the same way.

Indeed, a recent article in the Huffington Post suggested some of the things that became obsolete in the past ten years: FAX Machines, Catalogues, Film Cameras, the Yellow Pages and...Phone Calling.

All things that were staples of the way we did business in 2000. Not so much now.

And, as we start the new decade, it’s a great time to reassess the things we’ve always done...with a keen eye to identify where ROI is slipping. And, with the resources that we’ve freed up, look for new markets, new tactics and new opportunities.

As I encouraged the marketing pros at last fall’s Destination Management & Marketing Institute (most of whom were not CEOs), they need to start thinking like CEOs. Big picture stuff. New, more effective and more efficient ways of doing what we do. Identifying ways to be more relevant in our communities as well as to the customer.

CEOs? You’re more consumed with the politics of Destination Marketing than you were in 2000...and than we all were in 1990. It’s becoming more a part of what you do than the sales and marketing that we thought we’d be doing when we signed up for this gig. And, it gives you less time to stay on top of the trends that control our future.

Listen to your lieutenants. They have the pulse of what’s next.

And, as I complete this missive...I just see a Facebook post from one of us that is attending a business pandemic planning session. Yeah...we weren’t doing that in 2000, either.