Potomac Falls, Va. – – September 16, 2026 -- Destinations International (DI) will convene destination leaders, policymakers and industry partners on September 16, 2026, for its second global Virtual Advocacy Day, a one-day program running 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET aimed at helping tourism organizations counter funding cuts and shifting political support.
DI cites growing funding scrutiny as the driver behind a second global advocacy program
Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International, said destination leaders face rapid swings in funding, public perception and political backing, and need relationships, data and messaging in place before a crisis hits rather than after.
Six sessions target real-world threats facing destination marketing organizations
Program topics include tourism levies and taxes as sustainable funding tools, converting stakeholder relationships into results, lessons from 30 years of economic downturns, partnerships with city planners on infrastructure, the legal boundaries of advocacy versus lobbying, and building an "Advocacy First Aid Kit" of proof points and internal roles.
Event will unveil 2026 Tourism Lexicon and Social Impact Lexicon research
Destinations International plans to release two research tools during the session: the 2026 Tourism Lexicon and a companion Social Impact Lexicon, designed to identify language that resonates with elected officials, residents, board members and media, replacing industry jargon with terms tied to community priorities.
Andreas Weissenborn, DI's senior vice president of advocacy and destination advancement, said the program is structured to give participants usable strategies rather than concepts alone, framing advocacy as a matter of relevance and trust with local communities.
DI encourages cross-functional teams and public officials to register jointly
The organization is urging CEOs to bring government affairs, communications and community engagement staff, along with board members and elected officials, taking advantage of the virtual format to avoid travel costs while building shared organizational understanding of advocacy practices.
Virtual Advocacy Day falls under DI's Advocacy & Action initiative and is backed by the Destinations International Foundation, Chase Travel, Civitas and Granicus Destinations.