Destination Sunday: When “Good Enough” Isn’t Enough
What happens when the numbers hold, but the confidence doesn’t
2026 Is Going to Expose a Lot of Weak Spots
Most destinations won’t fail fast. They’ll erode slowly.
Bookings will still come in. Campaigns will still run. Dashboards will still light up.
But underneath all of that, something will feel off.
Not broken. Not dramatic. Just less reliable than it used to be.
That’s usually how real change starts.
The Tension Beneath “Everything’s Fine”
Across the U.S., most residents still say tourism is good for their communities. Support remains strong. People see the jobs, the spending, the energy visitors bring.
But at the same time, something else is happening.
Fewer people feel meaningfully involved in the decisions shaping tourism where they live. Fewer feel confident that growth is actually improving daily life.
Support is still there, but it’s conditional now, and that distinction matters.
Because when people say tourism is “good” but hesitate to say it’s working, they’re not being negative. They’re being precise.
And that kind of precision tends to show up before anything visibly breaks.
Where Cracks Start to Show
This is where things get harder to explain.
Destinations say bookings are fine, but can’t clearly explain where momentum is coming from.
Teams stay busy, yet confidence doesn’t rise with the workload.
Plans move forward, but the conviction behind them feels thinner than before.
Nothing is broken enough to trigger alarm.
But nothing feels solid enough to lean on either.
That in-between space is where momentum quietly starts to leak away.
This isn’t a crisis. It’s a line in the sand.
The industry isn’t collapsing. It’s being tested.
People still want to travel. They still care about place, experience, and meaning.
But they’re paying closer attention now — to whether promises match reality, and whether effort actually leads somewhere.
They notice when activity replaces clarity.
They notice when motion stands in for direction.
They notice when things look busy but don’t feel grounded.
And once that awareness sets in, it doesn’t fade easily.
The Part That Matters Most
This moment isn’t about doing more.
It’s about understanding what no longer works the way it used to.
Every era has this moment, when the metrics still cooperate, but the meaning behind them starts to shift.
Because the real risk isn’t making the wrong move.
It’s continuing to optimize a version of success that no longer fits how people decide, trust, or commit.
That’s the line many destinations are standing on right now.
If you can’t clearly explain what’s driving your momentum, you’re probably not in control of it.
And that’s where the risk begins.