Are DMOs Facing an Identity Crisis? (Christian Mengel)

This episode of Destination Discourse starts in the most on-brand way possible: with Christian Mengel joining live from the Kansas City airport, turning the conversation into a truly mobile edition of the show.

After a quick round of banter and Stu’s News on Apple’s latest promises around Siri, the conversation shifts into a much bigger question for the destination industry: what is the real role of a DMO now?

Christian brings three predictions for 2026, including more mergers and acquisitions, a growing importance of earned media, and a bigger conversation around how DMOs define their purpose. That opens the door to a candid discussion about whether destination organizations should think beyond traditional marketing and play a more active role in shaping experiences, supporting development, and filling gaps in their communities.

The conversation gets especially interesting when the group wrestles with questions like:
How far should a DMO go in helping create tourism product?
Where is the line between promotion and participation?
What happens when an industry can measure more than ever before, but still struggles to explain its value clearly?

Throughout the episode, Stuart, Adam, and Christian explore the tension between relevance, risk, politics, and public trust. They talk about why so many DMOs feel like they are being targeted, why mission and values matter more than ever, and why communities are more likely to defend a DMO when they can clearly see the tangible benefits tourism brings to everyday life.

A few major themes stand out:
DMOs need to do a better job articulating not just what they do, but why they exist.
Data matters, but stories are often what actually move stakeholders.
The industry still lacks a shared blueprint for what a DMO should fundamentally be.
If DMOs are not at the table when the future of a destination is being discussed, they risk being left out entirely.

This is one of those episodes that asks more big questions than it answers, but that is exactly the point. It is an honest conversation about an industry in transition and a challenge to destination leaders to stop playing defense, get clearer on their purpose, and help shape what comes next.