
At this writing, I am gratefully and safely at my home/office near downtown Los Angeles, experiencing the most devastating wildfires ever in this area.
As they continue, many are bracing for what we can only imagine may come next this week and wonder how such destruction and disruption to Los Angeles will impact this destination for tourism.
While I firmly believe that our collective will and resilience will rebuild and revitalize the region, it will take a long time and never be like it was (some of that for the better).
How will Los Angeles, and by extension California, where wildfires and other disasters will be ongoing, be positioned as a visitor destination?

Last March, seeming eons ago, I reported on the unveiling of Visit California’s rebranded theme, the Ultimate Playground, based on “play” as a motivator and reward of travel.
As I discussed, play is a powerful and necessary force for our well-being. It is innate, can stimulate joy and awe, connects us with others, and refreshes and relaxes us; we just need to activate it. Conversely, research has shown that being deprived of play can have long-term and dire consequences.
The value of play and the effects of a lack of play have not changed. However, where we have been as a state, a country, and worldwide since last March has changed, bringing me to question the relevance of play as a theme to motivate travel to California.
Does a beachball featured in marketing ads best represent what we have (or want) to offer? The diversity of our state's offerings and experiences and how people feel when they visit me seem deeper and beyond a playground.
I have noted that war and disaster zones are the next travel destinations; examples include Europe, Southeast Asia, and more recently Maui. People have a natural curiosity to see and a desire to help restore such places. Los Angeles may fall into this category at some point. Being a visitor to Los Angeles will likely take on new meaning, as will the desire to discover new things about this area related to the events unfolding here now and, by extension, for the state as a whole.
Such thinking and consideration of new approaches may be prudent and appropriate as we consider marketing going forward. What will be most important to visitors who want to truly experience and connect with (the changed) Los Angeles?
Yorumlar