What Every City Council Thinks Tourism Is (And How to Kindly Prove Them Wrong)

They think you're here to throw parties and print brochures.

If you've ever presented to a city council, board of supervisors, or mayor's office, you know the look: half-bemused, half-bored. They nod politely while you talk about "destination marketing" and "place branding," but behind the smile is a shrug.

They don't get it.

Worse—they don't value it.

To many city councils, tourism feels like fluff. A vanity project. Something adjacent to economic development, but not quite real. Not as measurable as roads. Not as urgent as housing. Not as mission-critical as public safety.

If you've ever walked out of a meeting thinking, "They have no idea what we actually do," you're not alone. But that disconnect isn't inevitable. It's a communication problem—and a fixable one.

Tourism looks soft from the outside

To a city council member juggling land use, zoning requests, water bills, and noise ordinances, tourism feels like the warm-and-fuzzy stuff that lives on the edge of "real work."

Logos, websites, murals, social media influencers, event calendars… none of it screams essential services.

So when you request funding for a brand refresh, or ask for a zoning change to support a new attraction, it can feel—especially in hard budget years—like fluff.

But the reality is this: Tourism is infrastructure. Tourism is economic development. And tourism is, often, the first and only exposure a visitor has to a town before they decide to live, work, invest, or move there.

So show up with numbers—and with humanity

Don't bring a 40-slide brand guidelines deck. Don't try to convince them your new TikTok strategy is revolutionary.

Bring economic impact. Bring local business stories. Bring voter-relevant wins.

Say:

• "Last year, tourism generated $11.4M in tax revenue—enough to pay for our entire parks department."

• "We talked to 500 visitors and 62% said they want better signage, cleaner bathrooms, and evening activities."

• "Our latest content piece brought in 12,000 clicks—40% of whom searched for lodging."

And then pair those numbers with faces and names:

• "Here's the owner of the new coffee shop who saw foot traffic double last quarter."

• "Here's the family that finally booked a weekend trip because they saw our video on birding trails."

• "Here's the high school student we hired to work on content—now she wants to major in communications."

Reframe tourism as placemaking and stewardship

Many councils see tourism as an outward function: attracting outsiders.

Your job is to show them that tourism is an inward investment too.

The best destinations don't just bring people in. They make life better for the people already there. Clean downtowns. Interesting events. Bike trails. Great food. Places to gather. Community pride.

Those things benefit everyone—not just visitors.

So say it clearly:

"Our goal isn't just to get people to come here. It's to make this a place people want to come back to—and a place residents want to stay."

Most councils just want to know: What do you actually do?

So show them. And say it simply.

Try:

"We tell the story of this place. We support the people who make it great. We make sure visitors and locals alike have an experience that makes them want to return."

Leave out the jargon. Focus on value to the community. And give them the clarity they crave.

Remember: They aren't the enemy—they're your next storytellers

Your council members aren't all hostile or indifferent. Many just don't have the time or context to understand the complexity of tourism.

But they do care about their constituents. They want to support small businesses. They want to bring revenue to town. And they want to look smart and effective.

Make it easy for them:

• Give them quotable lines they can use in the next paper interview

• Share wins in short, visual formats they can forward to colleagues

• Invite them to your next photo shoot or FAM tour

The goal isn't just buy-in. It's transformation.

Turn them into champions.

TL;DR

• Your city council isn't dumb—they're overwhelmed. Make your work legible.

• Lead with economic value, human stories, and clear, local benefits.

• Reframe tourism as placemaking, not just marketing.

• Ditch the jargon. Show results. Invite them in.