Stephen Ekstrom

Advisory Panel Chair and Chief Strategist at Learn Tourism - the nonprofit academy at learntourism.org is Stephen Ekstrom. Ekstrom began his career in the 1990’s on college radio at Quinnipiac University. He went on to create and deliver successful tourism development strategies for now thriving destinations, theme restaurants, cultural institutions, theatrical management companies, and some of the world’s most recognized attractions. He’s called upon to speak at colleges and universities, conferences and countless panel discussions each year. He hosts Learn Tourism's Business Class podcast and is a featured writer for several travel magazines. He’s also been profiled by media giants like the New York Times, NBC, ABC, CBS Morning, and NY1.

Education that Takes you places

6 minute read
How to Train Brand Ambassadors Who Actually Represent Your Destination
Calling someone a brand ambassador doesn't make them one. Training does.
3 minute read
Welcome to the Messy Middle: What AI Adoption Actually Looks Like Inside Most DMOs Right Now
Picture a Tuesday staff meeting at a mid-sized DMO. Someone on the digital team pulls up an AI tool...
4 minute read
Turning Tourism Ambassador Insights Into Action
Picture the dashboard. A completion rate. An average quiz score. A folder of survey responses...
5 minute read
How to Activate Your Tourism Ambassadors as Brand Ambassadors
Tourism ambassadors already represent your destination’s brand. The question is whether you have...
3 minute read
What Big Bear Learned From Almost Losing It: A Conversation With Travis Scott, CEO of Visit Big Bear
What Big Bear Learned From Almost Losing It: A Conversation With Travis Scott, CEO of Visit Big Bear
4 minute read
Building Tourism Talent Pipelines
What Destinations Can Learn From Workforce Development in Action Tourism has never been just about...
8 minute read
From Advocacy to Action: How Education Builds Destination Advocates
For years, destination organizations have been asked to prove their value.
6 minute read
What Tourism Leaders Talked About in 2026 — and What We Predict Will Define 2027
AI. Sustainability. Biodiversity. Advocacy. Economic uncertainty.
7 minute read
Which Instructional Design Services Work Best for Tourism Organizations?
The instructional design services that work best for tourism organizations combine needs...
6 minute read
We Move at the Speed of Trust
Why Tourism’s Most Powerful Growth Strategy Is Human Tourism has a speed problem.

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