How DMOs Can Avoid Common Mistakes When Choosing a Training Partner

Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) play a crucial role in shaping visitor experiences and driving economic impact through tourism. Investing in education and training is essential, but choosing the right training partner can make or break your efforts. The wrong decision can lead to outdated content, excessive costs, and inflexible programs that don’t serve your team or stakeholders effectively. Here’s how to sidestep common pitfalls and ensure your training initiatives deliver real results.

1. Maintain Ownership of Your Training Content

One of the biggest missteps a DMO can make is giving up ownership of its training programs, content, and participant data. Without control, making necessary updates, scaling programs, or ensuring continuity becomes challenging. Retaining ownership gives your organization long-term flexibility and keeps your training relevant.

2. Demand Full Control Over Content Updates

Tourism is constantly evolving—your training should too. If a provider locks you into rigid content that takes months to update, your courses could quickly become obsolete. Ensure your partner allows real-time updates so your training stays accurate and effective.

📖 Read More: Control Your Content

3. Avoid Per-Person Pricing That Limits Reach

Training should empower as many people as possible, not be restricted by per-person fees that make scalability costly. Look for partners offering fair, scalable pricing models that allow for broad participation without draining your budget.

4. Embrace Modern Learning Methods

Today’s learners expect interactive, engaging, and accessible training. Traditional, lecture-heavy methods don’t cut it anymore. Choose a provider that understands adult learning principles and offers flexible, engaging content that meets various learning styles.

📖 Read More: Learn About Instructional Design

5. Plan for Realistic Time Commitments

Time is a valuable resource. In-person training often requires significant scheduling and travel coordination, making it difficult for frontline staff and partners to participate. Online, on-demand training options allow learners to complete courses at their own pace without disrupting their work schedules.

6. Prioritize Accessibility for All

Your training should be accessible to all stakeholders, regardless of location, language, or ability. If your program isn’t inclusive, you risk alienating key players who contribute to your destination’s success. Ensure your training partner provides multilingual options, closed captions, and digital accessibility features.

📖 Read More: Accessibility in Online Learning

7. Choose a Partner That Adapts With You

Tourism is a dynamic industry, and your training programs should evolve alongside it. A rigid, one-size-fits-all approach won’t meet future challenges or opportunities. Look for a partner that can grow with your organization, adapt to industry trends, and continually refine the learning experience.

Make the Right Choice for Your DMO

The right training partner empowers your team, enhances visitor experiences, and drives tourism growth. Avoiding common mistakes—like surrendering content control, overpaying for training, or choosing outdated methods—ensures your investment leads to meaningful, lasting impact.

As Maya Angelou wisely said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” Choosing the right training partner is about knowing better—and doing better for your team, your destination, and your visitors.

🔹 Ready to take control of your DMO’s training? Let’s build something great together. Learn more today.

About Learn Tourism the nonprofit academy...

Learn Tourism is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the tourism industry through innovative educational practices and professional development initiatives. Our mission is to harness the power of science, business psychology, and adult education to build sustainable economies and enrich the tourism landscape.