PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference 2024

Hailey Mach, public relations manager for the Office of Tourism, attended the 2024 PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference this June in Greenville, South Carolina. The conference is held in different locations each year, inviting writers, content creators, public relations professionals and beyond in the travel and tourism industry to network, learn and discover the latest trends.

During the conference, Hailey listened in on several breakout sessions where panelists covered topics like crisis management, how to leverage trends and create innovative partnerships, amplifying diversity in tourism and more. Below are a few highlights from Hailey’s notes during these sessions:

• Freelance Journalist Joey Skladany said LGTQIA+ writers and content creators appreciate when hosts provide resources for local LGBTQIA+ organizations in their itinerary.
• During the “Maintaining Trust in a Crisis” workshop, Helio Fred Garcia, president of Logos Consulting Group, noted, “The outcome of a crisis isn’t based on how bad it was, it’s based on the timeliness and effectiveness of the response.”
• A panelist in a breakout session about press trips said they recommend not requiring confirmed assignments because it can be difficult to pitch somewhere they’ve never visited before, writers may discover a story idea they initially didn’t think of while on the press trip and they also have a “way better shot” at landing an assignment following a trip.
• Also during the press trip breakout session, journalists on the panel said that many publications only pay them $200 per article – even the large publications – so any assistance with lodging, meals or activities while on a press trip is appreciated.

An editors panel that included top editors from outlets such as AFAR, Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast provided a few trends to stay on top of this year: Mental health, wellness (example: meditation, menopause retreats) and large-scale concert lineups.