"DTTT Growth Membership - Open Access"

The Digital Tourism Think Tank is proud to have offered one of the leading platforms for thought leadership, industry insights, knowledge and trend analysis for more than a decade. Championing ‘Destination Transformation’ from the very outset, whilst embedding digitalisation as a core driver behind everything, including now a sustainable transition.

Over this time, we have also worked extensively with SMEs, indirectly brought into programmes and initiatives to train, develop and mentor business owners to embrace digital transformation. More recently, we have invested in a ‘Business Growth Membership’, a membership programme exclusively for SMEs, giving weekly insights, best practices, training and design resources to help businesses to remain competitive.

Recently, our goal has been ‘accessibility’, where we want to see as many SMEs as possible get access to these resources. To accelerate this aim, we now offer unlimited ‘Open Access’ to SMEs to Business Growth Membership to all Destination Evolve Members, through a simple enrolment link - shared with businesses in the destination.

Still in progress, we hope to further expand, shape and extend the relevance and accessibility of this resource together with members.

Prerequisites

Whilst we already have a range of DMO Members taking this plan, ‘alignment’ when it comes to buy-in and communication can be challenging.

To further this action, our goal is to focus on bringing DTTT Evolve Members together, as well as interested future members, with the aim of shaping, adapting and communicating resources even more effectively. We recognise that appeal, direct relevance and format are key barriers in ensuring SMEs fully engage.

This requires the following steps:

1. Identify opportunities to provide 'open access' membership to the DTTT Growth Plan, offering SMEs weekly case studies, best practices, insights, training resources and regularly updated tools and services.
2. Integration and/or alignment with existing EU-level resources, including pooling and expanding of existing training resources developed by other tourism organisations to provide an open platform
3. Funding model to be examined to consider where there may be opportunities to expand access, offering broader access together with association and corporate partners.
4. Creation of more practical and business-ready tools, such as always-on campaign planning tools, searchable business best practices and examples of digital and sustainable best practices.
5. Awareness-raising opportunities to introduce resources and create further interest or engagement, with the support of institutional partners.

Measuring Success

1. September 2023 - Announce and launch additional SME-focused tools, resources and features to drive direct action and uptake related to digitalisation and sustainability.
2. November 2023 - Incorporation of a bold proposition for start-ups and SMEs to become more actively engaged, via open-access membership, in future events, awards and other engagement activities.
3. January 2024 - Demonstrate significant growth amongst DMO, Public Sector and Institutional partners in Evolve Membership with active dissemination of benefits to industry.
4. March 2024 - Incorporate tourism SME opportunities in X. Design Week, with the launch of SME-focused training and development initiatives.