Ep 89. Allison Robicelli - The City Whisperer

You realize that there's a lot more good out there than you realize.

You know, you have some great stories talking to local people and the places you go.

And like you said, you can make friends anywhere.

But there's another side to destination marketing, and that is the destinations telling the stories, the tourism boards telling the stories, and they're telling a very different story.

So what would you say that a tourism board should stop doing when they're talking about food?

A lot of tourism boards talk about food as if they invented food or they're trying to compete with a city like New York.

They're not really leaning into their distinct identity.

A lot of DMOs, they're trying to be something that they're not.

They're trying to compete with a city like New York or Chicago or London, you know, a big city that's making all this hot cuisine.

There's nothing wrong with being exactly who you are.

There is nothing wrong with being a little bit different.

If I wanted New York food, I'd go to New York.

You have to dig

deeper in your stories now.

A plate of food we had anywhere, I can make your regional recipes or I can make things at home.

Good food is not lacking.

Years ago, the case was that you could only find good stuff in a big city.

And now it's everywhere, or at least decent food.

When I go to a lot of cities where I find good stuff, like the DMO will bring me in But I don't really listen to any of their suggestions.

I take some of them.

And again, I love DMO people.

When they take me out to lunch, we do have the best time.

But yeah, they're not going to go into the gritty places and the little things.

And those are the stories that pop.

Those are the stories that...