Destination Roadmapping

If your event or visitor experience looks good on paper but falls flat in person, it might be missing the magic ingredient — sensory design.

In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky Soderberg breaks down why the most unforgettable experiences don’t just look great — they feel great, sound right, smell inviting, taste amazing, and touch the heart.

You’ll learn:
 👀 How to match sensory cues to your event’s theme or story
 👂 Why sound and scent can influence crowd flow and dwell time
 👅 How taste and touch add emotional stickiness to any experience
 💡 Simple upgrades that make visitors say, “This just feels different.”

When all of the senses work together, your event stops being random — and starts being remembered.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

QR codes aren’t the enemy.
But when they lead to broken links, cluttered homepages, or pages that make visitors pinch and zoom until they give up? That’s not innovation—that’s aggravation.

In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky Soderberg—your tough-love tourism coach and event resuscitator—dives into why the problem isn’t the code itself, but what’s behind it.

You’ll hear real-world examples of:
 🚫 The billboard QR code that no one could possibly scan
 🍽️ The restaurant menu fail that drove customers crazy
 🥾 The small-town trail system that got it exactly right

Plus, you’ll walk away with 10 smart, visitor-tested rules for making QR codes actually work—without making your guests work harder.

Because technology doesn’t make you innovative.
Execution does.
And when you get it right, a simple scan can turn confusion into connection—and keep visitors around longer.

#DestinationRoadmapping #TourismStrategy #VisitorExperience #CommunityMarketing #EventPlanning #SmallTownTourism #DMO #MainStreet #DestinationDevelopment #TourismCoach #SmartTourism #ExperienceDesign #QRCodes #EventExperience

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

Your Friday crowds are hot, Saturday is packed—and then Sunday rolls around and your festival feels like a ghost town. Vendors are cranky, visitors head home early, and the finale fizzles instead of soaring.

In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky dives into the Sunday Fizzle and how to fix it. You’ll hear:

• Why Sunday is more than just an afterthought—it’s a spending cycle.
• Real-life case studies of festivals that flopped vs. festivals that nailed it.
• Practical programming ideas that keep people lingering instead of leaving.
• How to rebrand Sunday as a finale instead of soggy leftovers.

Stop the Sunday fizzle, and start turning your weakest day into your secret revenue weapon.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

Tourism isn’t a solo sport—it takes a full roster to win. In this episode, Vicky breaks down how cities, Main Street programs, chambers, and CVBs can finally stop playing tug-of-war and start acting like a team.

You’ll hear why shared goals matter more than chasing hotel nights, how to keep people in their lanes without turf wars, and why monthly huddles beat once-a-year retreats every time. Plus, she talks about calling audibles when things change and celebrating the small wins that keep momentum alive.

If your community has been running plays without a game plan, this 10-minute pep talk will show you how to rally the squad, move the ball forward, and actually score in tourism.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

Your town looks great on paper, or at least on Instagram. But when visitors show up, the reality may not quite match the hype. That’s what we call Visitor Catfishing, the glossy marketing that promises more than your experience delivers.

In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky breaks down:

• The giveaways that your town might be catfishing visitors
• Why catfishing kills trust and repeat visits
• Real-world examples 
• A no-nonsense playbook to stop catfishing and start being real

Because authenticity isn’t a downgrade—it’s your secret weapon.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

“There’s nothing to do here.”
If you’ve ever heard that line from a teen, a clerk, or even your own residents, you know how much it stings. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky breaks down why people say it—and more importantly, what you can do about it.

You’ll hear:

• The hidden reasons behind the “nothing to do here” mindset
• How to reframe what’s already happening in your town
• Quick wins to shift both visitor and resident perception

Small towns don’t need flashy attractions to feel alive. Sometimes it's just a matter of sharper storytelling and intentional visitor experiences. Let’s turn meh into memorable.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

Main Street grabs the spotlight; side streets earn the encore. 

This episode spills the tea on the Side Street Spillover Effect—that blink-and-decide moment when visitors either wander deeper or beeline for the car. 

Vicky hands you a bold, do-it-now game plan: corner-turning quick wins you can launch this week, plus a 90-day glow-up to maintain the momentum. Expect no-fluff moves: quirky wayfinding, twinkle lights, micro-markets, and cross-shop “breadcrumb” ideas that yank people off Main Street.

You’ll snag punchy micro-copy (the kind strangers actually follow) and leave with a clean to-do list. Grab the free companion worksheet and turn your next corner into a detour-worthy “ooh, what’s down there?” moment.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

Farmer’s markets aren’t just about fresh tomatoes and handmade soap—they’re the weekly habit that can breathe life back into a downtown. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky Soderberg breaks down why markets work, the ripple effects they create for businesses and tourism, and the pitfalls that can turn a great idea into a flop.

You’ll learn:

• Why consistency makes markets a powerful anchor event
• How they spark small business growth and tourism spending
• What makes a market “sticky” (and why that matters)
• Practical steps to maximize the market’s impact on your downtown

If you want a magnetic, habit-forming event that drives pride and economic activity, this episode is your roadmap.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

If your “big” plan for showing off your town’s history is a shiny square on a stick, we need to talk.

In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, I’m sharing five ways to turn your community’s past into a living, breathing, cash-generating experience.

You’ll discover how to:

• Enhance “read-and-run” plaques with experiences visitors actually feel.
• Turn history into something people can taste, touch, and post about.
• Package the past for short attention spans—without watering it down.

Plus, real-world examples of towns that added to the bronze and built buzz. 

Plaques have their place. But if they’re your only play, you’re playing small—and your visitors are leaving early. Let’s fix that.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn

Small towns love to say they want to “keep their young people.”

But if your youth have never been invited to plan, lead, or create anything in your community… what exactly are you asking them to stick around for?

In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky Soderberg makes the case for a full-blown Youth Takeover—and walks you through 5 low-cost, high-impact ways to bring Gen Z into the heart of your downtown and tourism strategy:

No big budget. No matching T-shirts. Just structure, trust, and the courage to let go of “the way we’ve always done it.”

🎧 Whether you’re a DMO, Main Street director, or just sick of watching your community run on reruns—this episode is your wake-up call. Because if they don’t get to build something here, they’ll go build it somewhere else.

Thanks for listening!

Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime...

Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn