Managing a Destination with the Forest™ Destination Marketing System

Forest does more than improve your organization’s image on the internet by providing an attractive, dynamic, database-driven web site—essential in the tourism industry, given that nearly 79 million consumers plan and book travel online. Forest also builds the infrastructure to run a profitable Destination Marketing Organization. All site data—attractions, calendar listings, directions, etc.—can be easily stored, managed and displayed in any number of ways. Results from greater exposure of your destination can be measured not only in increased visitors to the web site, but in hotel stays, restaurant visits and overall tourism.

Forest’s management system provides power tools that give destinations total control.

• Attractions can edit content
• Destinations control content
• Data is shared across platforms
• Data is shared across destinations
• List management and eblast tools

Businesses can edit their own content

Each business or attraction can have an account to manage its listings and events. No special software is required as a web browser can be used from any computer with an internet connection. The destination is giving “power to the people” by allowing business owners to contribute to the program and reach hundreds of thousands or millions of potential customers.  

Destinations approve or deny content edits

Forest allows the destination manager to do what they’re supposed to be doing—managing the stakeholders and attractions. This prevents any unwanted changes or additions from going out live to the public on the website. Events are automatically archived so there is no need to ever remove them from the system.  

Data is shared across web sites, kiosks, and other devices

Once attraction and event information is in the Forest system, it can be shared across any number of web sites, kiosks, portable devices, etc. Data can even be used in more traditional means such as printing mailing labels, and creating Visitor’s Guides.  

Data can be shared across multiple destinations

To further demonstrate the power of Forest, the attraction and event information does not have to be geographically isolated. Data and categories can be shared across boundaries allowing for interactivity and creative packaging opportunities. For example, a heritage related attraction such as a historic hiking trail might be shared across several counties that are all part of the Forest system.  

List management and eblast tools included

A number of helpful tools are built into Forest to allow destinations to handle mass email blasts, manage both traditional and email lists, and control content. All tools are easy-to-use and feature WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) interfaces, or simple fill-in-the-blank style forms.