Joseph St. Germain, Ph.D.

What is your current role with your organization?
Downs & St. Germain Research is a market research firm specializing in travel and tourism. We’re based in Tallahassee, Florida.

On any given day, I’m:

• Helping design studies and interpret findings
• Collaborating directly with clients (state tourism offices, DMOs, and partners)
• Presenting results to boards, councils, and elected officials
• Coaching my team

What is your current role as a board member of SETTRA?
As a SETTRA board member, I try to bring the practitioner perspective to the table. That means helping:

• Shape programming that’s useful to both DMOs and researchers
• Connect newer professionals to people and resources that can help them grow
• Make sure our conversations stay grounded in real-world applications, not just theory

How long have you served on the SETTRA board?
4 years.

Where It All Started

What initially drew you to the travel and tourism research field?
I’ve always liked solving problems with data, but I didn’t want to work on problems that stayed trapped in a spreadsheet. Travel and tourism research hooked me because:

• You can see the impact on real communities (i.e., jobs, supporting small businesses, quality of life)
• It sits at the intersection of economics, marketing, public policy, and human behavior.
• The questions are interesting: Why do people choose one destination over another? How does tourism affect residents? What’s the real value of an event or attraction?

In short, it combined what I enjoy with outcomes that matter to people and places.

Meaningful Work & Impact

Is there a specific research project you are most proud of and why?
It’s hard to pick just one, but I often point to our work with the Maine Office of Tourism as something I’m especially proud of. It’s a large, statewide visitor research program with multiple components, and it’s given us the chance to dig deep into:

• Who is visiting and why
• How perceptions of the state are changing
• What’s happening with workforce and resident perspectives

I’m proud of it because it’s rigorous, it’s long-term, and it treats research as an ongoing decision tool. Not only a one-off report.

Can you share the real-world impact that work had?
I’d frame impact like this:

• It’s helped Maine better understand its highest-value audiences and refine its marketing focus.
• It’s given state leaders credible, defensible numbers on spending and economic impact.
• It’s informed conversations so decisions are based on evidence, not anecdotes.

The most rewarding piece for me is when research we’ve done shows up in strategic plans, legislative conversations, or funding decisions. You can see that what started as a survey question actually shaped a policy or investment.

Board Perspective

What inspired you to get involved with the SETTRA board / What have you enjoyed most?
I got involved with the SETTRA board because I’ve benefited a lot from this community. Mentors, peers, and even competitors who are generous with their time and ideas. Serving on the board felt like the right way to give back.

What I’ve enjoyed most is:

• The mix of people: Academics, DMOs, state offices, and private-sector researchers all in the same room.
• Supporting emerging professionals: I like being part of an environment where students and newer professionals can present, ask questions, and make connections that might change their careers.

Advice & Outlook

What advice would you give to emerging professionals interested in research or data in travel and tourism?
A few things I’d emphasize:

• Get good at the basics. Learn how to design a clean questionnaire, analyze data properly, and tell a clear story. Fancy tools are useless if your fundamentals are weak.
• Learn to speak “non-research.” Your real job is translating data into something a tourism director, marketer, or county commissioner can act on.
• Ask “So what?” relentlessly. Don’t stop at “The satisfaction score is 8.8.” Push to: “So what does that mean for strategy, funding, or messaging?”
• Be curious about the whole ecosystem. Understand DMOs, attractions, hoteliers, short-term rentals, residents, workforce. Research sits in the middle of all of that.
• Build relationships, not just models. Some of your biggest career opportunities will come from people you meet at conferences, on projects, or through SETTRA/TTRA connections.

Where do you see key opportunities for research in this field in the next few years?
From my vantage point, a few big opportunities:

• Resident sentiment & quality of life. Communities are asking harder questions about tourism’s impact on housing, traffic, and livability. Credible research here is critical.
• Workforce & talent. Understanding how to attract and keep a tourism workforce is a huge need.
• Real-time and integrated data. Combining traditional surveys with mobile data, credit card spend, and other sources to get a fuller picture of visitors and outcomes.

Fun & Personality

What’s one surprising fact about you?
I am part of an absurdly detailed college football video game dynasty (NCAA 26) with friends in my spare time. Full backstories, custom coaches, made-up narratives, the works.

Outside of research and data, what’s your favorite way to recharge?
Getting outside for a round of golf is my favorite reset button. It provides an opportunity to step away from screens, spend time with friends, be outdoors, and compete.

What destination is currently at the top of your must-visit list?
Copenhagen, Denmark. I would love to do a food-focused trip there, building an itinerary around Noma’s universe and other Michelin/Noma-alumni restaurants, and then layering in the design, walkable/bikeable neighborhoods, and waterfront vibe. It is a nice mix of professional curiosity about destinations and personal enjoyment. Plus, it is one of the Scandinavian countries I have yet to visit.