Jonathan Smith

What is your current role with your organization?
At VisitGreenvilleSC, I support the efforts of every vertical in our organization, whether it be marketing, sales, destination experiences, or advocacy.  Our organization regularly leverages internally created Tableau dashboards, in-house research to measure brand health, visitor sentiment, and resident sentiment, as well as work with industry partners like Tourism Economics, SMARI, and KeyData to guide both the strategy and advocacy efforts of our organization.

Where It All Started

What initially drew you to the travel and tourism research field?
I actually stumbled upon the field from a LinkedIn job posting.  After reading through the job description and learning how Destination Marketing Organizations like VGSC make such a profound and positive impact on their destination, I knew it was an organization I wanted to be a part of.

Meaningful Work & Impact

Is there a specific research project you are most proud of and why?
Recently, our organization has begun working to better understand brand health and the sentiment of various stakeholders. Through working with vendors to collect the data and then creating our own in-house dashboards, VGSC has been able to set benchmarks and visualize/manipulate data to better measure our efforts in the community. 

Can you share the real-world impact that work had?
All of this internal research has helped us to understand our perception among various stakeholders.  This, in turn, allows us to fine-tune our advocacy efforts to ensure that VGSC and our efforts are recognized and understood as a necessity to the economic vitality of our destination.

Board Perspective

What inspired you to get involved with the SETTRA board / What have you enjoyed most?
I have always enjoyed being involved with organizations that make a positive difference in people’s lives.  After experiencing the great work SETTRA & TTRA do to support the tourism economy and those who work in it, I wanted to become more intimately involved and assist the organization in their outreach and impact.

Advice & Outlook

What advice would you give to emerging professionals interested in research or data in travel and tourism?
Always be learning! The field of travel and tourism is constantly changing and evolving and when you adapt an “always be learning” mindset, you are setting yourself up for success.  That learning may involve understanding the newest data trends & tools that are available or staying aware of the political climate and how it might impact visitors, your destination, and/or your organization.  Whatever the learning is, staying up-to-date is vital to your success in the industry of travel and tourism.

Where do you see key opportunities for research in this field in the next few years?
I think there is a massive opportunity for DMOs to leverage in-house research to further both their strategy and advocacy.  When organizations create the budget and bandwidth (emphasis on bandwidth) to invest in research, DMOs can better understand the impact of tourism on their local economy and the sentiment of their stakeholders.

Fun & Personality

What’s one surprising fact about you?
I can make an impressive ramen bowl – marinated soft boiled eggs, homemade broth, the whole nine yards.  I’ve got plenty of photos to share if you’re ever interested. Haha.

Outside of research and data, what’s your favorite way to recharge?
Running & spending time with my children.  I’ve got to keep healthy if I want to keep up with them!

What destination is currently at the top of your must-visit list?
That’s a tough one – but I’d love to visit Tokyo, Japan and Sydney, Australia at some point.  For domestic travel, it’s a bucket list goal to visit all of the national parks!