In this session, Miles teamed up with Future Partners to unpack new research and actionable insights on how destinations can balance visitor growth with community well-being. We talked about how residents perceive tourism, explored strategies for meaningful engagement and saw how data-driven approaches can strengthen both traveler experiences and local quality of life. 

We were joined by a panel of U.S. destination leaders who shared practical examples and steps for engaging local communities, including: 

In partnership with TTRA, this webinar featured C.A. Clark, Vice President of AI, and Andria Godfrey, Vice President of Data Science as they shared the current state of AI, practical research applications and proven examples from recent destination projects. 

The session covered:

• What AI does and how it supports writing, analysis and research
• How to think about AI in the research process, including validation and bias detection
• Practical steps for getting started with AI, including tool recommendations

In the 2025 edition, our research summary highlights the powerful impact of road trips on the U.S. travel economy and the factors driving travelers to hit the open road. This research showcases the importance of scenic touring routes and the continued rise of electric vehicle interest and usage on road trips. As traveler preferences evolve, the findings point to a more connected and experience-driven era of road travel.

Check out the full research summary, slide deck and additional resources below to stay up to date on the latest travel and tourism insights.