The cannabis experience economy is an emerging powerhouse in destination marketing and tourism. It not only drives economic vitality but also fosters deeper connections between communities, visitors, and local businesses. As leaders in this growing sector, effective communication is critical to building trust, aligning stakeholders, and maximizing impact.

Below, we outline essential communication strategies tailored to cannabis-focused destinations. These principles emphasize clarity, inclusivity, and community well-being while reinforcing the economic and cultural value cannabis tourism brings to your destination.

1. Develop a Comprehensive Communication Plan

Identify Key Themes: Align your messaging with overarching community goals such as sustainability, economic growth, and cultural inclusion. By focusing on shared priorities, you’ll build stronger relationships with stakeholders and visitors.

Audience-Specific Messaging: Customize your outreach to different audiences. For example, focus on economic growth for business partners, and highlight cultural experiences and wellness for travelers.

2. Prioritize Transparency and Authenticity

Share Progress and Challenges: Regularly update stakeholders on cannabis tourism initiatives, including both successes and lessons learned. Transparency strengthens trust and positions your destination as a leader in the cannabis tourism space.

Highlight Community Contributions: Communicate how cannabis tourism supports local businesses, creates jobs, and celebrates regional heritage. Use specific examples to bring these stories to life.

3. Foster Stakeholder Engagement

Inform and Empower Partners: Keep stakeholders informed about cannabis tourism trends, events, and resources to foster collaboration. Share newsletters, reports, or exclusive insights that demonstrate your commitment to their success.

Involve Local Communities: Actively engage residents by showcasing the benefits of cannabis tourism, from economic gains to cultural enrichment. Transparency and community involvement can ease concerns and build support.

4. Embrace a Data-Driven Approach

Leverage Insights to Shape Messaging: Use data on visitor spending, local economic impact, and visitor demographics to craft compelling narratives. Clear, quantifiable results make your messaging more persuasive and credible.

Celebrate Milestones: Share measurable achievements, like increased visitation, successful partnerships, or revenue growth. Data-backed wins build confidence among stakeholders.

5. Align Communications with Broader Goals

Integrate Sustainability Messaging: Cannabis tourism aligns with regenerative travel trends by supporting local economies, preserving cultural heritage, and embracing sustainability. Highlight these connections to reinforce the value of cannabis as part of the broader visitor economy.

Support Economic Vitality: Position cannabis experiences as a driver of job creation, innovation, and visitor engagement. For example, promote signature experiences like cannabis effect-pairings, lounges or farm tours that demonstrate the unique appeal of your destination.

6. Build Trust Through Consistency

Establish Reliable Channels: Communicate regularly through newsletters, social media, and stakeholder meetings. Consistent updates build credibility and ensure your messaging stays top of mind.

Reinforce Brand Values: Align all communications with your destination’s core values—whether that’s wellness, innovation, or cultural authenticity. Consistency in messaging strengthens your destination’s identity.

7. Showcase Success Stories

Highlight Local Business Collaborations: Share real-life examples of how cannabis tourism has benefited local businesses. For example, feature a café or lounge that partners with local cultivators or highlights unique cannabis-infused experiences.

Feature Visitor Testimonials: Use authentic stories from travelers to highlight how cannabis experiences have enhanced their trips. These testimonials humanize your messaging and build emotional connections.

8. Strengthen the Destination Identity

Promote Signature Experiences: Highlight offerings unique to your destination, such as educational cannabis tours, effect-pairing events, or cultural festivals that celebrate cannabis heritage.

Celebrate Local Heritage: Connect cannabis to your region’s broader cultural narrative. For example, emphasize its ties to local agricultural traditions or its role in innovation and sustainability.

Final Thoughts

The cannabis experience economy offers a transformative opportunity for destinations to redefine tourism through economic growth, cultural inclusion, and wellness-focused offerings. By implementing these communication strategies, destination leaders can align stakeholders, build trust, and showcase the incredible potential of cannabis tourism.

For more insights into cannabis and hemp tourism, visit Applegarth Strategies, or explore related resources at the Cannabis Travel Association International.

Ready to elevate your destination’s cannabis communication strategy? Let’s collaborate! Contact us here.

 

Sources:

• Destinations International Crisis Handbook
• Core Rules of Effective and Responsible Crisis Communications