Our CEO & Founder, Kristin Dahl, will be sharing insights during two sessions on Wednesday, June 4:

1:45 – 2:30 PM: A Community-Based Approach to Tourism and Recreation Planning
We’ll explore how the Washington Rural Tourism Support (RTS) program brings together local partners to create a shared tourism vision and take action through community-led planning, project development, and collaboration.

3:45 – 4:30 PM: Managing Visitor Use in the Columbia River Gorge Waterfall Corridor
Kristin will join agency partners to talk about how cross-sector collaboration is helping address congestion, safety, and long-term planning in one of Oregon’s most iconic outdoor destinations.

Come say hi, share what you’re working on, and let’s chat all things community, collaboration, and recreation planning. Reach out to us via Instagram or LinkedIn to tell us your burning questions about visitor use management!

June 2–5, 2025 | Vancouver, WA
More info via Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals

The post Visitor Use Management Training & Symposium – June 2-5 2025 appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

On May 10 – 17, we’re heading to Iceland with a small cohort of destination professionals to learn directly from the people doing the work: on the ground, in real time, in some of the most dynamic landscapes on the planet.

• Understand Icelandic visitor management strategies in high-use destinations
• Learn about innovative visitor experience development in rural, lower-resourced regions
• Learn about emergency preparedness for natural disasters and climate change resiliency
• Experience systematic integration of sustainable and regenerative tourism practices
• Deepen your connections with other professionals while exploring Iceland’s otherworldly landscapes and culture

Trip Highlights

• Guided by Crosscurrent’s Ólöf Ýrr Atladóttir, Icelandic local and former director of the Icelandic Tourist Board. Ólöf has international experience in destination development, having also served as Vice President of the European Travel Commission and worked in Saudi Arabia and the Red Sea. Now, she runs her own adventure business in North Iceland as an experienced hiking guide and floating instructor.
• Experience the breathtaking beauty of Iceland
• Meet with Icelandic Tourism Board, National Park staff, the Icelandic Tourism Cluster and community leaders
• Engagements co-facilitated by Crosscurrent’s founder, Kristin Dahl, a leader in supporting community-based destination development and leadership teams to manage complex destinations
• Meet with Reykjanes Unesco Global Geopark staff and leadership, exploring the geothermal fields and learn about the management of the rugged landscape.
• Explore, experience, and learn about collaboration on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, a participating region of the NorReg pilot project, working on regenerative tourism for small and micro-sized tourism operators.

Details

May 10–17, 2026
Limited to 12 participants – Ideal for: Staff and leaders of destination organizations, cities, counties, economic development organizations, consultancies (planning, development, strategy, marketing), nonprofits focused on sustainable community development, and land managers.
$3,850 Price includes educational programming with qualified Icelandic guide and tourism expert, transport, lodging (double occupancy), and most meals. Not included: airfare, meals first and last day, and activities outside of the itinerary. Single occupancy lodging available for an additional fee.

How to Sign Up

1.  Sign up with a $1,000 deposit to save your spot (email info@crosscurrentcollective for more information)
2. Book your flights
3. Attend the pre-trip planning session

The post Visitors and Volcanoes: Iceland | May 10 – 17, 2026 appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

This will be a closed tour for a DMMO but drop us a line if you are interested in working with us to organize a similar event for your organization!

The post Park City, Utah, USA appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

Workshop Description

Attend this workshop to develop a better understanding of the key definitions and relevant trends involved in successful destination management. We’ll share local, regional and global best practices for defining and developing the three key pathways that lead to effective destination management: destination development, destination stewardship and destination marketing.

Destination Development Learning Lab – About
This two-day training supports professionals new to the Oregon tourism industry – who have been leading and coordinating tourism development and tourism management projects for less than three years. The Learning Lab includes interactive workshops, discussions, presentations and learning tour activities. The content covers the full arc of visitor experience development – from initial conception of a project/program through sales and promotion. Programming includes best practices on essential niche visitor experiences development, engaging community, facilitating successful project teams, connecting development efforts to marketing, and maximizing the tourism engine behind your product.

Travel Oregon – About
The Oregon Tourism Commission (OTC), doing business as Travel Oregon, was formed in 1995 and granted semi-independent agency status in 2003 by the Oregon State Legislature. Funded by the 1.5% statewide transient lodging tax, Travel Oregon carries out statewide work as the official destination management organization — including directly investing 30% of the tax revenue into Oregon’s tourism industry and communities through the dedicated Regional Cooperative Tourism Program and a competitive grants program.

Destination Development Department – About
Travel Oregon’s Destination Development department serves Oregon to create robust and sustainable tourism economies by developing authentic, world-class experiences for travelers that aim to preserve, enhance and celebrate the local landscape and culture. Meet the team.

Learn more about Travel Oregon’s destination development efforts.

The post Destination Strategy Trends – Centering Community in Our Work appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

Workshop Description

Tourism promotion has fallen out of favor in many communities, as overtourism can degrade visitor experience and diminish quality of life for residents. Communities can also struggle with governance, as destination management or tourism promotion is typically performed by some combination of for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations and governments themselves. This can cause misalignment between community values and promotional efforts. Join Kristin Dahl, Founder/CEO of Crosscurrent Collective, and Sue Muncaster, Communications Manager for the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Joint Powers Board, to learn about the various strategies available for sustainable destination management.

Mountain and Resort Town Planners Summit – About

The Mountain and Resort Town Planners Summit is a small and interactive conference, where ideas, questions and responses flow freely among participants, facilitators and the host communities. The summit is multi-disciplinary, with programming designed for planners, designers, conservationists, elected officials and anyone else interested in preserving the uniqueness of their mountain community. Past attendees have found the conference to be extremely helpful in finding solutions to day-to-day challenges, creating a network of peers from similar communities, and fostering big-picture thinking. The conference format typically includes keynote speakers, guided tours and peer-to-peer roundtable discussions led by expert facilitators. As in past conferences, the 2023 Summit will offer up to 16 CIP and AICP CM credits. To get an idea of the programming at this event, check out the final 2022 program.

MountainTownPlanners.org

The post Effective Destination Management – A Critical Imperative appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

Workshop Description

Tourism doesn’t occur in a vacuum. Its impacts are felt far and wide, across communities and ecosystems. With the tourism industry’s recovery in full swing, now is the time to reposition communities’ shared values at the center of tourism planning and policy. In this session, tourism leaders will explore destination management strategies and stakeholder engagements that align with both community values and industry needs.

Moderator: Kristin Dahl – Founder and CEO, Crosscurrent Collective

Panelists:

• Troy Campbell – Executive Director, Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce
• Meg Winchester – President & CEO, Visit Spokane
• Gabriel Seder – Vice President of Global Programs, Destinations International

State of Washington Tourism Conference – About

The official State of Washington Tourism Conference is the premier event for the state’s tourism and hospitality industry.

Presented by State of Washington Tourism (SWT), this conference was the first in-person statewide gathering of tourism professionals in more than a decade. The conference featured industry experts and speakers, as well as breakout sessions tackling many important issues impacting the industry today.

Check out the final conference program.

State of Washington Tourism Conference

State of Washington Tourism – Industry website

The post Tourism as a Shared Community Value appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

Client: The Conservation Fund

Workshop Description

Join Crosscurrent to better understand the power of a destination’s compelling story, and start uncovering your story. Take a deep dive into the definitions and trends involved in destination development – which is a tool for more powerfully bringing your story to the surface when visitors experience your destination. Learn global and national best practices in destination development and management, to jump-start your own destination’s path forward.

Training’s learning objectives

• Develop knowledge of why it’s important to understand your own unique story – and the benefits that can bring
  • Achieve a clear sense of your own story
• Recognize why it’s important to understand visitor trends, and increase your understanding of selected trends that are relevant and current
• Understand what destination development and management is
• Receive inspiration for best practices you can apply

Appalachian Gateway Communities 2022 Regional Training Program – About

Through this program, community-based teams from gateways to public lands located in the counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission will gain skills and knowledge to:

• Leverage natural and cultural resources
• Revitalize downtowns
• Promote arts and culture opportunities
• Build cultural heritage and natural resource tourism
• Create lasting economic opportunity

Learn more about The Conservation Fund’s Appalachian Gateway Communities Initiative.

The post Destinations: What’s Your Story? Why Destination Management Matters appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

• Chief visionary / coach / Story Brand strategist – Paul Kuthe, Tributary Coaching
• Web design and development by Abby Spyker and her team at Northwest Media Collective
• Copyediting by Jim Moore, Word Jones (So. Much. Copy. Editing.)
• Brand identity by Andy Morris of Stumptown and beer can fame
• Workshop photography by Aaron Marineau

AND THE PHOTOGRAPHY! I have to give a huge shout-out to the professional photographers who leaned in and supported me in launching my business by donating photography for the site.  I have so much love for these guys – if you like these pics, I hope you’ll give their work a longer look:

• Kenji Sugahara from A-Cam Aerials // homepage hero and Crosscurrent-y images
• Richard Hallman // extreme portfolio shots
• Russ Roca from The Path Less Pedaled // bike-travel love
• Mia Sheppard from Juniper River Adventures // fly-fishing goodness
• Gabe Amadeus Tiller // Pacific NW wanderlust
• Peter Marbach // Gorge-eous imagery

I hope you’ll enjoy learning more about the business I’m creating.

This is just a starting point for manifesting good in communities… so much more to come!

Kristin

The post We’re Live!! appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

The idea is that in order to run any river well, you need to be able to generate your own momentum — not only to move safely and effectively through turbulent rapids, but also to slow yourself down by catching and tagging eddies even in the gentlest moving water.

By learning skills to generate your own momentum, you can be in more control and “slow down” the experience on a river that might otherwise push you downstream like a freight train, right into an obstacle. The more effective you can be at mastering crosscurrent momentum, the more likely you’ll be able to get where you want to go – and enjoy the journey.

I’ve carried this concept with me throughout my life, and it’s shaped how I view working with community leaders on tourism. With increased awareness of the existing current, skills to navigate the obstacles, drops and eddies, and a willingness to slow down and make the right moves, we can generate our own crosscurrent momentum to propel us where we want to go, not where the world would otherwise take us.

The post Slow Yourself Down: Crosscurrent Momentum appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.

Crosscurrent is interested in hearing from you if you like more information about this study tour when it becomes available.

The post Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon/Washington, USA appeared first on Crosscurrent Collective.