Tourism Experience

Marketing Insight for the Travel Industry

Magellan Strategy Group specializes in strategic marketing development for destinations and attractions. Our firm often partners with other successful travel and tourism specialists in marketing research, public relations, marketing communications, and destination and attraction development to provide a rich portfolio of services to its clients.

Our primary objective with every client is to identify and communicate “the story,” that emotional connection that most resonates with the target audience and builds strong brands. Storytelling is the most effective means of marketing imaginable. Every product and service that are able to command a premium position in the marketplace, and which have successfully established itself as a brand, has an interesting story behind it. You might hear that story in advertising, or you might hear it from a neighbor. That story might be reflected in the product itself, or in the delivery of the product. The brand’s benefits might be the story, or it may be part of the emotional connection that consumers have with the product or service. You might read about it in a brochure, or hear about it in a podcast, or simply see it reflected in a photo.

The story might be told overtly, or it may be very subtle. But it’s always there, and it’s always being cultivated.

MSG works to understand what makes every destination unique, and focuses upon solutions that are tied to benefits that enrich visitors’ lives. These solutions are always actionable and never out of the abilities of each organization to make them happen.

Magellan Strategy Group is a member of the Travel Industry Association (TIA), the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA), and the Southeast Tourism Society (STS).

Having a unique selling proposition is the most overlooked selling tool in the travel industry.

Other Experience

Strategic Planning

Chris Cavanaugh has facilitated a number of strategic planning processes in recent years, drawing upon his experience in a variety of organizational environments, his business background, and his engaging style of facilitation to focus participants upon the task at hand. He utilizes his knowledge of strategic planning to help lead organizations to a greater understanding of objectives and opportunities. Some of MSG’s strategic planning clients have included:

  • Balfour Resource Group, Dallas, TX
  • The Biltmore Company, Asheville, NC
  • Southern Foodways Alliance, Oxford, MS
  • Cherokee Bottled Water, Cherokee, NC
  • See Rock City, Inc., Lookout Mountain, GA
  • First Baptist Church of Asheville
  • MANNA Food Bank of Western North Carolina

Previous and Upcoming Speaking Engagements

  • Southeast Tourism Society
  • Massachusetts Governor’s Conference on Tourism
  • Missouri Governor's Conference on Tourism
  • North Carolina Association of Festivals and Events
  • Southwest Virginia Community College Entrepreneurship for Artisans Program
  • Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Gateway Communities Workshop
  • HandMade in America Trail Development Workshop
  • Wisconsin Governor's Conference on Tourism
  • South Carolina Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism
  • North Carolina Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus
  • Asheville Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Oakland County, MI (Metropolitan Detroit) Annual Tourism Conference
  • Ohio Travel Association Annual Conference on Tourism
  • Maryland Governor's Conference on Tourism

Past presentation topics have included:

  • Strategic Branding for Destinations and Attractions
  • Leveraging Consumer Trends to Your Benefit
  • Research-Based Marketing and Development
  • Brand Integration
  • Thematic Trail Marketing
  • Delivering on the Brand Promise Through Great Service