Episode 177: Storytelling with Data, with Andria Godfrey

For ten years Andria has been leading DMO strategy and development by working with the travel industry to navigate the world of data and analytics. Currently, Andria serves as Senior Director of Tourism and Hospitality at ADARA, providing strategic direction and drives cross-team decision making to grow enterprise opportunities in the Americas. Along with her passion for advancing the travel and tourism industry, Andria brings to the team ten years of destination marketing and research experience, as well as expertise in leveraging data to enhance marketing efficiency and promote DMO advocacy. Prior to joining ADARA Andria spent seven years in research leadership positions for destination marketing organizations, including Research Director roles at Georgia Tourism and Texas Tourism.

Andria is an active member of the travel and tourism community, serving on the board of directors for the Travel and Tourism Research Association. She is a proud Texas Aggies receiving both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Texas A&M University.

In this episode of Destination on the Left, Andria Godfrey, the senior director of tourism and hospitality at ADARA, discusses the data evolution in travel and tourism. She explains the importance of using data to tell a story, she talks about privacy and how it affects our access to data, and she explains why we need to better understand human behavior and the ‘why’ of our visitors.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

• Andria’s journey into the travel and tourism industry
• The importance of data storytelling
• How privacy impacts the data we have access to
• The importance of understanding human behavior and the ‘why’ of our visitors
• Different ways that Andria has solved challenges using creativity and collaboration
• How to personalize your communication with travelers
• Examples of data that we have access to but may not be considering

Using Data in Travel and Tourism

Andria Godfrey is the Senior Director of Tourism and Hospitality at ADARA, a company that provides the travel and tourism industry with greater visibility into the needs and wants of in-market travel consumers. They use people-based insights to increase marketing efficiency, foster growth, and maximize the value of a DMO’s customer portfolio. In the latest episode of the Destination on the Left podcast, Andria discusses her role at ADARA, the importance of data storytelling, how privacy affects access to different types of data, and why we need to better understand human behavior and the ‘why’ of our visitors.

It’s All About the Big Picture

Nowadays, it is difficult to find someone who works at a destination that doesn’t geek out about data. Artificial Intelligence is commonplace, and it has enabled communities of all sizes to access more data than they’ve ever had access to before. It is extremely exciting for all DMOs, but it also presents new challenges as we figure out how to use it. Understanding data for a single destination is powerful, but understanding the same data in the context of the travel industry as a whole is unbelievably powerful. That is the ultimate goal as we mold our data into something meaningful.

Data That Tells a Story

When DMOs understand the story their data is telling relative to the travel and tourism industry as a whole, it enables them to create more effective messaging. For decades, DMOs have designed their communication strategy to tell their destination’s story, but using the right data can give that story even more meaning. It can help DMOs direct their communication efforts to the ideal target audience so they can create a real connection. They can articulate why the destination should matter to them and help them understand what they will get out of their experience. To learn more about ADARA’s work with data collection and measurement in the travel and tourism industry, listen to the latest episode of Destination on the Left.

• LinkedIn:
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/andria-godfrey/
  • https://www.linkedin.com/company/adaraglobal/
• Website: adara.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdaraGlobal/
• Twitter:
  • @AndriaNGodfrey
  • @adaraglobal

We will be hosting our second Destination on the Left Virtual Summit featuring 15 amazing speakers that will be held on April 1-3. The great thing about this summit is it’s free! There is no travel cost for you and you can do it from the comfort of your own office. Click here to learn more details: https://breaktheicemedia.com/podcast/summit/

Episode Transcript

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