Opening the Door to a New Group Destination or Attraction

Group travel professionals understandably have an eye for what works for groups, including untapped potential in a destination or attraction. But beyond recognizing a spot would be perfect for group inclusion in your offerings, how do you bring that untapped potential to fruition? 

“Building group business in a destination that doesn’t yet have a strong group presence requires vision, persistence, relationship-building, and trust,” said Kris Hoff, President, Distinctively Detroit Tours and Happy Times Tours. “You have to help partners see the economic opportunity while also protecting what makes their attraction authentic and special. When done correctly, everybody wins—the destination, the attraction, the tour operator, and most importantly, the traveler.” 

Hoff has successfully harnessed the magic of Detroit in her group tours by seeing an opportunity to create experiences that feel exclusive, immersive, and emotionally connected to the city.

“Through Distinctively Detroit Tours, we developed themed experiences that tapped into Detroit’s culture, music, architecture, food, and storytelling in a completely different way,” Hoff shared. “That meant building relationships with attractions, venues, historians, musicians, restaurants, and local personalities who may never have worked with tour groups before. Some partners initially didn’t think groups would be interested—or they worried groups would be difficult to accommodate. Once they saw how engaged and enthusiastic travelers were, it changed their perspective entirely.”

In terms of challenges, Hoff emphasized staying creative while helping partners understand operational realities. Considerations ranging from staffing to marketing and everything in between might need to be adjusted for partners new to groups. Remember to acknowledge that doing something new can be a risk for them, as well.

“One thing I’ve learned is that listening matters more than pitching. Some of the best tour concepts we’ve ever developed came from casual conversations with local historians, restaurant owners, musicians, preservationists, or attraction staff members who mentioned something unique almost in passing. That’s often where the magic is hiding,” Hoff shared. “One of the most effective ways I’ve demonstrated the value of welcoming groups is by helping suppliers and destinations understand that group travel is not just about volume—it’s about economic impact, consistency, and storytelling.

“In many cases, I’ve found the best way to prove value is simply to bring the right group and let the experience speak for itself. Once suppliers see engaged travelers spending money, asking questions, posting photos, purchasing merchandise, and enthusiastically talking about the experience, perceptions change very quickly.”

Kim Marshall, General Manager, U.S. Tours, explained that she’s always on the lookout for fresh ideas, so staying in the loop is critical to building out new group offerings.

“Because we don’t concentrate on specific regions, it’s difficult to conduct site visits everywhere,” Marshall said, encouraging professionals to still visit destinations themselves whenever possible. “We rely heavily on local CVBs for their insight and expertise. I also receive emails from state tourism boards so I can be aware of any new attractions or destinations we may be able to market to. We also maintain a strong presence at major trade shows such as ABA, NTA, Midwest Marketplace, and Select Travel.”

Jim Coggin, CTIS, CSTP, Tourism Sales Manager at Virginia Beach CVB, shared his insight from a destination perspective.

“There are always tour operators who think of Virginia Beach only as a ‘beach’ destination and say their groups don’t do beach destinations, so I have to tell and show them that Virginia Beach is much more than just a beach destination,” Coggin shared. “My favorite thing to do as a sales manager is a sales mission, taking partners and going to a specific area and meeting with tour operators in their environment. Many times, Virginia Beach wasn't even on their radar until we made a visit to their office.”

Ultimately, staying open-minded, creative, and willing to work closely with partners will serve you well in developing something new.

As Marshall said, “Never be afraid to try something new!”

Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for Groups Today.

This article originally appeared in the Sept/Oct ’26 issue of Groups Today.