Few people know travel and tourism marketing like Paul Franke.
With over 20 years of experience leading sales and marketing strategies for travel brands across the country, he has helped destinations grow smarter, move faster and connect more meaningfully with their audiences. Now he brings that expertise to Noble Studios.
Paul joins an experienced team focused on creative digital performance. He brings a sharp eye for strategy, a deep understanding of destination dynamics and a clear belief that the best work starts with people.
Before Noble, he led business development at a national digital agency, building partnerships with Travel Wyoming, Visit Florida and Visit Pennsylvania. He’s especially attuned to the challenges and opportunities facing today’s travel brands and has built a career on closing the gap between insight and execution.
We spoke with Paul about what’s changing in travel marketing, what lessons still matter and where he sees the industry heading. His answers are candid, thoughtful and packed with energy. Let’s dive in.
What timeless principles from past tourism campaigns still drive results today?
Broadly speaking, as I’ve watched the travel and tourism industry evolve over the past 20 years, there’s still a tremendous amount of relevance between past campaigns and what we’re doing today.
The goal has always been the same: destination organizations need to find the right mediums, channels and messages to engage their audiences and tell the destination’s story in a way that resonates. That applies across the board: locals, stakeholders, tour operators, the media, meeting planners and of course, leisure travelers.
Tourism campaigns have always been about making connections between audiences and a destination’s products, people and experiences. So much from past campaigns still works. Whether it’s a Florida destination wrapping a bus in a feeder market like Chicago or putting up billboards to reach drive markets, those broad visitation plays still have a place.
What’s changed is how much more nuanced and personalized campaigns can be. With better data and a stronger understanding of audience behavior, we can be much more targeted. And we now have a wide range of mostly digital tools to reach the right people.
The old tactics still work, like a subway ad. But now we can layer in valuable personalized experiences using AI and machine learning to reach niche audiences by generation, ethnicity, persona or interest.
Authentic storytelling and emotional resonance in marketing are timeless. That’s always been at the heart of what works. Literally.
More literally, if we’re talking about specific lessons from the past that still apply, I’d point to how destinations responded during COVID. While this current drop in international travel isn’t as drastic, many destinations are facing another sharp decline. There’s real value in revisiting that locals-first playbook from 2020 and 2021. Think staycation campaigns, culinary trails, restaurant collaborations, shop local passports and regional incentives.
International travelers tend to stay longer and spend more than domestic visitors, so it’s a tough pill to swallow. But by being more deliberate and thoughtful with regional and national audiences, destinations can help soften the blow. That’s how you salvage a strong summer and build momentum going into the shoulder seasons.
How can destinations grow their visitor economy without losing what makes them special?
Ten years ago, overtourism was mostly a buzzword for destinations like Barcelona, Amsterdam and even the Inca Trail. Not anymore.
Now you’re seeing it in small towns, lake communities and mountain getaways across the U.S. and beyond. There’s a real tension between growing the visitor economy and protecting quality of life for locals.
That said, most destinations aren’t at a tipping point. Plenty still want more visitors. Some even joke that they wish overtourism was their problem. But the concern is real. The question is how to grow without crossing that line where tourism starts to do cultural or environmental damage for residents and stakeholders.
It comes down to being deliberate. That might mean focusing on higher-value visitors (fewer people, more impact) or using agritourism and ecotourism to activate rural areas and spread visitation more evenly across a region. It also means making better use of shoulder seasons. That’s something we’re actively helping clients do right now through shoulder season persona-based campaigns designed to extend demand beyond peak months.
The destinations that are doing this well have made sustainability part of their brand. I’d point to places like Lake Tahoe or Yosemite. We’ve helped launch campaigns that are designed to support stewardship while still being fun and engaging. That’s the balance: elevating the destination while protecting what makes it worth visiting in the first place.
What trends do you think will define the future of travel marketing—and how can destinations stay ahead?
The biggest shift on the horizon? Easy answer: AI.
I’ve watched this industry move from print-heavy visitor guides to website development, email, mobile apps and social media. And every time, it’s the early adopters who gain the edge. AI is the next leap, and it’s already happening.
At Noble, we’re building Generative Engine Optimization into our content strategies, helping destinations shape the answers travelers receive from search engines and AI-driven agents. We’re seeing roles like Noble’s own Head of AI Strategy, Tom Duffy, begin to appear not just in agencies but within DMOs themselves as crucial contributors. It’s the same pattern we saw with social media managers a decade ago. What started as an experiment is now essential.
But it’s not just about technology.
The next decade will also be shaped by niche travel—sleep tourism, wellness travel, solo travel, sustainable travel and one I’m personally invested in: music tourism. I’m planning a trip to Long Beach this summer around a Warped Tour stop. That’s where travel is going. People are designing trips around experiences, not just locations.
The destinations that succeed will be the ones that meet those travelers with smart targeting, authentic storytelling and a clear sense of identity. The tools are evolving fast. Staying ahead means leaning in now.
Learn More About Paul
Paul Franke brings curiosity, clarity and a deep love for the travel industry to everything he does. To learn more about his background, read his full bio. If you’re ready to explore what’s next for your destination, get in touch. We’d love to start a conversation.
