Since 2018, Longwoods International has partnered with Destinations International to conduct Resident Sentiment research. The purpose of this long-standing research is to understand residents’ sentiments towards tourism and its impacts in the United States and Canada. In addition, the research study measures residents’ perceptions of tourism employment, destination stewardship efforts and our industry’s contributions to community vitality. The United States Resident Sentiment study was fielded in July 2025 and included a representative sample of 4,000 Americans. The Canada Resident Sentiment study was fielded in August 2025 and included a representative sample of 1,000 Canadians.
2025 U.S. & CANADA RESIDENT SENTIMENT REPORT KEY FINDINGS
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Purpose and Research Approach Since 2018, Longwoods International has partnered with Destinations International to conduct Resident Sentiment research. The purpose of this long-standing research is to understand residents’ sentiments towards tourism and its impacts in the United States and Canada. In addition, the research study measures residents’ perceptions of tourism employment, destination stewardship efforts and our industry’s contributions to community vitality. The United States Resident Sentiment study was fielded in July 2025 and included a representative sample of 4,000 Americans. The Canada Resident Sentiment study was fielded in August 2025 and included a representative sample of 1,000 Canadians.
The Resident Sentiment research was made possible by support from the Destinations International Foundation.
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TOURISM: A CATALYST FOR COMMUNITY VITALITY
As an industry, we’ve long recognized that tourism is a catalyst for community vitality and that the impact of our work extends far beyond our industry. Results from our resident sentiment research suggest that both Americans and Canadians recognize this as well. As Maura Allen Gast, FCDME, Executive Director of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau, stated in 2009, “If you build a place where people want to visit, you’ll build a place where people want to live. If you build a place where people want to live, you’ll build a place where people want to work. If you build a place where people want to work, you’ll build a place where business wants to be. And, if you build a place where business wants to be, we’ll be back to building a place where people want to visit. It all starts with the visit and that visit doesn’t happen without us.” The adage, “it starts with a visit,” holds true. Among Americans who have not lived in their current state of residence their entire life, six in ten (61%) visited the state on a leisure or business trip prior to moving there. In Canada, half (49%) visited their province of residence prior to moving to the province. The long-term relationship one has with a place often does start with a visit.
THE WORK OF A DESTINATION ORGANIZATION
If you built a place where people want to visit, then you have built a place where people want to live. 1.VISIT
And if you built a place where people want to live, then you have built a place where people want to work. 2. LIVE
a 3 The Community Vitality Wheel 1 It Starts With A Visit You Need To Keep The Wheel Turning and Manage Its Speed
That Is the Work of a Destination Organization 4
From Visit, To Live, To Work, To Invest. 2
And if you built a place where business and residents will invest, then you have built a place where people will want to visit. 4. INVEST
And if you built a place where people want to work, then you have built a place where business and residents will invest. 3. WORK
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Residents also recognize that tourism and the work of destination organizations help to create a place where people want to visit, live, work and invest. Both Americans and Canadians recognize the role of tourism in attracting new residents and businesses to their local area. Half of Americans (53%) and Canadians (53%) agree that tourism attracts new residents, while similar percentages of residents agree that tourism attracts new businesses to the area (Americans: 55%, Canadians: 57%). Tourism is also understood to encourage investment in the local economy with about six in ten Americans (58%) and Canadians (64%) agreeing with this sentiment. Tourism is perceived as a catalyst for community vitality both in terms of quality of life and the economy. Nearly half agree that the quality of life in their state (46%) or province (48%) improved because of increased tourism. Similarly, 47% percent of Americans and Canadians agree they have more recreational opportunities (places to go and things to do) because of tourism, a five-point increase since 2020 for the United States (42%). From an economic standpoint, the majority of Americans and Canadians recognize there are also indirect and induced impacts of tourism. Fifty-four percent of Americans and 58% of Canadians agree that the economic impact of tourists in their area helps to support industries and businesses not directly tied to tourism. Despite this strong level of agreement, three in ten (Americans: 31%, Canadians: 32%) are still neutral and don’t have a strong opinion on this. Sharing examples of how our industry benefits other businesses and industries can increase awareness of tourism’s broader contributions to our communities.
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DESTINATION STEWARDSHIP
Destination stewardship is a growing focus for many destination organizations and is defined by Destinations International as, “the continuous pursuit of a net positive tourism ecosystem that exists in alignment with shared community values.” Results indicate that we are making gains in raising awareness of this topic. About four in ten Americans (41%) and Canadians (43%) agree local/municipal governments are doing a good job balancing resident quality of life and visitor satisfaction. Destination stewardship efforts are having a positive impact, with the levels of agreement increasing since 2023 (up five points for Americans and seven points for Canadians); however, more work is needed to inform the one third of residents (Americans: 33%, Canadians: 34%) who are still neutral on this topic.
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Most Americans and Canadians understand the role of tourism in preserving local cultures, but less agree on our industry’s ability to protect the natural environment. Fifty-eight percent of Americans and 63% of Canadians agree that tourism supports the preservation of local culture and protects the community’s authenticity; however, the perception that the tourism industry values sustainability and the natural resources is 12 to 15 points lower (Americans: 43%, Canadians: 51%). Despite this difference, residents still recognize the potential for tourism to benefit the environment. About half of Americans (51%) and Canadians (53%) agree that tourism can help the environment as local governments and citizens seek to protect sensitive and scenic areas. About two thirds of Americans (68%) and three fourths of Canadians (74%) agree that tourists should be educated on how to travel responsibly and care for the environment, suggesting strong support for stewardship efforts. Communicating our destination stewardship efforts, especially related to the environment, can help reinforce our industry’s commitment to sustainability.
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TOURISM EMPLOYMENT
The tourism industry continues to be well-known for offering entry-level opportunities (Americans: 60%, Canadians: 66%); however, a smaller percentage perceive that the industry offers rewarding careers (Americans: 50%, Canadians: 52%) and opportunities for career advancement (Americans: 51%, Canadians: 55%). About half also continue to hold the view that most jobs in the tourism industry are low-paying and seasonal (Americans: 47%, Canadians: 55%). Discussing tourism employment as a career versus simply a job and highlighting advancement opportunities can help reduce this gap in perceptions and retain those who joined our industry in entry-level roles. With only four in ten residents agreeing they would encourage their friends and family to work in the tourism industry (Americans: 40%, Canadians: 42%), initiatives like Destination Professionals Days are great opportunities to reframe the narrative about tourism employment. Communicating both the pride in and importance of our work can help shift how people perceive the tourism industry. Encouraging local industry professionals to share their career stories and participate in these types of initiatives can help elevate the status and appeal of tourism employment.
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RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
• Highlight the ways in which tourism is a catalyst for community vitality in your community. Many Americans and Canadians understand the role of tourism in creating places where people want to visit, live, work and invest. Reinforce this message to strengthen the value of tourism in your community. • Communicate destination stewardship efforts. While we are seeing positive growth in perceptions that governments are doing a good job balancing resident quality of life and visitor satisfaction, a third of residents are still neutral. This is an opportunity to educate those who have not yet formed a strong opinion on this topic. • Elevate the role of destination and industry professionals in your community. By participating in initiatives like Destination Professionals Days and sharing career stories, we can reframe how people view our industry and the work that we do. If you are interested in learning more about Resident Sentiment research, Longwoods International has a Partner Program available exclusively to members of Destinations International. You can find out more by emailing info@longwoods-intl.com or visiting https://longwoods-intl.com/our-services/ resident-sentiment-research/.
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LEARN MORE
To learn more about how the Sentiment Research can contribute to destination organization strategy, watch this video.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This research was conducted in partnership with Longwoods International and supported by the Destinations International Foundation.
Destinations International is the world’s largest and most respected resource for destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. With more than 8,000 members and partners from over 750 destinations, the association represents a powerful forward-thinking and collaborative community around the world. For more information, visit destinationsinternational.org.
Longwoods International is a leading tourism market research firm and longtime Destinations International partner. CVBs need the best available research both to demonstrate accountability and to make data-driven decisions in the marketing of their destinations. Member-exclusive pricing and added value are available for visitor research, “Halo-Effect” studies and the very important “Resident Sentiment” research that Longwoods has pioneered.
The Destinations International Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering destination organizations globally by providing education, research, advocacy and leadership development. The Foundation is classified as a charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code and all donations are tax-deductible. For more information visit destinationsinternational.org/about-foundation.
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