Recorded live from the Etourism Conference in Louisville, this one's a fun reminder that the biggest travel trend of 2026 might be walking around on four legs. Coryn Briggs, Senior Director of Marketing at Traverse City Tourism, breaks down TripAdvisor's "VIP Travel" trend — which turns out to mean Very Important Pets, not very important people — and explains why dog and cat owners are increasingly building entire vacations around their animals.

From there, Coryn gets into the stuff every DMO marketer is wrestling with: the agritourism boom (a natural fit for the self-proclaimed Cherry Capital of the World, with 50+ wineries to match), the real AI challenge of picking the right tools instead of just chasing every shiny new one, and the perennial grind of filling shoulder seasons in a four-distinct-seasons destination. She closes on Traverse City's north star — core memories — and the multigenerational families who keep coming back because of them.

In This Episode:

• 00:06 - Introduction to Aqua Talks
• 01:15 - Introduction to Aqua Talks and Corinne Briggs
• 03:40 - Trends in Travel: The Rise of Pet-Friendly Vacations
• 04:48 - Emerging Trends in Travel and Agritourism
• 07:42 - Emerging Trends in Tourism
• 08:38 - Promoting Traverse City Tourism

Key Takeaways:

• VIP = Very Important Pets. TripAdvisor's 2026 trend report flagged pet-centered travel as a fast-riser — strong with dog owners, now expanding to cat owners planning trips around their animals.
• Agritourism is having a moment, and it's on-brand for working farm destinations. Skillcations, farm stands, U-pick orchards — Coryn sees real runway here, especially tied to America's 250th and the Americana nostalgia angle.
• The AI challenge isn't keeping up — it's choosing. Just because a tool exists doesn't mean it fits your org. The work is evaluating which tools actually serve your team's efficiency or your consumer messaging.
• Shoulder seasons are the year-round battle. Summer (June–mid-September) and fall color carry the calendar; the November–mid-May stretch takes deliberate initiatives to drive visitation.
• Lead with core memories. Traverse City's positioning centers on multigenerational return visits — kids who vacationed there now bringing their own families back.
• 2026 anniversaries are marketing gold. The National Cherry Festival hits its 100th year, dovetailing nicely with the country's 250th.