Hiring an agency is rarely the hard part. The hard part is hiring the right partner for a destination environment—where seasonality, stakeholder coordination, and partial data can distort expectations. To reduce risk, start with one anchoring question. Then use the answer to guide every other conversation about scope, reporting, creative, and budget.
Author: StampIdeas. Last updated: January 19, 2026. This article explains the single most useful question for destinations, what a credible answer includes, and how to translate that answer into a practical selection process. A clear question keeps discussions grounded and prevents selection based on style or promises.
The core question: How will you measure visitor intent and prove impact?
The most important question a destination should ask before hiring an agency is: How will you measure visitor intent and prove impact for our destination? This moves the discussion away from vague promises and toward evidence.
Destinations need more than awareness metrics. Reach and engagement can be useful, but they do not explain whether a campaign helped real visitors plan a trip, request information, or take a next step that matters.
A credible agency should describe the intent signals it will track, how it will set baselines, and how it will compare performance across seasons. This question also forces the agency to acknowledge real destination constraints. If stakeholder approvals, partner participation, or data access will affect measurement, the agency should say so up front and propose an approach that still produces reliable reporting.
For context on how destinations typically structure channels and measurement, this digital overview is a useful reference: destination digital marketing. If your organization is debating generalist versus specialist support, this guide explains where specialization reduces risk: specialized destination agency.
What a credible answer sounds like
A credible answer should include three components: the intent metrics, the tracking plan, and the reporting cadence.
Intent metrics are actions that indicate planning behavior, such as clicks to seasonal landing pages, itinerary interactions, visitor guide requests, email signups, and referrals to partner sites.
The tracking plan should be specific enough to audit. Many teams use GA4 for event measurement and a tag manager to govern implementation across sites and campaigns (Sources: GA4 documentation; Google Tag Manager). The agency should explain what will be tagged, how conversions will be defined, and what attribution assumptions will be used.
The reporting cadence should match how decisions are made. Weekly or biweekly operational reporting is often needed during campaigns, with a clearer monthly view for leadership. Destinations also need stakeholder alignment to keep execution moving (Source: Destinations International).
If you already have a marketing plan, align agency reporting to its goals and KPIs so everyone measures the same outcomes: tourism marketing plan.
How to use the answer to evaluate fit and reduce risk
Once the agency answers the intent and measurement question, use the details to evaluate fit.
First, confirm the metrics match your reality. If your destination relies on seasonal pages, itineraries, and partner coordination, the measurement model should reflect that.
Second, confirm the agency can handle seasonality. Performance expectations change across peak, shoulder, and off-season periods. If your priorities shift by season, this framework helps align cadence, budget, and messaging: seasonal destination marketing plan.
Third, validate governance and compliance. Paid platforms have policies that affect targeting and creative approvals, and the agency should have a process that reduces avoidable rework (Source: Google Ads policies).
If partner or influencer content is part of the plan, ensure disclosure expectations are understood and documented (Source: FTC Endorsement Guides).
Finally, translate the answer into a 60 to 90 day plan. What will be built first, what will be tested, and what would cause the plan to change? A strong agency should outline early deliverables, measurement setup, and decision points without overstating certainty.
Examples and use cases
Regional destination (shoulder-season push): Ask the intent question and look for an answer that includes seasonal landing page clicks, itinerary engagement, and visitor guide requests. The agency should explain how those signals will be tracked, how paid media will be attributed, and what benchmarks will define “working” by week two or week four.
Small town (limited staff capacity): Use the same question to test whether an agency will simplify execution. A credible partner proposes a minimal measurement setup, a repeatable content model, and partner linking standards that keep reporting clean.
Meetings-focused destination: Require intent measurement that reflects group demand. The agency’s answer should include how meeting inquiries are tracked, how lead quality is assessed, and how reporting separates leisure outcomes from group outcomes.
In each case, the question reveals whether the agency can operate in a destination environment without creating reporting confusion. The agency does not need to promise outcomes. It needs to define how outcomes will be measured and improved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the single most important question to ask a destination marketing agency?
A: Ask how it will measure visitor intent and prove impact. The answer should include intent metrics, tracking standards, and a reporting cadence tied to decision-making.
Q: What are examples of visitor intent metrics for destinations?
A: Common intent signals include clicks to seasonal landing pages, itinerary interactions, visitor guide requests, email signups, partner referrals, and event calendar engagement.
Q: How should agencies report results to a DMO board or leadership team?
A: Leadership reporting should connect work to goals and intent metrics, with clear comparisons by season and market. Operational reporting can be more frequent, but it should still be tied to decisions.
Q: How do we handle seasonality in performance expectations?
A: Set season-specific goals and benchmarks. Peak-season work may emphasize planning and experience management, while shoulder and off-season work may emphasize persuasion and demand creation.
Q: What should we require in tracking and analytics?
A: Require documented tagging, defined conversions, and consistent reporting. Many teams use GA4 and tag governance through a manager to keep implementation consistent.
Q: How do we keep the selection process inclusive and accessible?
A: Ask agencies how they handle captions, alt text, plain-language planning details, and contrast standards. Accessibility is part of visitor experience and should be planned, not assumed.
Conclusion
If you ask one question before hiring an agency, make it about measurement: How will you measure visitor intent and prove impact? For destination teams, that question protects budget, reduces reporting confusion, and sets expectations that can be managed across seasons and stakeholders.
Once the answer is clear, you can evaluate strategy, creative, and channels with less noise. You are not choosing a style. You are choosing a system for improving outcomes.
This article was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by the StampIdeas team for accuracy and clarity. If you want a deeper checklist for agency selection, use this destination-focused guide as a companion: tourism board agency checklist.
If you want a clearer strategy and more consistent results, schedule a conversation with Stamp.