With seven tourism marketing awards and a proven track record of viral campaigns, I specialize in taking what makes your destination extraordinary and elevating it beyond the sameness that saturates the industry.
I understand the realities destination leaders face:
That’s where Destination Strategies Co. comes in. As a trusted partner, I bring decades of experience, fresh perspective, and creative firepower to deliver strategies and campaigns that stand out.
Whether through bold storytelling, innovative social campaigns, brand development, or high-level strategy, I help destinations break free from convention and capture attention in ways that are both authentic and unforgettable.
“Having worked with top marketing minds from brands like Pepsi, Target, and U.S. Bank during my time as VP of Marketing for the Minnesota Twins and now as a consultant, I can confidently say Cynthya Porter is an extraordinary talent. Her lethal combination of talent, skill, creativity and personality makes her work truly exceptional. A brilliant strategist, Cynthya crafts compelling stories that hit a brand’s sweet spot and differentiate it from competitors. She’s a courageous leader, unafraid of risks, and understands that true success comes through innovation and a willingness to defy the status quo.“
“Cynthya Porter is a creative and innovative marketer with a keen sense of marketing strategy. She intuitively understands segmentation, targeting, and positioning and has the broad skill set required to develop effective marketing campaigns.
Over the six years I worked alongside her as a member of the Board of Directors and chair of the Marketing Committee at Visit Winona, I saw firsthand how she was instrumental in driving awareness of Winona, Minnesota as a tourism destination and repositioning the city from another river town to a vibrant destination for the arts, nature, and community. She targeted markets we never targeted before and implemented campaigns using strategies and tactics unlike anything we had done in the past. No matter her approach, traditional or bold and playful, her work consistently delivered results.Moreover, she is passionate about marketing and that passion shows in the work she creates. Never once did she cut a corner or rely on what had worked in the past. Every move she made was strategic and deliberate to help Visit Winona achieve its goals. She is a tireless worker who I saw willingly go above and beyond for years. She is also a fantastic collaborator who approaches ideas with a “yes and” attitude that leads to higher-quality ideas.“
If you are looking for a marketing expert who can write, Cynthya is an excellent wordsmith. Looking for a photographer, she’s a Getty image photographer with a great eye. Someone who is not afraid to take risks creating fun and targeted campaigns, Cynthya is your person. In need of website coordination, content creation, ad buys, and newsletter production, make sure you talk to Cynthya. I have worked with her for 15 plus years as a tourism director and can highly recommend Cynthya.
“Cynthya transformed my business with a rebrand that included a new logo, a smart website design and a fresh social media approach. I appreciated her ability to really understand my brand goals and help me reach them. She was responsive and great to work with.“
Our Services
Destination Brand Development
We uncover what makes your destination unique and translate it into a clear, actionable brand strategy. Services include brand audits, competitive benchmarking, narrative development, tone and persona creation, and stakeholder alignment. Light rebranding options such as logo refreshes, taglines, and style guides are also available.
Strategic Marketing Campaigns
We design research-driven campaigns that connect destination stories to traveler action. Services include seasonal planning, campaign naming, cross-platform storytelling, and KPI development. Campaigns are continually refined through analytics to maximize reach, engagement, and visitation impact.
Social Media Strategy & Training
We evaluate social channels for voice, content mix, accessibility, and engagement, then deliver practical playbooks, editorial calendars, and team training. For destinations with staffing gaps, we also provide interim content support to ensure continuity while teams transition.
Print, Digital, and Out-of-Home Media Strategy & Placement
We plan and place print, digital, and out-of-home media strategically to reach the right audiences at the right moments. From media mix planning and audience targeting to placement strategy and performance review, we ensure your message shows up where it matters most.
Content Creation
We produce high-quality content that fuels your marketing channels, including blogs, press releases, email campaigns, itineraries, landing pages, and partner toolkits. Offerings range from single monthly pieces to ongoing content series designed to amplify your destination’s voice.
Photography
Photography plays a vital role in destination storytelling. We produce vibrant, authentic imagery, including landscapes, lifestyle content, event coverage, and editorial-style photography, tailored to support marketing goals and reflect your destination’s personality.
Video Production
We create compelling video content that captures attention across platforms, from short-form social videos to cinematic website features and advertising reels. Services include destination reels, b-roll libraries, hosted series, scripting, storytelling, and professional editing.
Spokesperson Video Storytelling
Building on our award-winning Facebook Live success, we deliver authentic, on-camera storytelling that drives engagement. Services include live broadcasts, hosted video series, and live-style content created for platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Visitor Guide Redesign
We help modernize visitor guides through design consultation, content planning, contributor coordination, and layout support. Services cover both print and interactive guides, ensuring each edition feels cohesive, engaging, and story-driven.
Website Oversight & UX Consulting
We guide destination websites through audits, redesigns, refreshes, and UX or SEO improvements. This service can include end-to-end oversight from strategy through launch, ideal for organizations focused on performance, usability, and measurable results.
FAM Tours & Influencer Hosting
We manage familiarization tours from influencer and media sourcing to itinerary development and on-the-ground hosting. Deliverables include collateral preparation, photo and video support, and coverage tracking with ROI reporting to measure impact.
Email Marketing
We design email campaigns that convert, including segmentation strategies, automated workflows, newsletters, and partner promotions. Strategy coaching and performance reviews are also available to strengthen in-house email marketing efforts.
Media Relations & PR
We develop editorial calendars, pitches, and press releases that resonate with media outlets. Our work includes managing press relationships, press kits, and partner communications to secure meaningful coverage that elevates destination awareness.
Analytics & Reporting
We track performance across social, email, and web channels, delivering dashboards and board-ready reports that demonstrate ROI. Each report includes insights and recommendations to guide future marketing strategy and decision-making.
Event Creation & Management
From concept through execution, we plan events that boost awareness and leave lasting impressions. Services include logistics, vendor coordination, programming, promotion, and budget management for festivals, conferences, media events, and launch experiences.
Proven Results That Speak for Themselves
CASE STUDY Laughing Our Way to 5 Million Views: The Gator Park Campaign - How a Fictional Alligator Attraction Cut Through Pandemic-Era Noise
CASE STUDY Video & Live Storytelling — Turning Human Connection Into a Scalable Brand Asset
CASE STUDY Reinventing a Destination Image to Reach a New Generation
CASE STUDY Visitor Guide Redesign: Transforming a Misaligned Asset Into a Flagship Publication
CASE STUDY Laughing Our Way to 5 Million Views: The Gator Park Campaign - How a Fictional Alligator Attraction Cut Through Pandemic-Era Noise
CASE STUDY Video & Live Storytelling — Turning Human Connection Into a Scalable Brand Asset
Award-Winning Ideas * Marketing With Impact * Strategies That Stand Out * Stories That Inspire TravelAward-Winning Ideas * Marketing With Impact * Strategies That Stand Out * Stories That Inspire Travel
“Cynthya transformed my business with a rebrand that included a new logo, a smart website design and a fresh social media approach. I appreciated her ability to really understand my brand goals and help me reach them. She was responsive and great to work with.“
“Cynthya, seeing the way you tackled this contest has been wonderful. None of it comes together without you, so thank you! Bigger than the money we raised is the way we have gotten to join others in celebrating a thing we love.“
“Cynthya is sure the photo shoot is about the subject, and remains focused throughout her projects. She takes the time to get to know the subject and then creates photos that capture so much more than just the event at hand. She is personable, highly professional, and fits into any circumstance, making her photos that much more genuine.“
“Cynthya’s writing and photography speak for themselves – she is very talented and really gets to the heart of her stories and photography. Cynthya is also a great mentor and editor. She is a dynamic leader and I learned a lot from working with her on a daily basis.“