Welcome to Cultural Trails

About Cultural Trails

Welcome to Cultural Trails! We are a community of cultural bearers, museum & archive leaders, artists, and hospitality pros united by our commitment to fostering sustainable cultural tourism. Together, we connect, collaborate, and tackle weekly marketing and strategic planning challenges, all with the goal of enriching our cultural experiences and building lasting impact. Join us in shaping the future of cultural tourism.

We’re united in our mission to welcome people from around the world who wish to respectfully witness and participate in our unique heritage and traditions, while developing sustainable programs that ensure our communities thrive and our cultures are preserved for future generations.

🌱 Campfire Collaborative

Whether you're just getting started or you are an established cultural tourism professional, the FREE Campfire Collaborative is a gathering place to share ideas, connect with fellow tourism pros, and elevate your cultural tourism experience. 

🌱 Momentum Monday: Take part in weekly marketing challenges designed to enhance your sales, marketing, and branding strategies.
🌱 Weekly Polls & Check-Ins: Stay engaged by asking questions, sharing wins, participating in polls, and discussing your favorite cultural tourism destinations.
🌱 Resource Library: Explore a curated collection of free tools and articles to grow your cultural tourism initiatives.
🌱 Member Directory Listing: Get listed in the community directory to connect and network with fellow cultural tourism professionals.
🌱 Discounted Drop-In Marketing Sessions: Visit our drop-in marketing sessions for a discounted fee. Each session is $50 for the general public, $35 for the Campfire Community Level, and free for Pathfinders. 

🌲 The Pathfinders

Take your cultural tourism marketing to the next level. For just $99.99/month, you'll gain access to collaborative marketing services designed to elevate your business, including advanced growth challenges, tailored workshops, and a weekly marketing plan designed to push your business forward. This level is all about focused, actionable support to help you scale your cultural tourism experience with greater impact and confidence.

🌲 All Campfire Collaborative Benefits
🌲 Weekly Marketing Challenges with Accountability Checkpoints: Participate in weekly challenges to sharpen your marketing skills, increase your output, and collaborate with fellow community members. Track your progress and hold yourself accountable with brief check-ins to ensure you stay on track.
🌲 Weekly Marketing Plan. A weekly marketing plan with social media prompts, outreach suggestions, and much more. The calendar arrives via a PDF and a Notion template, so you can customize it to meet your needs.
🌲 Weekly Marketing Drop-Ins: Join office hours with seasoned tourism marketing professionals to discuss challenges, share insights, and set goals for the week ahead.
🌲 Monthly Tourism Masterclasses: Attend in-depth classes on a variety of cultural tourism marketing topics—from growing your social media presence to mastering efficiency with the latest tech tools.
🌲 Live Monthly Meet & Greets: Connect with fellow Pathfinders during our exclusive monthly live sessions, fostering deeper relationships and collaboration.

🌄 The Trailblazer Sprint

Ready for personalized marketing, bi-weekly accountability masterminds, and one-on-one coaching? Level up to The Trailblazer Sprint for intensive support and a 90-day growth sprint designed to take your cultural tourism marketing to the next level. Perfect for hospitality professionals who are ready to build a personalized strategic plan, achieve significant milestones, and stay on track with deep accountability. Fee: $2,500 for each quarterly cohort. The next cohort begins January 2025.

🌄 All Cultural Trails Accelerate Benefits
🌄 Personalized Strategic Planning Session: Kick off each sprint with a one-on-one session to outline your goals, create a roadmap, and define key milestones for the next 90 days.
🌄 Bi-Weekly Accountability Masterminds: Join a small cohort of peers every other week to stay accountable, participate in targeted sales and marketing learning sessions, receive feedback on your progress, and collaborate on weekly challenges.
🌄 Monthly One-on-One Tourism Coaching & Progress Checkpoints: Stay on track with regular check-ins to address roadblocks, track your progress, and receive personalized feedback. Each month, you'll have a one-hour coaching session to refine your strategy, review marketing materials, and discuss your challenges in detail.
🌄 End-of-Sprint Strategy Wrap-Up: Celebrate your achievements with a final one-on-one session to evaluate your progress, refine your strategy, and develop a sustainable growth plan for ongoing success.

Monica Poling is a strategic planner and a cultural tourism professional with decades of experience helping communities and travel providers build impactful and sustainable visitor marketing strategies. 

Now the host of Cultural Trails, and a tourism industry consultant, Monica was previously the Marketing and PR Manager for the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA). These, she authored the organization’s Cultural Heritage Tourism Planning Guide, a cornerstone resource for Native communities navigating the tourism industry. She also led the first-ever nationwide economic impact study of Native American tourism, highlighting the transformative potential of cultural tourism for Native nations and communities. Learn more about Monica Poling here.