Destination Strategist - Resonance : Job Details

Company Description

Resonance (resonanceco.com) is a leading global consultancy and branding agency for the world's best destinations, cities and communities. Our projects take us around the world, from supporting leading destinations on defining their brand to developing brands for new hotels, to tourism development plans for countries to economic development strategies for cities. We also publish the World's Best Cities rankings (worldsbestcities.com), one of the most widely-read city rankings in the world and produce WRLDCTY the Urban Forum for Urban Innovation.

Role Description

We're seeking a Destination Strategist to join our growing team. As a member of our consulting team, you will play a key role in advising clients across the public and private sectors on projects related to place branding, hotel and resort development, and tourism master planning. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with a passion for places, a deep understanding of the travel and tourism industry, and experience in developing actionable plans that drive growth and engagement for destinations, hotels, and resorts.

The Destination Strategist is responsible for developing and managing senior-level client relationships and will be regarded as a trusted advisor; demonstrating an ability to lead clients both strategically and tactically. Therefore, this position requires exceptional applied research experience, strategic planning, strong relationship building and resource management skills coupled with honed communication skills to achieve the best possible results.

This role may require occasional domestic and international travel to client locations, with a hybrid work arrangement available for suitable candidates.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, building strong relationships through strategic insights and effective communication.
• Develop strategies to position destinations, hotel and resort developments as unique and attractive to travelers, investors, and residents.
• Present strategies, reports, and recommendations to senior stakeholders and project teams.
• Lead and collaborate on research to understand market trends, competitive landscapes, and target audiences.
• Conduct destination assessments to evaluate tourism infrastructure, product offerings, and gaps.
• Analyze market demand and competitive benchmarking to identify opportunities for new developments or repositioning of existing ones.
• Design and deliver workshops, stakeholder interviews, and focus groups to gather insights and build consensus.
• Develop tourism master plans that balance economic development, community engagement, and sustainable growth.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams, including researchers, creatives, and analysts, to deliver exceptional results.
• Collaborate with creative teams to align branding strategies with compelling narratives, design, and visual identities.
• Provide recommendations for enhancing visitor experience, product development, and marketing strategies.
• Integrate sustainable tourism principles to align with global best practices in environmental and social responsibility.
• Schedules and leads client meetings, clearly communicating agenda and results of meetings to all participants.
• Tracks and reports on progress of project against project critical path with both clients and internal team members.

Job Requirements & Skills

• Minimum 5 years brand strategy / management consulting experience with a graduate level degree
• Possess both sound quantitative and qualitative skills with the ability to translate research and discovery into applied strategy and action
• Ability to link long-range visions and concepts to daily work, ranging from a simple understanding to a sophisticated awareness of the impact of the world at large on strategies and on choices
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• An entrepreneurial mindset with a strong desire to help grow Resonance's destination development client base
• Strong project management and organization skills, experience in managing cross-functional teams and multiple projects.
• Learns quickly and is able to adapt in a fast-paced environment, and evolve to project demands
• Ability to handle the pressure of meeting tight deadlines