Meet Megan Myers: storytelling expert, champion of authenticity and accessibility, tourism marketing strategist, and, most recently, winner of Destinations International’s annual 30 under 30 Tourism Industry Leader Award.
Megan’s accolade-packed journey has grown from coordinating community outreach for Live Healthy Appalachia and a pre-Covid stint teaching preschool to managing – and now leading– travel marketing for Hocking Hills Tourism Association. Her path is one to learn from, whether you’re just starting or looking for new ways to drive thoughtful, community-collaborative results.
A Writer at Heart
Megan’s marketing roots took hold when she studied communications at Ohio University. The program’s focus on rhetoric and persuasive language built a backbone for her future marketing strategies. “I think the most important thing was learning how to be a good writer,” Megan says, “it’s the foundation for marketing and public speaking.”
Driven by Authentic Community Storytelling
“I always say I kinda fell into tourism marketing,” Megan adds. Having grown up in a small town, Appalachian Ohio, Megan knows how local communities want to see the region represented – and the words that make them skeptical. Marketing Hocking Hills with an insider’s voice has been a priority from day one.”I am super proud of my southeast Ohio roots. My family has been here for a very long time.”
Constant Learning
At Hocking Hills Tourism Association, Megan combines her storytelling chops and strategic thinking to lead multiple campaigns that increase travel to the region. She started working at the association in 2021 as a social media manager and learned fast.
“I was green,” Megan says. “I did not know much but had a year of experience in nonprofit marketing, so I learned pretty quickly.” She credits her success to Executive Director Karen Raymore’s hands-on mentorship and the broader team’s generosity and encouragement. “The biggest thing I learned from Karen is to trust your gut and follow it up with the analytics.”
Through trial and error, embracing algorithm changes, and attending webinars and conferences, Megan was all in. She joined the year-long Ohio Tourism Leadership Academy, connecting with stakeholders statewide and learning the ins and outs of Ohio tourism history, best practices, and leadership strategies—ultimately graduating as valedictorian.
Growing Fast–From Social Media Manager to Digital Marketing Director
Megan quickly extended her team’s social imprint from Facebook and Instagram to YouTube Shorts and grew their eNewsletter from 30,000 to 60,000 subscribers. Within four months, she was promoted to Digital Media Director. While still rolling up her sleeves to create content, she now managed the big-picture digital marketing strategy while collaborating with content creators and external teams to increase her efficiency.
Staying on Top of Trends and Best Practices
A strategic leader, Megan knows when to lean on outside experts. She works with TwoSix Digital, a local agency that helps her manage analytics and create content that speaks to what travelers are searching for. “Phrases like ‘Hocking Hills,’ ‘luxury cabins,’ etc – I make sure our content lines up to it.” Megan combines this strong SEO strategy with an organic experience crafted to spend more time on individual pages instead of bouncing around Hocking Hills’ website.
Keeping it Real with UGC Photo Content
As the demand for fresh, daily Instagram content increases, Megan works with a videographer to create reels and uses the CrowdRiff User Generated Content (UGC) platform to source and license content showcasing their destination. Using UGC images – rather than hiring a professional photographer – brings authenticity to her visual storytelling strategy. “In tourism marketing,” she says, “if you can use photos from people that have actually visited, it works really well. People know when you’re showing a professional photo versus when you’re showing an actual family.”
Leading Effective Community Campaigns
A Groundbreaking Annual Photo Contest
One of Megan’s most successful ongoing projects is “Picture Hocking Hills,” an annual juried photography competition that has taken on new energy under Megan’s leadership. Amateur and professional photographers spend a weekend in the region and upload their images using Collector, a CrowdRiff feature. Megan hosts a ceremony for the winners and uses the winning photos for Hocking HIlls’ annual 250,000 print-run visitors guide.
Commitment to Responsible Tourism
“Love Hocking Hills is kind of my baby project,” Megan says. The campaign, which Megan led with a team of passionate community members, focused on creating responsible tourism in the area, encouraging visitors to “take the Hocking Hills Visit Responsibly Pledge.”
She built the program from the ground up, creating a dedicated website and all assets for the campaign, and collaborating with designers to develop branding and logos.
“Now,” Megan says, “we have a full-time staff person whose whole job is dedicated to Love Hocking Hills, which is really exciting to see that grow.”
Bridging Tourism and Community
Megan’s passion for preservation shines in The Destination Stewardship Plan, which creates solutions to problems caused by tourism. “We were working with a subsidiary of Long Woods International called Clarity of Place,” says Megan. “They interviewed a number of stakeholders, held community meetings, and came up with a plan to help integrate tourism into the community, and address problems that tourism may cause in the community.”
These programs deeply connect with Megan’s greater passion for accessibility and authenticity in travel – two key issues that drive her on a daily basis, and tap into her bigger-picture career and industry goals.
Marketing for Accessibility and Authenticity
“I think it stems back to my mom’s work at the University when I was growing up. Her thing was making sure that the school was accessible and that people were getting the accommodations they needed to thrive.” Additionally, Megan’s personal experience as an immunocompromised person inspired her to apply all of her work in the tourism industry under the lens of access. “We can do better. I think it’s an opportunity to grow and ensure differently abled people can travel.”
For Megan, marketing accessibility means sharing stories about activities that appeal to people with different abilities, “while inclusivity is the right thing to do, there is also a business case. If we market in a way that ensures people know everyone is welcome and can find a suitable place to stay and visit, our destination becomes a great place to go.”
30 Under 30
Megan’s passion for authentic, accessible travel marketing and her leadership in developing the Love Hocking Hills campaign caught the eyes of Destinations International, who selected her as a winner of their 2024 30 under 30 class of destination experts to watch. Being selected helped Megan network with the 29 other selected travel marketers – she’s in a group chat where they regularly discuss collaboration opportunities and exchange ideas on navigating new strategies and technologies.
“I always said, if I’m going to be in marketing, I want it to be about something I believe in. And I think with travel, you’re saying, ‘hey, come to this place, bring your family, bring your loved ones, and have amazing experiences that will build lifelong memories…and it’s an inclusive experience.”
