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About USTOB

The U.S. Tourism Overlay Bureau acts as a vital link connecting travelers with a penchant for exploring geography and culture to the diverse destinations across the nation. It serves as a liaison between these travelers, destination stewards, and stakeholders, fostering collaboration and support for over 500 regions throughout the United States. Through its efforts, the Bureau champions the hardworking small business owners and attraction operators who contribute to making each region unique and special.

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Core Values

At the U.S. Tourism Overlay Bureau, our core values guide our mission, vision, and purpose. We are committed to revolutionizing travel exploration across the United States by providing a resource that empowers travelers with an at-a-glance view of captivating points of interest. Our vision is to be the foremost AI-assisted DMO infrastructure, guiding travelers to America's gems while promoting local communities and responsible exploration. Rooted in unity, sustainability, and inclusivity, our purpose seeks to transform the tourism landscape, ensuring seamless discovery for travelers in every corner of the country. Through innovation and a focus on cultural appreciation, we inspire exploration and celebrate the beauty and diversity of the United States.

Our Mission

The mission of the U.S. Tourism Overlay Bureau is to revolutionize travel exploration across the United States by providing a resource that empowers travelers with an at-a-glance view of the most captivating points of interest. We are committed to delivering consistent, easy-to-navigate, and fun experiences that are both fair and inclusive, ensuring that every corner of the country becomes a tapestry of discovery. The U.S. Tourism Overlay Bureau (USTOB) seeks to redefine how travelers connect with diverse destinations, fostering a sense of unity and wonder while nurturing sustainable exploration.

Our Vision

Our vision at USTOB is to be the foremost AI-assisted DMO infrastructure, a compass for travelers, irrespective of location, seeking an immersive and holistic view of America's gems. We envision a future where USTOB stands as a beacon, effortlessly guiding travelers to the most enchanting landmarks, promoting both local communities and responsible exploration. By providing a dynamic, interactive, and joyful platform, USTOB aims to make each journey remarkable, consistent, and delightful, inspiring wanderlust while reinforcing fairness and inclusion in the realm of travel.

Our Purpose

USTOB's purpose is to revolutionize travel exploration in the United States by addressing the challenges posed by the lack of a standardized tourism infrastructure. With a focus on eliminating inconsistencies, streamlining resource allocation, and fostering holistic regional exploration, USTOB seeks to transform the fragmented landscape of Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs). Rooted in a commitment to unity, sustainability, and inclusivity, our purpose aims to redefine the tourism experience, ensuring that every corner of the country becomes a seamlessly integrated tapestry of discovery for travelers.

Our Focus

The U.S. Tourism Overlay Bureau aims to overlay the 50 states with new layers defining cultural and geographical regions, reflecting the diverse tapestry of our nation and its myriad tourism themes. We meticulously map out regions based on underlying clusters of tourism assets, providing travelers with a comprehensive understanding of opportunities across the nation. Through innovation, we inspire exploration, cultural appreciation, and sustainable tourism practices celebrating the beauty and diversity of the United States.

Corporate Structure

Currently, the U.S. Tourism Overlay Bureau (USTOB) operates under the umbrella of Destinovate LLC, a consulting firm committed to revitalizing destination marketing by emphasizing persona-based branding tailored to the unique characteristics of rural and emerging destinations. As a not-for-profit endeavor, USTOB aims to facilitate collaboration among stakeholders while showcasing the distinctiveness of over 500 regions across the United States. Eventually, USTOB aspires to transition into an independent organization, dedicated solely to its mission of promoting and supporting the diversity and richness of American destinations.

How Regions are Determined

Tourism regions in the USA are chosen based on a variety of factors. Typically, regional boundaries follow human development patterns and geographical features. These boundaries help to organize and highlight areas with similar attractions, cultural experiences, and amenities.

In some cases, regional definitions are borrowed from existing tourism and economic development consortiums. These organizations have already identified areas of interest and established boundaries for promotional and administrative purposes.

The main goal of these regions is to expose users to points of interest that may lie just beyond the principal city in which they are basing their upcoming trip. By exploring nearby regions, travelers can discover hidden gems, diverse experiences, and unique attractions that they may not have otherwise considered.

We understand visitors may have different preferences for how far they would like to drive beyond the principal city of their stay, and that is why we make every attempt possible to include different regional interpretations within the same group of cities and towns. Visit the Overlay Map to start exploring our catalog of over 500 tourism regions across the United States.

How USTOB Uses Artififial Intelligence (AI)

The U.S. Tourism Overlay Bureau leverages advanced AI technologies such as GPT-3.5, GPT-4.0, and DALL-E to craft immersive place identities that resonate with visitors. Through these tools, the Bureau generates vibrant color schemes, crafts captivating copy and blog posts, and creates stunning images that showcase the essence and allure of various destinations, sparking curiosity and inspiring travel experiences. This innovative approach not only enhances destination marketing efforts but also ensures a dynamic and engaging portrayal of each locale, driving interest and engagement from potential travelers.

GPT 3.5

GPT-3.5 has emerged as a highly successful tool for place branding, offering quick insights into the essence of a location and providing words that authentically capture its unique personality. Its vast language database allows it to draw from a diverse range of cultural, historical, and geographical references, enabling it to generate evocative descriptions and brand identities tailored to each destination in our portfolio. By analyzing patterns in data and text, GPT-3.5 can distill complex concepts into concise, impactful phrases, helping to articulate the distinct character and appeal of each place.

Its ability to understand context and generate contextually relevant content makes it a valuable resource for crafting compelling narratives and marketing materials that resonate with target audiences. As a result, GPT-3.5 serves as a cornerstone in our strategy for effective place branding, empowering us to communicate the unique allure and charm of each destination with precision and authenticity.

GPT 4.0

GPT-4.0 has elevated the efficacy of place branding by offering unparalleled precision in detail generation across various facets of destination marketing. Its enhanced capabilities enable sophisticated consumer persona matching, allowing us to tailor our messaging to specific demographics with unprecedented accuracy. Furthermore, GPT-4.0 excels in generating nuanced color schemes that align seamlessly with the desired brand identity of each destination, ensuring visual coherence and resonance with target audiences.

Additionally, the model provides rich text descriptions imbued with a consistent tone, fostering a cohesive brand narrative across all communication channels. By leveraging GPT-4.0, we can deliver tailored content that not only captivates but also resonates deeply with consumers, driving engagement and fostering long-term brand loyalty within our portfolio of destinations.

DALL-E

DALL-E has emerged as a transformative tool in destination marketing, offering a seamless and continuously improving solution for generating rich, evocative imagery that narrates the story of each destination. With its ability to produce bespoke artwork on the fly, DALL-E provides visually stunning representations tailored to fit specific themes and brand identities. Its adaptability allows for the creation of diverse visuals that encapsulate the essence and unique allure of each destination, resonating with target audiences on an emotional level.

As the model evolves, its capacity to understand and interpret complex themes and concepts continues to expand, ensuring a consistent and compelling visual narrative across all marketing materials. By harnessing DALL-E's capabilities, we can craft imagery that not only captivates the imagination but also reinforces the distinct personality and charm of our destinations, driving engagement and fostering lasting connections with travelers.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At our core, we believe in fostering a sense of belonging and celebration of all cultures, backgrounds, and communities. Our purpose is to provide a platform where people can discover unique points of interest that they may not have known existed before.

While providing business listings is one aspect of our platform, it's important to note that the primary purpose of USTOB is not centered around business listings. Instead, our main focus is to establish a robust framework for regional tourism boundaries across the United States. Business listings are offered to showcase just one of the many potential applications of this regional tourism specification.

The business listings included on USTOB are curated, local shops and restaurants that offer distinctive experiences reflective of the communities they serve. We strive to highlight hidden gems and lesser-known establishments, ensuring that visitors have the opportunity to explore the richness of each destination. To maintain the authenticity of our recommendations, we limit eligibility to places with fewer than 20 locations, allowing us to showcase the diversity and charm of locally-owned businesses.

Moreover, we are committed to inclusivity in our selection process. We make every effort to include businesses from all relevant categories, regardless of ownership, background, or perceived clientele demographics. Our goal is to create a welcoming space where everyone feels represented and valued. By featuring a wide range of establishments, we aim to celebrate the diversity of cultures and perspectives that make each community unique.

Join us on this journey of exploration and discovery as we highlight the vibrant tapestry of local businesses and attractions. Together, let's embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion while uncovering the hidden treasures of each destination.

For more information of the types of business listings we publish, please visit our Submit Listing page.

How Listings are Ranked

Business rankings on our site are calculated using a vote-based system called stamps. Listings rank higher or lower based on the number of stamps (or votes) they receive relative to other listings in the same category and region. To stamp a listing, simply click or tap on the green Stamp button below the listing.

It's important to note that a listing with a high number of stamps does not necessarily mean it will be the best fit for your travels. Rather, it indicates that the point of interest has demonstrated an ability to provide a quality experience to a wide audience.

One key feature of our site is the aggregation of listings from city pages onto larger regional pages. This means that a listing will have the same number of stamps whether it is viewed on the city page or on the regional page.

Additionally, our site employs a stamp spam prevention method to ensure fairness. This allows anyone to vote without requiring a login while preventing any single listing from receiving an unordinary amount of stamps.

For more information about how this site operates, please read our blog on How to Use USTOB.

The Future of Tourism

At USTOB, we believe in the transformative power of streamlined destination marketing. By offering a lightweight and user-friendly platform, we aim to redefine how tourists explore the nooks and crannies of the USA. Our mission is not just about promoting destinations but also about fostering connections, understanding, and appreciation for the diverse regions that make up this great nation. Join us on this journey as we pave the way for a more accessible and immersive travel experience in the United States.