Feb 2, 2026
Last week’s Wednesday Webinar featured Carl Llewellyn and Lachlan Rigby of Wheresight, who shared an exclusive look at the digital maturity of tourism businesses across four New York State counties.
What Is Digital Maturity and Why It Matters:
Wheresight partners with DMOs and CVBs to measure and benchmark how digitally capable local tourism businesses are today—and where they need to improve. Digital maturity encompasses every online touchpoint: website functionality, booking systems, marketing channels, analytics, accessibility, AI adoption, and internal skills. As travelers increasingly rely on mobile search, voice search, and AI tools to make real-time decisions, businesses that are not searchable, bookable, or up to date risk being overlooked.
Statewide Snapshot: Where Businesses Stand
Across participating counties, tourism businesses averaged a 54% digital maturity score based on 18 measured indicators. Most businesses surveyed are small operators (1–5 employees), with wineries, breweries, museums, heritage sites, outdoor recreation providers, and festivals well represented. While most have websites, gaps remain in content management, analytics tracking, CRM systems, and digital strategy. Nearly half reported having no defined digital goals at the outset.
The Bookability Gap
One of the most significant findings: only 27% of surveyed businesses offer true end-to-end online booking, where a visitor can reserve, pay, and receive confirmation digitally. Many rely on manual processes, phone/email inquiries, or basic forms. Wheresight emphasized that improving bookability is one of the fastest ways to increase revenue and visitor conversion.
Marketing and AI Adoption Trends
Organic social media is the most widely used marketing channel, followed by email and organic search. However, only 12% of businesses are using paid social advertising and just 7% are investing in paid search—highlighting clear growth opportunities.
AI adoption is emerging but uneven. While ChatGPT is the most commonly used platform, 36% of operators are not yet using AI tools. Those who are experimenting report positive impacts, particularly for website content, image creation, and marketing support.
Accessibility as an AI Strategy
Digital accessibility—ensuring websites are readable by screen readers and accessible technologies—was another area of opportunity. Presenters noted that accessible websites are also more easily indexed by AI platforms and large language models, reinforcing the importance of accessibility as both an inclusion and visibility strategy.
From Assessment to Action
Wheresight's program goes beyond benchmarking. Participating businesses receive a roadmap with practical, step-by-step recommendations tailored to their size and capacity. Early results show operators gaining clarity, investing in updated websites, implementing analytics tools, and improving booking systems.
As we continues its focus on tourism stewardship, the goal is clear: elevate not only destination marketing organizations, but the businesses they represent—ensuring the entire visitor economy can compete and convert in an increasingly digital landscape.
Thank you again to Karl and Lachlan for presenting, as well as everyone who attended! You can view the recording above, and access the slide deck here.
About the NYSTIA Wednesday Webinar Series:
Back by popular demand, NYSTIA is once again hosting a free, weekly virtual workshop series in an informal, "coffee and conversation format. All are welcome to join and send invitations to your friends and colleagues! Each webinar is recorded and archived for post-event access.