Resident Sentiment Training for DMOs: Tourism Policy Readiness

Measure resident sentiment credibly. Engage communities proactively.

Show up in policy conversations with evidence, not anecdotes.

Tourism demand has evolved faster than many governance and policy frameworks.

As legislation, regulatory interventions, and political scrutiny increase, destination organizations are being asked to respond to community impacts but often lack the data systems needed to participate confidently and constructively.

Resident Sentiment & Tourism Policy Readiness equips destination leaders with a defensible, repeatable approach to measuring resident sentiment and translating it into policy-relevant insight.

You will leave with practical tools you can deploy immediately, plus expert guidance for adapting them responsibly to your local context, governance structure, and community dynamics.

What you will be able to do after this course

By the end of the program, you will be able to run a resident sentiment program that is credible, consistent, and usable in real decision environments.

You will know how to design measurement that supports leadership decisions, strengthens community trust, and improves your ability to participate in policy conversations.

Specifically, you will be able to:

Build surveys that minimize bias in sampling, wording, and distribution
Reach a broader cross-section of the community, including underrepresented voices
Protect data integrity through benchmarking, weighting, and careful interpretation
Turn findings into action through clear reporting for boards, elected officials, and community stakeholders

The bottom line is simple. If destinations do not actively measure, understand, and engage resident sentiment, policy will be shaped about them, not with them. This course helps you change that.

Who this course is for

This course is designed for destination marketing and management organizations, tourism authorities, local government staff, and destination leadership teams.

It is especially useful if your destination is experiencing increased scrutiny around tourism growth, housing, infrastructure, or environmental impacts and you need a credible way to engage those conversations.

You will benefit if you are looking for a practical system you can sustain over time, not a one-time survey. You will also benefit if you need data that improves alignment and accountability across partners, boards, and elected leaders.

What makes this course different

Plug-and-play tools you can use immediately. You will not leave with ideas alone. You will leave with ready-to-use survey instruments, workflows, and reporting templates built for real-world implementation.

Tailored guidance for your destination. You will receive expert support for adapting the system to your local conditions, governance structures, and community context so your approach is practical and defensible.

A methodology aligned with best practice. The course is grounded in established principles of perception research, ethics, and data integrity. The goal is a repeatable process that can stand up to scrutiny and remain trusted over time.

A stronger seat at the table. You will gain a framework for engaging policy conversations using measured resident voice, replacing anecdote-driven debates with shared evidence.

Curriculum overview

Module 1: Community Engagement and Sentiment Foundations

In this module, you will build a shared understanding of what resident sentiment is, why it matters, and how it differs from marketing research. You will also explore how sentiment influences political legitimacy and policy outcomes, along with the ethical foundations needed to earn trust.

Key topics include:

Resident sentiment definitions and common misconceptions
Polling, surveys, and perception research foundations
Ethics and trust in community engagement

Module 2: Defining Actionable Research Outcomes

This module helps you align measurement with decision-making. You will learn how to translate organizational goals into measurable questions and distinguish between monitoring, diagnosis, and evaluation so your program supports action, not just reporting.

You will design measurement that can support:

Policy conversations
Community trust-building
Organizational accountability

Module 3: Survey Design and Methodology

This module focuses on validity, neutrality, and decision-readiness. You will learn research design fundamentals, how to reduce bias, and how to structure questions for clarity and defensibility. You will also be introduced to longitudinal measurement so your destination can track change over time.

Tools you will receive include 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survey templates, plus examples of localized question sets you can adapt responsibly.

Module 4: Distribution and Data Collection

Great survey design is only half the job. This module shows you how to collect data that reflects the whole community. You will compare in-person and online methods, learn response rate strategies, and explore approaches for reaching underrepresented groups.

Topics include:

Distribution options and trade-offs
Inclusion and representation strategies
Fieldwork and practical considerations

Module 5: Statistical Representativeness and Data Integrity

In this module, you will learn how to make your results credible and defensible. You will practice using Census and community data for benchmarking, apply stratified sampling and weighting concepts, and learn common interpretation pitfalls that can undermine trust.

You will leave with a clearer sense of what makes resident sentiment data believable to stakeholders and what makes it vulnerable to critique.

Module 6: Analysis, Reporting, and Policy Application

This module turns data into insight and insight into action. You will learn data extraction and cleaning workflows, review analysis options, and build reporting formats that work for boards, elected officials, and the public.

You will also learn how to connect findings to:

Policy discussions
Strategic planning
Program evaluation

Analysis options may include internal tools, Tableau dashboards, and OSU Sustainable Tourism Lab benchmarking approaches.

Ongoing use and continuous improvement

A strong resident sentiment program is an organizational capability. In this course, you will learn how to track changes over time, evaluate the impact of tourism management actions, and maintain community trust through transparency. You will also learn how to build institutional memory so resident voice becomes part of how your destination leads.

What you will leave with

You will finish the course with a set of practical assets and a clear path to implementation.

You will leave with:

Survey templates designed for one-year, two-year, and three-year cycles
Workflows for distribution, collection, and reporting
Reporting templates suitable for leadership, elected officials, and community audiences
A repeatable framework for evidence-based policy conversations

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a research background?
No. The course is designed to be accessible for destination professionals while still delivering a rigorous and defensible methodology.

Is this course only for DMOs?
No. It is relevant for tourism authorities, local government staff, and destination leadership teams, especially those navigating public sentiment and policy scrutiny.

Will this work for my destination's governance structure?
Yes. The course includes guidance for adapting instruments and workflows to local context, governance realities, and community expectations.

Will I have tools I can use right away?
Yes. You will leave with templates and workflows designed for immediate deployment in your destination.

This course is 100% online and on-demand.

6 hours

Online

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Instructors

Todd Montgomery

Todd Montgomery has over 23 years of experience in the development, implementation and training of new technology. During his career, Montgomery has worked with several Fortune 500 companies including Hyatt, Starwood, Disney, and Avis. In that role, he led the design and implementation of several multimillion-dollar software initiatives.

He is the Robin and Curt Baney Endowed Professor at Oregon State University and teaches full-time. In addition, his research focuses on the impact of automation technology on the customer and employee experience. His work is featured on a PBS and ABC documentary series called Tech Trek. He regularly presents at numerous conferences and contributes to media stories within Oregon and across the nation.

Past Students' Work

Take a look at some recent projects our students have created.