Here are five of our top takeaways from the conversation at City Nation Place Global and UK, providing a top-line summary of the leading trends shaping place branding, destination marketing, and economic development around the world.

What is it that makes someone proud of where they live? Our partners at Ipsos reached out to six different countries around the world to understand what attributes their citizens are most proud of, and how their perspective varies from the national level to the local.

Skyscrapers have been a long part of urban cityscapes. Symbols of expensive land, commercial and business areas, the human aspiration to reach the sky since antiquity is a reality in the world's megacities. Whether it's a technological feat, or a response to overpopulation issues, the construction of tall buildings is a trend that is accelerating.

In spite of all the chatter about ‘building back better’, it’s fairly unsurprising that old habits are proving once again to die hard. The Travel Foundation's Jeremy Sampson calls for better collaboration to tackle the greatest challenges facing tourism.

With increasing evidence of the impact that climate change is having on our environment, 68% of people think that government and businesses need to act now or risk failing future generations – but just 39% agree that their government has a clear plan in place to tackle climate change. So, what is it that cities and nations should be doing to address the concerns of their citizens?

It is easy to make a strong case for why DMOs must lead the charge for climate action in this decade and beyond. However, it’s fair to say that, aside from some notable front-runners, DMOs are still learning what it takes to demonstrate leadership and meaningful action in this space.

We know how busy the life of a place brand and marketing leader is. Which is why we reached out to our partners for the 2022 Americas conference to get their top line coverage of the discussion – ensuring you’re up to date on all the latest topics in an easily digestible format.

So with no further ado, here we go…

Airports have always been key selling points in tourist and economic attractiveness strategies. Which country, city or region has never boasted itself of having air access? Yet, the global crises and their persistent effects on air travelling have called into question the role of these major infrastructures. As we rebuild, can airports become essential assets in the attractiveness and branding of destinations?