Crosscurrent Collective - Destination Development & Management

World-Class
Destination
Development

Stronger communities through travel and outdoor recreation

PHILOSOPHY

TOO MANY PEOPLE COMING, OR NOT ENOUGH

Most communities struggle to manage tourism: there’s either too many people coming, or not enough. And elements of the local experience that contribute to livable communities and desired destinations are typically fragmented and disconnected. As a result, you can miss out on opportunities for local economic impact, and your natural and cultural resources can be exploited. Visitation can sometimes feel like it’s happening to you, rather than for you.

More About Us

FORGING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

Crosscurrent develops customized processes and programs that help communities harness the positive power of tourism. We work with leaders to develop a shared vision and goals, we build road maps for creating robust tourism and outdoor recreation, and we foster local collaboration that produces tangible results. With our expertise, local leaders will be empowered to act, investors will be more willing to come aboard, local businesses will thrive, residents will feel a stronger sense of pride, nature will flourish and visitors will be drawn and feel welcomed.

Planning + Engagement

Community-based processes to unite stakeholders and achieve results.

Workshops + Training

High-impact trainings that lead to action.

Strategy + Program Design

Customized programs to achieve local goals and fulfill community visions.

Study Tours

Opportunities to connect, inspire and facilitate best practices.

View All Our Services

INNOVATORS

OUR TEAM

Crosscurrent founder and CEO Kristin Dahl is a pioneer in the travel and tourism industry, creating a unique niche with her experience and innovations in both destination development and destination management. During a long tenure at Travel Oregon, Kristin devised innovative new ways for communities to build and manage sustainable tourism – most notably, designing and producing the Oregon Tourism Studio and building outdoor recreation experiences. Building on 17 years developing rural destinations in the Pacific Northwest, now Kristin is building an experienced and inspired team of professionals who can support world-class destination development anywhere.

Meet the Collective

AS UNIQUE AS YOUR DESTINATION

Your community or destination has unique qualities that make it one-of-a-kind. Crosscurrent is the same – there’s no resource out there with our combination of experience and capabilities.

Deep Bench of Distinct Expertise

Our team of specialized talent has experience with hundreds of visitor destinations globally.

Catalyst for Action

Our default setting is to ignite action – tangible results are the end game.

Committed to Social + Environmental Justice

We’re an Oregon Benefit Company, committed to B-Corp principles.

Woman-owned Small Business

Crosscurrent is registered with the State of Oregon as a Women Business Enterprise.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

" When you need an experienced tourism professional to coalesce partners toward a shared vision and strategies, Kristin Dahl is the best in the industry. She has a unique and unparalleled ability to design and facilitate a community engagement process. She builds meaningful and trustful relationships that create lasting impacts in regions. "

Marie Simonds

Executive Director, Wild Rivers Coast Alliance

" Even the best facilitators tend to focus a conversation around either a vision OR a strategy. Kristin holds the group’s vision up high and guides them quickly toward action. She also has that rare ability to speak the truth while maintaining trust from large and diverse groups. "

Lee Davis

Executive Director, Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy at Oregon State University

" Kristin Dahl has had a major influence on the success of tourism—at national, state and local levels. Her leadership in founding the Destination Development program at Travel Oregon has helped many local tourism organizations achieve their goals in outdoor recreation, culinary/agritourism and cultural heritage programs. "

Nan Devlin

Executive Director, Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (Oregon)

" The work Kristin Dahl pioneered for Travel Oregon was an ongoing source of inspiration as we shaped our Colorado Rural Academy for Tourism. It’s hard to overestimate Kristin’s impact on the field of destination development, which she gets credit for pioneering. "

Cathy Ritter

Former Director, Colorado Tourism Office

" I’ve watched Kristin uniquely navigate the worlds of government, nonprofit organizations and businesses to create outcomes that could only come through visionary thinking and deep collaboration. "

Kevin Gorman

Executive Director, Friends of the Columbia Gorge

" I was fortunate to work alongside Kristin for 13 years as she built one of the country’s finest tourism destination development programs. Her vision of tourism through a management lens was transformational for Oregon. She built a timely and kick-ass curriculum, hired an epic team, and delivered results that are paying long-term dividends for Oregon communities. More than anything, she’s a great human with a huge heart. "

Scott West

Former Chief Strategy Officer, Travel Oregon

" Kristin immediately grasped the spirit and intent of our sustainable tourism effort in western Maine, and helped our team craft compelling language and a dynamic management and marketing plan to carry the work forward. She understands the interplay between macro level trends, the interests of local businesses, and sensitivities of people living in rural destinations. "

Mike Wilson

Senior Program Director, Northern Forest Center

"Kristin Dahl is a visionary, an innovator and a pioneer in the travel industry. Future-focused and community-centered, she cares deeply, thinks strategically and dreams passionately. Best of all is her ability to work with a wide variety of stakeholders to weave together a shared vision AND the plan to realize it."

Todd Davidson

Todd Davidson Chief Executive Officer, Travel Oregon

" Crosscurrent proved instrumental in helping to form a regional stewardship network in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The Network's multisector partners have varied interests in the Gorge, and Kristin's experience and leadership fostered a systems perspective for gathering and synthesizing data, generating insights, and making actionable recommendations based on shared understanding and common goals. "

Mick Minard

Regional Manager, REI Experiences, Oregon-Northern Rockies Region

See More Testimonials

FEATURED WORKS

ENJOY HIGHLIGHTS OF PAST PROJECT WORK

See more works

Crosscurrent makes the complex simple.

SCHEDULE A CALL

01

Set Up a Discovery Session

Contact us to schedule a free 30-minute discovery session.
02

Create a Road Map

Together we’ll sketch a road map to get a feel for the investment required.
03

Get to Work

Once the road map is clear and the details agreed on, we’ll get right to work!

PHILOSOPHY

TOO MANY PEOPLE COMING, OR NOT ENOUGH