Jason Duff has spent years turning overlooked Ohio towns into destinations people go out of their way to visit. Best known for revitalizing Bellefontaine and the Six Hundred Downtown project, which drew national attention and a nod from the White House, Duff now takes that playbook to communities across the country through the Small Nation Mastermind.
Ahead of his keynote at the Ohio Conference on Travel, we sat down with Duff to talk about his "pull-over power" concept, why embracing "weird" might be a town's best marketing move, and what tourism professionals can expect from his Oct. 9 session.
"Pull-over power" is a great phrase. In plain terms, what does that actually mean for a town that's never thought of itself as a destination?
For Duff, it starts with what locals already know. Every town has a best-kept secret, whether that's a connection to a historic figure, a signature food item, or a niche museum with a surprisingly large, nostalgic collection. His advice: stop keeping it a secret. Tease the story and let people discover it for themselves.
You've said your approach is "hustle hard." How is that different from what most economic development or tourism plans already try to do?
It's not always easy, Duff said, but the goal is giving people the tools, resources, and confidence to attempt something significant. Often, an idea just needs to get out into the world. That's where leveraging AI comes in, helping towns move faster from ideation to reality.
Without giving away your whole session, what's one "pull-over power" strategy you'll be unpacking at the Ohio Conference on Travel that towns can start thinking about immediately?
Uncovering and embracing weird. Duff points to Austin, TX "Keep Austin Weird" campaign as a case study in what's possible when a place leans into its own identity. Every neighborhood, town, or district has that quality already, he said. It's a matter of finding it and having the ambition to embrace it, even if that means being the contrarian. Plenty of travelers are looking for exactly that kind of off-the-beaten-path experience.
You're now taking these lessons to communities across the country through the Small Nation Mastermind. What's a mistake you commonly see towns make when they try to copy Bellefontaine's playbook without adapting it?
Authenticity is the key, Duff said. Towns can research and study another community's success, but copying it directly rarely works. Instead, he encourages towns to find their own authentic version, whether that means doubling down on what's already working or filling in the gaps. That takes listening. Duff likes to ask residents what they dream about at night for their town, and to source ideas from the people who live there and love it most.
Short trips and staying closer to home are shaping today's travel economy. How does that trend specifically favor small towns over bigger destinations?
People are looking for places that feel safe and affordable, Duff said, and that puts small towns in a strong position to compete for today's traveler.
For tourism professionals debating whether to carve out time for your session on Oct. 9, what would you tell them they'd be leaving on the table if they skipped it?
A ton of fun, Duff said, along with visuals that are highly impactful and easy to turn into an action plan right away.