The Battle Against Misinformation: The Cost of Leading in the Era of Fragmented Attention

Why luxury hospitality brands verify Michelin stars but not wellness credentials—and how new global regulations are about to force a reckoning.

Two international luxury hotel chains—if I told you the names, you’d fall off your chair—have in their roster of ‘wellness experts’ a holistic coach without verifiable medical training and a ‘holistic nutritional coach’ without nutrition studies. Both offer workshops to guests paying over €1,500 per night.

The selection criteria? Likes and engagement rate.

Credential verification? None.

Remember the meme of Snoop Dogg dressed as a surgeon in an operating room? It’s not far from reality. Except in this case, the ‘patients’ are paying luxury prices for the privilege.

The question nobody asks: Why do we verify Michelin stars but not wellness credentials?

In luxury hospitality, we’re obsessive about credentials where it matters. Executive chef: verifiable training, years of experience, perhaps Michelin stars. Sommelier: WSET certifications, Court of Master Sommeliers. Spa therapists: licenses, certifications in specific techniques. Concierge: Les Clefs d’Or, years of training.

But when it comes to wellness coaches, holistic healers, nutritional advisors, the selection criteria changes radically: Instagram followers plus engagement rate. Verification: do they have a professional website? Do their posts look good?

Why? Because we confuse reach with expertise.

The luxury problem is unique (and existential)

These hotels, tourist destinations, and lifestyle brands aren’t being malicious. They’re being human in 2025: information overload, scanning instead of reading, trusting vanity metrics (followers) instead of substance metrics (credentials).

It’s exactly the problem that Queen Letizia of Spain recently articulated: without the capacity for deep reading—in this case, deep due diligence—we cannot distinguish between what seems legitimate and what actually is.

And here’s the twist the industry doesn’t see coming: China saw it first. That’s why it’s now law that influencers in wellness, nutrition, and health must have verifiable credentials. It wasn’t moralism. It was consumer protection after documented cases of health influencers causing real harm.

Europe is heading in the same direction. Australia is protecting minors from the same ecosystem of unverified influencers.

And what are luxury tourism and lifestyle companies doing? Waiting to become the case study in the next regulation.

What Harvard Business Review doesn’t address

Harvard Business Review published in its September-October 2025 edition an article titled “How to Counter Fake News,” presenting a three-part framework for corporations: monitor social resonance to identify fake news early, ensure transparency with stakeholders before crises, and activate credible allies to reinforce the truth.

But there’s a prior problem the article doesn’t address: what happens when you yourself are amplifying unverified information?

When your hotel, tourist destination, or lifestyle brand promotes a wellness expert without verifying their credentials, you don’t need to monitor external fake news. You are the source. And no crisis management framework will save you when a client suffers harm following advice from your holistic nutrition coach without nutrition training.

The abandoned verification epidemic

Here’s the connection nobody is making: the same problem that makes your teams not read complete briefings is what makes them not verify influencer credentials.

I see this every day: I send a strategic plan and nobody reads it completely. I send 40-page brand guidelines and they run it through AI for a summary. They propose an influencer partnership and nobody verifies beyond the media kit.

The epidemic isn’t fake news. It’s abandoned verification. We’ve outsourced our critical thinking to metrics (followers equals credibility) and to AI (summary equals comprehension).

And in luxury, this is brand suicide. Because your client paying €2,000 per night or per experience will verify. Will investigate. And when they discover your wellness expert has a certificate from a 6-week online course, how much do you think your brand equity is worth?

The global signals marketing departments must understand

China now requires professional credentials for influencers on certain topics. Implication for brands: your brand ambassadors will need real validation. B2B isn’t exempt: does your company validate the credentials of its thought leaders? For hotels, tourist destinations, and luxury lifestyle brands that depend on the Chinese market—representing 40% of global luxury travel spend—this isn’t a suggestion. It’s law.

Australia has banned social media for minors under 16. Implication: forced segmentation, changes in acquisition strategies. Brands lose access to an entire generation in formation.

Queen Letizia of Spain’s quote about how reading doesn’t just give emotional vocabulary, it gives critical thinking. Without it, your audience is vulnerable to any narrative. In luxury, you sell articulated emotion: transformative experience, curated journey. If your audience cannot process complex narratives, they cannot genuinely aspire to your product.

Three real scenarios you face today

Scenario A: The wellness influencer without credentials promises healing retreats at your resort, transformative experiences at your destination, or workshops at your lifestyle brand. They have no medical training. Someone gets sick following their advice. Your brand appears in the lawsuit. Cost: Legal plus reputational equals incalculable.

Scenario B: The family that can’t research your experience receives 47 newsletters, 200 emails, infinite ads. They use AI to summarize reviews. The AI loses the critical nuance of “exceptional service but not recommended for small children.” They arrive with wrong expectations at your carefully curated experience. Cost: Bad review plus customer service nightmare.

Scenario C: Your own team doesn’t read your brand guidelines. You create a 40-page brand book (standard in luxury). Marketing team runs it through ChatGPT for summary. They lose the nuance between understated elegance versus ostentatious luxury. They launch a campaign that contradicts brand essence. Cost: Brand dilution. And I’ve been noticing this more markedly in recent weeks at a general level—this isn’t an isolated case, it’s a growing trend.

And then there’s the other side

I currently support as fractional CMO a company in its repositioning as a wellness and longevity center. It’s not a large corporation with infinite budgets. But every cent of investment includes a non-negotiable line item: certified medical consultants and verified professionals.

Every program. Every treatment. Every claim we make in marketing.

The owner has a clear philosophy: less ribbon cutting, fewer Instagram photos, more real action. And it shows, you can breathe it in what they offer.

The result? A slower process. Meetings where doctors review every word of copy. Budgets that include verification costs that other brands spend on influencer gifting.

But here’s the bet: when regulations arrive—not if, but when—this company won’t have to change anything. While competitors enter panic mode restructuring partnerships and withdrawing claims, they’ll simply continue.

Because they built right from day one.

And in 5 years, when wellness and longevity are as regulated as pharma (which they will be), this company will be the reference. Not by accident. By strategic decision today.

This is what separates real luxury from performative luxury.

The framework for leaders: three questions you can’t avoid

When you hire a fractional CMO, you’re not just hiring marketing expertise. You’re hiring a reality filter that audits your influencer partnerships under new regulations: do your KOLs in China have mandatory credentials? Do your wellness influencers have real training? Can your food bloggers justify their health claims?

That protects your brand from fragmented information: creates brand narratives that survive AI summarization, ensures your team reads (really reads) your brand essence, implements the HBR framework adapted to luxury: monitor social resonance especially on WeChat and Xiaohongshu for Chinese market, transparency with stakeholders before crisis, activate credible allies (do you have partnerships with hospitality schools? Real certifications?).

That builds brand equity that resists misinformation: in luxury, you can’t clarify quickly on Twitter. You need deep relationships with specialized press. You need clients who understand your complete narrative (not a bullet point).

For owners of hotels, tourist destinations, and lifestyle brands: ask your marketing departments: do our influencers comply with new Chinese regulations? Do we have a crisis plan for when a partner is discredited?

For investors: the next due diligence must include: influencer credential audit, brand narrative resilience test, regulatory compliance by market.

For boards: the question isn’t how much we spend on marketing. It’s how much a preventable reputational crisis costs.

Snoop Dogg in an operating room is funny because it’s obviously false

A holistic coach without credentials giving nutritional advice at your €1,500 per night hotel, at your premium tourist destination, or at your lifestyle brand isn’t funny. It’s your next crisis. And unlike the meme, nobody’s going to laugh.

China understood this. That’s why they put regulations in place. Australia understood this. That’s why they’re protecting minors. The EU is going to understand it.

The question is: will your brand be the case study that accelerates those regulations, or will you be the one who verified before it was mandatory?

Because in luxury, being reactive isn’t an option. It’s a death sentence.

As a CMO and Strategic Advisor, I know influencers sell. I know engagement rate moves needles. I know holistic wellness is trending and generates bookings.

But I also know what I saw on the other side. The company I support—even without being a large corporation—invests every cent in verifying: certified medical consultants, professionals with real credentials, claims they can defend under regulatory scrutiny.

It’s slower. It’s more expensive in the short term. It’s infinitely more complex from a marketing perspective.

But it will be the global reference in 5 years. Not because they have more budget than international chains or major tourist destinations. Because when China, Europe, and the rest of the world implement regulations (which they will), they’ll already be in compliance.

While others rebuild from scratch—with all the reputational cost that implies—they’ll only have to say: “We always did it this way.”

That’s brand equity you can’t buy. You build it.

In 2026, selling luxury isn’t showing amenities or perfect destinations. It’s building unassailable credibility when nobody reads completely, when influencers need titles, when your best Chinese clients only trust certified KOLs.

Before launching your next campaign with that 500K follower influencer, ask yourself: do they have the credentials China now requires? Do I myself understand my brand’s complete narrative, or just the bullets?

Because in luxury, you’re not selling nights or experiences. You’re selling trust. And that doesn’t recover with a press release.

Want to connect? Find me on LinkedIn.

To learn more about what I do and what I offer as a fractional CMO, visit my services.

Why Leading Tourism Brands Are Already Implementing These Strategies

The tourism and hospitality sector is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. While some brands struggle to adapt, others are already capitalizing on the trends defining the industry's future. The difference lies not in budget, but in strategy.

As a specialized marketing strategy consultant in hospitality, tourism, and wellness at Marian Gomez Consulting, I've identified four key trends that leading brands are implementing now to stay competitive and build deeper connections with their clients.

Immersive Integration: Travel and Wellness in Unison

According to the Global Wellness Institute, 76% of global travelers seek experiences that combine tourism and wellness. It's no longer just about a separate hotel or wellness center. Successful brands are creating integrated ecosystems where every touchpoint contributes to the guest's well-being.

Hotels like Six Senses, resorts like COMO Hotels, and the exclusive Aman chain have revolutionized their offerings by combining yoga retreats, functional gastronomy, outdoor adventures, and personalized therapies. The result: guests willing to pay up to 40% more for transformative experiences.

How you can leverage this: My strategic consulting helps hotels, resorts, and tour operators design and communicate these integrated experiences, creating value propositions that justify premium pricing and generate long-term loyalty.

Personalization Driven by Data and Artificial Intelligence

Industry studies show that AI-powered personalization programs increase customer satisfaction by up to 23% and direct sales by up to 15%. Personalization is no longer optional; it's the basic expectation of the modern consumer.

Leading brands use data to anticipate needs, from recommending travel experiences based on previous behaviors to adjusting room temperature before a guest's arrival. This technology allows for the creation of connections that feel human, even if they are driven by algorithms.

How you can leverage this: My expertise in brand auditing and digital marketing guides businesses to implement personalization solutions ethically and effectively, optimizing both the customer experience and the ROI of their technological investments.

Authentic Content and Human Storytelling

In a world where 92% of consumers trust peer recommendations more than traditional advertising, successful brands have pivoted towards authentic narratives. Airbnb built a $75 billion empire primarily through real stories from its hosts and guests.

User-generated content and emotionally connecting narratives are no longer supplementary tactics; they are the core strategy. Brands that master this space understand that they don't sell services; they sell transformations.

How you can leverage this: My expertise in helping brands discover their unique voice is key here. I develop content strategies that transform service experiences into powerful stories, building trust and emotional connection that translates into loyalty and organic recommendations.

Sustainability and Purpose: The New Competitive Standard

Booking.com reports that 83% of travelers consider it important to stay in sustainable accommodations, and 61% are willing to pay more for it. Brands leading the sector no longer view sustainability as a cost but as a competitive advantage.

Patagonia, while not a pure tourism brand, demonstrated that a clear purpose can generate unwavering loyalty. In tourism, brands like Intrepid Travel have built their differentiation entirely around responsible travel and have seen 300% growth in five years.

How you can leverage this: My expertise in brand repositioning helps integrate sustainability and purpose into the core of business strategy. Not as a cosmetic addition, but as a fundamental pillar that attracts today's conscious customer and builds brand value for tomorrow.

The Competitive Advantage Is in the Execution

These trends represent more than market shifts; they are opportunities to create sustainable competitive advantages. Brands that implement them now will be defining the standards that others will follow tomorrow.

Is your brand ready to lead instead of follow? At Marian Gomez Consulting, we transform these trends into concrete strategies and measurable results.

Schedule a free strategic consultation and discover how to apply these strategies to your specific business. Because the future of tourism is already here, and successful brands are already living it.

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Photo credit: Antonio Araujo @antonioaaaraujo

The Art of Resilience for Leaders: Flourish in the Hospitality, Tourism and Wellness Industry

In the last decade, few industries have been as hard hit and transformed as hospitality, tourism, and wellness. From global pandemics to economic crises, natural disasters, technological changes, and transformations in consumer values, sector leaders have navigated more than turbulent waters.

And yet, here they remain. What's the key to their success? Reinventing, sustaining teams, redesigning experiences and, in many cases, emerging stronger. They have achieved this through a competency that is no longer optional: resilience.

Why is resilience a critical topic today?

Because the unexpected is no longer the exception. It's the norm. Economic volatility, climate change, destination saturation, regulatory pressure, new consumption habits and digital acceleration have redefined the context. And in this context, leading is not just about resisting. It's about anticipating, adapting and evolving with purpose.

For sector leaders, resilience is not just an emotional or personal matter: it's a business strategy. And like any strategy, it can be designed, activated and strengthened with the right tools.

Strategic Marketing: Pivot, purpose and positioning

A resilient brand is not improvised. It's built with strategic vision.

Having a clear, adaptable, and purpose-oriented marketing strategy allows companies to:

• Reposition their value proposition in the face of new realities.

• Communicate with empathy and forcefulness in times of crisis.

• Recover customer trust and strengthen their community.

• Identify differentiation opportunities in saturated markets.

Strategic marketing acts as a compass: it aligns operations with vision and emotionally connects with increasingly demanding customers.

Fractional CMO: Flexible leadership, external perspective, real results

In uncertain contexts, many brands cannot afford a full-time Chief Marketing Officer. But what they cannot afford is not having leadership in marketing.

This is where the role of the fractional CMO comes in: a strategic figure, with senior vision, who joins as part of the team without the structural weight of a permanent hire.

With more than 15 years of experience working with hospitality and tourism brands, I have seen firsthand how companies that maintain strategic leadership in marketing manage not only to survive crises but also to turn them into growth opportunities.

As a boutique strategic and digital marketing agency, our approach as fCMO is precisely that: we help brands get their heads above water, recover long-term vision, and activate opportunities that perhaps are not being seen from within. Without losing the pulse of day-to-day operations, but with strategic perspective and a complete team behind us.

Strategic Consulting: Diagnosis, design and action

When we work with hospitality, tourism or wellness brands, we start with a premise: resilience is also designed. And for that you need:

• Diagnose blind spots in the value proposition, communication or experience.

• Design contingency scenarios (because plan B is no longer optional).

• Detect innovation opportunities: new products, services, audiences or channels.

• Strengthen the employer brand and care for the internal team, because a resilient company needs sustained people.

Real cases of resilience in action

• Boutique hotel in Bali that transformed its communication to attract local tourism when borders closed - result: maintained 70% occupancy during the pandemic.

• Wellness center in Mexico that digitized its services and today combines in-person and online therapies - grew its client base by 40% in two years.

• Resort in Ibiza that bet on real sustainability and managed to position itself in front of an increasingly conscious traveler - increased responsible tourism by 60%.

These are not miracles. They are strategies activated with intelligence, sensitivity, and focus.

What about the team? The heart of resilience

Resilience is also cultivated from within. A strong, aligned, and cared-for team is the first shield against any crisis. And that is also part of strategic marketing. Communicating purpose, reinforcing internal culture, activating a sense of belonging, and caring for the team's emotional health are fundamental to building a sustainable brand.

Is your brand ready to flourish in the storm?

Resilience is not enduring. It's leading with vision and purpose in the midst of change. If you lead a hospitality, tourism or wellness brand and feel that the time has come to not only resist, but transform and advance, we help you design that resilience strategy that your brand needs.

Our services as a boutique agency specialized in Fractional CMO and Strategic Marketing are designed specifically for brands that want to grow with intelligence, empathy, and impact in this sector.

Do you want to discover the key points that are holding back your brand's growth? We invite you to schedule a free Quick Scan. It's a personalized session where we will delve into your business's challenges and opportunities to understand how we can help you build a truly resilient marketing strategy.

Schedule the free Quick Scan at Marian Gomez Consulting

Choosing Your Strategic Marketing Partner: Fractional CMO vs Marketing Consultant in Tourism & Wellness

Have you been wondering about the best way to elevate your marketing strategy in the tourism and wellness space? Understanding the difference between a Marketing Consultant and a Fractional CMO is crucial for making the right choice for your business stage and goals.

The Evolution of Marketing Leadership in Tourism & Wellness

In today's dynamic landscape, marketing leadership has evolved beyond traditional models. Modern businesses need flexible, experienced guidance that aligns with their growth stage and objectives. Let us explore how these two distinct approaches serve different business needs.

Understanding the Key Differences

Marketing Consultant Approach:

• Project-based engagements

• Focused on specific marketing challenges

• Ideal for short-term campaigns or initiatives

• Perfect for businesses at early growth stages

• Typically involves 3-6 month projects

• Hands-on tactical guidance

Fractional CMO Partnership:

• Ongoing strategic leadership

• Integration with your executive team

• Long-term vision and implementation

• Ideal for established businesses ready to scale

• Strategic engagement of 10-20 hours monthly

• Executive-level direction

Who Benefits Most from Each Approach?

Marketing Consulting Works Best For:

• Independent wellness coaches building their brand

• Solo entrepreneurs in health and tourism

• Holistic practitioners launching their services

• Boutique wellness retreats launching new programs

• Tourism startups building their marketing foundation

• Coaches and therapists growing their practice

• Small wellness centers or yoga studios

• Individual travel advisors or tour guides

• Businesses needing specific campaign expertise

• Organizations with project-based marketing needs

Fractional CMO is Ideal For:

• Established wellness brands ready for market expansion

• Tourism companies scaling their operations

• Organizations needing executive marketing leadership

• Businesses with multiple marketing teams or locations

• Companies seeking strategic alignment between CEO vision and marketing execution

• Brands requiring sophisticated market positioning

• Multi-location wellness enterprises

• Tourism groups managing various properties

The Strategic Impact of a Fractional CMO

Our executive partnership model delivers:

• Strategic monthly engagement (10-20 hours)

• Direct CEO collaboration on strategy

• Marketing Manager implementation guidance

• Clear communication channels

• Performance tracking and optimization

• ROI monitoring and enhancement

Value Creation at Every Level:

For CEOs:

• High-level strategy development

• Market positioning guidance

• Revenue growth planning

• Business objectives alignment

• Executive team integration

For Marketing Managers:

• Strategic implementation support

• Performance optimization

• Team empowerment

• Resource allocation guidance

• Professional development

Making the Right Choice for Your Business

The path between choosing a marketing consultant and a Fractional CMO becomes clear when you assess your current needs and future aspirations. While consulting addresses immediate marketing challenges, a Fractional CMO provides ongoing strategic leadership that evolves with your business.

Consider a Fractional CMO when your organization:

• Requires consistent executive marketing leadership

• Needs to align marketing with business strategy

• Aims to scale your tourism or wellness brand

• Seeks ongoing strategic guidance and implementation

• Values cost-effective C-suite expertise

• Wants to build sustainable growth systems

Transform Your Marketing Strategy

With over 16 years of global expertise in Marketing and Communications for Luxury Tourism and Wellness, I help businesses transform their market position and accelerate growth through strategic marketing leadership.

The tourism and wellness sectors demand unique expertise - from understanding the guest journey to creating compelling wellness narratives that resonate with your target audience. Your marketing leadership should reflect this specialized knowledge while driving measurable business results.

Connect with me on LinkedIn to explore my experience in elevating tourism and wellness brands, and discover how executive marketing leadership can drive your business forward.

Schedule a Consultation