Debbie Meihls’ commitment to technology and visitor service, supported by ITI Digital’s redesign and integrated platform, helped shape a new digital experience for the destination.
The New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau has earned the 2026 Henry Award in the Websites, Apps & Digital Experiences category at VISIT FLORIDA’s annual Flagler Awards for its website redesign, developed in partnership with ITI Digital. The Flagler Awards recognize excellence in Florida tourism marketing; the Henry is the highest honor within each category, awarded to the top-scoring entry.
The award was presented September 9 at the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism in West Palm Beach. Judges evaluated submissions on creativity, innovation, production quality and effectiveness.
Behind that recognition is a story about leadership and the practical application of technology: a destination willing to rethink how it serves visitors online, and a technology partner equipped to bring that vision to life.
Moving Visitor Service Forward
Under the leadership of Debbie Meihls, President & CEO of the New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau, the destination embraced dynamic content and AI travel planning as part of its approach to visitor service.
That commitment matters. A destination website must help travelers make decisions: what to do during their stay, which local businesses to explore and how to organize their time. Meeting those needs requires useful information that stays current, presented in a way that makes planning straightforward.
Meihls and her team brought destination expertise and direction to the project, shaping priorities and guiding decisions about design and content. ITI Digital translated those priorities into a website that connects the area’s character with practical planning capabilities.
The partnership paired an understanding of the community with the technology needed to represent it online.
“Our website is an extension of the hospitality we offer visitors, and the information we share carries our reputation. We want the benefits of current content and AI travel planning while retaining control over what represents our destination and how we speak to our audience. ITI Digital helps us bring those priorities together, combining technology with content we approve and a voice that remains our own.”
— Debbie Meihls, President & CEO
New Smyrna Beach Area Visitors Bureau
Designing Around the Way People Plan
ITI Digital led the website’s planning, creative development and technical implementation, working alongside the New Smyrna Beach team throughout the redesign.
The process began with an examination of visitor behavior. Together, the teams reviewed Google Analytics data to understand frequently visited pages, common searches and trip-planning patterns. Those findings informed navigation, page organization and the paths visitors follow through the site.
ITI developed the website on HubSpot’s CMS, combining mobile-first design and destination storytelling with its dynamic content and travel-planning capabilities. Content development, search optimization and technical testing supported the launch.
Each element served a practical purpose: helping visitors move easily from learning about the area to deciding how they want to experience it.
The Destination Controls the Content and the Voice
A destination’s official website carries its reputation. The information visitors find there should reflect the organization’s standards, local knowledge and priorities.
For New Smyrna Beach, governed data is an essential part of that responsibility. The Smart Business Listings feature content approved by NSB, establishing a destination-approved foundation for the visitor experience.
ITI Digital combines content automation with editorial controls, allowing the bureau to manage the information it presents and preserve its brand voice. NSB retains authority over which content represents the destination and how that content is expressed.
These safeguards matter as dynamic information and AI become a larger part of visitor service. Content approval establishes what belongs in the experience. Editorial oversight helps ensure that descriptions and messaging reflect the destination accurately and consistently. Together, they provide a framework for applying technology with clear accountability.
Debbie Meihls’ adoption of technology brings this balance into focus: a more responsive visitor experience, supported by the destination’s judgment and standards. ITI Digital provides the capabilities to put that approach into practice.
AI That Helps Turn Interest Into an Itinerary
The experience also includes NSB’s AI Travel Planner, known as Shelby, which helps visitors build itineraries around their travel dates and interests.
Its role is practical. A traveler can use their preferences to shape a visit, bringing relevant experiences together into a plan. That adds another way for the bureau to assist people as they consider what to see and do.
Meihls’ support for adopting AI places that capability within a broader visitor-service strategy. ITI Digital’s contribution is to make the technology part of the destination’s website experience, alongside the content travelers need to make informed choices.
Visitors Are Exploring More
Performance reporting shows stronger engagement following the website launch.
From December 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026, compared with the same period a year earlier:
Page views increased 30.1%, reaching more than 607,900, while engaged sessions increased 31.3%, reaching approximately 149,500. In addition, views per session increased 33.9%, indicating that visitors explored more pages during each visit.
These results show deeper engagement with the website during the reporting period. They provide a useful measure of progress as the bureau continues developing its digital visitor services.
Building Value Beyond the Award
The Henry Award marks an achievement for Debbie Meihls and the New Smyrna Beach team, as well as the partnership behind the redesign.
The project also offers a useful lesson for destination leaders: website design, content management and visitor assistance deserve to be planned together. Their value grows when they support the same goal—helping people experience the destination.
ITI Digital brings those disciplines together through website development, dynamic content and AI travel planning, creating an experience designed to remain useful well beyond launch.
Explore the award-winning New Smyrna Beach website, or connect with ITI Digital to discuss your destination’s digital experience.
