“Visitor experience design isn’t a trend. It’s how we shape behavior, belonging, and belief. It’s time we treated it like the infrastructure it is.”
— Kaitlin Eskelson
I’m Kaitlin—visitor experience architect and believer in the quiet power of intentional design. Through my book, certification, and speaking, I help destinations shape everyday moments into emotional landmarks—for travelers, communities, and the story of travel yet to be written.unities, and for the future of travel
I’ve spent my career shaping the story of place.
From my early days in destination marketing to my current role as President & CEO of Visit Salt Lake, I’ve watched our industry evolve—from billboards and brochures to something far more human: designing experiences that truly move people.
As the travel landscape continues to shift, one truth has never changed: visitors remember how you made them feel. That belief has become the heartbeat of my work.
I’ve devoted my career to advancing the field of Visitor Experience (VX)—a natural evolution of UX (User Experience), which transformed digital design in the 1990s. While UX helped us navigate websites and screens, VX is about how we connect with places—and with each other.
Today, I lead conversations (and certifications) around how destinations can intentionally architect touchpoints that resonate—emotionally and economically. Whether through The VX Design book, the CVX-P certification, or on stage at industry events, my mission is simple:
Help destinations move beyond marketing... and into meaning.
Because great experiences don’t just attract visitors.
They create belonging.
They drive economic vitality.
And they help build the kind of places people want to return to—and call home.
