In today’s tourism industry, Destination Marketing
Organizations (DMOs) have a larger role and responsibility to go beyond their
historical role of marketing and simply disseminating information to visitors
but to also engage all stakeholders, including travelers, to create lasting
connections that enhance the experience as well as conserve the integrity of
the destination. DMOs must act as more than just the promoter of the
destination but also coordinate the disparate tourism offerings and
stakeholders in order to maintain a consistent destination brand.
In order to fully engage the visitor and create lasting
connections, DMOs need to take full advantage of the tools at their disposal –
specifically the numerous opportunities on the Internet and other new
technologies to foster this relationship. Rather than only fulfilling the
traditional task of disseminating information to the visitor, DMOs can use
these tools to facilitate conversations between the visitor and potential
visitors. By encouraging the visitor to share their experience, the DMO is in
affect using word of mouth marketing, creating ‘buzz’ and allowing the visitor
to do part of the DMO’s job for them, including: sharing their experience on
Twitter or a status update on Facebook; posting a story on their blog; “checking-in”
on Foursquare; sharing photos on Flickr; posting videos on YouTube; leaving a
review on TripAdvisor or Yelp; or giving advice in travel forms like Lonely
Planet’s Thorntree. By aggregating and analyzing the information shared about
their destination, the DMO can conduct targeted marketing that is relevant,
effective and engages market segments most likely to create higher yields and
returns on investment.
Instead of only focusing on increasing the number of
visitors, DMOs should focus more on improving the quality of the experience and
how tourism benefits the destination with a greater emphasis on the yields and authenticity
of tourists’ experiences. For the visitor, this includes respecting the
destination’s inhabitants through activities such as providing resources for
learning the local language, teaching proper traveler etiquette and encouraging
cultural exchanges between the locals and visitors so that visitors engage
rather than remain spectators. Ultimately, the interaction needs to be
beneficial to both the visitor and host community.
Through the multiplier effect, tourism provides a
significant contribution to the economy beyond direct tourist spending with indirect
and induced impacts, for example increased employment or hotels buying linens
from a local manufacturer. This puts DMOs in the unique position to not only
connect visitors with information about a destination’s attractions and
activities but to also influence where the economic benefit is distributed
through maximizing linkages between businesses and minimizing leakages outside
of the destination. While strictly speaking, a DMO should be unbiased, thus
providing information so the visitor can make the most informed decision, it
can also distribute information about how tourism can affect the local
population through travel philanthropy. By providing tourists with this
additional information and encouraging them to help benefit the local
population, which, if properly managed, can encourage conservation and
ownership by local stakeholders and thereby increase the sustainability of the
destination.
Current trends are moving away from the old notion of a
“holiday” where a tourist simply lies on the beach and goes home. Today, with
an increasing emphasis on experiences,
a destination must provide engaging and authentic experiences that set it apart
from competitors. Increasingly transforming from CVBs to DMOs, these organizations
must coordinate with the many stakeholders giving them added responsibilities
as well. It isn’t sufficient to simply market the destination; the DMO must
help to manage the brand by maintaining and enhancing its image and character,
thereby having a more valuable and attractive product to market in the end. By
seeking to engage with the visitor and create a lasting relationship, the DMO
will not only succeed in promoting its destination, but it will also secure the
integrity of the place and ensure that wonderful trips are being shared back
home to drive further visits!
