• While their approaches and structures vary, official destination marketing organizations (DMOs)—sometimes called CVBs (convention and visitor bureaus) or tourism boards—promote the long-term development and marketing of a destination, focusing on convention sales, tourism marketing and service. DMO leaders are the masterminds behind campaigns marketing an “entire” destination to meeting professionals, business travelers, tour operators and individual visitors. CVBs represent the hotels, facilities, attractions, restaurants and other providers serving travelers.

CVB Goals

• To encourage associations and corporations to hold meetings, conventions and trade show in the area

• To assist associations and corporations coordinating their conventions, seminars and trade shows in the area

• To provide services to tour planners, both domestic and international

• To provide leadership for the visitor industry, build the image of the area, and encourage marketing activities

• To provide additional support to travel writers to help sell the area

Customer Market SegmentsCustomer Market Segments• Meetings and Conventions: Planners, Association CEOs,

Association members; • Group tours: tour operators, tour brokers and their

potential customers • The leisure discretionary consumer • The independent business traveler • Consumer and trade media • National Media (for Brand development) –this may be a

stand-alone plan, or a support component for the customer plan above

Producers of Regional Products

• Individual service providers (e.g., resorts and attractions)

• Travel agents/tour operators• Destination management/marketing

organizations (DMOs)

Steps in Product Development

1. Offer inventory• Everything that the region can offer

2. Combining offers in package• Quality, variability, appropriateness

3. Marketing the package• Identify market segments, communication

channels, sales methods (segment, then create packages)

Destination Branding

• Destination branding - Process of capturing the distinct elements of the destination and communicating them through components such as identity, personality, and image.

Destination Branding Pyramid

• Level 1 – What are the tangible, verifiable, objective, measurable characteristics of this destination?

• Level 2 – What benefits to the tourist result from this destination’s features?

• Level 3 – What psychological rewards or emotional benefits do tourists receive by visiting this destination?

• Level 4 – What does value mean for the typical repeat tourist?

• Level 5 – What is the essential nature and character of the destination brand?

Tourist Area Life Cycle

• EXPLORATION

• INVOLVEMENT

• DEVELOPMENT

• CONSOLIDATION

• STAGNATION

Tourist Area Life Cycle

The Bureau Communications PlanThe Bureau Communications Plan

A comprehensive communications plan is typically comprised of several individual plans, with each of them designed for and targeted to various “publics”.

Communications Plan Objectives

• Increase awareness, interest, and participation of the attractions and hospitality firms.

• Increase awareness, interest, and participation of the residents.

• Develop and maintain good relationships with the media so they can help to communicate the bureau’s goals and objectives to the destination’s target publics.

Media Relations Strategies

• Customer Plan• Community Relations Plan• Stakeholders Relations Plan• Crisis Management Plan• Internal Relations Plan

Customer Plan Customer Plan

• Developed to support management's objective of developing and retaining business from each market segment. Generally speaking, the Public Relations function here supports the marketing requirement of producing awareness and resulting interest in both the DMO and more importantly, the Destination it represents.

Community Relations PlanCommunity Relations Plan

• Developed to create and enhance a positive and favorable environment in which the DMO can fulfill its mission.

• Publics include:– The local general public – Government agencies and their employees– Local media, including editorial board, business

and travel writers, etc. (This is sometimes placed under a publicity or media relations category)

Stakeholder Relations PlanStakeholder Relations Plan

• Produces business partnerships, alliances, and ultimately additional revenue and marketing resources for DMO marketing.

• Audiences:– Bureau Members – Related economic development, cultural and

tourism related agencies, organizations and businesses

– Key constituent groups; the convention center, hotels, senior government partners

Crisis Management PlanCrisis Management Plan• Initiated in response to natural or manmade disasters

and internal/external factors, principally when they will heighten public concerns and limit business opportunities.

• The objective is to assuage public and media concerns that exacerbate the actual negative situation, providing comprehensive, timely, factual information.

• Examples include major crime and public disturbances, acts of terrorism, gasoline embargoes, etc.

• This component includes both prevention and execution.

Internal Relations PlanInternal Relations Plan

• Assuring a healthy, positive, productive workplace for all employees.

• Human Relations/Administration usually administers this function.

Destination Research Objectives• What is the profile of the visitors, or potential visitors,

that compose the target market(s) for the destination?• What is the overall value, or economic impact,

provided by the target market(s)?• What are the attributes or characteristics associated

with the destination that attract visitors, and how does the destination compare with other destinations on those attributes?

• How should the marketing mix be composed for each target market? For example, what types of marketing communications should be used to reach the target markets, and what should the message be?

Destination Research Techniques

• Economic Impact Studies - the spending of tourists within the local area, change in regional incomes and changes in employment

• Destination Image Studies - the impressions a person holds about a destination in which he does not reside

• Conversion Studies - measure the effectiveness of the destination marketing organization’s advertising and promotion

Economic Impact Studies• Satellite account method

• Input-output model Tourist spending = Number of Visitors Average

spending per visitor Economic impact = Number of Visitors Average

spending per visitor Regional multipliers

• Multiplier analysis Output multiplier Income multiplier Employment multiplier

© 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.