Destination Management Organizations

USAID Brown Bag LunchMay 18, 2011

Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA)

5 Year LWA Cooperative Agreement

Global mechanism Advance the state of the practice Systems Approach

SCALE – cross-sectoral approach including environment, governance, economics, and societal aspects

Value Chain Analysis

Awarded to AED – Managed by AED, Solimar, GW, TNC

Country Programs: Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Montenegro, Uganda, Mali

Components of Bringing Stakeholders Together

Program Advisory Group

Donor Coordination

Regional Workshops

International Linkages

Whole Systems in the Room

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Community Development NGOs

Media Representatives

Cultural Stewards

Ministry of Tourism

Ministry of Environment

Ministry of Tourism

Ministry of Planning

Tourism Leaders

CSR Business Leaders

Financing Institutions

Environmental NGOs

Universities

High Level Group of Representatives from each Sector

1 – Program Advisory Group

Donors Program

JICA

1. National Ecotourism Strategy & Pilot Projects

2. Community Based Tourism Development in Puerto Plata region

EU 1. Development of MSMEs

World Bank

1. Workforce Development Program

2. Infastructure support of Puerto Plata Region

IADB

1. Continued spport of CNC Program

2. MIF Project to support Puerto Plata

3. ICT Innovation Program to support MSMES

GTZ1. Natural Resource Management

Program in the Central Mountain areas

AECI1. Proyecto Araucaria XXI Enriquillo -

Sustainable Tourism activities

Building partnerships & leveraging resources

Donors Program

UNDP1. Red Dominicana de Turismo

Rural (REDOTUR)

UNF

1. World Heritage Alliance

2. Sustainable Tourism Criteria Initiative

OAS1. Small Tourism Enterprise

Project (STEP)

UNWTO

1. Center for Excellence in Destinations (CED)

2. Sustainable Tourism for the Elimination of Poverty (STEP)

IUCN1. Caribbean Regional Sustainable

Development Program

1 – Donor Coordination

Building local partnerships while understanding issues

Workshop Agendas

Explanation of new program National Geographic Geotourism

Presentation Cultural and Natural Asset Mapping Identification of Issues preventing

sustainable development Stakeholder Mapping Explanation of Next Steps

3 – Regional Workshops

Engaging international partners to support program objectives

International Partners

Media Organizations

International Tour Operators

Hotel Management Companies

Hotel & Resort Developers

World Economic Forum

Philanthropic Investors

Online Travel Agencies

Technology Partners

4 – International Linkages

WSR Objectives

Develop a common vision about the issue

Analyze the current reality and decide what needs to change

Generate ideas about how and what to change

Commit to short-term (3 months) and long-term (3 years) implementation plans towards the common vision

5 – Whole System in the Room

Global Sustainable Tourism Alliance (GSTA)

5 Year LWA Cooperative Agreement

Global mechanism Advance the state of the practice Systems Approach

SCALE – cross-sectoral approach including environment, governance, economics, and societal aspects

Value Chain Analysis

Awarded to AED – Managed by AED, Solimar, GW, TNC

Country Programs: Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Montenegro, Uganda, Mali

DMOs, an independent organization to:

Create a space for dialogue among industry Destination strategy and planning

• Infrastructure• Conservation• Invest• Training

Destination marketing and market research Destination sales (conferences and events) Provide cohesive communication to travelers Gather statics / monitoring and evaluation

To promote:

Meetings, Conventions & Incentives (MICE) - to book conventions

Travel Trade Sales -- to increase volume, visitor spending, length of stay

Marketing and Market Research Communications – planners’ guide, visitor

guide, service guides Membership: Information dissemination,

recruitment Visitor Information Centers & Reservations

Systems: Direct client contact, Distribute information,

Reservation systems

DMOs: Traditional Functions

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Destination Strategy

Non-profit Board and published regulations Membership organization of diverse stakeholders Revenue from:

membership, taxes, bookings Services mostly provided free

Who uses a destination management organization Visitors, businesses and meeting planners

• Why? • Unbiased information about a destination• One-stop shop – saves time

Common Characteristics of the DMO

• National Tourism Authorities (NTAs) or Organisations (NTOs), responsible for management and marketing of tourism at a national level.

• Regional, provincial or state DMOs (RTOs), responsible for the management and/or marketing of tourism in a geographic region defined for that purpose, sometimes but not always an administrative or local government region such as a county, state or province.

• Local DMOs, responsible for the management and/or marketing of tourism based on a smaller geographic area or city/town.

Categories of DMOs

Destination Management Challenges & Obstacles

• Government policy favours centralized management • Businesses and individuals favour fragmentation• “Complaining” versus “doing”• Lack of sustainable financial support

Bocas del Toro

Using the Geotourism approach

developed by:

Case Study

Rapid tourism development with limited multi-stakeholder planning and dialogue

Negative environmental impacts caused by tourism

Tourism development changing the “character of place” – local cultures and traditions being lost

Lack of public private partnership for destination management and promotion

A Familiar Situation

Objectives for the Area

1. Formalize a Sustainable Tourism Cluster with key public and private tourism stakeholders

2. Develop and implement a business model for the tourism cluster

3. Develop and market demand driven tourism packages4. Expand the service quality and product development of

local suppliers5. Improve the environmental performance of private

businesses

Methodology

Case Study

MissionTo support sustainable tourism development, promote responsible travel & give incentives for travelers to understand & protect the local culture & environment they are visiting

Over 50 new members joining the BSTA within its first year of operations

Local committees established and working collectively to address issues facing the destination (a local waste management committee has already been formed);

Sustainable tourism packages and day tours developed that create direct linkages between various groups within the DMO;

A comprehensive marketing and branding strategy developed and implemented;

Ten hotels with improved environmental performance through the implementation of Rainforest Alliance’s best management practices

Results

Toolkit Series:Destination Management Organizations

(DMOs)

TOOLKIT SERIES

Unit 1: Ensuring a Sustainable Form of Development

Unit 2: Tourism Inventory, Vision and Goal Setting

Unit 3: Auditing the Visitor and Resident Experience

Unit 4: Utilize Clusters to Gain a Competitive Edge

Unit 5: Establishing a Destination Management Organization (DMO) Using a Partnership Approach

Unit 6: Developing Destination Marketing & Positioning Strategies

Unit 7: Building the Destination’s Online Presence

Unit 8: Developing a Visitor Information Program

Destination Management Organizations Toolkit

Defining Sustainable Tourism Triple Bottom Line Tools to Help Manage Destinations

More Sustainably

Unit 1: Ensuring a Sustainable Form of Development

Unit 2: Tourism Inventory, Vision and Goal Setting

Create a tourism supply inventory checklist Accommodations Tour Operators Natural and Historical/Cultural Attractions Entertainment Dining

Create a vision for the destination

Steps to outline Goals

“Get tourists to stay in the area another day” – Economic

“Organize more recreational offerings, concerts and plays monthly” - Social/Cultural

“Undertake long-term cleanup of entrances to town” - Environment

Unit 3: Auditing the Visitor and Resident Experience

Visitor Experience Value Chain

Design a Visitors Survey Number of visits to the

destination Method of travel (solo, tour,

family, etc.) Primary reason for visit How did you hear about the

destination Attractions you expect to visit Activities you hope to

experience Products, Services and

Hospitality ratings Demographic information

Design a Residents Survey Current attitudes towards tourism Positive/Negative effects of tourism Level of involvement with tourism Employment due to tourism Outlook on tourism for the local society

Establishing a Destination Management System (DMS)

Unit 4: Utilize Clusters to Gain a Competitive Edge

How to unite existing stakeholders into effective clusters

How to implement sustainable business practices into organized clusters

“Top 10”Begin with an objective facilitatorInclude all stakeholdersIdentify a championInitiate cross-industry collaborationEncourage members to contributeImprove public awarenessPrioritize local capacityWork with the public sectorDevelop performance measuresBe patient and persistant

Unit 5: Establishing a Destination Management Organization (DMO) Using a Partnership Approach

Unit 6: Developing Destination Marketing & Positioning Strategies

SWOT AnalysisBranding Worksheet

Marketing Effectiveness Worksheet

Marketing Objectives Worksheet

Unit 7: Building the Destination’s Online Presence

Website Design Elements Search Engine Optimization

Social Media Landscape

Belize

Visitor Information Checklist

Rwanda VC

Unit 8: Developing a Visitor Information Program

Information Kiosks

Illustrative Business Plan – Bocas del Toro, PanamaI.background information, description of the role of a DMO II.analyzes the local tourism industry and its environmentIII.details the DMO overview, management structure, and legal issues  IV.business strategy and model  V.marketing strategy VI.details operations  VII.provides financial projectionsVIII.long-term action plan (five years)

Sample Scope of Work

Additional Tools in the Toolkit

Solimar Internationalwww.solimarinternational.com202-518-6192

Questions?