Destination Marketing and Management: Theories and Applications

The term "destination" refers broadly to an area where tourism is a relatively important activity and where the economy may be significantly influenced by tourism revenues. Most tourism activities take place at a destination, and destination serves as a fundamental unit of analysis in any modelling of the tourism system. Destination marketing is the process of communicating with potential visitors to influence their destination preference, intention to travel and ultimately their final destination and product choices. Destination marketing is a major part of the Implementation process; it is the articulation and communication of the values, vision and competitive attributes of the destination. The actions implemented in the destination marketing phase should be underpinned by the findings of the Destination Planning, process and the subsequent Destination Development activities. Managing tourism destinations is an important part of controlling tourisms environmental impacts. Destination management can include land use planning, business permits and zoning controls, environmental and other regulations, business association initiatives, and a host of other techniques to shape the development and daily operation of tourism-related activities. However, destination marketing and management is a complex subject that requires a comprehensive, holistic and systematic approach. From the demand side, travellers have a choice of available destinations; from the supply side, destination marketing organizations are competing for attention from a highly competitive marketplace. This book, Destination Marketing and Management: Theories and Applications, provides a comprehensive understanding of the concept and scope of the tourism industry in general and of destination marketing and management in particular, as they are situated in their particular policy, planning, economic, geographical and historical contexts.