Covid-19 crisis: a new model of tourism governance for a new time

Abstract

Purpose The COVID-19 crisis has had a dramatic impact on the tourism industry, with new challenges that calls for a combination of short- and medium-/long-term perspectives. At the destination level, a factor that has a critical incidence in the recovery path is the type of tourism governance. With the spotlight on this factor, the purpose of this paper is to reflect on the need to accommodate the model of tourism governance to the requirements of this new time. Design/methodology/approach The discussion that already existed in the literature about the roles of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) has been brought into the new context of the coronavirus crisis to propose three fundamental changes in them, together with the centrality of host communities in a model based on public–private–people partnerships. Findings Under the principle that the M in DMOs has to stand for management, an evolution of these organizations toward the performance of three different roles is proposed, namely, as the orchestrator of the various players in the destination, the facilitator of opportunities for its members and the intelligence promoter and their strategic mind. Practical implications The practical implications of this proposal are numerous, as it represents a move beyond the usual public–private partnerships of the old normal and goes further than the traditional roles of marketer, intermediary in the value chain and brand promoter. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first work dealing with the topic of tourism governance in the context of the pandemic.