Improving the Management of Tourist Destinations: A New Approach to Strategic Management at the DMO Level by Integrating Lean Techniques

Adriana Florescu,Tiberiu Foris,Diana Foris,Sorin Barabas

doi:10.3390/su122310201

Adriana Florescu, Tiberiu Foris + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310201

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Dec 7, 2020
Citations: 32	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Transylvania University of Brașov

Abstract

Destination management organizations have a key role to play in the governance of tourism destinations, in managing destination networks and in ensuring good cooperation between stakeholders. Although, destination management organizations (DMOs) are atypical organizations, their operations are evaluated according to their organizational efficiency and effectiveness. This study aims to propose a framework to improve the management of the tourist destination through an innovative approach that interconnects strategic management and Lean techniques to increase efficiency and productivity in operational processes, organizational efficiency and effectiveness at the DMO level. The framework developed in this study interconnects the analysis of the internal environment through the Value Chain and the Lean Six Sigma methods identified to be suitable for application in the management of the tourist destination. Testing of the practical application of this framework was done for Association for the Promotion and Development of Tourism (APDT), which is the DMO that ensures the management of the tourist destination of Brasov, Romania. The research contributes to the optimization of the processes at the DMO’s level. The framework developed in this study can be implemented by practitioners to improve the management of the tourist destination. The paper also offers future research directions.

Highlights

Tourism and hospitality have been in recent years and still are in a process of profound transformation with increasing dynamics
We find the existence of a multitude of processes and activities, an aspect that involves a multitude of variables, which must be taken into account for the efficient and performance management of this type of organization, that is, for the success of the destination management organizations (DMOs)
The analysis and case study conducted in this paper considers the Lean Six Sigma method, with the possibility of application in a DMO, by defining processes, in order to improve the quality of customer service and increase its competitiveness

Summary

Introduction

Tourism and hospitality have been in recent years and still are in a process of profound transformation with increasing dynamics. In the context of increasing the diversity of services in the tourism industry and the requirements of tourists, continuous transformations are needed in the management of tourist destinations in order to increase their competitive advantage. Rapid changes in the production and consumption of tourism services, increased competitiveness and the emergence of new tourist destinations, together with all the implications of information technology development, require a new approach to implementing modern management strategies and tools to ensure efficient management and sustainable development at the level of tourist destinations. Destination management and destination marketing have become “mainstream” topics in the tourism research literature since the year 2000. Today these two concepts are integral to professional practice in tourism destinations; they represent the platform for achieving excellence in tourism destinations. The development of a tourist destination involves a few problems, given the need to manage and coordinate a significant number of elements within the tourist system of the destination [3]

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