Understanding Destination Marketing: The Road Ahead

Abstract

Marketing has come to be known as the driving force behind any business industry today. Understanding marketing involves matching the wants of customers with the company’s capabilities so as to maintain the objectives of both the company and the customers (McDonald and Wilson 2011). Marketing is not simply advertising or selling, but it rather involves managerial discipline to meet the demand of customers by interpreting their desires and wants (Fyall and Garrod 2005).Today, destinations and cities are competing with each other to grab the maximum visitors and increase revenue generation from tourism industry. Destination marketing aims to meet the expectations of inhabitants, companies, tourists and visitors by supplying various features that presents the city as the final product or image. The city is portrayed as the final product and the local municipalities and tourist bodies are vying to understand the needs of the tourists, the price at which they are willing to buy, the process through which tourists receive information about products and product offers, and finally their satisfaction levels (Karavatzis and Ashworth 2005). From the tourist’s point of view, destination marketing function involves understanding the various tourist spots, amount of information about such places available with them, the costs involved at such destinations and the kind of services available at such places (Middleton and Clarke 2001).