Destination Management Organizations Research Articles

Stakeholders’ Perceptions About a Destination Management Organization (DMO): A Case Study in Chimborazo, Ecuador

A Destination Management Organization (DMO) is an entity destined to make operative, administrative, organizational, and strategic decisions to maintain a coordinated management of the process associated with the design, marketing, and commercialization of the destination. This study aimed to identify the stakeholders’ perceptions about the Chimborazo DMO, located in the Andean region of Ecuador. Therefore, three focal groups of stakeholders were selected (local residents, tourists, and business owners) and a questionnaire was applied using a 5-point Likert scale. A Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to determine the reliability of the data obtained and a Chi-square contingency analysis was performed between the stakeholder groups to identify if the perception about the role and effectiveness of the Chimborazo DMO differs in dependence of the stakeholder group. Our results evidence that the stakeholders considered in this study have a positive opinion about the role of the DMO in the development, being the main common aspect identified: the need for an adequate promotion of the Chimborazo province. The information generated here could be useful to generate policies that benefit the Chimborazo tourism sector and serve as the basis for further work dealing with the stakeholder’s identification and the assessment of the DMO influence in the territory development. 
 
 Received: 26 May 2023 / Accepted: 28 December 2023 / Published: 5 January 2024

DMO PROMOTIONS OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN MEXICO’S BAJIO

Promoting cultural heritage has become crucial for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in heritage cities, as it fosters tourism development and shapes the overall cultural identity of a destination. Cultural heritage encompasses both tangible and intangible elements, with the latter focusing on manifestations that uphold the cultural identity of social groups and communities. In recent times, tourists seek authentic cultural experiences, not merely to observe heritage but also to actively engage with it. According to UNWTO (2018), cultural tourism represents almost 40% of all tourism activities. However, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic brought unparalleled challenges to the tourism industry. The objective of this study was to explore the elements that represent ICH in the visual tourism communication of heritage cities in the Mexican Bajio region and examine any modifications made to these elements during the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve these objectives, we employed a content and network analysis of images extracted from the Facebook pages of each city's DMOs (San Miguel de Allende, San Juan del Río, Querétaro and Morelia) from January 2019 to December 2020. Among the main findings, it was revealed that the induced/projected tourist image of the heritage cities in the Mexican Bajio during 2019-2020 emphasized the social aspect, showcasing dynamic experiences and the local community. The pandemic impacted the representation of natural elements, business types, and ICH. In the specific analysis of the ICH of the Bajio region, we found that the domain with the highest representation in the DMO’s visual communication was social practices, rituals, and festive events. In images alluding to festivals and gastronomy, the tourist node disappeared during the pandemic and the node of residents became more central. Elements related to COVID-19, such as masks or warning texts, were identified more frequently in gastronomy images than in festival images.

CAN SENSORY MARKETING BE USED TO ADDRESS OVERTOURISM? EVIDENCE FROM RELIGIOUS ATTRACTIONS IN KYOTO, JAPAN

The issue of overtourism have been discussed for decades. Addressing the problems caused by excessive tourist numbers in confined areas is vital, especially in cities like Kyoto, known for its cultural and religious attractions. This study delves into the experiences of visitors at Kyoto's religious sites, with a particular focus on overtourism and sensory elements.The research analyses TripAdvisor reviews spanning from October 2010 to March 2020, covering the top twenty-five religious attractions in Kyoto. Through systematic text analysis tools like topic modelling and Leximancer, four key themes emerge: "Walk," "Impressive," "Beautiful," and "Crowded." These themes encapsulate tourists' experiences, including exploring temples, appreciating scenic beauty, and grappling with overcrowding.The study underscores the overtourism challenge in Kyoto, substantiated by numerous mentions of crowded conditions in reviews. Interestingly, tourists often recommend arriving early to mitigate overcrowding, reflecting their adaptability and positive outlook even in crowded situations. Sensory analysis reveals that visual experiences dominate, followed by gustatory, haptic, auditory, and olfactory sensations. This suggests that tourists are drawn to religious sites not just for their spiritual significance but also for the rich sensory experiences they offer.These findings have implications for destination marketing and management. Stakeholders can leverage insights from user reviews to craft effective advertising content. By promoting lesser-known temples and incorporating sensory marketing strategies, Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) can encourage tourists to diversify their visits, thereby alleviating the pressure on overcrowded sites. Collaboration with tour operators and effective marketing can also facilitate the inclusion of overlooked destinations in tour itineraries, fostering a more balanced distribution of visitors.

Smart destination cards as big data generators. A proposal for a checklist and its application to Trentino Guest Card

Quality data on tourist behaviour is essential for destination management organisations, the promoters of smart destination cards (SDC). The different configurations of SDC stem from the relative importance attributed to their goals and entail different levels of quality of the data they collect. SDC are not only big data generators, but also marketing tools and the outcome of the cooperative games between the included attractions, with a trade‐off between these features. Consequently, strong sample selection, price distortion effects, and collection of limited personal details on card users often characterize SDC data. We propose a checklist for assessing the potential of SDC as big data generators, whose items are: large coverage of diverse attractions; same discount for all included attractions; low card price; stability of features over time; collection of personal data at issue. We exemplify its use by applying it to the SDC of Trentino, an Italian mountain destination.

PESTLE Analysis and Sustainable Event Marketing - Evidences from Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon Destination, Borneo

As an industry practitioner, this research strives to explore and engage in intellectual discourse on the current theoretical paradigm practice of sustainable marketing efficiency strategy design for tourism, hospitality establishments, and event staging from the viewpoints of Destination management organisations (DMOs). Critically, this industry-academic writing is committed to contributing to a better interpretation and, possibly, an assessment of the current marketing principle application by highlighting a potential gap between theory (academic) and practice (industry), accompanied by recommendations on holistic marketing, thereby bridging between conventional and sustainable marketing. A systematic qualitative review using explorative content analysis combined with PESTLE feasibility studies of the destination. Approximately 60 journals, book chapters, and relevant newspaper topics, including pertinent literatures, were screened for analysis. The PESTLE approach to DMOs marketing covers direction, product, service, positioning, branding, and niche segmentation. It also explores Muslim-friendly marketing ideas and their role in compelling destination and event hospitality management. The findings provide analytical perspectives of future hallmarks events for developing countries. Furthermore, it presents a distinct and explicit sustainable marketing policy for event marketers, event organisers, DMOs, and relevant bodies to embed sustainable marketing strategy execution in the event hospitality segment. Additionally, it includes an illustration of a sustainable framework for the future Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon (MKIC) event, recommended to the respective DMOs and event organisers.Keywords: Sustainable Marketing Plan; Marketing Design; Destination Management Organisations DMOs; Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon Event (MKIC); PESTLE analysis.

TOURISM INDUSTRY IN KAZAKHSTAN: ECONOMIC PROBLEMS AND DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

The article discusses tourism concepts dedicated to developing the tourism industry in Kazakhstan. Since its independence, Kazakhstan has adopted various tourism concepts and national plans but they do not concern or care for the entirety of Kazakhstan’s territory. Despite the country’s prosperity with regards to diversity and opportunity, it is in need of institutional structure and management efficiency to optimally succeed. Kazakhstan’s tourism industry is currently responsible for over five governmental and private organizations but they exude inefficiency. These organizations have overlapping and repeating functions. Most tourism concepts failed to be executed within the established time frames. Some concepts were created by mixing cluster theory with destination management organization methods. Essentially, these prove that Kazakhstan has weak management structure, marketing and branding with an insufficiency primarily caused by a lack of effective and efficient marketing. The country proved itself to struggle to balance multiple things at once. For instance, the 2023 conception required the country to focus on 12 types of tourism simultaneously which concluded in nothing being accomplished.Therefore, the authors suggest targeting only four types of tourism including MICE tourism, cultural heritage tourism, nature-based tourism, and spiritual tourism. Furthermore, eleven strategies are introduced with tactics to develop the country’s tourism industry. As a result, this article suggests some recommendations to solve the problems associated with the development of the tourism industry.

Film-Induced Tourism, Destination Branding and Game of Thrones: A Review of the Peñíscola de Cine Project

This paper addresses an alternative perspective on tourism success, emphasising sustainability over traditional quantitative metrics such as arrival numbers. It explores the impact of fiction films and TV series on individuals’ mental representations of destinations featured on screen, as well as the capacity of film discourse to construct a brand aligned with local stakeholders’ interests. Qualitative methods have been employed, conducting a literature review on sustainable film tourism and destination branding. Local news and an interview with the head of the Peñíscola Film Office complemented academic insights. The primary goal is to examine the “Peñíscola de Cine” project as a paradigm of success, initiated by the city council of Peñíscola, Spain. This project positions the municipality as a natural film set through productions like Game of Thrones (2011–2019), illustrating how film can contribute to destination branding and community engagement. The study highlights the positive contribution of film tourism to sustainability by diversifying and de-seasonalising a territory’s offerings. It also attracts a more educated and environmentally conscious audience. However, it cautiously discusses the potential risks, as evidenced by misapplications in Goathland, England, and Skellig Michael, Ireland, following their appearances in Heartbeat (1992–2010) and Star Wars (1977–2019), respectively. The paper concludes by suggesting film-friendly measures for destination management organizations (DMOs), emphasising the pivotal role of film commissions and film offices in crafting effective marketing strategies and capturing the interest of audiovisual production companies.

A pentadic analysis of TikTok marketing in tourism: The case of Penang, Malaysia

Several destinations have jumped on the TikTok bandwagon to explore consumer reactions and motivations towards visit intentions, though these are largely limited to point-in-time surveys. Using the example of Penang, Malaysia, this research contributes to the paucity of knowledge surrounding TikTok in tourism by analysing contents generated from the destination management organisation, travel influencers, and other tourists participating in a TikTok competition for the destination. Drawing from Burke’s Pentadic analysis, the findings reveal the sociological interactions where the performativity of the short videos are staged by different users with the destination as the backdrop. Theoretical and managerial implications are highlighted to inform current and future practices of TikTok (re)presentation in tourism, and how the platform can be used distinctively to socially interact with various target markets and stakeholders.

“I would like to visit a bone chapel, but …”: facilitators, constraints, motivators and death anxiety

PurposeThe study aims to understand the relationship between facilitating, demoting, motivating factors and visit intention; and to clarify the role of death anxiety before visiting a dark exhibition.Design/methodology/approachPartial least squares structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze data from 426 potential visitors to the Capuchin Crypt in Rome (Italy).FindingsResults demonstrate that dark fascination, prestige, reflection on death and mortality and interpersonal facilitators are the main drivers of visit intention, and structural constraints are the main demoting factors. Contrary to expectations, intrapersonal constraints have a positive influence on motivators and indirectly on visit intention, and death anxiety has mixed results.Research limitations/implicationsData collection from only one dark exhibition requires that the generalization of the results must be done with care.Practical implicationsConclusions enabled a better understanding of pre-trip tourist behavior, providing valuable suggestions for the communication strategy of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and site managers.Originality/valueThe study adopts a consolidated and empirical approach to studying facilitators, motivators, constraints and visit intention, as well as the effect of death anxiety. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to develop a comprehensive investigation of these four constructs, whether at the darker or the lighter end of the dark tourism spectrum. Consequently, it offers a better understanding of lighter dark attractions, which allows DMOs and others to improve the communication of their tourism products.

Tourists' willingness to contribute to smart tourism: a construal level theory perspective

PurposeSmart tourism has become an inevitable trend in future tourism development. However, despite significant investment in its technological foundation, little is known about whether and when tourists are willing to be involved in smart tourism. This study explores tourists' willingness to contribute to smart tourism development by empirically examining their intention to share personal information and use smart technology.Design/methodology/approachBased on construal level theory (CLT), a 2 (far/near spatial distance) × 2 (gain/loss persuasive information frame) × 2 (altruistic/egoistic value orientation) laboratory experiment with different contextual features was designed to examine tourists' willingness to contribute to smart tourism.FindingsTourists are most willing to share personal information and use smart technologies when spatial distance aligns with information framing, spatial distance aligns with value orientation and information framing aligns with value orientation.Practical implicationsThis study provides essential insights for destination management organizations (DMOs) about tourists' perceptions of smart tourism, enabling DMOs to develop more precise marketing strategies to encourage tourists to contribute to smart tourism development and enrich tourists' travel experiences.Originality/valueThis study enriches theoretical knowledge of DMOs' boundaries in encouraging tourists to contribute to smart tourism and provides critical insights into future smart tourism development for researchers and practitioners.

Tourist Preferences for Revitalizing Wellness Products and Reversing Depopulation in Rural Destinations

Wellness tourism is a growing segment that destinations can rely on to increase tourism flows and revive underdeveloped rural areas. This study elicits tourists’ preferences for wellness tourism products and the redevelopment of a wellness destination in a depopulated rural area. The research included 595 participants in Central Greece using on-site, face-to-face surveys. The survey data were analyzed using a two-step process. First, conjoint analysis was applied to determine the combination of wellness tourism product attributes that maximize visitors’ utility. In the second step, we elicited visitors’ willingness to pay (WTP) for improvements in tourism product attributes using the contingent valuation method. The findings indicate that the combination of attributes that maximizes the preference structure of respondents includes time of visit from September to October, duration of visit from 1 to 7 days, wellness tourism as the primary purpose of the visit, and wellness activities that contain both physical activities and training as well as spiritual and emotional enhancement. Using binary logistic regression, the analysis indicates that respondents are willing to pay EUR 47.33 per visit on average further to develop wellness tourism products in the study area. Empirical results confirmed that sustainability issues, quality, and entrepreneurship factors positively impact visitors’ WTP for revitalizing wellness products. In contrast, a longer duration of stay in the area and respondents’ age negatively impact their WTP. These findings suggest that structuring a customer-driven tourism product will enhance the rural destination’s efforts to attract high-yield visitors and advance the rural economy. Furthermore, practical implications reveal that Destination Management Organizations will benefit from research results to foster targeted management plans.

The effects of perceived cultural distance and perceived discrimination on the destination image and behaviour intention of international student tourists in Taiwan

This study aimed to explore perceived cultural distance, perceived discrimination, destination image, and behavioural intention as well as the relationships among these constructs in international student tourists in Taiwan. By employing partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), the findings showed that perceived cultural distance significantly impacted the cognitive and affective images of a destination, whereas perceived discrimination negatively influenced cognitive and affective images. Additionally, the results revealed that perceived cultural distance did not affect behavioural intention; however, perceived discrimination negatively affected behavioural intention. The findings also showed that cognitive image mediated the interrelationships among perceived cultural distance, perceived discrimination, and behavioural intention, whereas affective image was not a mediator in these correlations. The findings of this study have several implications that can benefit tourism academia and industry, particularly destination management organisations and tourism enterprises.

Online networking behaviour of tourism stakeholders in a multi-destination region: A hyperlink network analysis

Inter-organisational networking, essential for enhancing tourist destinations' performance, is often underutilised, resulting in low-density networks. To develop precise strategies for managing connectivity, it is crucial to examine stakeholders' networking behaviours – how they connect to a destination network and contribute to its structural formations within and beyond their sectors and geographic locations. This study looks at online networking forms that are qualitatively different from interpersonal contacts among organisational members. Specifically, it focuses on hyperlink networking, given its significance for the visibility of organisations and the overall destination and the credibility of tourism websites. Using social network analysis, this research identifies diverse online networking behaviours related to involvement in networking activities, link-placing and link-receiving, connections with similar and dissimilar actors, and community formation of tourism stakeholders across different sectors within a multi-destination region. The network is characterised by assembling behaviour, where many actors are connected to the network by other organisations rather than by their own linking activity. The study confirms organisations’ low involvement in networking and significant imbalances in their activities. It highlights how imbalances arise in the conjuncture of various sectors, each having a distinct role in uneven link allocation. Destination management organisations are key connectors and mediators but struggle to establish high-density within-sector connections. Public domain-related sectors are generally more active in networking than private ones. Intersectoral connections, rather than within-sector connections, are the major source of links for sectors. Stakeholders tend to connect more with actors from the same geographic area.

The effect of online message congruence, destination-positioning, and emojis on users’ cognitive effort and affective evaluation

In today's digital world, it is crucial that Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) understand how tourists process and assimilate the information they receive through social media, whether this is posted online by the destination itself or by other users. When it comes to understanding the effectiveness of DMOs' integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategies, it is important to examine the extent to which the congruence between those online messages posted by the destination and those posted by other users (electronic word-of-mouth) influences the effectiveness of the communication. Similarly, it is also of value to understand the degree to which the use of emojis in social media messages may enhance the effect of congruence on IMC effectiveness. The scientific literature has found that tourists' responses to the information published online by the destination will depend on the type of positioning it adopts on its social media. The novelty of the present study work lies in addressing these issues from a neuroscientific perspective, using eye-tracking technology, to study (i) the user's cognitive effort (based on ocular indicators) when processing social media content and (ii) their affective evaluation of that content. A factorial experiment is conducted on a sample of 58 Facebook users. The results point to the important role played by the level of message congruence in users' information-processing and demonstrate the contextualizing effect exerted by emojis. Additionally, this study highlights the need for further research into the cognitive processing of tourism messages relative to different positioning strategies.

Are we all in together? The impact of tourism destination residents’ ontological security threat on hometown support behavior

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has had serious ramifications for destination tourism, which is in dire need of support from residents. However, the pandemic has destabilized the environment and caused ontological insecurity in residents. It has therefore become vital to explore whether destination residents are willing to support their hometown. Drawing from the conservation of resources theory, this study conducted three experiments to explore the impact of ontological security threats on hometown support behavior, and the underlying mechanisms of the need to belong and psychological distress have also been revealed. The paper provides novel ideas for the marketing of destination management organizations.

Organizational Resilience in Public Sector Organizations: Destination Management Organizations

This qualitative exploratory study examined the effectiveness of organizational resilience processes adopted by Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) during a global crisis. Study results showed that the DMOs’ organizational resilience engaged strategies fostered within a positive work climate (PWC) where dynamic processes of resilience capabilities emerged for Caribbean SIDS. These organizational resilience processes are complex and dynamic, with an interplay of both internal and external influences. The study offers practical and theoretical implications for public organizations in the service sector, where an integrated framework for engaging resilience strategies and capabilities processes emerges.

Minimizing conflicts between residents and local tourism stakeholders as a way to achieve sustainable tourism in Prague, Krakow and Braga

ObjetivoHay un debate en curso sobre las herramientas que pueden conducir al turismo sostenible, así como los intentos de implementarlas. En la selección de herramientas, se deben analizar y tener en cuenta las actitudes de los residentes – agentes interesados locales y su grado de aceptación de dichas herramientas. Algunas provocan conflictos, de ahí que el objetivo de este artículo sea el análisis comparativo de tres ciudades (Praga, Cracovia, Braga).Diseño/metodología/enfoqueEl análisis de los tipos básicos de conflictos se realizó utilizando la división propuesta por Moore. La investigación se llevó a cabo entre residentes, expertos que representan el sector turístico. A partir de la revisión de la literatura se formularon tres hipótesis. Se utilizaron pruebas estadísticas para analizar los resultados.ConclusionesLos resultados mostraron un fuerte impacto del conflicto de información y los intereses de quienes dependen del grado de desarrollo de la función turística de la ciudad. Se estableció que en el proceso de lograr un turismo sostenible, para minimizar los conflictos es necesario: prestar atención a la comunicación y a la implicación de las comunidades locales, crear atractivos que beneficien tanto a los residentes como a los visitantes, medir y monitorear el tráfico turístico, apoyar iniciativas de nuevas ofertas turísticas e iniciar debates sobre los problemas de desarrollo, y establecer objetivos comunes para todos los residentes.Originalidad/valorLa selección de las ciudades históricas y el planteamiento de un problema de investigación basado en la misma herramienta permitieron realizar una inferencia comparativa. Los resultados pueden ayudar a configurar la gestión del turismo en las ciudades y la elección de herramientas para su desarrollo sostenible.

The Perception of Cultural Authenticity, Destination Attachment, and Support for Cultural Heritage Tourism Development by Local People: The Moderator Role of Cultural Sustainability

This study was prepared to examine the effects of cultural authenticity perception by local people on destination attachment and intention to support cultural heritage tourism. The study also investigated the moderator role of cultural sustainability perception. It was conducted in Manavgat, one of the most popular touristic destinations in Turkey. According to the study results, a positive effect was detected between the perception of cultural authenticity, destination attachment, and the intention to support cultural heritage tourism. In addition, the results indicate the existence of a moderator role of cultural sustainability perception in the relationship between destination loyalty and intention to support cultural heritage tourism. As a consequence of the findings obtained, a number of theoretical and practical suggestions have been presented to sector representatives, destination management organizations, and academics working in the literature.

The enduring political viability of governance models in tourist destinations and their implications for people and planet

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to examine the ways in which tourism can be regarded as a catalyst for positive change, benefiting both people and the planet. The authors consider the integral role of community engagement as a tangible component within the governance frameworks of destination management organizations (DMOs).Design/methodology/approachOriginating from the authors' professional experience and academic expertise in managing and marketing tourist destinations, both at the local and regional levels, the article explores the pressing requirement for reevaluating policies and strategies. It aims to emphatically underscore and reiterate the role of tourism as a pivotal driver for enhancing peoples' quality of life and ensuring the sustainability of tourist destinations. This effort involves not only maintaining equilibrium among the four widely recognized pillars of sustainability but also pondering the significance of an equally crucial aspect of destination management – the political sustainability of the governance framework of tourist destinations.FindingsCurrent realities encourage the authors to contemplate and act, guided by the unfolding of tourism's swift regenerative influence. It is anticipated that people have gleaned vital lessons from the collective pause people underwent during the pandemic, coupled with the stark realization of being unable to partake in the favourable contributions of tourism in everyday life. This article highlights the urgency of implementing DMO models that are capable of conceptualizing and operationalizing a human-centred tourism development policy and the resulting sustainability strategies, enhancing representation and guidance for the satisfaction of stakeholders.Originality/valueIt is neither a widespread practice, nor are there many prior studies that tackle the potential of forecasting the comprehensiveness of governance and management models for tourist destinations that encompass stakeholders who represent the direct interests of local communities within the tourism system. Supported by a literature review, analysis of secondary data and the first-hand experience of the authors, it becomes apparent that the operational landscape of most organizations functioning as tourist destination managers is predominantly at the regional and local tiers. These very organizations are the ones that have been progressively evolving, displaying a readiness to introduce innovation in this realm. Implementing these models would represent an approach to governance more inclined towards a bottom-up style, thereby posing a challenge to the more rigid and commonly employed strategies that emanate from a centrally structured national framework.

What triggers tourists’ anxiety? The differential impacts of crisis information source types in social media on tourists’ cross-border travel anxiety

ObjetivoEste estudio pretende revelar el mecanismo desencadenante y las condiciones límite de la ansiedad de los turistas ante los viajes transfronterizos (CBTA) a partir de diferentes fuentes de información sobre crisis (CIS).Diseño/metodología/enfoqueBasándose en el modelo heurístico-sistemático (HSM), este estudio construye una vía teórica de formación de la CBTA de los turistas. A partir de las crisis basadas en la competencia y en la moral, se examinaron las hipótesis mediante tres experimentos situacionales, dirigidos a turistas potenciales chinos y malayos.ResultadosLa información sobre crisis difundida por organizaciones desencadena una mayor CBTA de los turistas que la gubernamental, con la incertidumbre percibida como mediadora. Los recursos de los mensajes de comunicación de crisis (CCMA) (racionales frente a emocionales) moderan negativamente las relaciones anteriores. Los CCMA racionales funcionan para la comunicación de crisis gubernamental, mientras que los CCMA emocionales para las organizativas.Implicaciones prácticasLos resultados proponen que las organizaciones de gestión de destinos (OGD) deberían considerar estrategias heurísticas a la hora de difundir información sobre crisis turísticas transfronterizas. Prestar atención al efecto diferencial de las CCMA ayuda a prevenir crisis secundarias.Originalidad/valorEste estudio reexamina la causa-efecto y los mecanismos de intervención de las reacciones de los turistas a la información sobre crisis, lo que amplía la investigación sobre la gestión de crisis turísticas transfronterizas y la aplicación de la HSM en dicho contexto.