National Tourism Organizations Research Articles

Developing a thriving domestic tourism sector in emerging economies: a horizon 2050 paper

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to argue for the development of a vibrant domestic tourism sector in emerging economies as a means of moving towards a more sustainable tourism sector and achieving many of the goals outlined in the UNWTO’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Design/methodology/approach It uses a perspective approach through a critical state-of-the-art review of selected domestic and international tourism studies. Findings This paper illustrates how developing such a sector will provide a range of economic and social benefits to emerging economies and their residents, as well as lowering the per-capita tourism carbon footprint of destination areas. Practical implications This study identifies policy initiatives that can be developed to help emerging economies transition from an international tourism focus to a more balanced focus. Social implications This study indicates the social benefits of developing a domestic tourism sector in emerging economies. Originality/value It equips national tourism organisations and small and medium tourism enterprises with specific actions for the use of tourism as a prosperity tool in the pursuance of these benefits. It, further, calls for a research agenda on investigating how emerging economies are uniquely progressing towards this global goal through thriving domestic tourism recognising that each economy is culturally different.

National tourism organizations and climate change

There is a consensus that the global tourism system needs to undergo decarbonization and achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century. However, given the anticipated growth in the most energy-intensive subsector of tourism, air transport, achieving this goal seems unlikely. This paper focuses on the role of distance in the global geography of tourism, against evidence that National Marketing Organizations (NTOs) often seek to attract visitors from all over the world. The analysis of data for a sample of 12 NTOs in Europe, the USA and Canada reveals that the number of markets targeted varies between six and 33, with significant differences in the average distance to markets (<4,000 to 8,000 km), as well as emissions per arrival by market (0.2 t CO2 to 2.5 t CO2). For the countries studied, the 17% of the most distant arrivals cause 62% of the emissions. Results also show that more distant markets are more sensitive to disruptions such as COVID-19. These findings have relevance for destination marketing that point to new climate change related roles for NTOs such as rebranding, demarketing, market segmentation, and communication.

Post-pandemic collaborative destination marketing: Effectiveness and impact on different generational audiences

In a break from the traditional focus on destination image recovery in post-crisis scenarios, the COVID-19 pandemic required a different approach to collaborative destination marketing. This research aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the factors that drive post-pandemic collaborative destination marketing strategies, the objectives that are set, their effectiveness, and the different impacts on diverse age groups. Grounded in stakeholder and generational theories, this study examines an innovative collaborative marketing campaign for Spain in 2022. Spain's tourism rebounded swiftly that year, almost reaching pre-pandemic international visitor numbers. The campaign was collaboratively developed by TourSpain, the Spanish National Tourism Organisation (NTO), along with six regional and local Spanish Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs), Expedia, and TripAdvisor. In-depth interviews were conducted with all stakeholder groups involved in the campaign, and this was complemented by focus groups with U.K. residents, grouped by generation. The findings revealed how the stakeholders reoriented their post-pandemic collaborative strategies to considering variables, such as customer journey stages and sociodemographic factors, to achieve branding and conversion objectives. The study also discovered that the campaign's effectiveness varied across different generational audiences. This research provides valuable insights for NTOs and DMOs in designing future post-crisis collaborative marketing initiatives.

NATIONAL TOURISM ORGANISATIONS (NTOS) IN OECD COUNTRIES AND PARTNER ECONOMIES

This study is of overview and informative nature and is focused on presenting National Tourism Organisations (NTOs), i.e. entities mainly responsible for tourism marketing policies implemented by individual countries. In the article, solutions are offered, which are practiced in 50 countries, i.e., 38 OECD member countries and 12 so-called partner economies (countries) of the organisation. Most of the information (concerning the 50 countries) comes from the OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2022 report [OECD 2022], released on November 30, 2022. At the same time, other studies, including scholarly ones, were used. The study is not aimed at determining or analysing the effectiveness or efficiency of activities implemented by individual National Tourism Organisations. As mentioned, the primary objective is limited to presenting the adopted solutions in the studied countries.

Conceptual approaches concerning wine tourism

The topic of scientific interest of the authors is the research of conceptual approaches regarding wine tourism. The purpose of this research is to elucidate the concepts and generalities regarding wine tourism. The concepts of wine tourism have been formed along with its evolution, and the defining aspects have varied according to the professional opinions of tourism specialists. Understanding the concept of wine tourism cannot be separated from the general concepts of tourism, tour, tourist, visitor, traveler, excursionist. At the same time, special attention is paid to revealing the features of wine tourism and its classification according to different aspects. The presented study is based on the official positions of International and National Tourism Organizations, legislative and normative acts, as well as views of foreign and domestic researchers. The present study was carried out based on the following scientific research methods: analysis, synthesis, comparison, grouping, systematization, etc. The authors' conclusions relate to the presentation of their own definitions of the examined concepts, as well as the scientific novelty regarding the elucidation of the features of wine tourism.

Taste of asean: traditional food images from Southeast Asian countries

Gastronomy tourism and local food have become a powerful tool for tourism advertising because gastronomy often reflects the cultural identity of the destination. Local food images can help showcase the unique flavors of a particular region, making it more attractive to potential visitors. This study aims to analyze how regional tourism authorities share information about the diversity of traditional foods, promote gastronomic tourism, and enhance destinations' competitiveness by utilizing Instagram as a social media platform combining images with textual information. The ASEAN Tourism Online objectives are to promote the region as a single destination, increase tourism arrivals and receipts, and enhance regional connection. In this study, the official account of Southeast Asia Tourism on Instagram @visitsoutheastasiaofficial with keywords Taste of ASEAN marketing campaign. A qualitative approach using content analysis was used in this study. Data for this study were retrieved from 123 traditional food images posted on the official Instagram account from 2016 to 2022. A thematic analysis was used to classify themes. The findings presented categories ranging from the authenticity of traditional food, social media campaigns and promotions, local destination information, and gastronomic tourism activities. The majority of images posted related to the portrait of local cuisines. This analysis portrayed how the ASEAN tourism online wants to promote food as an attraction instead of food as a supporting element of tourism activities. The limitation of this study is only focused on the content of traditional visual food on the Instagram platform. Further research can be done using other social media platforms and comparing these findings with other destinations. It also provides an opportunity to gain insights into what people are saying about each destination, which can be helpful in terms of understanding customer preferences and opinions. The implication of this study will help national tourism organizations, culinary practitioners and academicians about the traditional food images on the social media platform to promote regional and city tourism. Additionally, it can help to identify potential opportunities for improvement or expansion within the region. Finally, researching other destinations through social media platforms can provide valuable information that could be used to create effective marketing strategies and campaigns.

Turystyka luksusowa i turystyka wysokiej klasy – kluczowe zagadnienia i trendy

The article aims to familiarise the reader with the concept of luxury tourism (high-end tourism), trace relevant global consumer trends and to look at the relationship between luxury tourism and sustainable development. The authors rely on the literature that refers to the concept of luxury or high-end tourism, strategic documents published by supranational and national tourism organizations, and a pilot comparative analysis of selected tourist products from the luxury tourism sector. The article is for illustrative purposes only.

Business process management applicability to destination country-brand management

PurposeThis study aims to analyze the business process management (BPM) applicability to a destination country-brand of a Latin American developing country and present a new process model for it.Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative exploratory study whose unit of analysis is the BPM applicability to the destination country-brand of a Latin American developing country. Primary data were obtained through in-depth interview with the developing country's tourism international promotion agency. The secondary data were government reports and research papers on country-brand studies. Data analysis was carried out using stakeholder business context model, architecture processes, pain/gain matrix and BPMN for modelling.FindingsThe results present a new process model for country-brand management to reduce existing barriers. Three steps were carried out: analysis and modelling of the current processes of country-brand management; presentation of the current processes' problems and analysis and modelling of future processes country-brand management.Research limitations/implicationsA theoretical contribution is provided in the literature on processes and country-brands since no previous studies relate these concepts and present a process-oriented management analysis for country-brands.Practical implicationsThe main practical contribution was to identify the country-brand management problems, propose solutions to them and generate a new process model for country-brands that can be used as a managerial tool for national tourism organizations to improve their brands.Originality/valueThe present study is original as it approaches the first analysis of country-brand development with an emphasis on its process management.

An Analysis of the Activities and Performance of Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB)

This study contributes a synopsis of the south Asian countries national tourism board and an analysis of the performance of Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB) with other National Tourism Organizations. It is actually an explanatory research and the nature of the data is qualitative. The data are collected from different websites, newspapers, articles, journals, blogs, etc. Every country needs to know its status compare to others to sustain the competitive market. The competitiveness of tourist destinations acts as the pillar for attracting tourists. Generating tremendous jobs, increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), maintaining the balance of payment, etc. are all possible with the improvement of tourism sector. The development of this sector dramatically depends on the activities and performance of BTB. To measure the present status of BTB as a National Tourism Board (NTO), we need to make an analysis of it with others. The result indicates the inability of BTB to attract a standard number of foreign tourists in Bangladesh compare to other south Asian countries. This study also revealed that its tagline, vision, mission, promotional strategy, website design, policy, crisis management capability, etc. is relatively poor compared to others.

Multiculturalism in Japan halal tourism: localizing the concept of halal

ABSTRACT Since 2014, Japan has been developing halal tourism in order to increase the number of tourists. The halal tourism project emphasizes Japan’s need to understand the halal concept in order to provide appropriate facilities. This research discusses how the halal concept as a foreign culture is understood to provide Muslim-friendly facilities and halal products’ guarantee. This study uses mixed methods: data were taken from the halal signifier pictograms in restaurants, collected from the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and Japan Muslim Guide websites. In addition, the data related to several halal products were also taken from the ‘Japan Halal’ Facebook account. The types and the quantity of pictograms used in restaurants that are recommended by JNTO and Japan Muslim Guide were interpreted to discover how the halal concept is understood in Japan using a multiculturalism framework. This study found that the concept of halal is understood through, and has been adapted to, Japanese local values: the acceptance of halal concept as foreign culture in Japan’s halal tourism is carried out through localization of the concept. Localizing the halal concept provides a strong contribution to tourist destination country, in this case, Japan, as a non-Muslim majority country, to be more attractive to the Muslim tourist in terms of the Japan’s ability in providing the halal facilities for the Muslims while also still showing Japan’s characteristic on its culture.

Representing Sweden: packaging Swedish identity through curators of Sweden

ABSTRACT In 2011, the Swedish national tourism organisation, Visit Sweden, together with the Swedish Institute, launched a campaign – Curators of Sweden (CoS) – on Twitter, which ended in 2018. Each week a ‘Swedish’ person was chosen as a curator to tweet whatever they liked through the @Sweden account. All the curators were chosen because they represented ‘values, skills, and ideas’ which, according to the campaign, ‘all combined, makes up Sweden’. In this article, we try to understand the contradiction of CoS offering a cacophony of ‘diverse’ voices from Swedes but, at the same time, speaking with the ‘same’ voice. Through dialogism, we locate the different voices, agendas and diverse contexts in reality, and examine how the values, skills and ideas were managed and engineered through the CoS, in a bid to imagine Sweden and Swedish identity.

Promotional Activities of Selected National Tourism Organizations (NTOs) in the Light of Sustainable Tourism (Including Sustainable Transport)

The dynamic development and evolution that tourism has recently undergone and its growing importance made it become an important element of the policy of today’s countries in various walks of social, economic and political life. As tourism is one of the largest industries in the world, most countries recognized the leading role in their economies, establishing in this regard the administrative structure of the national tourism organizations (NTOs). NTOs are responsible for the marketing and promotion of countries, improving the tourist image of a given country and supporting existing or developing new tourism products. At the same time, governments are increasingly realizing that tourism should develop in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and be integrated with the natural, cultural and social environment of these countries. This article presents the activities of selected national tourism organizations (NTOs) in terms of their role in developing the potential of sustainable tourism (and within it sustainable transport) in their countries. The aim of the article is to review the promotional activities undertaken by NTOs operating in countries such as Austria, Cyprus, Grenada, Guatemala, Norway and Indonesia. The article is an overview, and the following sources were used to prepare it: official websites of the organizations, reports, promotional materials and any documents related to the operation of the studied NTOs in the field of sustainable tourism and sustainable transport development (e.g., tourism development strategies, tourism product development strategies, projects and programs). The choice of these countries for the analysis was dictated by the fact that they have outstanding natural and cultural assets that make up the product potential for sustainable tourism and the very responsible, diverse and long-term promotional and marketing activities undertaken by the NTOs (e.g., promotional campaigns). Such prudent treatment of own resources and sustainable potential may also contribute to these countries gaining a competitive advantage over other destinations in the world (e.g., increase in interest from tourists). The activities and promotional campaigns cited in the article as well as the solutions proposed by NTOs can also become excellent examples of good practice for other destinations in the world. The research has also shown that the studied countries (and their national tourism organizations) clearly support the development of sustainable tourism and sustainable transport through their national tourism policies.

INTEGRATION DIRECTIONS TO IMPROVE THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The article is devoted to the study of trends in the hospitality industry in Ukraine and the world and the search for ways to improve the competitiveness of the study area. The aim of the publication is to substantiate the directions of increasing the competitiveness of the hospitality industry in the regions of Ukraine in modern conditions on the basis of the analysis of trends in the studied sphere. Methodology. The study is based on the analysis of scientific literature and points of view of foreign and domestic experts in the field of hospitality. The study also used analytical data of the World Travel and Tourism Council and the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine. During the organization and conduct of the study were used general scientific and special methods, such as analysis, synthesis, comparison, identification of destructive factors affecting the state and development of the hospitality industry. Using a structural-logical method, presented a vision of the implementation of modern ways to improve the competitiveness of the hospitality industry in the regions of Ukraine in the conditions of the spread of pandemic. Results. The content and importance of the hospitality industry in the development of the regions of Ukraine and the world. Defined the content of the definitions under study, summarized and formulated approaches to defining the relationship between the concepts of "hospitality industry" and "tourism industry". The analysis of the main indicators of the hospitality industry. In order to find ways to improve the competitive advantages of the hospitality industry and determine the target audience the analysis of indicators of inbound and outbound tourism in Ukraine. Described trends in the development of the hospitality industry in modern conditions. The decrease in almost all indicators of development of the hospitality industry is revealed. The data of the World Council of Travel and Tourism about the state of the hospitality industry in Ukraine are analyzed. The reduction of the total contribution of travel to employment in Ukraine in 2020 to 6.3% was revealed. Identified directions and measures to strengthen the competitive advantages of the hospitality industry in the regions of Ukraine. It is proved that promising directions to improve the competitiveness of the hospitality industry in modern conditions are the association of business entities of the industry, as well as the use of modern digital and information tools. Such associations can be alliances, clusters, unions, brotherhoods, and so on. Joint cooperation of economic entities of the region will allow to create a comprehensive regional product that meets international standards, the needs of modern consumers, safe and of high quality, as well as able to integrate into the world tourism market. Practical implications. The study, based on analysis of major trends in the hospitality industry in Ukraine and the world has allowed to define integrated directions for improving the competitiveness of the hospitality industry, the implementation of which in the regions allows you to create a comprehensive regional product that meets international standards and the needs of the modern consumer, is of high quality and safe. Value/originality. The proposed directions for improving the competitiveness of the hospitality industry are the leading tools of regional development, which will quickly overcome the consequences of the spread of the pandemic, promote socio-economic growth of regions and the integration of regional products and services in the global tourism market.

Value proposition of smartphone destination marketing: The cases of Hong Kong and South Korea

Aim/purpose – This paper aims at examining the value propositions of tourism market- ing for smartphone marketing and the value perceptions of tourists of using smartphone applications by investigating the National Tourism Organization (NTO) of Hong Kong and South Korea, respectively. Design/methodology/approach – Through conducting in-depth and focus group inter- views, the present study explored and compared the value proposition of smartphone destination marketing of the NTOs in Hong Kong and South Korea. Findings – Findings of the present study indicate seven value propositions of the NTO, including aesthetic, functional, hedonic, organizational, social, technological, and user experience values. Research implications/limitations – An increasing number of destination marketing organizations have been adopting smartphones to meet the demands of the competitive marketing environment. Hence, tourism organizations must enhance the delivery of quality travel-related information to improve tourists’ perceived value. A conceptual framework was proposed based on the findings of the present study, and valuable practi- cal implications were provided. Originality/value/contribution – The originality of the present study lies in the integra- tion of the value proposition concept in the consumption value theory to the mobile context in tourism. Keywords: smartphones, smartphone marketing, National Tourism Organization (NTO), value propositions, perceived value, Hong Kong, South Korea. JEL Classification: M31, N70, Z33.

РЕГІОНАЛЬНИЙ ВЕКТОР РОЗВИТКУ ТУРИЗМУ В УКРАЇНІТ

At the present stage of development of society, tourism has occupied one of the leading places as a cultural and economic phenomenon. It is constantly changing and expanding the range of species and forms, offering new motives for travel. Currently, tourism is developing in a difficult epidemic situation, complicated by political cataclysms, which brings to the problem of finding new local resources to create a relevant proposal.The article is devoted to a comprehensive consideration of the problems and prospects of regional tou-rism development in Ukraine. The development of priority areas of tourism, in particular, such as domestic and foreign is possible through the use of domestic tourist and recreational opportunities of Ukrainian regional now.Comprehensive solution of regional tourism development in Ukraine requires further study and improvement of the management system, use of local resources and infrastructure development, training of qualified personnel, creation of a unique regional tourist offer and solving funding problems. Regional development of tourism is possible with the effective use of the internal potential of the region-managerial, resource, financial. The essence of activating managerial capacity is to shift the emphasis from direct public administration and regulation of regional development of tourism and recreation to: stimulation the formation of an effective autonomous regulatory mechanism in the regions; activation of the entrepreneurial element, the activities of individuals in ensuring such development; creation of the conditions for effective cooperation between public authorities, local governments and the private sector in the development of tourism through various mechanisms. Achieving the set goals lies in the way of involving public authorities, local governments, territorial communities and private initiative to active action. Therefore, local tourism organizations and tourist information centers are being setup at the department sand tourism departments of local state administrations, and the efforts of domestic and foreign (including international) public organizations are being actively involved. The experience of the National Tourist Organization of Ukraine (NTOU) is interesting in this topic. The article highlights the experience of public and regional tourism organizations, in particular the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine, considers the possibilities of creating regional tourism product on the examples of specific types of tourism and regional resources, draws conclusions on the prospects of tourism development in the regions and solving funding problems. Keywords: touristic region (destination), regional tourism, NTO of Ukraine, regional tourism product.

РОЗВИТОК ЕКОЛОГІЧНОГО ТУРИЗМУ В КОНТЕКСТІ ФУНКЦІОНУВАННЯ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ТУРИСТИЧНОЇ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЇ УКРАЇНИ

The scientific research is devoted to topical issues of ecological tourism research in the conditions of the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine, which will lead to a complex effect in the long run (it will consist of supporting local business, creating jobs, rationalizing the use of resources, preserving biodiversity, improving infrastructure, forming a national tourist image and respectful attitude to the lifestyle, culture and traditions of local residents). It has been established that the variety of sources of financing makes it possible to form multivariate strategies for the development of ecological tourism facilities. It has been found that ecological tourism is one of the alternative types of tourism, which is considered as one of the ways to improve the economic life of communities, since this type of tourism contributes to increasing public awareness of the values of the environment and natural resources, the formation of additional financial opportunities for the preservation of destinations, especially in «critical» locations that lack viable economic alternatives. It has been investigated that the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine forms additional connections and establishes the interaction of subjects of the tourism sphere with state authorities, territorial communities and related industries. A survey of respondents has been conducted to determine the average value of the total amount of money that a tourist is willing to spend when visiting ecolocations during a one-day tour to Zhytomyr Region in 2021. The basic structure of visitor spending on tourist services has been established. The priority of tourist service needs of visitors to ecolocations during one day of the tour has been revealed. The main possible frequency of trips to the objects of ecological tourism has been determined. Respondents' suggestions for arranging the infrastructure of the locations have been offered. The calculation of the economic efficiency formula for determining the possibilities of the project of a potential object of ecological tourism has been carried out, on the basis of which tourist organizations, communities, and state authorities will be able to make a decision about the feasibility of implementing the project.

Measuring tourism success: how European National Tourism Organisations are shifting the paradigm

PurposeThe paper analyses the dramatic global slowdown of tourism caused by the pandemic and how it has provided an exceptional opportunity for the tourism sector to reassess both its priorities and practices, especially in relation to our planet and society.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides an analysis of the European Travel Commission's position regarding the development of a sustainable tourism ecosystem and the definition of new metrics to measure this transition, thus allowing European National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) to share knowledge and learn from each other.FindingsNTOs across Europe are at different stages in their journey towards a sustainable tourism development model. Some destinations are still focussing on attracting more travellers from international markets while others at a more mature stage, are switching their work towards the management of tourism flows. These latter examples support the approach that developing a tourism strategy should start with the needs of the destination, and the local people should be directly and fully involved in the tourism strategy. Initiatives such as this can support tourism decision-making based on data and firm evidence and help to address doubts and common misunderstandings around how residents feel.Originality/valueThis paper highlights how the European Travel Commission, together with its members, are working towards a new world benchmark for responsible, sustainable and innovative tourism in response to exponential growth of demand, the reality of the ecological transition and the emergence of a new digital era.

Dimensions of (post-)viral tourism revival: actions and strategies from the perspectives of policymakers in Portugal

ABSTRACT This research explores the dimensions of (post-)viral tourism revival from the perspectives of policymakers in Portugal. Accordingly, the data were collected through semi-structured interviews with policymakers representing Portugal’s regional and national level tourism organisations. The findings include six main themes: financial actions, structural and logical strategies, demand-related strategies, workforce aspects and actions, marketing and promoting strategies, and optimization of funds. By providing the necessary actions and strategies, the present study results will be helpful for destinations to develop effective crisis management planning in the (post-)viral tourism to revive. Additionally, this paper is the first to reveal in detail the dimensions of (post-)viral tourism revival from the perspectives of policymakers who are in significant positions of regional and national level tourism organizations. Thence, the findings are original and will contribute to the tourism literature.

Rinha UTFPR: relato de uma experiência em rede social durante a pandemia

O presente relato de experiência teve como objetivo analisar uma atividade extensionista voltada para a saúde mental, a Rinha UTFPR, desenvolvida em período de isolamento social. Trata-se de estudo documental. O corpus de pesquisa foi composto por publicações realizadas no Facebook. Na análise foi utilizada a técnica da análise de conteúdo. Nas disputas, no período de 12 dias, foram alcançadas 446.231 pessoas, houve 139.471 engajamentos e 41.841 reações. Conclui-se que a Rinha UTFPR atingiu os objetivos propostos na sua concepção.

The ecological component of agrotourism development under the COVID-19 pandemic

The study was conducted to identify the environmental component in the development of agrotourism and its impact on the psychological state of society in the COVID-19 pandemic. The experience of European countries shows the environmental, economic, and social benefits of agrotourism. The methodological basis of the study is the general scientific methods of cognition and social processes (analysis, synthesis, generalization, classification) together with sociological methods of obtaining empirical data. The National Tourism Organization of Ukraine has declared 2020 as the year of green rural tourism, an important component from which agrotourism arises. It is concluded that, la peculiarity of the development of agrotourism in Ukraine at the current stage is the acquisition of innovative forms of organization according to the growing needs of consumers, the efficient use of the natural, ecological, socioeconomic, and historical-cultural potential of the territory and the achievement of the required level of profitability. The situation of crisis and instability is accompanied by the presence of uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic; the need to form the concept of tourism development 4.0; introduction of ICT and development of innovative technologies in agrotourism in rural areas; training of professionals in the field of agrotourism.