Organisations involved in destination management, their roles and priorities
Governments, Ministries, National Tourism Organisations (NTOs)
LTOs, RTos, DMCs
LTO/RTO - public sector funded by gov
managing tourism within the whole country on a set budget.
set objectives that consider the environment, economy & market.
Role is to implement STRATEGIES to minimise negative impacts and maximise positive impacts of T
Research
They must
Encourage, promote and develop tourism as a major socio-economic activity encourage repeat visitors
encourage investment into the country
develop and market a positive destination image
Economic strategies
Environmental strategies
Marketing strategies
protect the environment & offer sustainable tourism whilst also encouraging investment into the destination.
They can do this by protecting and managing areas by creating national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty.
minimise leakages from the economy; set taxes
Encourage investment
Retain tourism numbers & encouraging repeat visitors
Developing a strong brand identity.
Gain positive destination image
develop the country's image.
Expand into specialised ( niche ) & mass markets
To maximise tourism success, governments and NTOs must collaborate with other tourism organisations. Even though they may work in partnership they may have conflicting objective
LTO - smaller local area e.g. Greyton Tourism, Franschoek Tourism
RTO & LTO Work with the government to
Local infrastructure development and control
Visitor management - engage in activities that boost destination image focus on visitors to generate additional revenue
regarding planning & control of how land should be used at a local level.
RTO - Larger geographical area e.g. Western Cape Tourism
DMC - specific destination ( private sector)
tailor-made solutions
LTOs work with local gov coz gov is responsible for maintaining and cleaning publicly owned visitor attraction sites, operates local accommodation grading schemes, and issues tour guide licences.
Local partners of outgoing tour operators, travel agents and conference planners.
have resources to offer a professional service in organising and running events, assisting in transport, organising meetings, booking accommodation & restaurants, excursions, conferences etc.
Can offer special rates because
Specialise in design and implementation of events, activities, tours and transportation within a destination.
They are in the destination itself and this is makes it easier to make arrangements from within the destination than trying to plan from a distance.
local to area - have extensive knowledge about their local environment.
professional service company
used often by conference organisers as they can arrange airport transfers, hotel accommodation, meal service, hospitality desks, sight-seeing and tours, themed events, room amenities and even gifts on behalf of their customers.
They may have special connections enabling them to negotiate special deals on customers' behalf.
Because they plan and coordinate so many various elements
(c) International development agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
Depend on donations from supporters. As they constantly seek funding, they will also support local destination promotion activities. They will research and become experts on destinations and issues of interest. They advise partners, developers, and destination management companies on proposed projects to deliver acceptable and sustainable products and services. They empower locals and hold larger companies accountable for exploiting locals or the destination
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Research, fund-raise, develop and finance projects
• Specialist knowledge and expert staff to oversee projects
• Guidance in regional planning for projects
• Assistance in training and education of local communities
• Promote awareness of political, environmental, sociocultural issues
• Promote awareness of demand for specialised tourism products
(d) Commercial organisations
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• Overseas Business travel agents, inbound outbound & specialist tour operators serving the specialised markets – select, package, market and sell products, services and tours
• Local businesses, e.g. accommodation providers, transport operators, attractions and guiding services – develop and provide products and services
Privately owned businesses that bring together products and services to the general public.
main concern - generating a profit for their shareholders.
They do everything they can to promote their brand, increase sales, and boost revenue.
many different niche market - e.g. photography trips, adventure - (soft and hard), eco tourism, cultural tourism, painting courses, wilderness tours, sports tours. Specialised tour operators can meet a growing need in the tourism industry by educating visitors about interesting destinations and benefiting local communities.
Organisations must be resourceful in terms of providing the correct products and services to a variety of customers. Staying on trend and remaining dynamic is vital in a competitive environment.