69821 - Destination Marketing and Management

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

·          Characterize the major ongoing trends and issues in the tourism sector

·          Describe and analyse the competitive trends of tourism destinations

·          Apply methods for strategic destination marketing and management

·          Develop marketing strategies and plans for destinations

·          Design effective organizational structures for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) with an emphasis on inter-organizational relationships and cooperation

Course contents

The course illustrates the major characteristics of tourism destinations with a managerial perspective. More specifically it deals with Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) such as Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs), with an emphasis on their organizational features and functions. Topics that will be discussed include the following ones:

1) Tourism destinations and markets: facts, figures, relevant phenomena and ongoing trends

2) Concepts and definitions of destination marketing and management

3) Destination planning and marketing planning, implementation and performance evaluation

4) Destination Management research

5) Destination Product Development and Innovation

6) Destination Management Organizations (DMOs). Objectives, organizational structures, legal status, functions, relationships with the local governments, community and stakeholder relations, members, partnerships, team-building, governance and leadership

7) Destination Integrated Marketing Communications

8) Destination Information and Communication Technologies 

9) Pricing and distribution

10) Managing tourism destinations within an experience economy context 

Readings/Bibliography

Baggio, R., Czakon, W., Mariani, M.M. (2013) Managing Tourism in a Changing World: Issues and Cases. London: Routledge. 

Harrill, R. (2005) Fundamentals of Destination Management and Marketing. Lansing, MI: Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Mariani, M.M., Baggio, R., Buhalis, D., Longhi, C. (2014) Tourism Management, Marketing and Development: the Importance of Networks and ICTs, New York: Palgrave. (ISBN: 9781137368652).

Mariani , M.M., Baggio, R. (2012) “Managing tourism in a changing world: Issues and cases”. Anatolia An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality, 23 (1): pp. 1-3 .

Mariani, M., Kylänen, M. (2014) “The relevance of public-private partnerships in coopetition: Empirical evidence from the tourism sector”, International Journal of Business Environment, 6(1), 106–125.

Morrison, A. (2013) Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations. London: Routledge.

Pike, S. (2008) Destination Marketing. An Integrated Marketing Communication Approach. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, Elsevier.

Pine, J., Gilmore, J. (1989). The Experience Economy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.

Ritchie, J.R.B., Crouch, G.I. (2000) “The competitive destination: A sustainability perspective”. Tourism Management, 21, 1–7.

Ritchie, J.R.B., Crouch, G.I. (2003) The Competitive Destination – A Sustainable Tourism Perspective. Oxford: CABI Publishing.

Wang, Y., Pizam, A. (2011) Destination Marketing and Management. Theories and Applications. Oxford: CABI Publishing.

Additional material (business cases) will provided in class by the teacher. 

Teaching methods

The course has three main components: lectures, written exam, students' group presentation of pre-assigned papers. Guest lectures by relevant professionals/practitioners in the field will be also provided.

Assessment methods

For students attending the class

Grading is based on written exam and students' group presentation. 

 

For students NOT attending the class

Grading is based on written exam

Office hours

See the website of Marcello M. Mariani