Tourism destinations: the challenge of ‘managing’ humans instead of things
Especially in emerging tourism destinations, destination management structures are either non-existent, volatile or present little market orientation. There may not be a sufficient critical mass of tourism enterprises or visitors to sustain a fully developed destination management or destination marketing structure. Let’s remember for a moment that in tourism the destination is the factory – that is where tourism products are actually made and consumed at the same time, while the tourist passes through many different hands. That´s why destination management plays such a vital role.
A tourism destination is indeed a very complex factory, involving many complementary services and providers with different functions and levels of qualification. And unlike an ordinary factory, the destination is first and foremost made up of human beings, not machines. Think taxi driver, tour guide, hotel manager, souvenir seller, museum curator, bellboy, or entertainer at a theme park. Tourism is a services-oriented activity. Or consider the ecotourism planner of a wildlife refuge, the operator of a day tour, the sales manager of a coach bus company, the chef of a five-star restaurant or the administrator of an international airport. The list of possible tourism stakeholders is endless, presenting an amazing and often fragmented kaleidoscope of perspectives and spheres of interest. And even when considering all the tangible tourism facilities, the dynamics of a tourism destination is essentially driven by humans. Without destination management, all these parts and players do not integrate and without destination marketing, they can not be marketed coherently under a common umbrella.
Taking destination leadership to the next level: An example from Edinburgh, Scotland
The lack of fully matured destination management structures can represent an enormous challenge in developing and promoting a destination – but fortunately, there is one element that can always get things moving.
The one element that makes a difference
The one key to creating coherence in a tourism destination is...leadership. By identifying leaders and having them work together, by establishing a basic common vision and sense of priorities, however rudimentary in the beginning, it is always possible to tackle the most pressing issues. Whether we are talking about a very young or mature destination, the key point is to establish a leadership structure that serves as the destination’s locomotive and articulates and empowers all other industry players. Leadership is always important – but it can truly make all the difference in emerging destinations.
So who are the leaders, how to identify them? Usually it is tourism professionals that assume a vital role within the destination, like accomplished and respected entrepreneurs, influencers whose ideas are generally accepted by others or professionals that have built up a solid reputation in their area of expertise.
They come in all varieties – some are loud and outspoken, others are quiet and analytical, but all have something to contribute to the whole. Leaders usually play an important role in some aspect of the tourism activity. One might be knowledgeable in the hospitality industry, the other might be a well-connected tour operator, another might be an expert on aviation and route development, and another member might be expert on a certain market segment or a particular source market. A representative leadership structure brings together a balance of perspectives along the following lines:
- the main areas of tourism expertise are represented (as suggested: hospitality, aviation, tour operating, marketing, sustainability, service quality and training, meetings & conventions, certain market segments, etc)
- all key geographic areas within a destination are represented
- relevant trade associations are represented
- there should be participation from both the public and the private sector
It is through a combination of leaders like these, who in addition to their technical qualifications have the capability and willingness to work with each other, that other stakeholders in a destination are inspired to overcome distrust and to cooperate rather than to compete. The core network of leaders should be able to set an example and show that beyond their personal interests they are also stewards of the very destination that allows them a make a living from tourism in the first place.
Bringing the leaders of a destination together
With tourism stakeholders from so many different backgrounds, establishing trust can be a challenge. People might use a different language (literally, especially in cross-border contexts; or simply by employing technical terms on different levels) or might hold different values. While some might have a very achievement-oriented, individualistic and entrepreneurial mindset, others may tend to think more collectively, placing higher importance on the greater good of the destination. Different backgrounds and levels of experience also matter. More experienced stakeholders may be demotivated dealing with less seasoned counterparts; which in turn might not be inclined to address certain problems, especial underlying issues and structural challenges, simply because they are not used to analyzing them. For example, the owner of a Bed & Breakfast might not be interested in discussing air connectivity issues of the destination while an experienced destination manager might have an entirely different set of priorities than simply printing the next colorful brochure.
With all these challenges typically arising, often an external facilitator can be extremely helpful to balance interests, minimize the potential for conflicts and mediate different positions and perspectives, fostering common vision building. This is particularly true when a network of leaders is in its early stages. Another helpful approach is to organize tasks by work committees that allow like-minded individuals to pursue their particular agenda, always in alignment with the overall destination strategy.
As trivial as it may sound, another important point is to put core agreements in writing, even publishing them on a webpage or within a closed, members-only online community. Nothing is more frustrating than having to return to the same issues over and over simply because some members, or newly integrated ones, are not informed about the preceding consensus-building process. This should be done in the form of short and concise memos, in contrast to long and tedious planning documents (see why in the next paragraph).
Tourism plans
Around the world, there is a long history of elaborate tourism plans, printed on glossy paper, that were never implemented – for lack of resources, lack of cohesion among stakeholders, missing identification with key elements of the plan, shifting priorities, changing administrations or lack of capacity to follow up on the envisioned areas of intervention.
A good plan is designed in a participatory manner to minimize these symptoms from start. However, when perceived as out-of-sync with everyday concerns, tourism plans and their lofty goals and strategies can be a source of cynicism among tourism stakeholders. Again, the key to converting a vicious circle of disidentification with destination matters into a virtuous one of tackling issues collectively lies in an agile leadership structure that has the ability to address the key concerns of the moment while at the same time addressing the more long-term objectives usually laid out in a plan.
In line with this, leaders can define a straightforward and practical (annual) operational plan that is easily communicated, digested and accepted by the majority of tourism stakeholders in a destination. A leadership structure can, therefore, be the vital link bridging the possible with the practical and the visionary with the here and now.
Good leadership facilitates destination competitiveness
The main reason for cultivating destination leadership is, quite simply, to increase destination competitiveness. Given that the destination represents an interdependent and multi-layered entity, bringing together many different stakeholders, it is the effective synchronization of individual efforts that paves the way for success in the marketplace, especially with regard to international markets that require a more integral and structured approach.
World Economic Forum: Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report
The concept of tourism competitiveness includes a variety of aspects, such as natural and cultural resources, infrastructure, policy and planning framework, legal environment, business climate, safety, human resources, cohesion among stakeholders, and the overall prioritization that tourism has in a country or region, often reflected in the availability of funding for tourism development. Good destination leadership therefore ensures that all these elements can be addressed integrally, raising destination competitiveness and consequently market impact – both short-term and long-term.
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