“The role of Destination Marketing Organisations in distributing and marketing the tourism product”
Destination management and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) are new phenomena in tourism professional practice and in the tourism literature. However, they have now become recognized as being integral to the success of a tourism destination (Alastair, 2012).
Defining DMOs
According to traveloregon.com a Destination Marketing Organization is an organization whose primary function is to attract visitors to its locale for the purpose of enhancing the local economy through the purchasing of tourism supplies such as hotel’s rooms, food and beverage, retail items, transportation and visitor services (traveloregon.com, 2014).
According
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• Leadership and coordination: The DMO has a leadership role in tourism within the destination and sets overall direction for the future tourism.
• Planning and research: The DMO has a role in preparing tourism policies, plans and strategies for destinations, also drives research on existing and potential target markets to guide future marketing and product development decisions.
• Product development: The DMO is responsible for the sustainable development of the tourism product including physical products, people, packages and programs.
• Marketing and promotion: The DMO develops overall marketing strategy and prepares long-term and short-term marketing plans for tourism at the destination.
• Partnership and team-building: The DMO puts together effective destination team and builds alliances to in order to achieve the destination’s product development and marketing goals.
• Community relations: The DMO acts as the main champion and advocate for tourism in the destination by raising awareness and profile of tourism locally to support the achievement of its product development and marketing goals. The DMO can consult with residents of the community when making important decisions that will affect lifestyles and living standards of the people (Morrison,
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Tourism Ireland
Tourism Ireland is a destination marketing organisation. Their role is to grow overseas tourism revenue and the numbers of visitors to Ireland while also to help Northern Ireland to realise its tourism potentials. Tourism Ireland is responsible for marketing Ireland as a holiday destination overseas and they provides marketing programmes in over 20 markets world-wide and also works in co-operation with industry partners in Ireland as well as with the travel trade, online operators, media, air and sea carriers overseas in order to encourage customers to come into Ireland (tourismireland.com, 2014).
Tourism Ireland also help to influence product development in Ireland, by sharing the insight on global tourism trends and the changing need of overseas consumers with other tourism agencies, particularly with Fáilte Ireland which is a National Tourism Development Authority, and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and other industry partners (tourismireland.com,