Destination Management - Annotated Bibliography Example

Name: Tutor: Title: Destination Management Course: Institution: Date: Introduction Destination management as attracted attention of policy makers and scholars alike in the last two decades, a fact that is partly attributed to the impacts of steady development of tourism both from the demand and the supply side and as a response to the emerging trends observed in the tourism market (Morrison, 2013). The aim of this paper is to provide a critical review of journals with an aim of providing a better understanding of Destination management. Specifically, the paper seeks to indentify, reflect and describe main issues and learning from the journals. The journals are reviewed along key issues of a destination management, critical reflections theoretical constructs, concepts, frameworks and models of the journals and a reflection on the nature and quality of the journals. Article 1: Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations, Routledge, London, UK by Morrison, A.M. (2013). Destination Management means different things to different people. In the first article the author describes destination management as professional strategy or approach towards guiding all efforts in a tourist attraction or a place that has decided to pursue tourism as an economic activity (p1). It is also viewed as a coordinated and integrated management of the destination mix outlined as tourism attractions, activities facilities, transport and infrastructural resources as well as hospitality. Morrison posits that destination management can also be seen as the broader concept that entail destination marketing and other roles such as leadership and coordination, planning and research, product development, partnerships and team-building, and community relations(Morrison, 2013). The concept of destination management organizations (DMOs) is introduced and their specific roles including leadership and coordination, planning and research, product development, marketing and promotion, partnership and team-building, and community relations. Effective destination management involves long-term tourism planning and continual monitoring and evaluation of the outcomes from tourism efforts. In terms of theoretical basis, the article demonstrates a rather indefinite picture for destination management but seems to revolve around stakeholders approach to management which adds a sense of shared ownership among other benefits (Morrison, 2013). From my personal reflection, the article offers useful contributions especially the view that destination marketing and management are interrelated. It also gives an empirical approach to the study to demonstrate the practical realities of destination marketing and management except for methodological flaws possibly linked to using case studies and relying too heavily on interpretation to guide findings and recommendations. In terms of quality, the article is well structured and provides an empirical argument thus able to convince the reader. However, clear theoretical framework would add more value to the work. Article 2: Managing a mature coastal destination: Pattaya, Thailand by Longjit and Chootima (2013) In this journal, the authors give explicit account and definition of destination management by studying its practicality in a mature coastal resort, Pattaya in Thailand. The authors adopt WTO (2007, p.4)’s definition which states that Destination management is “the coordinated management of all the elements that make up a destination including attractions, amenities, access and marketing as well as pricing”. In this context, there is consideration to strategic framework geared towards integrating what seem separate entities for the better management of the destination. This assist in checking duplication of effort in relation to promotion, visitor services, training, business support, it also assist in the identification of any existing management (Longjit and Chootima, 2013, p.1). The main emphasis is the need for integration, coordination or collaboration of management agencies/organizations, objectives, and associated activities from the stand point of destination scale. According to Longjit and Chootima (2013, p.3), destination management is more than the issues of governance, organizations and the actor’s but an emphasis on the scope of management, that is, what is being managed, how, by whom and at what level or degree. In addition, empirical support of how and to what degree destination management is presently being implemented must be demonstrated. Besides this, a theoretical framework linked to the activities and grounded on reality instead of abstract and ideal notions. A conceptual framework of destination management is established from pertinent sets of literature in guiding the interpretation. In terms of critical refection, the authors have a valid point in convincing respective readers. In terms of quality, the journal gives the much needed empirical evidence about the nature of destination management thus adding to the accuracy and the value of the work. In addition, it is well structured and starts from the broad concept of destination management which is later applied or adopted as a basis in examining the nature and extent of destination management in Pattaya. Article 3: Sustainable development and tourism destination management: a case study of the Lillehammer region, Norway by Welford, R. and Ytterhus, B. (2004). In this journal, the key concepts of destination management revolves around the roles of destinations and stakeholders, cooperating and networking aimed at enhancing environmental performance, and on generating a 'green' image. Welford and Ytterhus (2004) argue that for any organization to achieve sustainable tourism, enhanced management of a destination is inevitable. In addition, the need to create opportunities for networking and cooperation between key stakeholders is emphasized. A case of Lillehammer, Norway is considered with an examination of how the various projects in are negotiated, developed and delivered by service providers. The main projects studied include hotel, transport and aesthetics. The major Success factors identified include participation of stakeholders, the establishment of local based codes of conduct and the role and involvement of local authorities, as well as the importance of leadership. The study by Welford and Ytterhuss demonstrates that that the collective actions of related agencies can bring about successful destination management. Integration of these agencies, particularly from different levels, in managing all tourism-related activities at the destination scale seems important for destination management. Again, the integration of the goals and practices of all relevant agencies are also essential for effective destination management. The authors use a conceptual framework of destination management by reviewing previous studies in guiding their interpretation. The study provides useful contribution to the topic destination management however; it has no clear theoretical basis. Again, from my personal refection, I have reservation on the assumption that all agencies are able to integrate and cooperate are required or perfectively. The work is of good quality as it is based on a review of pertinent literature. The use of the case study is a plus and the finding adds to the body of knowledge in helping destinations move towards sustainable tourism. Article 4: Stakeholder approach in tourism management: implication in Croatian tourism by Saftic, D., Težak, A., and Luk, N (2011). The above article introduces the concepts of destination management from a stakeholders approach especially in relation to Destination Management Organization. The approach is based on an assumption that an organization is unique in its relationships with various groups and individuals, including employees, customers, suppliers, governments etc. In the contemporary society characterized by new trends in tourism, this approach is essential. The paper mainly seeks to determine and analyze possible implementation of stakeholder approach in Croatian tourism. According to the authors, for stakeholders approach to work or transmitted on a tourist destination, one must specify the organization in charge of “the management”, and followed by identification of the destination’s stakeholders. Unlike other article, there is a clear use of a theoretical basis which in this case is the stakeholder’s theory. A critical look at the article reveals that although it provides useful insight into the topic destination management, it lacks empirical basis or evidence. Although the authors indicate that the approach is useful in reduction of the pressure on coastal area and redirection of tourists to rural destinations, they are blind to the fact that stakeholder approach may have shortcomings. The work is well structured except that it suffers from methodological weaknesses such as relying on secondary data hence comprising the quality and accuracy of the whole work. Article 5: Destination collaboration: Critical review of theoretical approaches to a multi-dimensional phenomenon by Fyall, A., Garrod, B., and Wang, Y (2012) This article discusses destination management by considering how well the available theories of collaboration may apply across the different dimensions of collaboration and suggest important lessons for organizations aspiring to maximize their collaborative edge across the various dimensions of destination management. The main concept of destination management emphasized in this article is the aspect of collaboration and the role of Destination Management Organizations. According to the authors, collaboration can be a valuable approach for destination to embrace and utilized potentials which are rarely exploited or tapped. DMO also plays a major role in enhancing collaboration among the various components making up the destination. In addition, they can serve as a vehicle for collaborating with other destinations. According to the authors, the fact that collaboration happens in both within and between destinations, or under and outside of the governance of a DMO, raises a particularly important question for destination marketing and management but with a particular emphasis on how well do current theories of collaboration explain and inform the different dimensions destination collaborations. The work is clear on the use of theories and conceptual framework drawn from a review of previous work. From critical angle, the article provides important direction to the study of destination management however; it is blind to the negative aspect of collaboration. The arguments are also questionable due to lack of empirical evidence as it is based on secondary data. The article is well structured however, the quality and accuracy suffers from lack of empirical evidence. The authors ought to have considered the use of primary data to bring an empirical aspect of the study and accuracy. Article 6: Integrated Model of Destination Competitiveness by Tanja A., Vladimir, M., Nemanja, D., Tamara, J (2011). This article discusses the concepts of destination management from an Integrated Model of Destination Competitiveness perspective. The authors have adopted Crouch and Ritchie (1999) definition of destination management which cov­ers factors influencing the attractiveness of the inherited and created resources, improving the quality of the supporting factors and those which best adapt to the situational settings. The main idea in this journal is that com­petitive position of a destination on the tourism market is determined by the choice and quality of the management of destination resources. Based on the case study of Serbian, the authors argue that Competitive strategies should be aimed at improving the competitiveness of the weakest elements of Serbian tourism, which include demand conditions and des­tination management. In other words, destination management is essential in achieving competitiveness in a given destination. The article is based on sound and clear theoretical basis. The article provides important contribution to the topic. However, it is limited to Destination Competitiveness yet there is other various aspect of destination management such as coordination and integration of tourism based agencies. The article is well structured and based on a clear theoretical basis which adds value to the work. The methodology is also a plus for the work however; more research is still needed for further clarification Article 7: Business Tourism Destination Competitiveness: A Case Of Vojvodina Province (SERBIA), by Dragićević, V., Jovičić, D., Blešić, I., Stankov, U.and Bošković, D. (2012) This article also takes a competitive perspective to the study of destination management. In the context of this article, tourism competitiveness is defined as the ability of a destination to create, integrate and deliver tourism experiences, including value-added goods and services considered. The main concepts of Destination management include destination promotion, service levels, information systems, the organization of destination management activities, and sustainable use of resources. The authors emphasize on the main elements of Competitiveness model which include destination policy, planning and development, qualifying and amplifying determinants, destination management, core resources and attractors a well as supporting factors and resources. The article is also based on a clear theoretical framework which in this case is the Competitiveness model of management. Critical look at the work leads to the conclusion that is gives important direction to the study of destination management which in this case is seen as an aspect of the broader competitive model. This contradictory to Morrison (2013) who sees destination management as the main component relative to other aspects like marketing, planning. However, Dragićević and colleagues assume that the model is perfect and suffers from no shortcomings which are certainly not true. In General, the article is well organized and the use of primary data adds value to the article. Article 8: Determinants of Tourism Success for DMOs & Destinations: An Empirical Examination of Stakeholders’ Perspectives by Bornhorst, T, Ritchie, J.R.B., and Sheehan, L (2009) The above article discuses what constitute destination success? Specifically, it elaborates on the meaning of a destination as opposed to a destination management organization (DMO) and mainly examines concept of destination or tourism success in relation to both destinations and to DMOs, and whether there is distinction between the two. The article indentifies the main features of a successful DMO as good supplier relations, effective management, strategic planning, organizational focus and drive, proper funding, and quality personnel. However, those unique to a destination success include but not limited to location and accessibility, product and service attractiveness and quality of visitor experiences as well as the community support. Specific roles of DMO are working towards enhancing the well-being of destination residents; doing everything necessary to ensure that visitors are offered good visitation experiences while also ensuring the provision of good or appropriate destination management. The article is based on conceptual framework drawn from a review of pertinent literature but lack a clear theoretical basis. The authors have valid points in convincing the reader on destination management as it is based on primary data specially 84 knowledgeable tourism managers and stakeholders drawn from 25 Canadian destinations. This adds value to the quality and accuracy of the findings except for lack of precise theoretical basis which would otherwise add value to the overall quality of the work. Article 9: Tourism's destination dominance and marketing website usefulness by Arch G. Woodside, Ramos Mir Vicente, Mariana Duque, (2011) In this article, destination management and marketing is seen as interdependent. Tourism marketing is part and parcel of destination management demonstrated by the authors by carrying out an empirical test on tourism’s destination dominance and the significance of marketing website. The method used in this study is tourism's destination dominance ration which includes the number of tourists visiting on yearly basis to a destination's residential population. The study also applies the metric in evaluating the usefulness of selected destination marketing websites. The study's results show a significant relationship between tourism destination dominance and marketing thus a confirmation that destination management goes hand in hand with destination marketing. The study lacks a clear theoretical basis. However, it gives insight into the study of destination management. The main shortcomings of this article are the fact that the role of a destination's website for potential visitors may not always relate substantially to tourism's dominance a given destination. All in all, the article is well organized and offers an important direction tourism destination confirming the view that destination marketing approaches vary in their usefulness for potential visitors and offering a metric for testing usefulness are the valuable contributions of the study. There is however need for more research. Article 10: The Competitive Destination: A Sustainable Tourism Perspective by Ritchie, B. J., & Crouch, G. I. (2003). The article is based on the applicability to tourism destinations of competitiveness research and models in other contexts ranging from companies and products, na­tional industries, and national economies as well as competitiveness related to service industries. In this article, claim that, Ritchie and Crouch argues that in absolute terms, the most competitive destination is one which brings greatest success; that is, the greatest well­being for its residents on a sustainable basis. This article is a new improved version of their competitive­ness model: the Conceptual Model of Destination Competitiveness. Like Morrison, Ritchie and Crouch view destination management and marketing as interdependent. according to the author, the operation of destination marketing is concerned with branding, positioning, and destination image and that destination marketing and management requires the cooperation of relevant agencies in promoting the destination as a single tourism product through marketing and by extension encourage diverse and fragmented tourism products offered at the destination as opposed to promoting the destination as a product. In terms of destination resources, four major management concepts are introduced namely tourism resource management, human resource management, safety management, and visitor management. According to the authors, destination management should be carried out in a way that enables the destination to either delay or transform its life cycle. It should also be implemented and in a way that harmonizes all tourism agencies and elements to benefit all stakeholders and to maintain the competitiveness of the destination. The article is guided by conceptual framework derived from literature review. Although the study gives important insight, it is not conclusive on what makes up destination management. However, it gives an empirical aspect of looking at the topic thus adding value and accuracy. Conclusion From the reviewed journals, destination management revolves around integration, coordination, DMO and specified goals. The journal reviewed provide useful insights to the topic, but at the same time confirming the varying views the view in regards to destination management. The main challenges for destination management remain to accurately find and introduce the form of definition that best fits it in all regions across the globe. Therefore, more detailed and empirical studies in relation to the topic , Destination Management and related concepts addressed by the journals is essential in coming up with a more comprehensive understanding of what constitute destination management. Bibliography Arch G. Woodside, Ramos Mir Vicente, Mariana Duque, (2011).Tourism's destination dominance and marketing website usefulness, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 23 Iss: 4, pp.552 – 564 Bornhorst, T, Ritchie, J.R.B., and Sheehan, L (2009). Determinants of Tourism Success for DMOs & Destinations: An Empirical Examination of Stakeholders’ Perspectives BRS-TM(v25) :1-42 Crouch, G.I., Ritchie, J.R.B. (1999). Tourism, com­petitiveness, and societal prosperity. Journal of Business Research, 44, 137-152. Fyall , A., Garrod , B.,and Wang, Y(2012) . Destination collaboration: Critical review of theoretical approaches to a multi-dimensional phenomenon Journal of Destination Marketing & Management Vol110–26 Longjit,C., and. Pearce D.G (2013). Managing a mature coastal destination: Pattaya, Thailand Journal of Destination Marketing & Management 11 pages Morrison, A.M.(2013). Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations, Routledge, London, UK Ritchie, B. J., & Crouch, G. I. (2003). The Competitive Destination: A Sustainable Tourism Perspective. New York, USA: CABI Publishing. Saftic , D.,Težak, A., and Luk, N(2011).Stakeholder approach in tourism management: implication in Croatian tourism ,International Conference on Organizational Science Development Future Organization March 23rd – 25th 2011, Portorož, Slovenia Tanja A., Vladimir, M., Nemanja, D., Tamara, J (2011). Integrated Model of Destination Competitiveness Geographical Pannonica, Vol 15 , Issue 2, pp58-69 Welford, R., & Ytterhus, B. (2004). Sustainable development and tourism destination management: A case study of the Lillehammer region, Norway. International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, 11(4), 410. WTO (2007).A practical guide to tourism destination management. Madrid: World Tourism Organization Read More