Destination Marketing Organization within Australia - Case Study Example

Destination Marketing Organization Student’s Name: Institutional Affiliation: Executive Summary Destination marketing organization is significant in promoting tourist destination and therefore its role in the tourism sector cannot be ignored. Without doubt, Australia is among the leading tourist destination in the world. Sydney, which is one of the oldest cities in Australia, is the biggest and leading tour destinations because of its favorable climate and other attractive sceneries that make it to stand out among its competitors. On the other hand, Destination New South Wales is among the well-known destination marketing organization in Australia. As a top destination marketing organization, Destination NSW uses Sydney as one of its destination and has attracted many clients due to its user-friendly website. Most visitors that come to Sydney through Destination NSW are mostly visiting friends and relatives (VFR). With proper marketing strategies, any marketing organization destination can be able to perform well in this competitive industry. The most important concept for destination marketing organizations is the ability to invest in a segment that has a potential for market survival. Destination Marketing Organization Destination marketing organizations is a firm or bureau that is mostly used to protect a region, city, or country to increase the number of visitors that tour a given destination (Pike, 2004). Destination Marketing Organization focuses on marketing and service provision for destinations. Such types of organizations promote economic development of any given region by increasing the number of tourists and marketing tourism (Destination NWS, 2012). In addition to this, the marketing organizations are responsible in making their brands known to the public (Pike, 2004). For better understanding of the topic, this paper will discuss Destination New South Wales (D NSW), which has been in the frontline providing tourism services in Australia. Destination NSW Among the foremost and leading destination marketing organization in Australia is Destination New South Wales. Destination NSW is a government statutory organization located in New South Wales (Pike, 2004). Its mission is clearly outlined; it is focused to develop and make “Sydney and New South Wales one of the world most successful tourism and events destinations” (Pike, 2004). As a leading destination marketing organization firm in Australia, Destination NWS has a crucial responsibility in developing, transforming, and devising better strategies for growth and development of the tourism sector for economical growth in Australia (Destination NWS, 2012). One of the biggest and a crucial role of Destination NSW is that of providing and driving the tourism industry by promoting sports and cultural events in Sydney and New South Wales (NSW) (Destination NWS, 2012). Just like any other business, Destination NSW has been in the frontline in marketing its services to earn more clients both at the national level and in the international grounds (Destination NWS, 2012). In Australia alone, Destination NSW has done a lot of investment in terms of services and business events in Sydney and New South Wales with the primary mission of securing international connections, tourism reward programs, corporate events, and annual workshops (exhibitions) (Destination NWS, 2012). Events are part of Destination NSW priorities because of the major economical benefits (Destination NWS, 2012). As such, Destination NSW promotes events every year, and such events are held in Sydney and New South Wells (Destination NWS, 2012). Through such events, diversity and dynamism is expressed highlighting the extraordinary creativity in this industry. As a future oriented organization, Destination NSW’s mission is to indentify, attract, and take care of events in Sydney and New South Wells. Sydney, the favorite destination Sydney being one of the biggest, the oldest, and the biggest cities in Australia is one of the biggest destination of the Destination NSW (Destination NWS, 2012). Some of the other destinations in New South Wales include North Coast, Snow Mountains, South coast, Lord Howe Island, Illawarra, and Blue Mountains among others (Destination NWS, 2012). Map A Rep: Map (A) show destinations in New South Wales (Destination NWS, 2012) The top and leading destination for Destination NSW is Sydney city (Destination NWS, 2012). As a one of the biggest cosmopolitan cities in Australia, Sydney is the top and favorite tourist destination for DNSW because of numerous factors. Primarily, the life style and living conditions of the Sydney City makes it a fantastic destination that has the potential to attract clients from all corners of the word (Buhalis, 2001). Secondly, the physical allure of Sydney City also makes it a desired tourist destination, considering that the city is full of sensational sceneries. In addition to this, the dwellers of Sydney City are friendly, energetic, and enthusiastic enough to handle all kinds of visitors (Buhalis, 2001). Considering that Destination NSW focuses on promoting events and sports, Sydney City is full of modern lifestyle, which means that people of Sydney love sports such as hiking, a fact that has been proved over the years (Buhalis,2001). As such, Sydney has been in the frontline promoting cultural and sports events. All these can be attributed to the fact that Sydney city is an easy to access destination (Buhalis, 2001). Apart from promoting sports and cultural events, Sydney City has so much to offer as a tourist destination center. The harbor of Sydney also presents another wonderful opportunity, which makes the city to be full of cultural life and an excellent cityscape. On the other hand, Sydney city has more to offer considering that it has numerous well-known beaches and at least five prime and leading national parks, which are full of wild animals, making this destination to offer unforgettable experiences to tourists (Buhalis, 2001). Moreover, Destination NSW prioritizes it services in Sydney due to favorable climate condition that Sydney has to offer. Sydney’s climatic condition delivers the best and admired atmosphere for both local and international clients (Buhalis, 2001). With rainfall, which is well spread throughout the year, warm summers, and favorable winters Sydney has been able to offer tourist excellent condition and hence making it a leading tour destination. According to Buhalis January is the warmest month in Sydney city. Temperatures during this particular month measure between 18 °C and 26 °C (Buhalis, 2001). No doubt, with this temperature, Sydney receives many tourists in this month, especially in Bondi and Manly beaches (Buhalis, 2001). Lastly, Destination NSW has invested in Sydney city because of its accessibility. Sydney city is known to be one of the most easily accessed cities where visitors can tour in and out, be it by use of private cars or by use of public transport (Buhalis, 2001).In side Sydney city, the sophisticated road network is made up of ten motorways, which are all connected with highways, freeways, and other main roads to get visitors in and out of any point within the city (Buhalis, 2001). On top of this, there exist varieties of transport within the city including a public transport network of buses, ferries, and proper functioning rail trains (Destination NWS, 2012). With such an extensive and well developed means of transport, tourist can be able to visit beaches and shopping precincts. Tourist sites in Sydney include hunter valley wines, Blue Mountains, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney Opera house, Bondi beach, Macleavy Valley guide, ports Stephens, and Sydney gourmet retreats among others (Buhalis, 2001). Sydney’s Competitors As a tourist attraction city, Sydney offers a variety of beautiful sceneries including Sydney Harbor, Sydney Harbor Bridge, and Sydney Opera house among other services such as restaurants, shopping, and wonderful accommodations (Destination NWS, 2012). Just like any other competitive field, tourism is one of the most competitive industries with destinations that offer outstanding and quality services hence emerging on the top. Despite great service offered by Sydney City, a number of competitors pose a challenge in this industry (Buhalis, 2001). One such a destination that offers service similar to those offered in Sydney city is the Canberra. Canberra city is located between Sidney and Melbourne city, yet it is able to provide unique services to visitors. The city has remote regions, which are excellent for those tourists who wish to experience nature in outback areas. Being located in the coastline, this tourist destination provides opportunities for people to enjoy the sand, surf, and watch beautiful sceneries. Because of its accessibility, Canberra poses as one of the biggest competitor for Sydney in tourism. In addition to this, Darwin is another prime tourist destination, which also provides considerable competition to Sydney. The population of Darwin is composed of a multicultural society a factor that makes this region a favorable tourist destination. This mixture in population composition has also contributed to unique services in terms of shopping and restaurants services including dining, which is very accommodative for travelling tourists (Buhalis, 2001). Because of its location and the composition, Darwin offers tourist extra-ordinary services such as art galleries, shopping markets, restaurants and the cool nightlife. In addition, this tourist destination offers other attractions such as old Darwin house, and Lyons Cottage among others. No doubt, Darwin is one tourist destination, which offers competition to Sydney in terms sceneries, restaurants, and shopping experiences (Buhalis, 2001). Types of tourists that visit Sidney Because of its developed infrastructure and favorable weather conditions Sidney receives both domestic and international tourists. In the year 2011, the region received 42% international tourists and 65% domestic tourists respectively (Domestic Overnight VFR Travel, 2011). Most domestic tourists take day visits while international visitors have night expenditure in reserved hotels. Domestic and international visitors can be further divided in three main categories namely visitors visiting friends and relatives, business visitors, and people visiting for holiday or leisure. However, a large number of visitors came to Sidney but were not accounted for. For all the visitors that came to Sidney those visiting friends and relatives had a high percentage followed by those people coming for business and finally those that visited for holiday or leisure. According to statistics, in 2011 Sidney received 42.3 % visitors visiting friends and relatives, 27.8% visitors that came for a holiday, 23.7% people who came to the region for business and finally there was 6.1% visitors to the region who were not accounted for (Domestic Overnight VFR Travel, 2011). Because of the favorable weather conditions and good infrastructure, Sidney has been able to attract both executive and visitors that travel for pleasure. This led to the increased number of visitors that come to Sidney for business purposes. For the last one year, it is reported that Sidney received International and domestic tourists respectively. Most visitors that came to the region in the year 2011 are reported to have come to visit their friends and relatives who live in the province. According to statistics, this region received domestic tourists that mainly took day trips while international tourists had over night layovers in Sidney. In the year 2011, Sidney received more than 7 million domestic tourists in the region (Domestic Overnight VFR Travel, 2011). Rep: Graphs number of visitors (in percent) according to reason for visit VFR information in Sidney as a destination VFR accounts for the highest number of tourists that visit Sidney. Over the years, Sidney has received more visitors from Australia who come to visit friends and relatives. For instance, in 2011 the region received 42.3% of people who came to visit friends and relatives (Domestic Overnight VFR Travel, 2011). NSW was the region with the highest tourists that came to Sidney to visit friends and relatives with 49.1% followed by Queens land with 13.8% (2011, Domestic Overnight Travel). According to research, most people who came to visit friends and relatives in Sidney toured during the month of December. Month of August had the least number of tourists visiting friends and relatives in the region (Domestic Overnight Travel, 2011). It is estimated that the region received more than 634 million dollars in the year 2010 from VFR in Sidney (Domestic Overnight Travel, 2011) Most people who visited friends and relatives spent their nights in homes of friends and relatives; they ate in restaurants and went for shopping as leisure. This type of tourism contributes the highest revenue in Sidney because it accounts for most activities in the region. Most people that tour to visit friends and relatives are from 35 to 65 years of age (Destination NWS, 2011). It is recorded that people that come for visiting their relatives or friends spend an average of 3 nights in Sidney and preferred to take day trips around town. Most visitors that came to visit friends and relatives were between the ages of 35-44 while people between the ages of 18-24 made the least visits to this region (Domestic Overnight VFR Travel, 2011). In addition, this region received the highest number of visitors visiting friends and relatives from New Zealand. However, the lowest number came from Netherlands with 0.7% (Domestic Overnight VFR Travel, 2011). Hence, tourist that come to visit friends and relatives in the region contribute the highest amount of revenue. Most people who participate in this kind of tourism spend their time with their friends and prefer rented houses than hotels where they stay and pay per number of nights that they stay in the hotels (Domestic Overnight VFR Travel, 2011). This has raised a concern to the hotel industry that entirely depends on tourism for sustainability. This is because visitors who visit friends and relatives do not spend their money directly to hotels and tour firms. Visiting friends and relatives use their hosts as tour guides to take them around town and other areas of interest (Domestic Overnight VFR Travel, 2011). Analysis of the website effectiveness The DNSW’s website and search services provides tourists and event organizers a directory of hotels, venues and event related suppliers in New south Wales and Sidney among other destinations. With its improved search engine, customers are able to indicate preferred suppliers in their destination of interest. In addition, the search gives a list of suppliers with their contacts. The website gives detailed information about their destinations around the world and activities that can be enjoyed in specific regions. The home page provides photo gallery and document down loads to make personal reservations. Additionally, all downloads are clean and easy to navigate. NSW destination website is easy to use and allows users to change features of the website to fit their needs. Users can be able to change contrast and text size to fit the demands of potential clients. The website also has an inquiry system that can be used by visitors to confirm services offered by the organization. Customers are able to reach their service providers from any part of the world and get feedback instantly. In addition, clients can be able to keep track of their inquiry in case they fail to get instant feedback. The site also provides customers with a form that can be used to book reservations for venues and events. The nature of the site is nice and easy to operate giving customers’ pleasure in accessing the services. Destination New South Wales web site provides user friendly service because it provides a comprehensive list of all destinations across the globe. In addition, the site provides clients with an opportunity to download a directory that has a list of all destinations and activities that individuals can be able to enjoy when using New South Wales in Sidney and other destinations. Additionally, the site has sample itinerates that clients can be able to access in their search for different venues and events. Finally, the site provides clients a list of all hotels that New South Wales work with. Therefore, I believe that the site is able to provide quality information about services, venues, and events that the organization offers. The site is also able to provide clear directions on how to navigate the website for specific information. Types of tourist segments critical for New South Wales to market for the next two years Destination NSW needs to focus on the upcoming segment of tourists for future survival in the market. One segment is the experience seekers that travel for adventure and a taste of different cultures (Destination NWS, 2012). This segment has promising success to the destination marketing organizations in Australia. This group is made up of individuals who are middle class earners and are willing to spend more in travelling to sample other cultures. It is made up of mostly couples with no children and business people. Experience seekers are always willing to spend a lot of money and travel over long distance to discover new destinations this is because they are they are more knowledgeable and have a wide experience of the world (Destination NWS, 2012). Experience seekers are attracted to original things, social interaction with other people, meeting local people, and having personalized experience to selected destinations (Destination NWS, 2012). In addition, the seekers are willing to go an extra mile in relation to payment to have diversified experience in their route of travel. Therefore, it is important for New South Wales to invest more in the next two years to expand its market (Destination NWS, 2012). The second segment that new South Wales needs to focus on is the family travelers (Destination NWS, 2012). Most people who take family trips go to destinations that guarantee safety and comfort at lower prices. This is a segment of tourists that values quality time with their families because they travel with children (Destination NWS, 2012). Their main reason for travelling is to have a cool place where all of them can spend time together while having fun (Destination NWS, 2012). Research shows that family traveler segment is an area of tourism that needs a lot of attention. This is because it is growing at a high rate. In addition, most destination marketing organizations do not have travelling packages for family travelers. Conclusion Destination marketing organizations is a firm or bureau that is mostly used to promote a region, city, or country to increase the number of visitors that tour a given destination. Among the major and leading destination marketing organization in Australia is the Destination New South Wales. Destination NSW whose slogan is “all your travels needs in one place” is a government statutory organization located in New South Wales (Destination NWS, 2012). Its mission is clearly outlined. Sydney being one of the biggest and the oldest cities in Australia is one of the biggest destinations of the Destination NSW. It competitors include Canberra and Darwin, which offers similar services as those offered by Sydney. Since Sidney is a wonderful city with many types of scenery, it has adequate clients from both local and international communities. VFR accounts for the highest number of tourists that visit Sidney (Destination NWS, 2012). Over the years, Sidney has received more visitors from Australia who come to visit friends and relatives. For future survival in the market, Destination NWS should focus on experience seekers and family travelers segments, which have high potential (Destination NWS, 2012). References Buhalis, D. (2001). Tourism distribution channels: practices, issues and transformation. California: Cengage Learning. Destination NWS. (2011). Domestic Overnight Travel. Travel to Sydney, year ended 2011, 1: 1- 2. Retrieved from www.tourism.nsw.gov.au Destination NWS. (2011). Domestic Overnight VFR Travel. Travel to Sydney to visit Friends and Relatives, 1, 1-2. Destination NWS. (2012). Welcome to destination NWS. Retrieved from http://www.destinationnsw.com.au/ Pike, S. (2004). 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