OTHM LEVEL 7 DIPLOMA IN TOURISM &

HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

DESTINATION
MANAGEMENT

By Dhanushka Wijeyekoon
UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF
DESTINATION MANAGEMENT
 DESTINATION

Destination is an area of visitor appeal which

includes attractions, accommodation and support
services. It may be defined by physical, thematic
or administrative boundaries and it embraces a set
of distinctive images and qualities that give it a
brand identity recognizable by potential visitors.
 DESTINATION MANAGEMENT

Destination Management is a process of leading,

influencing and coordinating the management of
all the aspects of a destination that contribute to a
visitor’s experience, taking account of the needs of
visitors, local residents, businesses and the
environment.
 TOURISM DESTINATION

• Continents
• Subcontinents
• Regions
• Countries
• States
• Provinces,
• Cities
• Villages / towns
 TOURISM DESTINATION
• Continents – Asia, Africa, Antarctica, North America, South America,
Europe, Australia

• Subcontinents – South Asia, North Africa, Western & Eastern Europe,

• Regions – SAARC region, Middle east region, Asia pacific region, UK
• Countries – Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Canada, USA, Germany, England,
Ireland

• States – Karnataka, Tamil nadu,

• Provinces – Western,
• Cities – Colombo, New Delhi, Male, BKK, Toronto, Berlin, London, Sydney
• Villages / towns
DESTINATIONS vs ATTRACTIONS
 DESTINATIONS vs ATTRACTIONS
• Attraction could be the reason which motivates the tourist to
visit a destination

• Tourist destinations purposely develop attractions to attract

more tourists

• Destinations & Attractions compliments each other

Ex –
• Big ben clock tower (Man made) is the attraction in the London destination
• Eiffel tower (Man made) is the attraction in the Paris city destination
• Sigiriya rock fortress (Ancient manmade) is the attraction in Sigiriya destination
• Kandy perahera is the attraction (Event) in Kandy city destination
• Amazon rain forest (Natural) is the attraction in Brazil destination
• Pisa tower (Man made) is the attraction in Italy destination
• Taj Mahal (ancient man made) is the attraction in Agra destination
CATEGORIZATION OF TRAVEL
REGIONS
 CATEGORIZATION OF TRAVEL
REGIONS

• Tourist generating regions

• Destination regions

• Transit regions
Singapore / Middle east
 CATEGORIZATION OF TRAVEL
REGIONS
Tourist generating regions
 CATEGORIZATION OF TRAVEL
REGIONS
Destination regions
DIFFERENT TYPES OF DESTINATIONS
• Tropical destinations

• Beach destinations

• Natural destinations

• Adventure destinations

• Urban & rural destinations

• Business destinations

• Cultural destinations

• Historical & ancient destinations

 BENEFITS OF DESTINATION
MANAGEMENT
• Identify the destinations tourism trends

• Successful strategic planning

• Identify the areas to improve

• Identification of key influential stakeholders

• Easy to benchmark with competition

• Competitive advantage creation

• Effective destination brand building

• Availability of reliable & accurate information

SEASONALTY EFFECT ON
DESTINATIONS
 SEASONALTY EFFECT ON
DESTINATIONS

CLIMATE SEASONS

• Spring

• Summer

• Autumn / Fall

• Winter
 CAUSES OF SEASONALITY

• Natural & Climatic factors

• Socio/cultural factors in the tourism generating and

receiving areas

• Religious events & believes

• Holidays

• Special events
FEATURES OF A DESTINATION

• Primary features

• Secondary features

• Social & Cultural features

 FEATURES OF A DESTINATION

Primary features Social & Cultural features

• Climate • Language
• Ecology & geography • History & religion
• values
• Natural resources • Food & drink
• Art & craft
• Traditional lifestyle of locals
Secondary features
• Hotels & accommodation options
• Transport options
• Infrastructure
• Events & entertainments
• Restaurants & pubs
• Shopping
 DESTINATION AUDIT

Destination Audits analyze the current

situation of tourism in a destination, evaluate
the development potential and identify the most
useful short-term & long term actions.
 BENEFITS OF DESTINATION
AUDIT
• Proper understanding

• Reliable information

• Accurate decision making

• Identify positive & negative factors

• Identify strengths & weaknesses

• Effective planning & development activities

A6 DESTINATION ANALYSIS
MODEL
A6 DESTINATION ANALYSIS MODEL

1. Attractions

2. Amenities

3. Accessibility

4. Ancillary services

5. Accommodation

6. Activities
 A6 DESTINATION ANALYSIS MODEL
1. Attractions – Natural or manmade highlights of the destination

2. Amenities – helpful service such as Sign boards in different languages /

public toilets / Information centers / recommended restaurants

3. Accessibility – Air, rail, ferry, bus, public transportation, road network,

accessibility for handicapped people

4. Ancillary services – Currency exchange, airport shuttles, vehicles for rent,

day tours

5. Accommodation – Hotels, homestays, guest houses, lodges

6. Activities – Adventure, entertainment, relaxation

 TALC

TOURISM AREA LIFE CYCLE

TOURISM AREA LIFE CYCLE
 TOURISM AREA LIFE CYCLE
EXPLORATION

Very few people looking for something different in a holiday find a place
that is special in terms of its culture, natural beauty, history or
landscape. There are no tourist services available and local people will
not be involved in tourist money making activities.

INVOLVEMENT -

Local people start to notice that there are increasing numbers of people
coming to their local area. They start businesses to provide
accommodation, food, guides, and transport.
 TOURISM AREA LIFE CYCLE
DEVELOPMENT -

Big companies start to see the emerging potential of the area as a tourist
destination and therefore start to invest money in the region. They build large
hotel complexes and sell package holidays. This makes the numbers of
tourists swell dramatically and massively expands the number of job
opportunities for people in the local region, in both tourist related jobs and in
construction and services.

CONSOLIDATION -

The local economy is dominated by tourism at this stage, and many local people
will make their money from this type of industry. However, this can remove people
from other industries such as farming and fishing and these industries can suffer as
a result. There will be continued building and expansion of developments.
 TOURISM AREA LIFE CYCLE
STAGNATION -

Competition from other destinations, over tourism and a loss of the original
features can cause the destination to stop growing. The number of people going
levels off then starts to decline, threatening local businesses and services.

DECLINE OR REJUVENATION -

From the stagnation point onwards there are 2 basic possibilities: Decline in
various forms or rejuvenation (regrowth of the resort) Decline can be slow or
rapid, and regular visitors are replaced by people seeking a cheap break or day
trippers.

Rejuvenation involves a cash injection from either a private company or the

government, to create a new attraction within the original resort to boost its
popularity
 DESTINATION POSITIONING

Destination positioning means creating a particular

impression about a tourist spot in the minds of the
tourist

Positioning differentiates the destination from competition

(other destination) & gives a competitive edge (competitive
advantage)
 RISK ASSOCIATED WITH
DESTINATIONS
• Natural disaster (Natural hazard)
• Civil & Political risk (Political hazard)
• Biological risk (Biological hazard)
• Technological risk (Technological hazard)

• Over tourism effect

• Pollution
• Increased crime rate
• Communication difficulties with foreign tourists
• Exploitation of resources & attractions
• Lack of quality service providers & Brain drain effect
• Waste management issues
 RISK MANAGEMENT IN
DISTINATIONS
• Identify the risks & the frequency of occurrence

• Determine your risk management strategy

• Develop a risk management plan for the destination

• Team up with stakeholders

• Test the rick management plan

• Provide clear and honest crisis communication

 RISK MANAGEMENT IN
DISTINATIONS
• Keep informed about possible negative travel advice

• Revive your destination after a crisis

• Reposition your destination after a crisis

 SOCIAL & CULTURAL ISSUES
• Damaging the cultural values

• Language barriers

• Cultural chocks / cultural clashes

• Religious conflicts

• Increase in drug usage & prostitution

• Increased number of Dropouts from the schools

• Transmission of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases)

• Loss of traditional industries

 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF A
DESTINATION
• Level of bio diversity

• Indigenous Flora & fauna availability

• Climate & weather conditions

• Wildlife

• Geographical highlights (waterfalls, rivers, mountains, Islands, forests)

 NATURAL DISASTERS

• Earth Slips

• Earth quakes

• Floods

• Volcano eruptions

• Tsunami

• Excessive precipitation (Rain)

• Droughts
 DESTINATION CONTINGENCY
PLANNING

CP is defined as the total activities, controls, processes,

plans relating to major incidents and disasters. It is the
act of preparing for major incidents and disasters,
formulating flexible plans and managing suitable
resources that will come into play in the event, whatever
actually eventuates.
 DESTINATION CONTINGENCY
PLANNING
Easy & user friendly accessibility
• Quality road network, domestic airports

Guaranteed security for all the visitors

• Tourist police units

Information availability
• 27 * 7 Information centers
• Multilingual sign boards

Quality control methods

• Licensing the hotels & accommodation suppliers
• Educating & Licensing the city & site guides

Emergency Evacuation plan

• Fire drills, Tsunami drills, emergency air support, stand by ambulances
 DESTINATION CONTINGENCY
PLANNING
Proper waste management practices
• Grouping garbage
• Water recycling

Sustainable tourism practices

• Eco friendly systems
• Local community involvement
• Fair economic benefits

Professional HR training on Destination & Risk management

Periodic Health & safety audits on the destination

Implementing & using modern technology

• Meteorological reports & predictions
 DESTINATION CONTINGENCY
PLANNING
Infrastructure & Superstructure Development

Infrastructure
• Communication & connectivity
• Road network & accessibility
• Water & Electricity supply

Superstructure
• Hotels
• Restaurants
• Shopping complexes
• Conference halls
 POLITICAL &
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
 POLITICAL & ADMINISTRATIVE
SUPPORT
• Government (Local) is responsible for the administration of the destination.

• Planning the infrastructure developments & allocating resources accordingly.

• Take required actions to regulate & control the events & activities of the destination.

• Facilitate the stakeholders & attend to the needs of the stakeholders of the
destination.

• Provide subsidies & incentives to public sector investments & FDIs (foreign direct
investments)

• Protect & ensure the safety of the tourists & local community

• Systematically control the growth of tourism (prevent over tourism)

 TOURISM INVESTMENT INCENTIVES

• Financial incentives -

- Waive-off the taxes during 1st 5 years

- Subsidies
- Soft loans (interest free or lower interest rate)

• Investor securities -

- Government support
- Investor confidence boost
- Provide government properties for investors
- Flexible formalities
- Work permits for foreigners
- Guaranteed investment recovery standards
- THANK YOU -