Destination Marketing: Principles, Elements, Tools, and Challenges

This document discusses the principles of marketing planning, main elements of destination marketing campaigns, digital marketing tools, and the role of DMOs in marketing a destination. It also explores the challenges faced by DMOs using examples from Lake District Tourism.

DESTINATION
MARKETING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
P1 Determine principles of marketing planning to support the marketing of a destination using
specific destination examples......................................................................................................3
P2 Determine the main elements of a range of destination marketing campaign examples to
evaluate that how campaign objectives were met........................................................................4
P3 Determine different digital marketing tools used for promoting and advertising a specific
destination....................................................................................................................................6
P4 Discuss the role and services of DMOs in marketing a destination.......................................7
P5 Discuss the challenges faced by DMOs in marketing destinations using a range of
examples......................................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Destination marketing is determined by promoting the specific or different destination
spots in order to attract the tourism industry of different places. Destination marketing is
important as when different tourist segments are attracted towards the destinational marketing it
helps to develop the economic development to of the specific location. Wherein, destination
marketing involves different measures on order to promote the services and facilities offered by
the tourism industry in order to attracts the customers by delivering them the benefits of the
tourism spots which helps to promote the tourist industry of the specific destination spot. In the
context of Lake District which is a popular tourism destination spot in in Cumbria, northwest
England with national park, lakes, mountains, natural landscape makes it a perfect destination
spot. This report covers principles of marketing planning to support destination marketing with
specific examples, main elements of the destination marketing in order to accomplish the
campaign objectives, digital marketing tool that helps to advertise the specific destination, role
and services of DMO’s in marketing destination, the challenges faced by DMO’S in marketing
destination (Alizadeh and Isa, 2015).
MAIN BODY
P1 Determine principles of marketing planning to support the marketing of a destination using
specific destination examples
Different marketing principles in order to support destination marketing with relevant
strategies in context of different destinations, these are discussed below:
Define the unique selling point
It is defined by setting up innovative and unique marketing offerings which are new to the
market and grabs the attention of the targeted customers. Unique selling point helps to determine
the consumer perception of the market offerings it delivers. One such relevant examples, in the
context of Loch Lomond Tourism which is located in the southern Scotland, UK. Loch Lomond
tourism attracts the tourist with only national park, rivers, mountains around (Camilleri ed.,
2018). It delivers the unique selling points to the customers wherein the customers can relax and
feel comfortable in the natural environment of Loch Lomond. The tourism can explore

adventure, travel, boating, trekking, accommodation, the cultural and traditional value of the
local population.
Developing an amazing destination website
With the increasing reliance over internet platforms, it is important to develop an online
company website wherein the company delivers all the necessary information of the market
offerings that the tourism business is going to deliver, Lake District Tourism delivers the
offerings on the internet platforms which can be easily searched by the customers in the search
engines. The attractive natural habitation of the Lake District that includes complete range of
information that how that customers can access to the services offered, location covered, stay and
accommodation, food services, outdoor attractions, leisure activities that others that attracts the
targeted customers from different locations (Fernández-Cavia and et.al., 2017).
Online Promotional activities
Online promotional activities play an important role in delivering the marketing message to the
end customers. Snowdon is a popular tourism destination in Scotland with highest mountain peak
in Wales. In order to promote its tourism, it use different promotional channels like social media
channels. Snowdon uses Instagram to promote the offerings of the tourism destination. With
million of the youth segments using Instagram in UK, it helps to engage to the large numbers of
target customers, wherein the tourism business adds the pictures and amazing videos with
complete detailed reviews and information of the tourism business. The interested targeted
customers can message and get the detailed range of information pertaining to the tourism in
Snowdon.
Brand proposition
Cornwall, is a tourism destination in UK, Cornwall develop the brand identity by delivering
quality services including travelling to the popular tourist attraction, accommodation, food
services including in the tourism packages with defined prices of each tourism packages.
Cornwall tourism use different promotional strategies including the digital marketing,
mentioning the unique service offered by the tourism destination that benefits the targeted
customers (Ghosh and Sarkar, 2016).

P2 Determine the main elements of a range of destination marketing campaign examples to
evaluate that how campaign objectives were met
In order to rightly deliver the marketing campaign, there are different elements that helps
that needs to emphasis upon, in order to establish the effective marketing campaign, to support
the above information the examples in context of Lake Districts tourism that how different
marketing strategies it involves by keeping in view the key elements of the marketing campaign,
these are as:
Who is the target demographic? These basically involves that who ate the targeted segments
which needs to be focused upon and defining the customers of the tourism destination who will
be interested to purchase the services of the business. It is important step to identify these
targeted segments in order to deliver the right marketing message to the right segments. Lake
Districts chose the targeted segments. The chosen customer market, is the youth segment from
the age group of 21-36. The youth tourist is more tech-savvy and adventurous, travel freaks and
highly interested to travel around and the exploring the tourist destinations. In addition to this, it
is easier to targeted these groups wit effective marketing strategies with major presence of social
media platforms (Griffin and et.al., 2017).
What can they do on their vacation? This marketing elements involves defining market
offerings delivered by the Lake Tourism destination, Lake District is a beautiful tourism spot
with national park, lakes, mountains, natural landscapes which attracts the tourist from different
arts of the world, with highest mountain peak Scafell Pike which makes the tourist destination an
ideal place for trekking and adventures. Waterfall Aira Force which attracts the tourist to
experience the real beauty of nature.
Why should they spend their money visiting? The main reason that people avoid travelling is
the reason that expensive travelling charges that they pay. Thus, the marketing campaign must
include the affordable pricing strategies that should be affordable and value for money in order
to attracts the tourist. Lake Districts sets the prices of the products and services at affordable
ranges and quality services including food, accommodation and other which helps to influence
the tourist behavior to take the services of the company (Gursoy and Chi eds., 2018).
When is the best time to promote and when should they visit? It is important to set the
timings of the vacation as it gathers the numbers of tourist. The timing should be set in a way

which is favorable to the targeted customers where they feel easy to travel. The Lake District
tourism sets the tourism in summer, students will have summer vacation and families will be
wishing to spend some quality time with their children.
Where are you and how do they get there? It is important to deliver the information of the
location with ease transportation services so that the customers do not feel any inconvenience
while thinking planning about the destination spot. Lake District delivers the marketing message
that involves delivering the complete imformation of the places which is to covered and the
transportation facilities that is delivered by the tourism business (Hanna and et.al.,2018).
P3 Determine different digital marketing tools used for promoting and advertising a specific
destination
With the rising reliance of the internet platforms, digital marketing is becoming an
important tool that helps to contribute towards engaging with large number of the customer
segments with effective marketing tool within the spot span of time. In order to engage with the
target customers, and promote the goods and services to the end customers. Lake District tourism
frames out the effective marketing campaign that involves selecting the right customers market
and delivering them the effective marketing media messages the customers. In order to
communicate with the targeted customers, Lake District Tourism uses the digital media
marketing in order to engage with the different set of targeted customers within the short span of
time and reduced cost. Digital marketing includes media channels like social media, email,
search engine optimization and others. These online platforms are cheapest source to engage to a
large section of the targeted segments with just a click. Lake District Tourism marketing media
channels involves social media marketing that helps to attracts the large numbers of customers
segments with 32.05 million user Instagram. These platforms help to share complete range of
information about the services that are to be delivered to the customers, including the prices,
accommodation, site seeing, what all exciting the spots the customers can discover, food
services, transportation and other facilities offered. It also helps to collect feedback of the
experienced customers which helps the tourism of Lake District to analyse the effectiveness of
the offerings, positive feedbacks and online reviews helps to influence the decision of other
customers (Jiang, Ramkissoon and Mavondo, 2016).

Search engine optimisation is defined by working with the search engine providing companies in
order to customize the search results in search engine which helps to as when customers searches
the related goods and services online the offerings of the companies gets onto the screens of the
customers, which makes them aware of the specific tourism destination and thus promotes the
tourism business.
Where more than half a million youth pollution spends time on social media platforms. Using
social media platforms helps to be a perfect too, to reach out the targeted segments by creating
social accounts and sharing pictures and videos to attract the tourist and deliver the benefits of
the quality services offered by the tourism business.
Email marketing is an another effective tool to reach out the targeted segments to deliver the
services offered by Lake District tourism to specific customers who are important and potential
consumers. It helps to deliver special attention to the customers as it delivers detailed
information of the services delivered (Li, Robinson and Oriade, 2017).
P4 Discuss the role and services of DMOs in marketing a destination
DMO stands for Destination Marketing Organization. DMO’s is a key element that helps
to determine the destination planning for long term growth and development and effective
tourism strategy. DMO helps to add value to the tourism management which includes different
functions including marketing, tours, attractions, transportation and other in order functions in
order to operate the tourism business all these includes to the responsibilities of the destination
management organisation. the aim of DMO is to maximize the benefits and improving the
services which helps to positively impacts the developments of the tourism sectors. These
destination management organisation includes both public and private stakeholder in order to
develop the travel industries of the specific location. Tus, destination marketing organisation
helps to promote the activities for the travel industries which helps to develop effective
marketing techniques in order to conduct the promotional and marketing techniques as per the
pre determine strategies (Line and Wang, 2017).
For visitors and tourist, the DMO’s does the great work for delivering all the relevant
information including the physical location, the prices what all services would be rendered to the
visitors, accommodations, food, site seeing and other related services. DMO’s online presence
plays an important role for determining the information offered to the end customers irrespective

of the location. Wherein, the DMO website delivers the list of hotels, event, trip planning
activities and traveling information to the visitors. Web pages delivers the tourist routes that
attracts the customers to attract different customer’s in order who ae interested in travelling and
exploring different tourist destinations. DMO uses different strategies in order to set the budgets
to accomplish the infrastructural facilities at the tourist destinations. Thus, DMO involves
different strategies in order formulate campaign and plan to attracts the travelers. These includes
hotels, restaurants and other facilities that important for traveler to know.
Thus, to know the services of DMO’s, it can be said that:
 DMO’s help to create the effective marketing plans in order to promote and influence the
travelers to take the services offered by the tourist destination.
 DMO’s helps to deliver investments in order to support such tourist business and improve
the services provided by these businesses, which furthers helps to improve the traveler
experiences.
 DMO helps to formulate effective campaign, meetings and events. DMO’s helps to
closely coordinates efforts with different meeting planner in order to develop the tourist
destination in the most effective manner.
 DMO’s interacts with different visitors, business travelers and travel agents in order to
coordinate the different activities to build the effective tourism, services (Marasco and
et.al.,2018).
P5 Discuss the challenges faced by DMOs in marketing destinations using a range of examples
DMO’s faces different challenges, the relevant examples are discussed I the context of
Lake District Tourism, these are being discussed below:
Profit planning and planet
DMO’s faces challenges in order to generate revenue while they have to both look for long term
and short term profit generation. DMO’s looks for making profit on the short run without
compromising the long term profit goals of the business. Wherein DMO’s have to improve the
destination experiences by planning and defining strategies that best fulfils the tourist needs. In
accordance to the demographic segmentation, they have to ensure facilities that delivers
accessibility and adjusting to different segments of the age group (Önder, Gunter and Gindl,

2020). Apart from designing different targeted customer oriented strategies, the major challenges
faced by DMO’s have to plan different tourism activities in the most sustainable way which
involves adopting green labelling which involves developing environmental friendly approaches
for the tourism experiences. Lake District Tourism develops the strategies in order to figure out
the profit planning and other activities by maximizing the output and minimizing the cost in
addition, focusing to the sustainable tourism development.
Cost and Revenue
Identifying the funding models in order to develop long term strategies of budgeting for different
tourism activities. Wherein, DMO have to consider and identify different budgeting
opportunities which are cheapest but delivers long term financial stability to the functionalities.
These also involves tourism taxes, levies, grants in consideration while costing and budgeting
different tourism activities. DMO’s have to find out different funding model like crowdsourcing
funding in order to finance the activities in the most judicious way. Financing is probably a
greater challenge as it involves the starting point of every DMO’s activities. Lake District
Tourism develops relationship with its stakeholders and business partners in order to generate
investments and revenue to the business. Lake District Tourism also put their reliance over the
government bodies in order to conduct the business activities in the cheapest manner (Séraphin
and et.al.,2016).
Product and Promotion
As the main function of DMO’s is to promote the tourism business of the specific destination.
Thus, Lake District Tourism develops the destination marketing through digitalization by
adopting technologies in order to reach out targeted segments at a fast pace. These challenges
involve identifying and reaching out the targeted customers, shifting from mass to niche
marketing. It also involves measuring the effectiveness of the marketing campaign by collecting
consumer feedbacks. DMO’s must implements the strategies that attracts the foreign visitors. Fir
delivering the effective marketing campaign, the cost effectiveness in order to develop the
marketing campaign that best suits the targeted cist and budget and fulfils the marketing
objectives.
Community and collaboration

Community and collaboration involves working with different partners and stakeholder in order
to finance and deliver business solution to conduct the tourism activities in the most effective
manner. Lake District Tourism collaborates with different stakeholders in order to standardize
the predicts and services, the challenge is to identify and develops relationships with theses
stakeholders including different departments of sports, recreational, culture, heritage to promote
and financing activities of the tourism business. Tourism business does all these in order to bring
out the most of the products and services it offers.
Leadership and organisation
Another challenge that DMOs faces involves the leadership and organisation of different
functions to manage the tourism activities. Lake District Tourism develops strategies that helps
to brigs efficiencies in the business activities including the adapting to the changing market
environment of consumer behaviour and technologies. DMO’s function to conduct the
functionalities of tourism industries which involves conducting the business activities by
optimum utilization pf funds and resources (Tussyadiah, Wang and Jia, 2016).
CONCLUSION
Thus, in a nutshell, it can be concluded that destination marketing is an important element
that helps to promote the tourism of the particular destination spot. Marketing the services md
facilities provided via different communication channels including the digital marketing helps to
attracts different customers base to take the services of the tourist industry. In order to manage
effective tourism destination marketing campaign, the destination spot must be attractive and
deliver all the required and quality services and facilities to the customers. This report reflected
the principles of marketing planning, main elements of destination marketing, role and services
of DMO’S and the challenges faced by DMO’s in destination marketing.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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exploratory study. Tourism: An International Interdisciplinary Journal. 63(2). pp.175-
192.
Camilleri, M. A. ed., 2018. Strategic perspectives in destination marketing. IGI Global.
Fernández-Cavia, J. and et.al.,2017. Online communication in Spanish destination marketing
organizations: The view of practitioners. Journal of vacation marketing. 23(3). pp.264-
273.
Ghosh, T. and Sarkar, A., 2016. “To feel a place of heaven”: Examining the role of sensory
reference cues and capacity for imagination in destination marketing. Journal of Travel
& Tourism Marketing. 33(sup1). pp.25-37.
Griffin, T. and et.al.,2017. Virtual reality and implications for destination marketing.
Gursoy, D. and Chi, C. G. eds., 2018. The Routledge Handbook of Destination Marketing.
Routledge.
Hanna, P. and et.al.,2018. Tourist destination marketing: From sustainability myopia to
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Jiang, Y., Ramkissoon, H. and Mavondo, F., 2016. Destination marketing and visitor
experiences: The development of a conceptual framework. Journal of Hospitality
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Kalandides, A., 2020. Tourism Management in Berlin: From Destination Marketing to Place
Management. In The Overtourism Debate. Emerald Publishing Limited.
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the millennium. Journal of destination marketing & management. 6(2). pp.95-102.
Line, N. D. and Wang, Y., 2017. A multi-stakeholder market oriented approach to destination
marketing. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management. 6(1). pp.84-93.
Marasco, A. and et.al.,2018. Exploring the role of next-generation virtual technologies in
destination marketing. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management. 9. pp.138-148.
Önder, I., Gunter, U. and Gindl, S., 2020. Utilizing Facebook statistics in tourism demand
modeling and destination marketing. Journal of Travel Research. 59(2). pp.195-208.
Séraphin, H. and et.al.,2016. A marketing research tool for destination marketing organizations'
logo design. Journal of Business Research. 69(11). pp.5022-5027.
Tussyadiah, I., Wang, D. and Jia, C. H., 2016. Exploring the persuasive power of virtual reality
imagery for destination marketing.