Destination Marketing

This document provides an overview of destination marketing, including the principles of marketing planning, key elements of destination marketing campaigns, different digital marketing tools, and the role and services of DMOs. It also discusses the challenges faced by DMOs in promoting a destination. The case study focuses on The Tourism Company and their marketing efforts for London.

Destination Marketing

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
LO1..................................................................................................................................................3
1.1) Principles of marketing planning to support marketing of destination...........................3
1.2) Critical evaluation of application of marketing principles..............................................4
LO2..................................................................................................................................................5
2.1) Key elements of destination marketing campaigns to meet marketing objectives.........5
2.2) Compare and contrast the elements of marketing campaign and their inter-dependency6
LO3..................................................................................................................................................6
3.1) Different digital marketing tools.....................................................................................6
3.2) Critical evaluation of effectiveness of using digital marketing tools..............................7
LO4..................................................................................................................................................8
4.1) Role and services of DMOs............................................................................................8
4.2) Challenges faced by DMOs............................................................................................9
4.3) Critical evaluation of challenges faced by DMOs........................................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11
References......................................................................................................................................12

Introduction
Destination marketing is related with promoting a particular destination so that potential
visitors can be attracted and travel and tourism of that destination can be increased which can
help in boosting the tourism industry in that region. Destination marketing can help in promoting
various regions in a country so that travel and tourism can be promoted which can help in
contributing towards the economy of a country (Baker and Cameron, 2018). The Tourism
Company which is UK’s leading tourism consultancy firm is taken in this report so that various
principles which can help in marketing a destination, diverse tools of digital marketing, roles and
services of a destination marketing organisation along with the challenges faced by it will be
discussed in this report. The company was founded in 1990 and help its clients in developing
marketing strategies for marketing a destination so that they can attract a large number of visitors
and contribute towards sustainable tourism of that destination. In this report the destination
which will be marketed will be London and Visit Britain is the DMO for London which help in
marketing the destination so that tourism can be increased.
LO1
1.1) Principles of marketing planning to support marketing of destination
Marketing is related with the activities which help in the promotion of goods or services so
that customers can be attracted and sales can increase thereby enhancing the brand image of the
organisation. Marketing planning is a process which helps in analysing the current market
situation and determining the target market so that marketing mix policies can be efficiently
applied which can help in reaching to the right people, at right time and at right place (Chaffey
and Smith, 2017). It is important that a strategic marketing plan is developed so that destination
can be promoted to potential customers which can help in generating tourism opportunities for
the destination. Following are the principles of marketing plan which can help The Tourism
Company in promoting a destination like London:
 Services: As per this principle it is important that marketing of services which can help in
satisfying the needs and wants of customers and adding value for them so that high
experience can be created must be done. The tourism Company should thus provide
detailed information about various destinations that can be visited by tourists in London
like Tower of London, Tower Bridge, banks of River Thames etc. so as to attract

customers. Along with this the company should find better options for accommodation
for customers which can help in giving them high satisfaction so that tourism in London
can increase (Kotler and Baloglu, 2017).
 Destination: As per this principle it is important that the destination which is marketed
can help in increasing customer satisfaction and help them in enjoying their vacations.
The destination must therefore be approachable for customers which can help in
increasing tourism of the destination (Connell, 2015). The Tourism Company can thus
provide information related to various options of transportation that are available along
with the time of booking these options through which customers can reach London.
 Pricing strategy: Price is an important factor which helps in promoting a destination and
attracting customers. The tourism company should search for hospitality related services
at the rates which the target customers can afford so that London as a tourist destination
can be promoted amongst them. The company need to explore various options which are
available in London that can help in satisfying customer needs effectively under their
budget so that tourism in London can be promoted (Frick, 2015).
 Promotional strategy: It is important that effective marketing channels are used to reach
to customers which can help in increasing the sales and promotion of destination in an
efficient manner. Various channels like social media marketing, internet selling etc. can
be used by The Tourism Company so that a large base of potential customers can be
reached and tourism in London can be increased through increased promotion.
1.2) Critical evaluation of application of marketing principles
Marketing principles are essential to be used so that the marketing of destination can be
efficiently which can help in attracting more number of customers and increasing tourism of the
destination. Marketing principles help in determining the price, product, place and promotion of
destination in such a manner that more number of customers can be attracted. For example with
the increase in promotion of London through social media can help in connecting with a large
number of potential customers so that they can be attracted and tourism of destination can
increase.

LO2
2.1) Key elements of destination marketing campaigns to meet marketing objectives
In order to promote destinations so that more number of visitors can be attracted, use of
campaigning is done through various platforms like TV, radio, online platforms etc. which help
in reaching to a large base of customers and gaining their attention. The marketing campaigns
should be designed in such a manner that they help in attracting target customers so that
marketing objectives can be efficiently achieved. Following are the key elements of destination
marketing campaigns which can help them in making successful so that tourism of destination
can increase:
 Goal of marketing campaign: It is important that clear and SMART goals of the
marketing campaign are determined so that efforts can be utilised in achieving these
goals. For example a campaign which is aimed at attracting families to a destination
should be formed in such a manner that more number of tourists can be attracted to
destination. The Tourism Company should formulate marketing campaigns depending on
the objectives which are to be achieved so that efficient results can be achieved within
time (Järvinen and Jayawardhena, 2018).
 Determining the target customers: It is essential that the target customers are determined
before launching a campaign so that they can be focused through the campaign and the
desired goals can be achieved. Target customers can be determined by evaluating the
needs and wants which will be satisfied through the products or services which are being
marketed through the campaign so that effective sales can be generated (Avraham, 2016).
 Defining success: It is important that the key performance indicators are determined
which can help in measuring the success of campaign in marketing the destination and
achieving the desired goals on time. Various KPIs can be determined in order to define
success like increase in tourism in the destination, increase in awareness of the
destination among target customers etc. so that success can be measured (King, 2016).
 Due diligence: It refers to giving importance to the needs and wants of target customers
related to a destination which can help in satisfying them. through the campaign The
Tourism Company can focus on the areas or locations that are present in London which
can help in attracting their target audience so that the objectives of marketing can be
achieved.

 Campaign strategy: It is important that a systematic strategy is used to campaign about a
particular destination which can help in reaching to the target customer and achieving the
objectives of campaign in an efficient manner. It also helps in determining the channel
which can be used by The Tourism Company so that the target customers can be reached
along with determining the content of campaign to make it look more attractive (Laesser
and Beritelli, 2016).
 Tracking the results: The results of campaign should be tracked continuously so that the
increase in number of customers with the help of campaign can be determined. It also
help in knowing about the customer feedbacks so that effective steps can be taken in
making required improvements which can help in making the campaigns more effective.
2.2) Compare and contrast the elements of marketing campaign and their inter-dependency
Various elements of marketing campaign help in marketing the destination among target
customers and they must be effectively implemented so that the marketing objectives can be
efficiently achieved. All the elements are inter dependent on each other which help in making the
campaign successful and should be strategically applied while forming a campaign so that a
destination can be efficiently market and tourism in the destination can increase.
LO3
3.1) Different digital marketing tools
Various digital marketing tools can be used by The Tourism Company so as to promote a
destination through online platform like e-mail marketing, social media advertising, blogging etc.
Digital marketing is being increasingly used by companies so that they can reach their target
customers and increase their reach globally so that customer base can be increased and the
destination can be made more preferable among customers (Mistilis and Daniele, 2015).
Following are the various tools which can be used in the promotion of destination marketing of
London:
 Content marketing: It is a type of marketing tool which help in promoting valuable,
relevant and consistent content about a destination via blogs, videos, posts etc. to attract
the target customers. This marketing help in spreading information about the product or
service to the customers in an attractive manner which can help in achieving the
objectives of using this tool. With the help of this tool The Tourism Company can

promote various tourist places, restaurants, palaces etc. in London by providing valuable
information through content marketing about these places so that potential customers can
be attracted (Nikunen and Isohella, 2017).
 Social media marketing: Various social media platforms like FaceBook, Instagram etc.
can also be used by The Tourism Company so that a large number of customers sharing
common interests can be efficiently reached. Marketing through social media platforms
can also help in creating reputation of the destination which is being marketed and also in
generation of leads so that more number of customer can be reached. This tool also help
in establishing better customer relations so that their loyalty can be gained which can help
in increasing tourism in the destination (Pike, 2014).
 Google Analytics: This is a tool which can help in analysing the target customers and
their interests by monitoring the traffic on the websites which can help in generating
leads for potential customers. It helps in gaining information related to the interests of
customers so that marketing can be focused on the target customers thereby increasing
the effectiveness of marketing. The Tourism Company can use this tool so that a database
of customers who are interested in the destination can b collected and marketing can be
effectively targeted on the potential customers.
 E-mail marketing: This is a tool in which commercial e-mails are sent to the target
customers which help in providing them information regarding the destination which can
help in satisfying their needs and wants efficiently. E-mails are sent to the existing and
potential customers so that they can be attracted through efficient marketing strategies.
This tool also help in maintaining better customer relations by establishing effective
communication with them (Taiminen, 2016).
3.2) Critical evaluation of effectiveness of using digital marketing tools
Digital marketing tools are highly effective in marketing a destination and reaching to
target customers so that eth marketing objectives can be efficiently achieved. Also it helps in
gathering data which can help in making advertisements more effective and as per the customer
interests so that highly sales can be achieved. The Tourism Company can make use of any of the
digital marketing tools so as to reach their target customers through its official website or
through other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram etc. With the increased use of

internet by people digital marketing tools can play an efficient role in achieving the objectives of
marketing.
LO4
4.1) Role and services of DMOs
DMOs or Destination Marketing Organisations play an important role in the long-term
development of a destination by formulating effective travel and tourism strategy. DMOs play an
important role in developing a tourism destination and attracting people from all across the world
so that tourism can increase by efficiently dealing with customer needs and wants through the
development of destinations. DMOs provide a wide range of services to tourists along with other
hospitality and tourism businesses so that they can operate efficiently in market and help in
enhancing the tourism of destination. Some of the important roles of DMO are as follows:
 Marking a tourism marketing plan: DMOs help in formulating effective marketing plan
for a destination by researching the market so that customer needs can related to tourism
of destination can be assessed which can help in formulating effective marketing plans.
The marketing plan is formulated in such a way that large number of customers can be
attracted and objectives of marketing can be achieved (Xiao, 2013).
 Building a platform on social media sites: DMOs also help in creating a network with
potential customers through social media platforms so that more number of potential
customers can be reached. It also help in tracking the interests of customers which can
help in developing the destinations as per the increasing trends and interests among
customers so that goals can be effectively achieved (Yang and Wang, 2015).
 Promotion and advertising: Promotion and advertising of the destination is also done by
DMOs by providing valuable and reliable information regarding the destination to
customers. Customers can visit the sites of DMO so that they can gain detailed
information about the locations, restaurants, and accommodations etc. of a destination
which can help in increasing tourism in the destinations. Promotions of destinations can
be efficiently done by DMOs to a large number of people by giving them relevant
information regarding a destination so that more number of customers can be attracted.
 Conducting market research: DMOs are also responsible for conducting research in the
market so that possible opportunities can be explored which can help in developing the

destination accordingly which can help in attracting more number of people. It also help
in determining the economic conditions of the market so that policies can be changed in
order to attract the target customers. Through market research better facilities can also be
included in the tourism industry so that high customer satisfaction can be achieved and
sales can be increased (Kozak and Buhalis, 2019).
4.2) Challenges faced by DMOs
DMOs play an essential role in promoting tourism and travel of a particular destination and
also in developing the destination in such a manner that target customers can be attracted.
However, there are certain challenges that are faced by the DMOs while achieving their
marketing objectives related to the destination which can affect the overall success of their
promotional and marketing strategies related to promotions of tourism in destination of which
some are as follows:
 Adopting to technological changes: With the growing technological advancements and
changing technology the DMOs face challenge related to adopting effective technology
which can help it in reaching to its target customers and developing the tourism of
destination. Also as the technological advancements take place it becomes difficult for
the DMOs like The Tourism Company to change the way in which they can approach the
market. Also the change in technology can be expensive and time consuming which can
affect its profits (Garrod and Fyall, 2017).
 Competitors: As the tourism industry is emerging the number of DMOs in market have
also increased which has lead to an increase in the competition in the market. This can
affect the strategies of companies in reaching to the customers that also increase their
costs which can lead to an increase in the prices for customers thereby affecting the
marketing of destination (Mariani, Di Felice and Mura, 2016).
 Threat of terrorism: Terrorism has increased globally which affects the tourism of a
destination and also creates fear and tensions among the visitors which is a challenge for
DMOs to overcome so that they can efficiently reach their potential market. It is
important that the trust of customers is gained regarding the safety of a destination so that
tourism in destination can be promoted effectively. Terrorism can negatively impact the
working of DMOs and can also make it difficult for them to attract their potential

customers which require special efforts from these organisations which can also lead to
increase in the cost of marketing.
 Natural calamities: Occurrence of natural calamities in destinations like earthquake,
landslides, Tsunami etc. can also affect the tourism industry and can pose a threat for the
DMOs in efficiently marketing the destination among target customers (Jiang,
Ramkissoon and Mavondo, 2016).
 Growing number of global destinations: Number of global tourist destinations are also
increasing which can make it difficult for The Tourism Company to attract the attention
of customers to London as the interests of travellers are hanging with the increased trends
of adventure tourism and tourism in south east continents.
 Increased trend of adventurous tourism: The number of tourists generally is millennial
who are more attracted towards adventurous tourism destinations which can help in
recreating their experiences and developing and energising them. Growing trend of
adventurous tourism can affect the strategies of The Tourism Company in attracting
tourists to London thereby posing a challenge to the DMOs (Kolb, 2017).
 Catering to different needs of different customers: It is difficult to cater to the different
needs of different customers in the travel and tourism industry which also affects the
effectiveness of marketing strategies of DMOs in attracting their target customers. DMOs
need to use different strategies in order to strategically attract customers having different
requirements and economic status.
4.3) Critical evaluation of challenges faced by DMOs
There are various challenges faced by the DMOs in strategically attracting potential
customers and developing a destination through its marketing strategies. The Tourism Company
can face various challenges while marketing about London in the market which affect its ability
in attracting potential customers. It is therefore important that the challenges are analysed by the
DMOs so that strategies can be developed accordingly which can help in gaining trust of
customers and attracting them to the destination.

Conclusion
From the above report it can be concluded that in order to increase tourism in a
destination various marketing principles need to be effectively applied so that the needs and
wants of target customers can be satisfied and tourism opportunities can be generated. In order to
make marketing campaign successful various elements need to be applied which can help in
successfully achieving the marketing objectives. DMOs can use various digital marketing tools
so that they can reach to their customers which can help in gaining the marketing objectives.
Thus DMOs play a crucial role in developing tourism in destination by dealing with challenges
and attracting potential customers.

References
Books and Journals
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