Building Synergies and Understanding between Tourism Operators and DMOs at the regional level: An Australian case-study

Abstract

Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) aim to undertake marketing and management activities at the destination level that seek, among other things, to improve destination competitiveness and contribute to a sustainable future. Part of this process involves the ongoing evaluation of DMO activities in achieving these goals. This study identifies and analyses the outcomes of a destination workshop program implemented by Tourism New South Wales (TNSW), a state tourism marketing organization in Australia. Through the engagement of and consultation with tourism industry stakeholders the DMO workshops aimed to identify how to more effectively market regional destinations. The findings of an exploratory study of tourism operators who attended the TNSW workshops held within two regional destination areas in New South Wales are presented. Overall, the study identified a lack of strategic direction at the regional destination marketing level and limited cooperation and partnerships among tourism industry operators as impediments to the future success of tourism in these regions.

Keywords: Destination marketing, regional tourism, industry cooperation

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