Tourism Development: An Inclusive Approach With its Community
The role of destinations has been redefined in recent months, in order to opt for holistic management, placing residents and its members at the heart of the development of the offer.
The role of destinations has been redefined in recent months, in order to opt for holistic management, placing residents and its members at the heart of the development of the offer.
The role of destinations has been redefined in recent months, in order to opt for holistic management, placing residents and its members at the heart of the development of the offer.
2020 will have highlighted the crucial role of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) as an information hub and liaison agent: support for businesses, multiple partnerships with local ambassadors and organisations and promotion of regional know-how. This repositioning with local authorities demonstrates the concept of destination attractiveness (in French), centred on the one hand on the satisfaction of all the users of a destination, whether they are residents, entrepreneurs or tourists, and, on the other hand, on the place of the DMO in this ecosystem.
Some destinations have been thinking for several years about the value of tourism, its actors and its beneficiaries in the host destination. In Belgium, Visit Flanders adopts a holistic vision and focuses on mutual development benefits. The DMO has gone from "What do customers want to buy?" to "What does the community offer and want to share?". This change of direction prompted the organisation to modify its membership criteria in order to welcome any member of the community who wishes to create value, but who did not comply with pre-established requirements, such as a minimum opening period during the year.
Encouraging the creation of an identity and a sense of place in collaboration with the community responds to the need for authenticity of tourists and the improvement of living spaces for residents. Here are some basic conditions to energise a destination.
The Netherlands’ Vision 2030 incorporates the idea that every visit will contribute to the well-being and prosperity of residents. This strategy is based on balancing the negative and positive impacts of tourism, monitoring the perception of the population and involving the community in tourism development. This requires continuous data monitoring (tourists and residents) and the establishment of an open dialogue with the population, in order to create attractive places for all stakeholders. You can watch Charel Van Dam discuss this here.
For its part, the Mission des offices de tourisme de la Nouvelle-Aquitaine (MONA in French) helped its members to integrate the population into their strategy by developing courses of action according to six major objectives, among others, informing residents of the role of the DMO and develop a feeling of belonging to the destination. The tools developed in 2017 are broken down into five resident profiles (supplier, consumer, influencer, host and resident).
The closing of borders has propelled residents to the rank of primary consumers of the tourist offer. Some have even turned out to be excellent ambassadors for their region, which justifies their key role in developing the offer and promoting the destination.
In Quebec, the population of the Magdalen Islands welcomes each year a little more than six times (approximately 85,000 people) the number of its residents (approximately 12,500).
A working committee made up of socio-economic actors, members of the tourist office and residents has been set up to identify the essentials of tourism development in line with the particular character of the Islands and the expectations of the population. Public consultations were held between March and September 2020 to allow islanders to express their opinion on tourism development in the coming years.
In order to attract tourists in low season, Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine (in French) consulted the tourism industry through meetings and co-creation activities. These made it possible to identify and prioritise the services, products, as well as the experiences to be valued. The strategy was drafted in winter 2021 and took into account the opinions mentioned in order to offer favourable tourism to both islanders and visitors. Jason Bent, from Tourism Îles de la Madeleine, and Dominic Lapointe, from UQAM, discuss how the involved their community in more detail here.
The reaction of residents testifies to the dynamism of the destination. This is why some destinations have decided to promote them in marketing campaigns.
Elected three years in a row as the happiest people in the world, who better than the Finns to share their recipe for happiness? Thanks to the Rent a Finncampaign, developed by Visit Finland, it was possible to have access to a virtual local guide in order to learn more about their daily life and know their tips. It’s a great way to reinforce the country's brand image while promoting itself as an authentic and accessible destination. This strategy, developed in 2019, was adopted, following on from the success encountered.
Also with a view to showcasing its friendly residents, New Zealand put together the Good Morning World Strategy, a series of live-filmed videos where residents from different regions greet international tourists each morning in an enchanting decor. It won the Campaign of the Year award from AdNews Agency.
Several tourist offices called on their residents during the pandemic to share images using hashtags such as #WhenWeTravelAgain, #FenetreSurMontpellier or #PourUnInstant, here in Quebec. For its part, Visit Luxembourg has launched a photography competition for Luxembourgers in order to explore their region with new eyes.
As the main consumer of the local tourist offer, the resident is an ambassador of choice. Developing a sense of pride in the whole community should become, if not already, one of the goals of destination management organisations.
This article is published in partnership with Transat Chair in tourism at the Université du Québec à Montréal, School of Management (ESG-UQAM). This article was originally written in French by Fanny Beaulieu Cormier in collaboration with Kate Germain, 9 February 2021, we have provided an English translation.
The role of destinations has been redefined in recent months, in order to opt for holistic management, placing residents and its members at the heart of the development of the offer.
2020 will have highlighted the crucial role of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) as an information hub and liaison agent: support for businesses, multiple partnerships with local ambassadors and organisations and promotion of regional know-how. This repositioning with local authorities demonstrates the concept of destination attractiveness (in French), centred on the one hand on the satisfaction of all the users of a destination, whether they are residents, entrepreneurs or tourists, and, on the other hand, on the place of the DMO in this ecosystem.
Some destinations have been thinking for several years about the value of tourism, its actors and its beneficiaries in the host destination. In Belgium, Visit Flanders adopts a holistic vision and focuses on mutual development benefits. The DMO has gone from "What do customers want to buy?" to "What does the community offer and want to share?". This change of direction prompted the organisation to modify its membership criteria in order to welcome any member of the community who wishes to create value, but who did not comply with pre-established requirements, such as a minimum opening period during the year.
Encouraging the creation of an identity and a sense of place in collaboration with the community responds to the need for authenticity of tourists and the improvement of living spaces for residents. Here are some basic conditions to energise a destination.
The Netherlands’ Vision 2030 incorporates the idea that every visit will contribute to the well-being and prosperity of residents. This strategy is based on balancing the negative and positive impacts of tourism, monitoring the perception of the population and involving the community in tourism development. This requires continuous data monitoring (tourists and residents) and the establishment of an open dialogue with the population, in order to create attractive places for all stakeholders. You can watch Charel Van Dam discuss this here.
For its part, the Mission des offices de tourisme de la Nouvelle-Aquitaine (MONA in French) helped its members to integrate the population into their strategy by developing courses of action according to six major objectives, among others, informing residents of the role of the DMO and develop a feeling of belonging to the destination. The tools developed in 2017 are broken down into five resident profiles (supplier, consumer, influencer, host and resident).
The closing of borders has propelled residents to the rank of primary consumers of the tourist offer. Some have even turned out to be excellent ambassadors for their region, which justifies their key role in developing the offer and promoting the destination.
In Quebec, the population of the Magdalen Islands welcomes each year a little more than six times (approximately 85,000 people) the number of its residents (approximately 12,500).
A working committee made up of socio-economic actors, members of the tourist office and residents has been set up to identify the essentials of tourism development in line with the particular character of the Islands and the expectations of the population. Public consultations were held between March and September 2020 to allow islanders to express their opinion on tourism development in the coming years.
In order to attract tourists in low season, Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine (in French) consulted the tourism industry through meetings and co-creation activities. These made it possible to identify and prioritise the services, products, as well as the experiences to be valued. The strategy was drafted in winter 2021 and took into account the opinions mentioned in order to offer favourable tourism to both islanders and visitors. Jason Bent, from Tourism Îles de la Madeleine, and Dominic Lapointe, from UQAM, discuss how the involved their community in more detail here.
The reaction of residents testifies to the dynamism of the destination. This is why some destinations have decided to promote them in marketing campaigns.
Elected three years in a row as the happiest people in the world, who better than the Finns to share their recipe for happiness? Thanks to the Rent a Finncampaign, developed by Visit Finland, it was possible to have access to a virtual local guide in order to learn more about their daily life and know their tips. It’s a great way to reinforce the country's brand image while promoting itself as an authentic and accessible destination. This strategy, developed in 2019, was adopted, following on from the success encountered.
Also with a view to showcasing its friendly residents, New Zealand put together the Good Morning World Strategy, a series of live-filmed videos where residents from different regions greet international tourists each morning in an enchanting decor. It won the Campaign of the Year award from AdNews Agency.
Several tourist offices called on their residents during the pandemic to share images using hashtags such as #WhenWeTravelAgain, #FenetreSurMontpellier or #PourUnInstant, here in Quebec. For its part, Visit Luxembourg has launched a photography competition for Luxembourgers in order to explore their region with new eyes.
As the main consumer of the local tourist offer, the resident is an ambassador of choice. Developing a sense of pride in the whole community should become, if not already, one of the goals of destination management organisations.
This article is published in partnership with Transat Chair in tourism at the Université du Québec à Montréal, School of Management (ESG-UQAM). This article was originally written in French by Fanny Beaulieu Cormier in collaboration with Kate Germain, 9 February 2021, we have provided an English translation.
2020 will have highlighted the crucial role of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) as an information hub and liaison agent: support for businesses, multiple partnerships with local ambassadors and organisations and promotion of regional know-how. This repositioning with local authorities demonstrates the concept of destination attractiveness (in French), centred on the one hand on the satisfaction of all the users of a destination, whether they are residents, entrepreneurs or tourists, and, on the other hand, on the place of the DMO in this ecosystem.
2020 will have highlighted the crucial role of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) as an information hub and liaison agent: support for businesses, multiple partnerships with local ambassadors and organisations and promotion of regional know-how. This repositioning with local authorities demonstrates the concept of destination attractiveness (in French), centred on the one hand on the satisfaction of all the users of a destination, whether they are residents, entrepreneurs or tourists, and, on the other hand, on the place of the DMO in this ecosystem.
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