Destination Development

Key success factors

Experience has taught us that the most prosperous examples of destination development in modern times have a number of distinctive common factors:

• Strong commitment at a high political level
• Strong private companies and entreprenurial leaders
• Thoroughly developed private public partnership
• Common visions
• Adequate economic investments
• Distinctive leadership
• A professional organisation which coordinates work and projects
• An ability to understand and take active part in today’s communication systems

The quality and attraction of the product (the destination), the general knowledge of the brand and the accessibility to the destination, are absolutely crucial for its chances to handle the competition of visitors, events, meetings, students, capital and commercial establishments.

Private Public Partnership

In order to allow the tourism and travelling industry to prosper, there has to be a long-term, professional and purposeful planning. A well established cooperation between the private and the public sectors – private-public-partnership – is, according to us, of greatest importance when it comes to creating a flourishing destination, and in strengthening its trademark.

Product

In order for a destination to be successful, it must offer competitive products. This is why the basis for a long-term and durable success, lies in supporting the destination/product development with visions of progress.

The Brand

However, a good product is not always enough to create prosperity. The market has to know about the destination and what it offers. The importance of creating awareness of the brand of a destination cannot be underestimated. Unless it is known, it will never be successful. Therefore, the destination has to work on its trademark and chisel out its essence – a kind of condensed image of the destination. Expectations and positive associations with the destination are important, and people should feel that they really want to go there and “experience” the destination or “Live the destination”.

Really successful trademarks give rise to positive associations: “A brand should make you smile.”

Accessibility

In order for the destination to develop successfully, it must be accessible. This applies both to the accessibility to, and from, the destination, as within the destinations itself. Global environmental issues put our society in a position where we need to find more environmentally durable solutions of transport.

Events

Today, mega events are used as platforms of communication about cities, regions, countries and companies. Investments in big events play an important role in increased economic growth, in the strengthening of a city/region/country, as well as in establishing and strengthen a brand. Clearly defined goals and a strategic plan how to reach the goals are of outmost importance for a destination that wish to become a stronger event destination.

Meetings

An increasing number of cities/regions/countries have realized the value in arranging fairs, conventions, conferences and corporate events. Their participants spend a lot of money.

Arranging meetings within fields and research areas where the city/region/country has, or is about to achieve, international state of the art knowledge, is a way to support and speed up the development within these important areas.

Leisure Travel

To be a successful destination at the private travel market, the city/region/country has to adapt itself to its target groups. Many different factors have effect on people’s choice of destination: interests, distance, accessibility, travelling time, price, service, quality, family situation and climate are some examples.

Another important factor is in which phase of life people find themselves. Life situation can be described in terms as DINKS (Double Income No Kids), WHOPS (Wealthy Healthy Older People) and Active Family.

People’s interests are factors which greatly affect travelling. Examples of these are when people travel to explore big cities, travel to sunshine and sea bathing, golf, skiing, hiking, adventure, culture, events, food and wine, experience and exploration etc.

The geographical dimension also influences how people travel. There is regional travelling, where inhabitants travel within the region in the course of a day. There is also national (and sometimes this includes other countries in the vicinity) travelling where visitors spend at least one night at the destination.

International travelling comprises a number of nights, for example City Breaks (most often 2-5 days) and charter travel (1-2 weeks). Finally, we have the intercontinental travelling, where the traveller often combines several destinations in the course of his/her journey, and stays away for a considerable length of time.