Reference no: EM133000026 , Length: word count:1250

3018THS Destination Management - Griffith University

In groups of three (3), you are required to conduct an analysis for a destination and develop a destination management strategy to develop and manage a target tourist market to the destination. Groups must select one of the eight destinations listed below:

- Paris, France
- Phuket, Thailand
- Hong Kong, China - Rome, Italy
- Auckland, NZ
- Los Angeles, USA

The project should be undertaken from the standpoint of the regional Destination Management Organisation (DMO), for example, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Gold Coast Tourism, etc.

Destination Management Strategy - Part A

In order to develop a comprehensive and high standard destination management strategy, your group first needs to complete extensive background research and analysis of your selected destination. This analysis is to ensure that as much relevant information about the current (and possibly past) operating environment is gathered and understood, so that an appropriate destination management strategy can be developed.

In conducting this analysis, you will need to consult with industry resources (e.g., plans, reports, etc.) as well as academic literature to identify trends and challenges in the current operating environment.
Your task:

The task is to research and present an analysis for a destination of your choice (from the list given) and present your analysis in a group report. This analysis should cover the following points:
• The policy and operational environment of the destination
• Key stakeholders
• Demand for the destination
• Issues and challenges that the destination is facing, including COVID-19, and post COVID-19 implications.
Group members will work together to collect background information, exchange ideas, and prepare the report for their selected destination. The report should be approx. 2,500 words (±10%).
You may have learnt tools such as PESTLE analysis, SWOT analysis, competitor analysis, visitor analysis, etc., in other courses. You can use these tools to assist with your analysis. Please do not include detailed descriptions of the analysis tools in your report, instead use these tools to provide background for your strategy and the key issues facing your destination (i.e., the results of your analysis).

Destination Analysis Report Format

1. Introduction
Write 1-2 sentences to introduce the purpose of the report, the destination management organisation's name and insert a map of the destination showing its geographic boundaries
2. Policy and operational environment of the destination
Describe the key policies that have been/would influence tourism, describe demographics of residents and industry characteristics, e.g., population size, number of female and male residents, number of young, middle and older aged residents, average education and household income level; and the main industries in the destination
3. Stakeholder Analysis
Identify 4-6 key stakeholders in your chosen destination, briefly say what their stake is, and illustrate their location and importance/influence on the stakeholder analysis matrix.
4. Demand for the destination
Conduct a visitor analysis of the destination. Describe the visitor profile of the destination. Identify 3-4 key segments and describe their relevant demographic, geographic, behavioural, and psychographic characteristics.
Identify 3-4 key experience themes of the destination and provide examples of actual organisations delivering products under each theme.
5. Tourism issues
Use a PESTEL/SWOT or another method to identify a comprehensive list of issues. Present the issues in a table format. Highlight four (4) issues you consider most significant for the destination, explain why.
6. Conclusion
Write a short paragraph that makes a critically informed judgement or evaluative comment about the business situation of the destination
7. References
APA style referencing should be used.

DESTINATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY- PART B

Based on the analysis of destination presented in Part A, students will develop Part B, i.e., a destination management plan, for their chosen destination. Part B has an individual component worth 15% and a group component worth 25%. Part B includes three key elements, plus introduction and conclusion (total 4,500 words, ±10%):
i. Summary of Destination Analysis - An overview of Part A findings, summarising the policy and operational environment of the destination, key stakeholders, tourism demand, key product experience themes, and issues the destination is facing.

ii. Experience Audit and Competitor Analysis - Provide an overview of the concept "experience economy" (including transformative experience), and describe how this approach can improve tourist experience offering and thus improve operator competitiveness. Conduct an audit of the existing experiences/settings/tourism providers of the destination and identify providers that can potentially develop exceptional experiences. Undertake a destination competitor analysis of tourist experiences and present the summary of that analysis.

iii. Planning and Management Strategy - Identify existing tourism strategies and policies that align with the destination management strategy of your destination. Provide a destination management strategy that focuses on one potential market for proposed experiences in the destination.

Part B should include an introduction and conclusion in addition to the key elements described above.

Part B: Destination management plan report format:

1. Introduction (Group)
In 100 words or less, name your destination, the target market for the management strategy, and outline the key sections of the report.

2. Destination Analysis (Student A)
Provide a summary of the key findings of Part A

3. Experience Audit and Competitor Analysis

3.1 Overview of the experience economy concept (Student A)

Write a description of the "experience economy" concept (including transformative experience), and describe how this approach can improve tourist experience offering and improve operator competitiveness.

3.2 Key target market (Student A)
Identify a key target market for your destination (e.g., intra-state retired couples, backpackers from South East Asia, corporate travellers from Europe, etc.). Describe this target market in relation to transformative experience (e.g., the type of experience they would find meaningful given their motivations or needs). Support with references.

3.3 Audit of existing tourism providers and experiences (Student B)
Provide an audit of the existing tourism providers and experiences in your destination, in relation to the chosen target market. The audit includes a description of the tourism experience and your evaluation of its level of transformation. A minimum of 4 providers and their product experiences are required. The audit should be presented in a table to reduce the word count.

3.4 Undertake a destination competitor analysis (Student B)

Identify two other destinations competing for the same target market as your destination. The competitor footprint should be included (see Figure below).
Discuss the competitor footprint (similarities/differences between these destinations), and highlight what is unique about your destination (i.e., unique selling proposition) in terms of offering particular experiences.

3.5 Recommendations to improve experiences (Student B)

Make three recommendations on how to improve the provision of transformative experience offerings in your destination.
Recommendations should be based on your audit and competitor analysis. For example, if you identify tourism experiences that are only semi-transformative or not transformative, you can suggest improvements to the providers. You can also suggest the development of relevant transformative tourism experience based on the identified unique selling proposition for your destination.

4. Planning and Management Strategy

4.1 Existing tourism strategies and plans (Student C)

Identify existing strategies or plans that relate to the management strategy that you are developing for your destination. A tourism strategy/plan can range from branding, vision, guidelines for product development and stakeholder collaboration, etc. It is helpful to broaden your search to identify not only your destination's tourism strategy or plan but also relevant local art/cultural/event policies, as well as regional/state/national development policies. A minimum of 2 strategies/policies is required. Use a table to reduce the word count. Below is an example.

4.2 Potential target market for management strategy (Student C)

Identify and briefly describe a potential target market for the management strategy. This can be the same as the target market in section 3 but can also be a new target market. Justify the choice - for example - is this a market that has declined/grown significantly in recent years, hence the need for a destination management strategy.
4.3 Destination management strategy (Student C)

Create a new tourism product/experience range or modify existing tourism products/experiences to cater to the identified potential target market. Provide guidelines in point form for the implementation of the transformative experience (e.g., describe the proposed product and provide a promotional strategy, or a collaboration event between relevant stakeholders, development of new facilities, etc.). Please ensure that your proposed tourism experience is a sustainable one.
5. Conclusion In approx. 150 words, summarise the key points of your report.(Group)
6. References Please use APA referencing style. There should be at least 7 academic references and 7 industry references in that list. Remember that a reference is a source that is actually cited within the text. (Group)

DESTINATION MANAGEMENT STRATEGY- PART C: DIGITAL COMMUNICATION PLAN & VODCAST

Part C of the strategy is individual-based assessment. Each student will independently design a digital communication plan to communicate the destination management strategy to a chosen group of stakeholders at the destination. Part C is worth 35% and includes two components:
1. A written digital communication plan - explain the goals, describe the target audience, identify effective communication channels, and design key content (1,500 words,
±10%).
2. A vodcast - make a short vodcast aimed to gain stakeholder support for the management plan (approximately 3 minutes).
Required structure and content for the Digital Communication Plan

• Section 1: Introducing the importance of establishing and managing an online reputation and the purpose of this digital communication plan.
• Section 2: Describe the stakeholder group (i.e., which stakeholder group your vodcast is targeting and why you choose this group).
• Section 3: Identify effective communication channels for this stakeholder group based on their particular needs and preferences (i.e., how should the vodcast be distributed to the targeted stakeholders?) You need to consider various digital communication platforms/channels and their appropriateness for the chosen stakeholder group.
• Section 4: Design the vodcast and justify the design (describe the key elements of the vodcast and why you design the elements in this way).
• Section 5: Concluding comments.
• Section 6: References. Please use APA referencing style. There should be at least 3 academic references and 3 industry references in this list.

Attachment:- Destination Management.rar