St. Gallen Consensus on Destination Management

Abstract

This paper summarizes the main insights of the second Biennial Forum on Advances in Destination Management (ADM), held in St. Gallen (Switzerland). Issues in five domains preoccupied the discourse of scholars and practitioners alike: (1) the definition of "destination", (2) the purpose and legitimacy of destination management organizations (DMO), (3) governance and leadership in destination networks, (4) destination branding, and(5) sustainability. For each domain, this consensus offers a purposeful research agenda grounded in the ADM's community of destination management and marketing researchers. This paper builds on conference participants' collective sense-making efforts expressed over the course of the conference and in a dedicated consensus session.

The 2016 St. Gallen Consensus on Advances in Destination Management

“…At the two previous ADM forums, ontological discussions dominated sessions on the destination as a theoretical concept. Conference attendees attempted to come up with -and agree on -a new definition to improve understanding of the fundamental nature of destinations (Laesser & Beritelli, 2013;Reinhold et al, 2015). This year, however, conference attendees no longer questioned destinations' natures.…”

“…Results of the first two forums were summarized in previous editions of the St. Gallen Consensus on Destination Management (Laesser & Beritelli, 2013;. The third ADM forum crossed the Atlantic and assembled an international group of tourism professionals and researchers from June 17-19, 2016 in Vail, Colorado. Like its predecessors, the 2016 Consensus on Advances Destination Management summarizes the main insights and results of this conference.…”

Destination Management in Chile: Objectives, Actions and Actors

“…This study investigates the nature of destination management in Chile through the analysis of a series of tourism plans and strategies. Planning and strategy development are considered key elements of destination management (Fuchs & Weiermair, ; Jamieson, ; WTO, ; Laesser & Beritelli, ; Morrison, ; Pearce, ). Morrison ( p.7), for example, asserts that ‘effective destination management requires a strategic or long‐term approach based upon a platform of destination visioning and tourism planning’.…”

The Importance of Stakeholder Involvement in Strategic Development of Destination Management: The Case of the Mirna Valley Destination

“…The same competences are also attributed to the destination management concerning the tourist offer, but it Is also necessary to add the marketing and communication component as a key to achieve transparency, and, consequently, economic and development success of the destination (Magaš, 2003). Laesser and Beritelli (2013) see destination management (dmo) as the management process that aims to attract visitors and allocate time and money in a specific geographic space. As they said, destination management should comprise different domains of activity, such as planning, lobbying (on behalf of all stakeholders), marketing in a comprehensive way, and coordinating a seamless customer experience.…”