Guide to Best Practices in Tourism and Destination Management

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Guide to Best Practices in Tourism and
Destination Management
Dr. Rich Harrill

• Director
• International Tourism Research
• University of South Carolina

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About the International Tourism Research Institute

• University of South Carolinas School of Hotel,
  Restaurant, and Tourism Management
• Tourism research to national and international
  clients
• Customer segmentation, market profiling, market
  feasibility, economic impact, and tourism planning

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Best Practices in Tourism and Destination
Management

• Research, funding, professional development,
  information dissemination, advocacy, Web
  marketing, sustainable tourism, and best practice
  adapters
• Published by the Educational Institute of the
  American Hotel and Lodging Association for
  convention and visitors bureaus, state tourism
  agencies, and chambers of commerce

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Methods

• Broad applicability
• Ability to indicate innovation
• Evidence of ongoing program
• Willingness to participate
• Evidence of an outcome or outcomes

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Research

• San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Foodie and Joy studies
• Michigan State Universitys Travel, Tourism, and
  Recreation Resource Center
• County-Level Tourism Profiles, Regional Michigan
  Tourism Market Study, and World Travel and
  Tourism Tax Barometer

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Research

• Finger Lakes (N.Y.) Wine Country Tourism
  Marketing Association
• Conversion, economic impact benchmarking
• Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau
• Conversion, economic impact funding

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Research

• Canadian Tourism Commission/Statistics Canada
• Tourism Satellite Account (TSA)
• Colorado Tourism Office
• Image research, economic impact strategic
  marketing plan
• Mackinac (Mich.) State Historic Parks
• Visitor profiles university partnership

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Research

• Maine Office of Tourism
• Image research advertising evaluation impact
  assessment return-on-investment
• Ottawa (Ontario) Tourism and Convention Authority
• Lodging industry surveys HOTELBASE
• Texas AM University, Department of Recreation,
  Park and Tourism Sciences
• Partnership with Texas Economic Development

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Funding

• San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Trademark licensing and co-branding
• Visit Florida
• Membership fees
• California Division of Tourism (CalTour)
• Mandatory assessment

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Funding

• Missouri Division of Tourism
• Tourism Supplemental Revenue Fund (TSRF)
• Travel Montana
• Tourism Infrastructure Investment Program (TIIP)

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Professional Development

• International Association of Convention and
  Visitors Bureaus (IACVB)
• Fundamentals of Destination Management (FDM)
• Professional in Destination Management (PDM)
• Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME)

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Professional Development

• BestCities.net (Denmark)
• Buddy groups
• Convention sales
• Convention servicing
• Web promotion
• MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and
  exhibitions)

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Information Dissemination

• Vienna (Austria) School of Economics and Business
  Administration, Institute for Tourism and Leisure
  Studies
• TourMIS (Tourism Management Information System)
  is an Internet-based tourism decision-support
  system
• Rapid retrieval of tourism market data to
  multiple users
• Planning and decision tools such as portfolio
  analysis and budget optimization

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Advocacy

• Lee Island (Fla.) Coast Visitor and Convention
  Bureau
• Monthly Tourism Development Council Report
• Oregon Tourism Commission
• Pocket Fact Book, distributed at the Tourism
  Industry Council Legislative Reception
• Greater Lansing (Mich.) Convention and Visitors
  Bureau
• Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown event

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Web Marketing

• Greater Pittsburgh (Pa.) Convention and Visitors
  Bureau
• Trip personalization and packaging
• www.visitpittsburgh.com
• Nashville (Tenn.) Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Web design quality graphics and flash effects
  trip builder and celebrity endorsements
• www.nashvillecvb.com

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Web Marketing

• Travel Montana
• Privacy and confidentiality niche Web sites
• www.visitmt.com
• Overland Park (Kan.) Convention and Visitors
  Bureau
• Balance of utility and aesthetics
• www.opcvb.org

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Web Marketing

• Chattanooga Area (Tenn.) Convention and Visitors
  Bureau
• Revenue generation
• www.chattanoogafun.com
• Durham (N.C.) Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Web site iterations
• www.durham-nc.com
• Travel Michigan
• Web site evaluation
• www.michigan.org

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Sustainable Tourism

• Juneau (Alaska) Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Tourism Management Best Practices (TBMP) program
• ECOCLUB.com (Greece)
• Worldwide ecotourism network
• Hacienda Pinilla (Costa Rica)
• Social sustainability
• Queen Annes (Md.) County Department of Business
  and Tourism
• Ecotourism planning

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Best Practice Adapters

• Harbor Country (Mich.) Chamber of Commerce and
  Lodging Association
• Web marketing Overland Park (Kansas) Convention
  and Visitors Bureau
• Rhode Island Tourism Development Advisory Council
• Funding Visit Florida and Missouri Division of
  Tourism funding models

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Conclusions

• Private-sector business model
• Accountability and program evaluation
• Diversification of funding methods and sources
• More involvement in the political arena

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Conclusions

• Professionalization of tourism and destination
  management
• Tourism information technology
• Integration of service and sales
• Business ethics

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Conclusions

• Research The Great Equalizer
• Expansion of tourism funding models
• Web sites as revenue generators
• Doing things well professional and sustainable
  development

Dr. Rich Harrill
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Contact

• Dr. Rich Harrill
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• E-mail rharrill_at_gwm.sc.edu

Dr. Rich Harrill