Destination Management

Destination management is about sustainably managing and marketing destinations effectively, and efficiently by focusing on joint partnerships between the local authorities, local community and the private sector. These partnerships will operate under the banner of a DMO or DMP (Destination Management Organisation/Partnership). 

What is a DMO? (Destination Management Organisation)

A DMO involves pooling together both public and private sector expertise, resources and knowledge to streamline services. The DMO will become the strategic arm for the destination's delivery plan - enhancing economies of scale, strong research data and increased quality delivery.

DMOs are intended to merge and streamline many of the activities currently undertaken by individual organisations. This is not a task that can be undertaken without numerous other agencies and funding partners. It requires a genuine ‘buy-in' and a belief in the ideals of DMOs from the public, private, environmental and community sectors for this to become a reality. A period of business planning consultation, will allow people to have their say.

Why do we need a DMO?

The tourism industry is changing - locally, regionally, nationally and globally.  We must respond to these changes in order to be a stronger player in an ever-challenging tourism marketplace. 

Several key factors that underpin the reasons for changing:

• Increase in overseas competition - trends to 2011 shows most UK tourism expenditure will go aboard
• Ageing population - changing visitor profile
• Short breaks showing more market increase then long holidays (4+ nights)
• Lifestyle changes - visitors seek experiences not just trips away
• Customers are more demanding - i.e. quality, choice, value for money
• Need to improve public realm infrastructure - i.e. traffic congestion/public transport and public amenities 
• A stronger voice for tourism
• Increase in the use of I.T.
• Need to concentrate on markets most likely to offer real market growth at a visitor recognised level -
  i.e. Somerset, not Taunton Deane
• Duplication of workload by private and public sectors
• Local authority boundaries have little meaning to visitors
• Public sector tourism budgets as a ‘non-statutory' activity are generally shrinking. 

What are the destinations and how are they doing this?

Within this section of the site you will find detail about each of the nine destinations and their approach to forming a DMO. There is no 'one size fits all' solution to forming DMOs and each approach is slightly different. You can download a frequently asked questions document for more general information.