scholarly journals An Examination Of The Challenges Involved In Distributing A Strong And Consistent Destination Image In The Marketing Of Tourism In Malaysia

2010 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Phang Ing ◽  
Janie Liew-Tsonis ◽  
Sharon Cheuk ◽  
Izyanti Awang Razli
Keyword(s):  
Destination Image ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Travel Agents ◽  
Place Image ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Future Of Marketing ◽  
Conflicting Messages ◽  
Depth Interviews

The future of marketing will be a battle of brands and destination branding is arguably the tourism industry’s biggest challenge (Pike, 2005). Marketing a destination consistently over time is critical to the success of destination marketing organisations (DMOs) and destination marketing companies (DMCs). However, media and market proliferation and clusterisation creates a high risk of contrary and confusing messages. This research paper reports on the findings of a two year study on the promotion of transportation in tourism development in Malaysia which examined the challenges involved in distributing a strong and consistent image of a destination.  Key issues identified include the complexity of relationships which co-exist in the marketing of a tourism destination, its place image and conflicting messages.  A qualitative approach to in-depth interviews was conducted with key respondents who were policy makers, tour and travel agents, non-government organisations, and residents in Malaysia.  The empirical evidence has shown that policy makers in Government, although receptive to the promotion of tourism, are not entirely aware of the roles each is involved in the distribution of a strong and consistent image of place in the marketing of tourism in Malaysia.

Rebranding Macau: views of cultural industry insiders

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joey Pek U Sou ◽  
Thea Vinnicombe ◽  
Tiffany Chang Han Leung
Keyword(s):  
Performing Arts ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Aspects ◽  
Rich Data ◽  
World Centre ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of utilizing the performing arts as one element in changing the destination image of the Macau special administrative region from that of the Las Vegas of the East to a “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure”. The context is of particular interest as rebranding is typically associated with negative or outdated images, whereas Macau’s existing brand is strong and associated with positive tourism revenues. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured in-depth interviews with frontline participants in Macau’s performing arts sector are utilized to evaluate the relevant re-branding strategies and goals of the city’s administration. In-depth interviews focus on understanding policies through the thoughts and experiences of respondents. They are particularly useful in cases where insiders are likely to be better informed than others with respect to policy issues. Findings – Three main themes related to the use of the performing arts as a vehicle for destination rebranding are explored. Findings suggest that few elements common to successful branding campaigns are evident in the approach of the Macau administration. Shortcomings are evident, for example, in communication, infrastructure development, long-term planning and the allocation and monitoring of funding. Research limitations/implications – Although qualitative research relies on rich data from small numbers, the study focuses only on the views of informed insiders in the performing arts. Input from commercial stakeholders and higher-level policy makers would broaden the perspective. Practical implications – The findings are relevant for any destination wishing to alter or update its image. Originality/value – Cultural aspects are increasingly utilized in destination branding. This study is one of only a few which focuses on the performing arts sector.

Exploring Key Issues in Destination Branding

2012 ◽  
pp. 47-56
Author(s):  
Piyush Nangru ◽  
Vaibhav Rustagi ◽  
Manish Makhija ◽  
Lubna Nafees ◽  
Omkumar Krishnan
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Key Issues

In response to increased competition among destinations, destination marketing organizations (DMO) are required to effectively communicate the competitive advantage of destinations and market them as brands. Destination branding, unlike product branding, is a very recent concept. This chapter aims to study and analyse key issues in destination branding which makes it different from branding a product or a service and also identifies certain areas in destination branding where further research is required. The analytical framework of the chapter was developed by reviewing literature on destination branding and case studies in destination branding.

A Research on Destination Marketing System Evaluation: A Tourist Destination Image View

2010 ◽  
Vol 26-28 ◽  
pp. 1069-1074
Author(s):  
Hai Yu Huang ◽  
Wen Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Destination Image ◽  
System Evaluation ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Fundamental Theory ◽  
Marketing System ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Evaluation Module

Researches on Destination Marketing System (DMS) now still have problems addressed both in the fundamental theory and operation practice. This paper paid much attention to the operation and evaluation of DMS, in which Tourist Destination Image was introduced to help design a new evaluation module added to the system. In this module, tourist responded to a survey on tourist destination image to be a reference for evaluation. Besides, supplementary means were also designed to make it reasonable for tourists. In this way, solutions for evaluation and adjusting destination promotion through DMS are raised for enterprises and policy makers.

Tracking brand positioning for an emerging destination: 2003 to 2015

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 286-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Pike ◽  
Jane Gentle ◽  
Louise Kelly ◽  
Amanda Beatson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Brand Image ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Marketing Communications ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Financial Investment ◽  
Marketing Organisation ◽  
Temporal Aspect ◽  
Over Time

Surprisingly, there have been few published studies monitoring a destination’s brand image over time. This temporal aspect of destination image is an important gap in the literature, given consensus around the role perceptions play in consumers’ decision making, and the ensuing emphasis on imagery in destination branding collateral. Whereas the majority of published destination image studies have been in the form of a snapshot of perceptions at one point in time, this paper presents findings from a survey implemented four times between 2003 and 2015. Brand image is the core construct in any modelling of destination branding performance, which has emerged as a relatively new field of research in the past decade. Using the consumer-based brand equity hierarchy, the project has benchmarked and monitored destination brand salience, image and resonance for an emerging regional destination, relative to key competitors, in the domestic Australian market; and the survey instrument has been demonstrated to be reliable in the context of short break holidays by car. What is particularly interesting to date is that there has been relatively little change in the market positions of the five destinations, in spite of over a decade of branding marketing communications by the regional tourism organisations and their stakeholders, and more recently, the mass of user-generated travel content on social media. The project did not analysis the actual marketing communications for each of the destination marketing organisations. Therefore, an important implication is that irrespective of the level of marketing undertaken, the destination marketing organisations seem to have had little control over the perceptions held in their largest market during this time period. Therefore, it must be recognised that any improvement in perceptions will likely take a long period of time, and so branding needs to be underpinned by a philosophy of a long-term financial investment as well as commitment to a consistency of message over time, which given the politics of destination marketing organisation decision making represents a considerable challenge.

scholarly journals Conceptualizing ASEAN Tourism Brand: Towards A Coopetition Framework

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 114-121
Author(s):  
Varintra Sirisuthikul
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Unified Approach ◽  
Marketing Organization ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Cooperation And Competition ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Destination Marketing Organization

Objective - This paper proposes an integrative framework in an attempt to conceptualize the branding of ASEAN tourism in a sustainable and unified approach based on the results collected from a sample of travellers visiting ASEAN destinations and tourism insights from NTOs or DMOs. Methodology/Technique - A mixed method is used to combine the quantitative and qualitative phases. A survey of travellers visiting ASEAN destinations (n=480) is conducted with a mix of Asian travellers and Western travellers, as well as 10 in-depth interviews with NTOs or DMOs to obtain tourism insights. Findings - The findings suggest that authenticity of the destination image is an integral part of ASEAN tourism. National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) and other stakeholders of ASEAN tourism should adopt a coopetition framework and co-create a consistent and coherent positioning of the destination, while maintaining a competitive positioning of the nation, to achieve a sustainable brand of ASEAN tourism. Novelty - The paper highlights the needs for ASEAN NTOs and DMOs to enable coopetition for all tourism stakeholders for the promotion of the ASEAN brand. The proposed framework is seen as transformative in its ability to bring about collaborative and sustainable efforts to ultimately achieve an authentic ASEAN brand. Type of Paper - Empirical. Keywords: ASEAN Tourism Brand; Coopetition; Cooperation and Competition; Authenticity; NTOs; DMOs. JEL Classification: M38, M38, L32.

scholarly journals What Prompts Small and Medium Enterprises to Implement CSR? A Qualitative Insight from an Emerging Economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zengming Zou ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Naveed Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Safdar Sial ◽  
Alina Badulescu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Customer Behavior ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Management Commitment ◽  
Top Management Commitment ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Depth Interviews

The topic of corporate social responsibility (henceforth referred to as CSR) has been a central topic during the last decade, but the majority of the existing literature discusses CSR relationship with large organizations. Whereas, its contribution in small and medium enterprises (henceforth referred to as SME) sector has received little attention. There have been some studies that focused on CSR activities in SME sector quantitatively in the context of developing economies like Pakistan, but the fact is, to date, SME sector of Pakistan is not participating actively in CSR-related activities due to some constraints. The present study is a pioneer attempt, to explore CSR barriers that restrict SME sector of Pakistan from practicing CSR initiatives. For this reason, the present study explores these barriers qualitatively in order to gain in-depth knowledge of different CSR barriers. In doing so, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews from 9 SMEs in Lahore city of Pakistan. We performed thematic analysis, which produced five relevant themes of CSR barriers, including: Lack of resources, lack of regulations, lack of top management commitment, lack of CSR knowledge, and passive customer behavior. Our analysis further showed that lack of resources is the most related barrier that hinder SMEs to be engaged in CSR activities. This paper contributes to CSR literature in emerging economies’ context. Through an increased awareness of barriers, policy makers and practitioners may take necessary steps to improve CSR practices in SMEs.

Psychiatric symptoms among migrants to Malaysia from the southernmost provinces of Thailand

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402198973
Author(s):  
Kathleen Ford ◽  
Aree Jampaklay ◽  
Aphichat Chamatrithirong
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Working Age ◽  
Self Reporting Questionnaire ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Migrant Groups

Aim: The objective of this paper is to examine the level of psychiatric symptoms and associated factors among Thai migrants from the southernmost Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narithiwat who are working in Malaysia. Comparisons will be made with the sending population in the southernmost provinces of Thailand. Methods: Data are drawn from survey and in-depth interviews with Thai migrants who are working in Malaysia. Comparisons are made with a probability sample of working age adults in Thailand. The twenty item Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was the measure of mental health. Results: The study found that the migrants, on average, have normal levels of psychiatric symptoms. However, although about 24% of migrants reported more eight or more symptoms that may indicate a need for evaluation. There are many stressors in their lives including distance from families, reduced social support, legal matters surrounding immigration, and discrimination/exploitation of migrant groups. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for policy makers and non-governmental organizations to give attention to migrants’ mental health, well-being and sustainable livelihoods.

scholarly journals Assortative Matching of Tourists and Destinations: Agents or Algorithms?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1987
Author(s):  
Ralf Buckley ◽  
Mary-Ann Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Share Price ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Assortative Matching ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Travel Agents ◽  
Price Trends ◽  
Automated Algorithms

We propose that assortative matching, a well-established paradigm in other industry sectors and academic disciplines, can underpin the concept of destination matching. This provides a new foundation to integrate research concepts and terminology in destination marketing and destination choice. We argue that the commercial tourism industry already applies destination matching approaches, with three historical phases. Initially, matching of tourists and destinations relied on the tacit expertise of specialist agents. This still applies in specialist subsectors. For generalist travel and accommodation, human agents were partially replaced by online travel agents, OTAs, which are customised algorithms operating only in the travel sector. These still exist, but their share price trends suggest decreasing significance. Currently, automated assortative algorithms use multiple sources of digital data to push appealing offers to potential purchasers, across all retail sectors. Digital marketing strategies for tourism products, enterprises, and destinations are now just one category of generalised product–purchaser matching, using entirely automated algorithms. Researchers do not have access to proprietary algorithms, but we can identify which components they incorporate by analysing their underlying patents. We propose that theories of destination marketing and choice need to reflect these recent and rapid real-world changes via deliberate analysis of destination matching.

scholarly journals Striving to Be Different but Becoming the Same: Creativity and Destination Brands’ Promotional Videos

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Tjaša Alegro ◽  
Maja Turnšek
Keyword(s):  
Marketing Channels ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
Video Sharing ◽  
Rare Elements ◽  
Informal Setting ◽  
High Level ◽  
Destination Brand ◽  
Destination Management Organizations

Social networks have become an important supplement to traditional forms of marketing channels for destination branding. YouTube is believed to be one of the most influential social media and video sharing platforms. Its visual character, informal setting and address of the youth segment would expectedly mean a high level of creativity in the process of destination branding. By means of qualitative analysis of what are considered to be the best videos as self-selected by the European destination management organizations (DMOs), we wished to ascertain how creative these best case examples really were. The results show that the videos are extremely similar, with the most common type a “collage” of only loosely connected visuals with rare elements of storytelling or humor as the most typical creative approaches. While following the desire to show the diversity of a destination, the destination branding videos paradoxically become a collection of similar visual images and thus fail to contribute to the differentiation of the destination brand. The results show that future advice to practitioners of destination marketing for YouTube is to go beyond the typical “collage” genre of a destination marketing video and focus more on storytelling, humor and especially the most difficult step in the destination branding: strategically focusing on the smaller number of specifics that differentiate a destination rather than on the multitude of the highly diverse experiences.

scholarly journals The role of uniqueness in destination branding: the case of historical Portsmouth harbor

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros Apostolakis ◽  
Shabbar Jaffry ◽  
Faye Sizeland ◽  
Adam Cox
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Destination Branding ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
City Brand ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Local Resources

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential for utilizing a unique resource, such as the Historic Portsmouth Harbor, in order to differentiate the local brand. Design/methodology/approach – The objective of the paper is to examine the role of unique local resources and attractions as a source of competitive advantage through destination branding. Findings – The main findings of the paper indicate that policy makers and destination managers should more proactively utilize the unique elements of the Historic Portsmouth Harbor “brand,” as opposed to the commonplace “waterfront city” brand. This could be achieved by staging events of international significance or through a bid for gaining world heritage status. In addition to that, the paper argues that in order for this branding initiative to have a higher impact, a prominent high profile individual should be appointed. This individual could act as a leader or “brand ambassador” in order to attract stakeholder interest and participation. Originality/value – The paper could be of value to destination managers and marketing organizations in a local, sub-regional and regional level.

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