The Competitive Destination; A Sustainable Tourism Perspective

by J. R. Brent Ritchie; Geoffrey I. Crouch

• ISBN13: 9780851996646
• ISBN10: 0851996647
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-10-09
• Publisher: Cab Intl

Summary

This book provides a framework for understanding the complex and multifaceted nature of the factors that affect destination competitiveness. It offers guidance on how to create successful destinations by developing and presenting a conceptual model of destination competitiveness that recognizes the importance of sustainability for long-term success. The book presents a strong theoretical background for managerial decision-making, giving destination managers a range of tools with which to analyse and increase the competitiveness of their areas.

Table of Contents

Preface	x
Acknowledgements	xv
Foreword	xvii
The Evolving Nature of Competition and Sustainability	1	(8)
Destination Competitiveness: Its Nature and Its Evolution	1	(1)
Components of the Competitive Universe	1	(1)
The Dimensions of Tourism Competitiveness	2	(5)
Economic competitiveness	2	(1)
Political competitiveness	3	(1)
The renaissance of the city-state	4	(1)
Sociocultural competitiveness	5	(1)
Technological competitiveness	5	(1)
Environmental competitiveness	6	(1)
Some General Observations on how the Competitive Environment is Evolving	7	(2)
Evolution of the travel experience demanded	7	(1)
Demographics are redefining the foundations of competitiveness	7	(1)
Crisis and renewal are being forced upon destinations as a strategy for competitiveness	7	(2)
Conceptual and Theoretical Perspectives	9	(51)
Part I. The Competitive Destination	9	(2)
Competitiveness: Theoretical and Managerial Dimensions	11	(8)
What is this thing called competitiveness?	11	(3)
A framework for understanding competition	14	(4)
Competitiveness in the service sector	18	(1)
The Nature of Comparative and Competitive Advantage in Tourism	19	(7)
Understanding the travel trade	19	(1)
Comparative advantage	20	(3)
Competitive advantage	23	(1)
Destination competitiveness	24	(2)
Linking Destination Competitiveness to Performance	26	(3)
Tourism markets	26	(1)
Target market strategy	27	(1)
Destination performance	28	(1)
Summarizing the steps to destination success	29	(1)
The Philosophy of Sustainable Competitiveness for Tourism Destination Development	29	(1)
Charting the Destination's Sustainable Course: Crafting a Vision and Establishing Goals	30	(3)
Tourism planning in the context of overall social and economic development	30	(1)
Allocating resources: tourism's share	31	(2)
Part II. The Sustainable Destination	33	(1)
The Birth and Evolution of Sustainable Tourism	33	(3)
Sustainable Tourism: a Comprehensive Examination	36	(2)
The Parallel Emergence of Ecotourism	38	(2)
The World Tourism Organization and Ecotourism	40	(4)
Some concluding observations	44	(1)
Managing Tourism from a Sustainability Perspective	44	(5)
Ecological sustainability	44	(2)
Economic sustainability	46	(1)
Sociocultural sustainability	47	(1)
Political sustainability	47	(2)
Achieving Sustainable Tourism	49	(1)
Creating and Managing a Sustainable Ecotourism Destination	49	(1)
Conclusion	49	(11)
A Model of Destination Competitiveness	60	(19)
The Origins of a Conceptual Model	61	(1)
An Overview of the Model	62	(17)
The global (macro)environment	62	(4)
The competitive (micro)environment	66	(2)
Core resources and attractors	68	(1)
Supporting factors and resources	69	(2)
Destination policy, planning and development	71	(2)
Destination management	73	(2)
Qualifying and amplifying determinants	75	(4)
The Macroenvironment: Global Forces Shaping World Tourism	79	(16)
Global Forces: an Onionskin Taxonomy	80	(6)
The outer layer	81	(2)
The intermediate layer	83	(2)
The inner layer	85	(1)
The Interdependence of Global Forces	86	(1)
Analysing and Understanding Global Forces	86	(9)
Global forces and tourism demand	92	(1)
Global forces and tourism supply	92	(1)
Assessing the impact of global forces on destination performance	92	(1)
Global forces and destination policy	93	(1)
Global forces and destination management	93	(1)
Global forces and destination organization	94	(1)
The Competitive (Micro)environment: the Destination and the Tourism System	95	(15)
Suppliers	97	(2)
Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises	99	(1)
Marketing Intermediaries and Facilitators: the Industry's Lubricants	100	(2)
Customers: the Ultimate Driving Force	102	(2)
Related and Supporting Industries	104	(1)
Destination Management Organizations	104	(1)
Publics: Stakeholders and Watchdogs	105	(1)
The Destination: Internal Environment and Modus Operandi	106	(2)
Other Competing Destinations	108	(1)
The Tourism System: Integrative Impacts	108	(2)
Core Resources and Attractors: the Essence of Destination Appeal	110	(20)
Destination Physiography and Climate: the Natural Edge	111	(4)
Destination Culture: the Lure of Human Distinctiveness	115	(3)
The elements of culture	115	(1)
What is culture?	116	(1)
Major dimensions of cultural attractiveness	117	(1)
Forms of culture	118	(1)
Culture and consumption	118	(1)
Activities: the Nike `Just Do It' Mentality of Travellers	118	(1)
Special Events: In Search of the Stroke of Genius That Creates Destination Uniqueness Through Local Insight and Entrepreneurship	119	(4)
Entertainment -- the Show Must Go On!	123	(2)
Developing and managing entertainment tourism	125	(1)
Tourism Superstructure: `If You Build it, They Will Come!'	125	(2)
Market Ties: the Ties That Bind	127	(3)
Personal ties	127	(1)
Organizational and professional ties	128	(2)
Supporting Factors and Resources: Elements that Enhance Destination Appeal	130	(15)
Infrastructure: Providing a Foundation for Successful Tourism	132	(2)
Accessibility: Addressing the Curse or Blessing of Location	134	(2)
Facilitating Resources: Human, Knowledge and Financial Capital	136	(3)
Hospitality: Resident Attitudes Towards Tourists and Tourism	139	(1)
Enterprise: the Generation of Human Energy	140	(2)
Political Will: Is Tourism Part of the Political Landscape?	142	(3)
Destination Policy, Planning and Development	145	(38)
The Nature of Tourism Policy, Planning and Development	146	(2)
Distinguishing between destination policy planning and development and destination management	147	(1)
Tourism Policy: a Definition	148	(3)
Why is tourism policy important?	148	(1)
Areas addressed by tourism policy	149	(1)
The many other influences on tourism policy	150	(1)
The multidisciplinary nature of tourism and tourism policy	151	(1)
Defining the Focus of Tourism Policy: the Competitive/Sustainable Destination System	151	(2)
Types and levels of tourism destinations	151	(1)
The major parameters of tourism policy and tourism destination management: competitiveness and sustainability	151	(2)
Tourism Policy: Context, Structure, Content and Process	153	(1)
The context of tourism policy	153	(1)
The components of tourism policy	153	(1)
Crafting Versus Formulating a Vision	154	(10)
Example 1: a pragmatic vision	155	(2)
Example 2: a more idealistic vision	157	(7)
Destination Positioning/Branding	164	(1)
Destination Development	165	(1)
Competitive/Collaborative Analysis	166	(1)
Monitoring and evaluation	166	(1)
Destination audit	166	(1)
Relating Policy to Strategy and the Development Process	167	(14)
Supply development strategies	167	(5)
Demand development (marketing) strategies	172	(9)
Summary	181	(2)
Destination Management: the Key to Maintaining a Sustainable Competitive Advantage	183	(50)
The Process of Destination Management	184	(1)
Organization	184	(21)
Level of the destination management organization	184	(1)
Internal programmes	185	(3)
External programmes	188	(1)
Marketing (Promotion?)	188	(1)
Identification of strategic markets for the destination	189	(1)
Measuring destination awareness and image	190	(3)
Monitoring destination awareness and image	193	(1)
Destination branding	193	(3)
The branding of experience	196	(2)
Distinguishing among elements of the destination experience for branding purposes	198	(1)
Measures of brand effectiveness	199	(1)
Assessing destination brand effectiveness	199	(1)
Achieving success in branding	199	(1)
Destination positioning	200	(4)
Market segmentation	204	(1)
Developing logos, themes and advertising support	204	(1)
Managing the Quality of Visitor Service and the Visitor Experience	205	(4)
Structure of the service experience	206	(2)
Management implications of adapting a quality-of-experience framework	208	(1)
Managing Information/Research (I/R)	209	(2)
Managing inward I/R flows	210	(1)
Managing outward I/R flows	211	(1)
Human Resource Development	211	(1)
Finance and Venture Capital Management	212	(1)
Visitor Services and Visitor Management	213	(2)
Services and the experience economy	213	(1)
Systems for visitor management	214	(1)
Stewardship: Taking Care of the Tourism Resource Base	215	(3)
Must stewardship be formalized?	216	(2)
Crisis Management: the Emergency Side of Stewardship	218	(11)
Types of risk/crisis	221	(7)
Mechanisms to deal with crises	228	(1)
Organizational systems	228	(1)
Destination stakeholders	228	(1)
Crisis management scenarios	228	(1)
Summary	229	(4)
Some final observations on crisis management	229	(4)
Qualifying and Amplifying Determinants: Parameters that Define Destination Potential	233	(16)
Destination Location: Blessing or Curse?	234	(3)
Destination Safety: Security or Threat?	237	(3)
Destination Cost Levels: Reality or Perception?	240	(3)
Destination Interdependencies: Synergy or Substitute?	243	(2)
Destination Image: Perceptions of People and Place	245	(1)
Carrying Capacity: Hard and Soft Constraints to Growth	246	(3)
The Destination Audit: Putting the Model to Work	249	(18)
The Philosophy of the Audit Concept	250	(2)
The Nature of a Destination Audit	252	(1)
Preparing for a Destination Audit	253	(2)
Implementing the Audit	255	(1)
Destination Diagnostics	256	(11)
Index	267