Destination tourism is an expanding industry in the travel industry. Destination tourism refers to traveling to historically significant, culturally important, or otherwise important destinations, for the purpose of vacationing. It can also refer to individual hotels, cruises, vacation packages, or group vacations. In most cases, destination tourism refers to traveling to certain places around the world.
The concept of destination marketing came about with the adoption of the phrase “destination” by marketers and developers who were looking for new ways to promote their products. These marketing strategies involved in creating new products, concepts, and ideas that would appeal to tourists. For instance, a developer could create an imaginary community in which a tourist was staying and create activities for his guests to participate in, such as miniature golfing, tennis, hiking, hunting, biking, swimming, boating, and more. By participating in these activities and making these places accessible to the public via the developer’s hotel or other location, the developer created an iconic place brand for the destination.
Today, there are many places that have been named destination icons. In the past decade, Las Vegas had emerged as one of the most popular tourist destinations. In 2021, a study by the Cab International/IDSireland Group, a consulting firm, named Las Vegas the most popular tourist destination in the United States. The reasons for this study include: the number of shows, nightclubs, casinos, shows, and theme parks, the number of people spending on leisure, the variety of entertainment options available, and the quality of hotels and restaurants provided by a variety of developers. In addition, Las Vegas is home to some of the finest spas, golf courses, art galleries, and other cultural facilities in the world. Another reason is the rapid influx of immigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries who settled in the area to work and build wealth.
Destination branding is all about making a place memorable for those visiting. In other words, destination branding takes into account all of the factors that make a place appealing to tourists, such as its culture, its history, its natural resources, its landmarks and sites, its cuisine, its transportation system, its recreational activities, and its tourist attractions. All of these elements must combine to create a destination that engages, excites, entertains, relaxes, educates, stimulates, attracts, and pleases the visitor. In short, destination branding encompasses everything that makes a place desirable as a tourist destination.
Destination branding and destination community development go together because both involve creating destinations that people visit rather than just staying at a place that they see on a map or on a brochure. In doing so, destinations create an imagined community where people can live, work, play, relax, and enjoy themselves. Destination branding encompasses everything that a city, town, or region has to offer to visitors – cultural activities, historical sites, natural resources, educational facilities, entertainment resources, and so on. And by creating a destination community, businesses and organizations can be able to take advantage of the tourism generated by such locations.
In fact, destination sites are becoming very popular because of this factor. A destination site is the best place for businesses to showcase and market their products and services in a manner that is most likely to attract customers. For instance, an Orlando-based real estate developer could use Orlando attractions and amenities as the theme for his new online home based business content website. He could also include informative sections about property developments in Orlando and other locales, information about travel resources to and from Orlando, and so on. The new website will become a portal that tourists can visit to find out more about living in Orlando and to find out about the Orlando area’s hot spots and attractions.
