DMOs (destination marketing organisations) and CVBs (convention & visitors bureaux) have often played a catalytic role in the Marketing and Development of destinations. What makes some of them successful or very successful while some…
DMOs (destination marketing organisations) and CVBs (convention & visitors bureaux) have often played a catalytic role in the Marketing and Development of destinations. What makes some of them successful or very successful while some other can not make an impact? This will be the topic developed by Dr. Koutoulas during the Philoxenia Destination Marketing Workshop.
Says Dr. Koutoulas: “securing a high marketing budget is not enough to succeed on the competitive tourism market. The proper organisational structure, know-how and staffing is needed to make efficient use of available marketing and tourism development funds. Many DMOs – be they national tourism organisations or local-level CVBs – often overlook this aspect and keep spending lots of money with very little market impact.”
The presentation of Dr. Koutoulas will comprise a practical approach to operating DMOs in an efficient manner. Benchmarks and easy-to apply methods will be presented covering issues such as the departmental structure and the hierarchical pyramid of DMOs, staffing with properly trained and motivated staff as well as ways of assessing return on funds spent.
Having worked as a consultant in the fields of marketing and tourism since 1990, Dr. Koutoulas has been involved in several consultation projects concerning DMOs in Greece and internationally, including the Netherlands and Malaysia. He also played a crucial role in preparing the reorganisation plan of the overseas representation network of the Greek National Tourism Organisation.
Dr. Koutoulas banked on his expertise in DMO management and conducted a global study titled “Benchmark Survey of Convention and Visitors Bureaux” – the first of its kind – in 2004. The survey report has been acquired by public and private-sector organisations – including dozens of CVBs – throughout the world and has been extensively quoted both by academic and industry media globally.
The Philoxenia Destination Marketing Workshop is a one-day seminar held on Nov. 15, 2006, as a parallel event of the Philoxenia expo in Thessaloniki. Other prominent speakers (to be announced shortly) will cover the following subjects:
- Market research and strategic analysis
- e-Marketing of Destinations
- Quality Issues
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
