Page 70 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol. 3(1) (2015). Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press.
P. 70
dia universitatis her editati, letnik 3 (2015), številk a 1 70offer its visitors tourist experiences that attra-tives owned by the enterprises that are members.
cted them into that area. A destination can be In the past, strong public sector involvement in
hereditatiregarded as a combination (or even as a brand) offinancial support may have discouraged a co-op-
all products, services and ultimately experiences erative model. However, in changing economic
provided locally. “It also enables us to assess the circumstances local authorities and other public
impact of tourism regionally, as well as manage bodies are looking at how their role develops at
demand and supply in order to maximise bene- a time when, in many cases, the case for collabo-
fits for all stakeholders.”2 ration among interested parties has been proven.
A successful destination management, in There is strong evidence that DMO’s in gen-
addition to a unifying strategy (the Master Plan eral will promote and assist in generating a more
of Tourism Development), demands also an ap- commercial in focus in member organisations.
propriate operational management model which There is equally strong evidence that engage-
will allow a close cooperation between public ment in DMO’s helps participants to adopt new
and private sector of a particular destination. models along the lines of the public service mu-
tualisation that has been seen in other parts of
And it would be a task of DMO to provide the public sector. A co-operative model may help
opportunities to all tourism stakeholders in the to harness private sector support through own-
Slovenian Istria to collaborate in a range of are- ership as well as membership for DMO’s.
as that can boost business performance and pro-
ductivity. By coming together local business- Learning Points and Conclusions
es can create something that is greater than the
sum of parts, collaborating to strengthen exter- – It is evident from the Case Study that the
nal promotion, but also internal improvements. heritage-resource tourism in this part of
Slovenia has huge opportunities to be de-
DMO can and should therefore provide veloped far more than it is at the moment.
packages of shared products, be it coastal, be it Many excellent products and offers of cul-
rural and above all shared services to tourism tural tourism exist and remain but these are
businesses operation in well-defined geograph- insufficiently developed and inefficiently
ic area such as Slovene Istria is. For example, a presented on major tourism markets at both
DMO acting as a shared service co-operative a national and international level. Curren-
could provide such facilities as marketing, book- tly it appears that the overall tourism offer
ings, travel services, web presence etc. to a group is dominated by the interests of some large
of local hotels, restaurants, tour operators and hotel chains, which are not local and who
guides. These have particular value in connect- are neither interested nor motivated to put
ing up tourism opportunities in both rural and forward local interests and engage local re-
urban areas of Slovene Istria. sources. Beside this it is unlikely that they
really understand the concept of a DMO,
As has been noted many small businesses in despite the fact that just a few kilometres di-
the tourism sector struggle to access training in stant exists an extremely successful DMO -
order to improve skills and processes. DMO can namely Croatian Istria with excellent expe-
provide business networks that are useful source rience and results.
of ideas, support and encouragement. They can
also facilitate employee training across a number – It is also obvious and clear that sustainabi-
of businesses in order to create a critical mass of lity of the product, in our case cultural to-
trainees and manage costs for employers. urism, must be secured. Without detailed
carrying capacity research of sites which
As collaborative bodies in nature there is a potentially would become resource-zones
case for DMO’s to be established as co-opera-
2 Buhalis, D., “Marketing the competitive destination of the future“,
Tourism Management, Vol.21, February, 2000, 98.
cted them into that area. A destination can be In the past, strong public sector involvement in
hereditatiregarded as a combination (or even as a brand) offinancial support may have discouraged a co-op-
all products, services and ultimately experiences erative model. However, in changing economic
provided locally. “It also enables us to assess the circumstances local authorities and other public
impact of tourism regionally, as well as manage bodies are looking at how their role develops at
demand and supply in order to maximise bene- a time when, in many cases, the case for collabo-
fits for all stakeholders.”2 ration among interested parties has been proven.
A successful destination management, in There is strong evidence that DMO’s in gen-
addition to a unifying strategy (the Master Plan eral will promote and assist in generating a more
of Tourism Development), demands also an ap- commercial in focus in member organisations.
propriate operational management model which There is equally strong evidence that engage-
will allow a close cooperation between public ment in DMO’s helps participants to adopt new
and private sector of a particular destination. models along the lines of the public service mu-
tualisation that has been seen in other parts of
And it would be a task of DMO to provide the public sector. A co-operative model may help
opportunities to all tourism stakeholders in the to harness private sector support through own-
Slovenian Istria to collaborate in a range of are- ership as well as membership for DMO’s.
as that can boost business performance and pro-
ductivity. By coming together local business- Learning Points and Conclusions
es can create something that is greater than the
sum of parts, collaborating to strengthen exter- – It is evident from the Case Study that the
nal promotion, but also internal improvements. heritage-resource tourism in this part of
Slovenia has huge opportunities to be de-
DMO can and should therefore provide veloped far more than it is at the moment.
packages of shared products, be it coastal, be it Many excellent products and offers of cul-
rural and above all shared services to tourism tural tourism exist and remain but these are
businesses operation in well-defined geograph- insufficiently developed and inefficiently
ic area such as Slovene Istria is. For example, a presented on major tourism markets at both
DMO acting as a shared service co-operative a national and international level. Curren-
could provide such facilities as marketing, book- tly it appears that the overall tourism offer
ings, travel services, web presence etc. to a group is dominated by the interests of some large
of local hotels, restaurants, tour operators and hotel chains, which are not local and who
guides. These have particular value in connect- are neither interested nor motivated to put
ing up tourism opportunities in both rural and forward local interests and engage local re-
urban areas of Slovene Istria. sources. Beside this it is unlikely that they
really understand the concept of a DMO,
As has been noted many small businesses in despite the fact that just a few kilometres di-
the tourism sector struggle to access training in stant exists an extremely successful DMO -
order to improve skills and processes. DMO can namely Croatian Istria with excellent expe-
provide business networks that are useful source rience and results.
of ideas, support and encouragement. They can
also facilitate employee training across a number – It is also obvious and clear that sustainabi-
of businesses in order to create a critical mass of lity of the product, in our case cultural to-
trainees and manage costs for employers. urism, must be secured. Without detailed
carrying capacity research of sites which
As collaborative bodies in nature there is a potentially would become resource-zones
case for DMO’s to be established as co-opera-
2 Buhalis, D., “Marketing the competitive destination of the future“,
Tourism Management, Vol.21, February, 2000, 98.
