Steal The Limelight

Even the best of destinations would stand to benefit from the diligent use of social media.

- L K Ojha

“Today, consumers have access to more information, more choices, and more opportunities to voice their opinions and can be the whistleblowers for unethical practices or the biggest ambassadors for destinations and service providers. In this context, branding is an ever more complex challenge requiring destinations and companies to adjust their structures, their policies, and their strategies,” UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said at the ninth UNWTO & WTM Ministers’ Summit. This quote emphasises the importance of online presence for destinations as well as associated organisations. Online presence for brands is not an extra step or a delighter now; it is taken as a given by customers.

Destination marketing: unique proposition

Destination brands are a product of several years of development—of their history, people, geography, and culture Very few destination brands like Las Vegas and Dubai can be created from scratch. Destinations branding is mostly about identifying and highlighting the unique strengths that can attract visitors; destination marketing is about communication of these strengths to the audience. In a nutshell, destination branding is more of a self-evolved process revolving around the identity of a place over a long period of time and destination marketing is about communication of the same.

Considerations

Strategic design and alignment: An audit to assess the strengths and weaknesses followed by the identification of clear areas of focus would help in drawing comparisons with competitors. Additional product elements can help in enhancing the core product offering.