module specification

‘Destination Management and Marketing’ will guide you through principles of tourism destinations management, marketing and planning - an increasingly vital tourism management skill that enables destinations to anticipate needs of all stakeholders (tourists, local residents, private and public sector companies, etc.) more successfully and compete for visitors in today's global marketplace. The module will enable students to draw on the expertise from Tourism Management Institute.

Module considers application of essential management tools such as ICT and social media, crisis management, partnerships and competitiveness, “access for all” policies and new product development strategies. Realistic understanding of obstacles facing destinations seeking to establish or improve destination product and image will be explored critically with reference to current issues and case studies from UK and worldwide destinations.

Design is based on the model of work-simulation module, hence students will apply principles to practice through ‘live’ examples, advising a particular UK town on specific destination marketing challenges, via typical for destination manager's practice tools, such poster or benchmarking video.

This is a core module for BA Tourism and Travel Management and BA Events Management.

MC4004 Principles and Practice of Marketing

This module aims to:

1. Produce challenging content, focused on understanding, applicability and interplay between destination management and marketing theory and practice at national, regional and local level, matched with student’s prior knowledge and requirements of industry;
2. To appreciate the role of market research and intelligence, benchmarking, strategic analysis of the business environment, and strategy formulation by tourism destinations
3. Implement range of learning technologies and supporting resources that simulate real, professional working environment and enable students to develop mix of appropriate transferable skills;
4. Introduce formative assessment backed up by feedback and feedforward that allows monitoring of students’ progress, learning needs and enables students to reflect upon the process and quality of their learning.

It also aims do develop student’s academic skills, in particular: researching, data analysis and presentation, industry awareness, problem solving and creativity and innovative thinking

The syllabus is split into three thematic areas and includes:

A – Destination management concept, including destination’s life cycle (TALC), uniqueness of destination management, role of DMOs, market research and intelligence, strategic analysis of business environments (PESTEL), destination competitiveness (Porter’s diamond), destination planning and crisis management

B -  Destination marketing theory, including image and role of branding in its creation, positioning and facilitation strategy in destinations, market segmentation and targeting, integrated marketing communications, ICT and social media marketing, partnerships and benchmarking

C – Destination management and marketing case studies, including new product portfolio creation, domestic tourism, “tourism for all” concept – accessible tourism, marketing via events, cultural, business and niche tourism, managing UNESCO Heritage sites

This module will be delivered through lectures that will introduce topics and required reading in preparation for seminars and workshops. Each week students will have 3 hours contact time (normally 1.5 hour lecture, 1.5 hour seminar/workshop) that will be enhanced by blended learning to provide on-line support and guidance. Preparatory materials, in the form of compilation of lecture slides, relevant case-studies, articles, book extracts, reports and reading materials support each session.

Seminars act as arenas of group discussion, aiming to solve particular problems related to weekly lecture’s topic. Students are encouraged to share examples of local, regional or (inter)national practices known from own experience. Teaching promotes critical and logical thinking and deduction through the use of brainstorming and focus group techniques to simulate real, professional working environment and allow students to develop mix of appropriate transferable skills.

Practical, assessment-related skills are introduced and taught during assessment tutorials where understanding and application of destination marketing methods and techniques further equips students with abilities to work in destination management environment. IT Workshops, timetabled throughout the module, serve as practical opportunity to create required assignment pieces (poster and video).

To ensure effective and efficient teaching and learning, availability of traditional (i.e. teaching rooms), technological (i.e. IT labs with internet access, graphic software and video-conferencing facilities), e-learning (i.e. Weblearn) and library resources is required.

The most important values that inform this module are understanding and industry-specific competencies; applicability of knowledge; work experience capabilities and communication skills. Therefore, on successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Identify stakeholders and analyse their roles and responsibilities in destination management, marketing and planning;
2. Assess and evaluate marketing needs of destinations, evaluate and apply successful marketing strategies and initiatives effectively attracting tourists and encouraging spending;
3. Research and interpret market trends relevant to destination’s promotion and research, match and (re)design tourism products appropriate to particular destination;
4. React to market information and apply a contemporary, industry-relevant knowledge in the formulation of destination marketing strategies;
5. Work effectively, both individually and in team, researching, analysing and synthesizing information and presenting recommendations in response to specific briefs in time-constrained situations

Intended assessment follows guidelines for summative, formative assessment (Nicol 2006) aiming to aid learning and measure achieved learning in parallel. Both, cognitive and affective outcomes are assessed in successive assignments.

Assessment incorporates vocational contents through introduction of job-related project (role play) that require industry-associated research integrated with academic knowledge.  Students in groups act as destination management consultants hired by UK town council/DMO. In three consecutive tasks students’ role is to:

1. Group assignment: Market intelligence presentation (20%) - research of destination’s external (environmental scan) and internal (poster) environment;
2. Group assignment: Benchmarking video (20%) – provide solutions for destinations performance gaps supported by external best-practice examples;
3. Individual assignment: Case study strategic report (60%) – (re)design tourism product(s) that match destination’s resources by tackling current issues and creating appropriate marketing strategy – 3500 words case study strategic report

Working as a group facilitates peer learning and encourages students to develop analytical and cognitive skills within team dynamics (i.e. conflict management, flexibility, negotiation and compromise, organisation and time management), which is a crucial graduate attribute and simulated realistic work environment.

Key text:
Morrison, A.M. (2013) Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations, Routledge, Oxon.

Supporting reading:
Kolb, B.M. (2006) Tourism marketing for cities and towns: using branding and events to attract tourists. Oxford: Elsevier.
Kozak, M., Baloglu, S. (2011) Managing and Marketing Tourist Destinations: Strategies to Gain a Competitive Edge. Routledge. London.
Middleton, V. T. C., Fyall, A. and Morgan, M. (2009) Marketing in travel and tourism, 4th ed. Butterworth-Heinemann. Oxford.
Morgan, N. and Pritchard, A. (2010) Destination branding: creating the unique destination proposition. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Pike, S. (2008) Destination marketing: an integrated marketing communication approach. Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann. London.
Tribe, J. (2010) Strategy for Tourism, Oxford: Goodfellow.
World Tourism Organization (2002) Marketing tourism destinations on-line: strategies for the information age. Madrid: World Tourism Organization.