Local tourism policy makers and e-image of destinations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to propose a suitable measure for evaluating the effectiveness of regional destination management towards building a successful destination image. The study introduces a new methodology that examines the similarities and differences of the views between the tourism demand side as expressed by tourists’ opinions on TripAdvisor and the supply side as expressed by local policy makers. Analysis of quantitative and qualitative survey data reveals measurable discrepancies caused by local strategy and policy decisions and by attributes of the destinations. Destination management organizations could conduct similar surveys to evaluate the effectiveness and overall success of local branding and destination promotion strategies. This is one of the few studies focusing on the individuals with key roles in local tourism management, comparing the perspectives of the demand and supply side and identifying reasons for failure, based on factors acknowledged by the local policy makers.