preview

Marketing Research And Sustainable Management Practice

Better Essays

In such a volatile and complex industry as tourism, marketing research, an integral part of marketing planning process, plays a crucial role in shaping a framework that guides Destination Management Organisations’ (DMOs) decisions, be it public or private. At operational level, market intelligence would help DMOs gain market insights, bridge the gap between tourism products and visitors and potentially explore new markets. Without market data, goal and objectives would be unrealistic thus resulting in inefficient marketing programmes. The report discusses attempts to promote San Juan Islands - an archipelago part of the U.S. state of Washington, through their marketing plan. Drawing on the marketing process proposed by Middleton et al. (2009) and relevant literatures, what emerges from the plan is the lack of market data, lack of measurable objectives and lack of sustainable management practice. As a result, the report recommends a comprehensive marketing research and sustainable management practice.

2. INTRODUCTION
San Juan Islands, locating in the Salish Sea and north east of Seattle, comprise of three main islands: San Juan Island, Orca Island and Lopez Island. Their particularly scenic nature and abundant wild life have transformed a traditionally rural county into America’s recent favourite place for retirement. Still a natural resources-based economy, San Juan Islands’ landscapes have been reinvented and commodified for tourism. As such, tourism plays a central

Get Access