Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) are using Social Media (SM) to promote their destinations, attract tourists and communicate with the destination stakeholders. This study sought to understand how DMOs use SM, how DMOs adopt SM, what the desired outcomes from SM use are and how SM outcomes are evaluated. Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory guided this study and a mixed-methods research design was used to address the research questions. The two major research questions were; Firstly, how do DMOs use SM? Secondly, what outcomes do DMOs hope will result from SM use? / May 2016

In this thesis a discursive examination of backpacker attitudes towards and use of a New Zealand tourism website, based on their own accounts of their experiences of using the web for travel, offers a contribution to existing knowledge about human computer interaction. The study enhances current understandings of the processes through which backpackers interact with travel websites by including the social and personal context of their experience. Analysing interview data on user attitudes and behaviour, it argues the importance of taking into account the use-context of human computer interactions. Placing participants’ interaction with the newzealand.com website within themes of imagination, emotional engagement, and authenticity in experience allows an exploration of such context. It demonstrates that backpackers’ engagement with websites is shaped not only by their material circumstances but by their attitudes to travel in general, their assumptions and feelings about New Zealand as a place, and as a site for their own experiences. The research applies usability techniques and methods to observe and inquire into tourists’ experiential interaction with a destination website. The emotional, affective, reflective and behavioural aspects of tourists’ decision making processes are studied in order to show how websites, as a medium of communication, evoke users’ travel imaginings. In this way the study contributes to research into tourists’ web-related motivation and behaviour. In addition, by applying discursive, performative, and experiential lenses drawn from travel research to human-computer interaction, it augments current research techniques for studying the social effects of virtual technology and web related human behaviour. The thesis explores themes of representation of place and self in relation to backpacker experiences and frames them in terms of authenticity and trust. It argues that in navigating places, backpackers seek authentic experiences and that this notion of authenticity is mediated by their encounters with other travellers, locals, tourism providers, as well as books, television and the Internet. Websites as travel information sources shape how backpackers think about their tourist experiences; to do this effectively, what the site presents must resonate with the backpacker’s views on how they think those experiences should be.

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In this thesis a discursive examination of backpacker attitudes towards and use of a New Zealand tourism website, based on their own accounts of their experiences of using the web for travel, offers a contribution to existing knowledge about human computer interaction. The study enhances current understandings of the processes through which backpackers interact with travel websites by including the social and personal context of their experience. Analysing interview data on user attitudes and behaviour, it argues the importance of taking into account the use-context of human computer interactions. Placing participants’ interaction with the newzealand.com website within themes of imagination, emotional engagement, and authenticity in experience allows an exploration of such context. It demonstrates that backpackers’ engagement with websites is shaped not only by their material circumstances but by their attitudes to travel in general, their assumptions and feelings about New Zealand as a place, and as a site for their own experiences. The research applies usability techniques and methods to observe and inquire into tourists’ experiential interaction with a destination website. The emotional, affective, reflective and behavioural aspects of tourists’ decision making processes are studied in order to show how websites, as a medium of communication, evoke users’ travel imaginings. In this way the study contributes to research into tourists’ web-related motivation and behaviour. In addition, by applying discursive, performative, and experiential lenses drawn from travel research to human-computer interaction, it augments current research techniques for studying the social effects of virtual technology and web related human behaviour. The thesis explores themes of representation of place and self in relation to backpacker experiences and frames them in terms of authenticity and trust. It argues that in navigating places, backpackers seek authentic experiences and that this notion of authenticity is mediated by their encounters with other travellers, locals, tourism providers, as well as books, television and the Internet. Websites as travel information sources shape how backpackers think about their tourist experiences; to do this effectively, what the site presents must resonate with the backpacker’s views on how they think those experiences should be.

The diploma thesis addresses the problem of destination marketing on multinational level - the existence of "destination Europe" in particular. It is divided in to parts concerning destination marketing management, branding, activities of the EU and the ETC in the area of destination marketing and the perception of Europe as a brand by foreign visitors. The last chapters sum up the current state and draft a way these institutions should be heading for higher effect. The main used methods are SWOT, PEST and SEO analysis and a survey amongst foreign visitors. The most important findings include a fact that these visitors in certain cases do perceive Europe as a single destination regardless the low efficiency and impact of ETC's activities.

<p>Tourism is an important source of economic growth for destinations, which is why the interest for destination branding has grown in recent years. Meanwhile, Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) often struggle to promote their destination successfully. For instance, many stakeholders influence the perception of a destination and therefore it is difficult to create a coherent image. Some destinations have a more successful destination branding, which not only depends on their marketing methods but also the pre-requisites of the city. Hence, destination branding is a complex process where there is no standard solution. Therefore, three different destinations are used as a basis for the thesis; Brussels, Istanbul and Stuttgart. What can be learned from the marketing methods in these destinations? The purpose of this thesis is to examine the current market position of Brussels, Istanbul and Stuttgart as tourist destinations and their marketing strategies and methods used to promote the destinations. We will identify general recommendations on how to improve the destination branding, and propose specific recommendations to selected DMOs in the destinations.</p><p>Through the use of specific descriptive criteria, such as unique selling points (USPs), image and marketing channels, as well as the conducting of interviews with employees in higher administrative positions within the selected DMOs, the thesis aims at providing the reader with a deeper knowledge in the field of destination branding. The Tourist Area Lifecycle Model was used to analyse the destinations to understand their situation today and future possibilities and challenges in marketing the cities as tourist destinations. Moreover, the concepts of comparative and competitive advantages and the integrative model by Ritchie and Croutch was used to discuss the competitiveness of the destinations. The research shows that DMOs face problems, such as the lack of a coherent image, common goals, the coordination of activities between DMOs in different levels and cooperation between different stakeholders. These are areas that need attention from the DMOs in order to achieve successful destination branding and are included in the conclusion, which helps DMOs to improve their marketing methods in order to achieve success in the promotion of their destination.</p>

Tourism is an important source of economic growth for destinations, which is why the interest for destination branding has grown in recent years. Meanwhile, Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) often struggle to promote their destination successfully. For instance, many stakeholders influence the perception of a destination and therefore it is difficult to create a coherent image. Some destinations have a more successful destination branding, which not only depends on their marketing methods but also the pre-requisites of the city. Hence, destination branding is a complex process where there is no standard solution. Therefore, three different destinations are used as a basis for the thesis; Brussels, Istanbul and Stuttgart. What can be learned from the marketing methods in these destinations? The purpose of this thesis is to examine the current market position of Brussels, Istanbul and Stuttgart as tourist destinations and their marketing strategies and methods used to promote the destinations. We will identify general recommendations on how to improve the destination branding, and propose specific recommendations to selected DMOs in the destinations. Through the use of specific descriptive criteria, such as unique selling points (USPs), image and marketing channels, as well as the conducting of interviews with employees in higher administrative positions within the selected DMOs, the thesis aims at providing the reader with a deeper knowledge in the field of destination branding. The Tourist Area Lifecycle Model was used to analyse the destinations to understand their situation today and future possibilities and challenges in marketing the cities as tourist destinations. Moreover, the concepts of comparative and competitive advantages and the integrative model by Ritchie and Croutch was used to discuss the competitiveness of the destinations. The research shows that DMOs face problems, such as the lack of a coherent image, common goals, the coordination of activities between DMOs in different levels and cooperation between different stakeholders. These are areas that need attention from the DMOs in order to achieve successful destination branding and are included in the conclusion, which helps DMOs to improve their marketing methods in order to achieve success in the promotion of their destination.

Digitala redskap är nu för tiden en vanlig strategi inom marknadskommunikation och destinationsutveckling. Trots detta är litteratur i ämnet begränsad. Därför har denna studie strävat mot en fördjupad förståelse för Göteborg &amp; Co:s digitala redskap Evenemangskalendern. Det är en digital förteckning där turister kan hitta de aktuella evenemang som erbjuds i Göteborg. Frågorna som har tagits fram rör relevanta styrmedel förkalendern och Göteborg &amp; Co:s syn på användningen av kalendern som ett redskap förmarknadskommunikation. Med bakgrund i destinationsmarknadsföring har en induktiv fallstudie tagit form medintervjuer, observationer och dokumentanalys. Studien är begränsad till fyra kvalitativa intervjuer, fyra observationsobjekt och sex dokument. Alla med fokus på Göteborg &amp; Co:s egna material och anställda. Resultatet från dessa källor har sedan i en diskussion kopplats samman med teori inom destinationsutveckling, marknadskommunikation och organisationsteori. Studien visar att Evenemangskalendern inte är inbegripen i den gedigna marknadskommunikations-analys som resten av goteborg.com undergår. Kalendern har inga fasta processer gällande omvärldsbevakning eller besöksstatistik. Detta kan bero på att det operativa arbetet utförs på annan fysisk plats än det strategiska arbetet. Det ligger även en begränsning i hur Göteborg &amp; Co definierar en turist. / Digital devices are nowadays a common strategy in marketing communication and destination development. Despite this, we find the literature on the subject limited. Therefore, this study has strived towards an immersed understanding of Göteborg &amp; Co:s digital device Evenemangskalendern (Event Calendar). It is a digital listing where tourists can find the current events offered in Gothenburg. The questions produced revolves around relevant control documents for the calendar and Göteborg &amp; Co:s view at the use of the calendar as a device for marketing communication. With a background in destination marketing, an inductive case study has taken form with interviews, observations and document analysis. The study is limited to four qualitative interviews, four observation objects and six documents. All with focus on Göteborg &amp; Co:s own material and employees. The result from these sources has in a discussion been merged with theory within destination development, marketing communication, and organization theory. The study shows that the Event Calendar is not included in the solid marketing communication analysis that the rest of goteborg.com go through. The calendar has no fixed processes regarding benchmarking or visitor statistics. This could be due to the fact that the operative work is being executed at another physical place than the strategic work. There is also a limitation in how Göteborg &amp; Co defines a tourist.

The objective of the diploma thesis was to evaluate the current position of perception of the Hungary among residents of the Czech Republic in relation to its brand and its means of communication and bring some recommendations to support the promotion of the country in relation to tourism. The results will be available and provided to the selected interested organizations. To meet the specified objectives, it was necessary to analyze primary and secondary data. To obtain the primary data was made a quantitative research using questionnaires and additional qualitative research in the form of individual interviews. The result was that Czech citizens perceive this country positively, but they don´t perceive all of the communicated values that promote the attractiveness of the tourist destination. Recommendations were related to the construction of more effective promotional campaigns and the promotion of marketing communication tools to support the positive development of tourism.

Background: The tourism industry and especially those that market destinations, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), face challenges to meet generation Y, with an uncertainty of how to do it. DMOs need to be adaptable to an everyday changing market in order to attract visitors to their destinations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how destination marketing organizations can market their destinations to reach domestic tourists within the population of generation Y. Method: A literature review was made in order to explore previous research regarding DMOs’ marketing strategies and tourists’ information search behavior. The literature review has been used in order to make hypotheses and a research model which lay the foundation for the design of a survey to test the hypotheses. An interview guide, based on the literature review, was made to address potential tourists and get deepen understanding of the field. Contrast and compare have been made between potential tourists’ opinions and the theoretical part, in order to draw conclusions on the subject. Results and conclusions: Results of this study have shown that for the chosen population, generation Y, are search engines and DMOs’ websites seen as the best way to reach tourists. DMOs have high possibilities to be seen on the web (their website and social media sites) if they actively use search engine optimization. Social media sites are also important, but in a different way, and DMOs need to work harder and cleverer on these sites to market their destinations.