Destination Development and
Institutionalization Strategies
In the OIC Member Countries
165
Local community
Ignoring the needs of the local community can be perilous for the destination manager, because
they constitute part of the appeal of the destination. Host community support is essential;
therefore, it is important to manage their perception of tourism.
Guam Visitors Bureau’s mission statement can be summarized as “Making Guam a
Better Place to Live, Work and Visit”. They believe they are responsible to maximize
the benefit of tourism for the local people. In addition to conducting exit surveys at
the airports for the key markets, they also survey the local community to get insights
on their perceptions of tourism. The Bureau also conducts economic surveys to see
how tourism is benefiting the economy.435
Travel Oregon’s mission statement is “We inspire travel that drives economic development….”
which embodies its focus on developing the local economy through strengthening the local
tourism industry.
Go Great Lakes Bay conducts surveys to find out the local community’s opinion on where tourism
should be located, where it should not be located, and what level of tourism is considered
acceptable, and at what level do they start to become offended by it, what kind of tourism
development would benefit residents and what kind they do not want. 436
The mission of Amsterdam Marketing is to make the city livable, lovable and prosperous for its
inhabitants, visitors and the business community. The DMO has representatives from the
community on their advisory board, with whom they discuss the needs of the community and
plans for the city.437
DMOs should have an ongoing conversation with the local community about their needs, through
focus group discussions, surveys, and meetings with community leaders, and incorporate those
needs in their vision. Travel Oregon’s vision statement indicates that it aims to achieve “a better
life for all Oregonians through strong, sustainable local economies”.
Barcelona Activa, which is the DMO for Barcelona, established a platform called City Council,
where the local community, private stakeholders and the local government come together and
discuss issues that affect each side and defend their interests to arrive at solutions that benefit the
city as a whole.438
Developing projects that not only for visitors but benefit the local community is a win-win. Great
Lakes Bay in Michigan invested $1.2 million to improve the quality of life and increase tourism in
a poverty-stricken area of the City of Saginaw in Michigan. Another project involved purchasing
an aged property in the downtown area of the City of Midland, that would have otherwise been
torn down, and converting it into a five-story mixed-use development.439
DMOs need to share with the local community the positive impacts of tourism on the community,
including the economic impact, job creation, development of infrastructure, facilities and
435 Interview with President and CEO, Guam Visitors Bureau
436 Interview with CEO, Go Great Lakes Bay
437 Interview with CEO, Amsterdam Marketing
438 Interview with Director of Tourism, Barcelona Activa
439 Destinations International (2017). Destination NEXT Practice Handbook. 1-89.