Destination Development and

Institutionalization Strategies

In the OIC Member Countries

experience”, can charge a premium price and aim to attract limited number of tourists celebrating special

occasions such as honeymoons or anniversaries.

Tourism Destinations’ Life Cycle

The concept of product life cycle has been adapted to destinations leading to a model that starts with

destinations being in discovery or exploration phase and ending with a stagnation phase where

destinations can either face a decline or develop strategies for rejuvenation. The destination essentially

moves fromhaving limited tourism facilities and low numbers of tourists in the exploration stage to having

regular tourism with services provided by locals but still a limited number of tourists in the involvement

phase. In the following development and consolidation phases, first tourism investments and tourist

arrivals grow, then tourist numbers become stable and investments start to decrease. Eventually,

stagnation occurs with no growth in tourist arrivals and possible exit of some tourism industry players or

tour operators. In the post-stagnation phase, destinations either face decline with lower number of tourist

arrivals or rejuvenation if they find new ways to market themselves or appeal to new segments.

Figure 2: Destination Life Cycle

Source: Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC)

Tourism Destinations’ Resources

Tourist destinations will differ on what they offer to visitors, essentially, the core of their value

propositions. All will have variations in natural endowments, which encompasses cultural and regional

elements, or a combination of the three. Building upon these endowments, resources have supporting

aspects, which encompasses activities, linkages and superculture, with value propositions being further

Ibid.

Thiel-Ellul, Daniela F. and Navarro-Jurado, Enrique. (2015). “Destination Life Cycle.” In: J. Jafari, H. Xiao (eds.),

Encyclopedia of Tourism

Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.

Based on Butler’s Tourism Area Life Cycle (TALC).

Lifecycle

Time

Number of Tourists

Discovery

Rejuvenation

Decline

Stagnation

Involvement

Development

Consolidation

Types

Tourism Impact

Resources