Destination Development and
Institutionalization Strategies
In the OIC Member Countries
37
example of a DMO that values transparency; it shares a wide range of information including board meeting
records, annual financial reports, salary band of staff among other information about its operations
through its website.133
DMO financial accountability is ensured through internal audit mechanisms and government oversight. In
Spain, both Barcelona Activa and Tourism Granada reported having all their accounts checked by
comptrollers to ensure regulations are followed. Accountability is assured through instituting internal
control mechanisms and audits by the city council’s comptroller. Transparency is achieved through
publishing reports and all relevant documents on DMOs’ websites as well as through various media
platforms. 134 In the US, the Go Great Lakes organization reported being audited on an annual basis and
having its bids process and accounting services audited every three years by responsible authorities within
their region.135 In Puerto Rico, the Comptroller reviews operations of the Promotion and Marketing Office
of the Puerto Rico Tourism related to disbursements, filing of documents and following its required
plan. 136
2.6. DMO Success and Effectiveness
As recipients of both public and private funding, DMOs are under pressure to prove their success, however,
the task of measuring their effectiveness has proven to be quite challenging as it is difficult to quantify the
effect of DMO activities on destination competitiveness in the presence of other external factors, with
various methods used to identify important elements for the success of DMOs and measure DMO
effectiveness.
Effective communication with stakeholders to keep themwell-informed, ensuring their needs are met and
the creation of a collaborative environment for different stakeholders were perceived as instrumental for
DMO success, based on a study comprising of eighty-four interviews with tourism managers and
stakeholders from twenty-five Canadian destinations. Interviewees, in the context of this study, identified
many operational competencies as indicators of DMO success; creation of partnershipmarketing, planning
and strategy development, being goal- oriented and innovative. DMO management ability to maneuver,
creativity, and active personality as well as availability of funding were also identified as key determinants
for DMO success.137
In an effort to develop tools for measuring DMO success and effectiveness to encourage best practices,
some organizations, such as the UN World Tourism Organization (UNTWO) and Destination Marketing
Association International (DMAI), have recently developed their own models for measuring DMO
effectiveness. The UNTWO’s QUEST program, which aims to both measure and build DMO capacities, uses
indicators to assess DMO effectiveness and efficiency evaluation in three areas; strategic leadership,
effective implementation and efficient governance. The QUEST program is comprised of three stages;
assessment of DMO plans and operations, improving the skills of the DMO personnel through training, and
providing certification of DMOs. 138 Alternatively, DMAI has developed a diagnostic tool for DMOs through
its DestinationNEXT project to help them track their performance relative to industry standards through
133 Morrison, Alastair M. (2013). Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations. USA: Routledge.
134 Interviews. Please refer to Spain’s case study for more information about the mentioned DMOs.
135 Interview with, CEO of Go Great Lakes. Please refer to the US case study for more information about the mentioned DMO.
136 “Comptroller points out irregularities in Tourism Co.” Caribbean Business. January 31, 2017.
137 Bornhorst, T., Ritchie, J.R. Brent, & Sheehan, L. (2010). Determinants of tourism success for DMOs and destinations: An empirical
examination of stakeholders’ perspectives. Tourism Management 31: 572–589.
138 UNWTO.QUEST Website. (n.d.). Retrieved fro