Strategic marketing planning in the context of heritage tourism management: a study of two heritage regions

Abstract

The effective strategic management of heritage tourism is vital to the economic, environmental and social health of a region. This is even more pronounced in heritage based regions where the resource is ultimately finite and where development cannot be separated from its local residents, communities and businesses. Given this scenario, the effective marketing of heritage tourism must take both a strategic approach and be underpinned by effective stakeholder engagement, which includes processes of coordination and integration in order to achieve a holistic approach to marketing management.

The research sought to establish the nature and scope of stakeholders involved in strategic marketing planning within heritage regions, to investigate the coordination and management of strategic marketing functions, and to examine the process of strategic implementation.

The empirical study took a qualitative approach guided by the case study methodology, which used a range of data collection techniques including content analysis and in-depth interviews. A range of data sources reflecting the structure of the tourism industry were used, including key strategic documents, public sector key informants and tourist product service providers operating in both the private and community sectors, representing the regions.

Key contributions made by the research relate to the identification of four key issues including Strategic Direction, Marketing Communications, Consultation and Aggravated Fragmentation. Overall, it was found that there is no central strategic direction for tourism management, with the result that tourism delivery is unclearly and ambiguously assigned between myriad bodies and agencies. At strategic level, marketing communications between such bodies is endemically poor, resulting in a disintegrated approach to tourism marketing management. The implications of these weaknesses are evident across several strategic marketing functions, including Strategic Orientation, Resource Allocation, Product Service Development and Destination Promotion, and are significant across the levels of management and administration for tourism, from government level planning to individual tourism providers. Limitations in strategic implementation result in aggravated fragmentation whereby Tourist Product Service Providers (TPSP) operate independently of the strategic framework as a result of systematic failures, most notably in relation to Product Service Development and Destination Promotion. Limitations are attributed to ineffective processes of consultation which are unsuited to the stakeholders of the regions and most notably the TPSPs. This research indicates that the key to effective strategic management of heritage tourism lies in consolidating strategic marketing planning through effective stakeholder consultation.

Date of Award	Apr 2014
Original language	English
Sponsors	Department for the Economy
Supervisor	Audrey Gilmore (Supervisor) & Danielle Mc Cartan-Quinn (Supervisor)