Some considerations regarding the Knowledge management

Sharing of qualitative and quantitative data, experience and expertise among city destinations are and will be, by our opinion, very important. The regional and international city organizations/ networking platforms are very useful platforms for this objective. At the same time, bringing together the destination stakeholders in some “tourism learning areas” can solve common problems, boost destination competitiveness, and creates the premises of a quick adaptation to market changes and other environmental perturbations.

In the creation of the knowledge that the tourist product or tourism market comprises customers, suppliers, consumers, interest groups have to be involved.

Regarding the marketing of tourist destination

Marketing, as a science of managing markets, has a significant importance for tourist destinations. Tourist destination marketing is the managerial process responsible for the implementation of tourism policy. The marketing planning of a destination should include a SWOT Analysis, strategic objectives, a marketing action plan, and implementation, monitoring and control.

In order for destination marketing to be successful it is necessary to have strong partnerships among the various stakeholders and a collaborative marketing strategy (Buhalis, 2000; Vellas&Becherel, 1999; Vicent, 2012). The use of tourism clusters in order to bring together key public and private stakeholders who design, plan or are associated for the achievement of the marketing objectives can drive to a sustainable and innovative destination.

For example, Emilia-Romagna (the province of Rimni) has been presented as a case study of economic success, especially for its clusters, due to the ability of its regional institutions and policy to give the opportunity for development and gave proper tools to support the small and medium enterprises that form clusters. The Province of Rimini has its own responsibilities and tasks, being the institution for planning and coordination of promotional activities in its territory.

Another example is Pecs that, thanks to the European Capital of Culture programme, tried to create the city’s new cultural cluster on a famous manufactory. They started by transferring the remaining production units of the factory to the eastern buildings and then redesigned, renovated, reconstructed or newly built buildings in the Cultural Cluster on five hectares, in order to build a strong cluster of the creative industries in the region.

Co-operative marketing is any agreement to combine marketing efforts in order to obtain mutual benefits. A good example was previous presented, between Tourism Ireland and carriers (airlines and ferry companies) and combines destination marketing with specific offers by carriers to encourage travel to Ireland.

As the web is becoming the central element of the planning and purchasing behavior of many modern travelers, the digital marketing strategies need to respond more appropriately to these changes. The trend moves in an online direction not just for bookings but also for managing a tourist destination and some solution were brought in this thesis.

Likewise, adapting organizations to the twenty-first century means adopting social media as a way of life and a way of business. Listening and engaging travelers are now critical to DMO success.

Destination image

The image that individuals/tourists have about a destination has a crucial role in the destination's marketing success. Their image or perceptions can be modified or enhanced during the travel. What is important in the author’s opinion is the brand image transmitted to the market, because this image will affect consumer choice in the pre-purchase evaluation phase.

Today’s cities are considerably multi-cultural and heterogeneous, more than ever and this affects their identity, which is a complex phenomenon developed in time, affected by change, and influenced by many factors. Many cities, in order to obtain the urban revitalization, opted to reshape and project an image that attracts the visitor and the resident, the city’s image perception being seen as a valuable asset in the global market competition.