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DCG provides four main advisory services to its clients in the destination management field. These services can be conducted independent of each other or together in any combination. Information on each of the services is provided below.

Destination Audit

This is a defined assessment to appraise a visitor destination and its marketing/management organization. A comprehensive review would include a diagnostic analysis and evaluation of the destination’s core product mix (attractions, events, facilities, support services and related visitor infrastructure) and of the visitor bureau’s organizational mandate, and particularly its marketing efforts, in conjunction with the destination industry.

Click on the thumbnail below to view a schematic of the destination audit process used by DCG. Use the back button on your browser to return to this page.

Destination and Visitor Bureau Visioning

This is a 15 step process, as shown below, that allows the formulation of a vision, which is an ambition or desire articulated as a word picture of a destination and/or visitors bureau at some future time. A shared agreement on what a destination and/or visitors bureau is aspiring to is important for it enables all stakeholders to work towards an overarching or super goal and proficiency in strategic planning.

Pre-Visioning Activities

1. Explanation of visioning benefits and support of board/related parties (necessary first step to ensure local support and participation)
2. Visioning moderator(s) request for proposal, proposal evaluation and facilitator selection (use appropriate criteria to choose the best moderators)
3. Identification of key organizations/individuals as visioning participants (as an inclusive shared process provide those with the necessary invitations and agenda)
4. Finalize venue, timing, type(s) of meetings and room setup logistics (location and meeting format add value to deliberations)
5. Preparation of a pre-vision destination or audit summary report for participant use (a common starting point on the status of the destination)

Visioning Session(s) Activities (main and follow-up meetings)

6. Provision of visioning process background and expected session outcomes and timelines (a clear understanding of the purpose and process of visioning is important to participants)
7. Identification and discussion of destination/visitor bureau organizational values, beliefs and guiding principles (a community's essence and decision-making guidelines are explored)
8. Identification and discussion of destination vision elements (the word picture components of a destination some ten years hence are highlighted)
9. Identification and discussion of key destination image/attributes in relation to visitor origin markets (the most important images and positioning of the destination are identified for branding opportunity)
10. Formulation of composite destination/visitor bureau vision statements (moderator preparation of long and short versions)
11. Development and/or realignment of visitor bureau mission statement (moderator preparation of long and short versions)
12. Review of destination vision and mission statements by participants (discussion of statements and changes made if necessary)
13. Development and/or realignment of visitor bureau goals (compose/critique goals)
14. Development and/or realignment of visitor bureau objectives and key program activities (compose/critique objectives and related programs)

Post-Visioning Activities

15. Documentation of visioning process results as final report (compilation of visioning outcomes)

© DCG 1998-2003

Destination and Visitors Bureau Business Planning Process

It is important for a visitors bureau to prepare a professional business plan. Accordingly, given a destination audit and/or destination visioning exercise as a foundation, this plan would incorporate the following elements: product development offerings, marketing activities, community relations, human resources and financial analysis.

Click on the thumbnail below to view a schematic of the destination planning process used by DCG. Use the back button on your browser to return to this page.

Destination Market Positioning and Brand Development

As an extension to destination visioning and strategic planning, positioning is how the visitor destination decides to make itself unique among competing destinations from the visitor's perspective. In order to prepare a positioning statement, which reflects the image that the destination wants to create, DCG undertakes perception/image surveys and competitive analyses to assist in identifying unique selling propositions. Image and brand identity support the destination's approach to positioning in its marketing programs. A brand effectively communicates the destination image to visitors.

Destination Image	Destination Brand
perceptions/impressions of visitors unique appeals memorable/strong unaided recall	instantaneous recognition of destination offerings translated into logos, symbols/icons, wordscripts and slogans/taglines

Destination Website Evaluation and Rating System

The purpose of CVB WebEVAL is threefold: to benchmark visitor destination website performance; to rank individual websites against all other CVB sites and specific competitors (geographical or special interest); and to provide website evaluations and subsequently detailed recommendations for improvements, if required. Benefits from the assessment include up-to-date information on how well a website performs against industry norms, comprehensive details on the major strengths and weaknesses of the website, identification of needed improvements to the website to achieve greater communications effectiveness, and an independent evaluative report to share with those in charge of the website. The WebEVAL instrument uses a modified balanced scorecard approach in providing an in-depth assessment based on 119 criteria grouped into four categories-technical, customer, marketing effectiveness and destination information. The basic WebEVAL subscription priced at $950 provides a CVB with two detailed evaluations of its website per year along with its ranking relative to all other CVBs in the database, which now includes over 500. It is anticipated by Summer 2005 that there will be over 1000+ CVB webfiles in the WebEVAL database. Customized competitive reports are also available at an additional cost. For further information, contact Eric T. Brey (765–414–3758) or any DCG Principal by e-mail or toll-free at 1-888-454-3324.

Page last updated on Saturday, July 12, 2008 05:07 PM