DESTINATION MANAGEMENT

Developing new tourist destinations is one of the most ambitious and stimulating ventures for both the public and the private sector. Public administrators and private landowners/investors can play a leading role in "networking" and in channelling a location's efforts towards achieving the common goal of tourist development.

Destination management can be useful for new and forthcoming resort facilities, as well as for existing properties needing to upgrade or diversify by opening up to new segments (such as retail, sports, culture, archaeology, leisure and entertainment, business, etc.).

Assistance in this field may include the following steps:

• analysis and identification of the most suitable forms of tourism for the area and of international awareness about the specific area
• estimate of tourist potential and of how it can blend in with the existing socio- economic context of the area
• benchmarking with comparable existing successful case-studies
• business models for maximizing the area's appeal to qualified investors and business operators
• strategic and operational guidelines in order to apply for public subsidies and grants
• strategic support in the pre-planning stage to gauge the most suitable sizing for the various tourist facilities (sports amenities, hotels, conference facilities, retail outlets, residential areas, golf complexes, marinas, etc.).