Solimar DMMS
Effective destination management and marketing is achieved when there is coordinated management of all elements that make up a destination—including the businesses, attractions, amenities, access, marketing and pricing.
Solimar assists destinations take a strategic approach to linking these sometimes very separate entities for the improved overall management and consistent marketing of a destination. After implementing more than 200 tourism development programs, Solimar has identified the ten main challenges faced by almost every emerging destination:
- Lack of a long-term, actionable tourism plan that is supported and being implemented though public-private-community collaboration and commitments.
- Absence of an effective destination management and marketing organization (DMMO) that brings public, private, and community tourism stakeholders together to work collaboratively with a sustainable source of financing to support actions.
- Lack of authentic tourism products that provide for immersive experiences where visitors can understand and appreciate the natural environment, people and cultural traditions of the places they are visiting. Many destinations are unable to meet this demand even though the tourism assets are available to do so.
- A non-existent or weak destination brand that is not utilizing online storytelling, video, and photography to create a destination image and generate demand for the destination and the tourism businesses in the region.
- Limited tourism information and interpretation available in the destination to help travelers discover local tourism businesses and understand and appreciate the natural and cultural heritage of the destination.
- A difficult and confusing business enabling environment that prohibits new investments and increases the cost of doing business through time-consuming and complicated processes for registering, paying taxes, obtaining permits, and renewing licenses.
- Limited business management, operations, and marketing capacity of tourism companies to operate and grow a profitable business. Because most tourism businesses are small and often owner operated, they often lack the experience, standard operating procedures, and training needed.
- A skilled workforce that can fill the available tourism jobs and meet the needs of the industry.
- Safety, quality, and sustainability standards to ensure visitor satisfaction while ensuring the industry minimizes negative economic, cultural and environmental impacts.
- Lack of monitoring and measuring tourism impacts to understand visitor profiles and the full extent of impacts—both positive and negative—from tourism.
Solimar Destination Management and Marketing System ™
To address these challenges, Solimar has developed a Destination Management and Marketing System™ (DMMS) that combines the power of technology with Solimar’s in-depth sustainable tourism knowledge to offer local partners an integrated system to overcome these weaknesses.
This self-financing system is hosted on a destination marketing and management website and is made available to all of Solimar’s destination clients.This integrated web-based platform provides different users with different functionalities and content based on pre-defined user roles. The system consists of 12 online modules designed to support destination management and marketing. To ensure the system is unique as each individual destination, Solimar configures the system by working with local tourism stakeholders to determine which modules are the most needed along with content that fits the local context.
A major component of the the DMMS is a 16-week learning program for Destination Management Organization (DMO) Development that will walk your DMO through every step necessary to becoming a well-run, financially sustainable organization. This program is offered as a self-paced DMO Professional Development course, or a hands-on virtually taught DMO Development seminar twice a year. In addition to the DMMS system Solimar offers to its clients, your DMO will be prepared for success with the tools offered through these learning programs.
In addition to the learning program, available system modules include:
01. Destination Strategy
A summary of the government’s tourism development and marketing strategy with updates on the implementation progress of annual action plans.
02. Destination Asset and Service Inventory
A geo-referenced database of all tourism business and attractions complete with descriptions, photos, contact information, and booking information including rates and reservation policies.
03. Destination Marketing
The content and copy required to introduce the destination, its attractions and tourism businesses in order to inspire and facilitate visitation for travelers. Sub-modules are also included to facilitate social media marketing, travel trade marketing and public relations efforts.
04. Industry Engagement & Collaboration
Modeled after a membership program, industry partners are incentivized to support collaborative efforts with tangible benefits in exchange for financial and/or in-kind support. In addition to encouraging participation, the module also manages and tracks participation, facilitates online payments, and keeps partners informed of regional destination management and marketing action and results.
05. Business Licensing, Permitting, and Tax Payments
A single window for businesses to understand the process to open and operate their business while staying in compliance with local and national government regulations.
06. Small Business Development
An online resource library consisting of how-to guides and learning videos designed to help support small business development and growth. Additional information and links can be made available to government programs and agencies designed to support small business development.
07. Investment Facilitation & Promotion
Information on investment opportunities, incentives available, and joint venture match-making designed to attract and facilitate investment in the tourism sector.
08. Cultural and Natural Sustainability
Customized surveys designed and distributed regularly to industry partners and management authorities to identify management challenges and threats to conservation. Additional sub-modules that provide strategies and tools to incentivize the tourism industry to minimize their impacts and maximize the benefits to natural and cultural resources from tourism.
09. Resident Engagement & Satisfaction
Provides residents with a way to stay informed and aware of tourism development and marketing efforts in the region. Included in this module is a window to allow residents to share their satisfaction with tourism through regular surveys and a way to express concerns.
10. Impact & Performance Monitoring
The ability to identify, track, and report on tourism indicators that measure tourism impacts and industry performance. This important module helps policy makers understand the economic impact of tourism while also tracking other key performance indicators.
11. Inquiries, Reservations & Ticketing
A critical tool to allow travelers to inquire and book tourism services in the region directly through the online platform while generating revenue for the Public-Private Regional Destination Management and Marketing efforts and helping smaller tourism businesses access the market.
12. Organizational Management
Designed to strengthen and support the governance and management required for the Destination Management and Marketing Organization (DMMO). Specific tools, examples, templates, and content based on the quality and performance standards of Destinations International Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). This module provides a blue print for ensuring the collaborative destination marketing and management is transparent, efficient, and effective.
Leila Calnan, Senior Manager, Tourism Services Cardno Emerging Markets
