Round Table

Short description:

Tourism destinations are a complex tourism product, which involves numerous and heterogeneous offer providers. Their mutual relationship is rather complex – they compete with each other, but have to cooperate at the same time, especially on the promotion, pricing policy, season extension strategies, etc. In other words, there are two parallel processes taking place – competition and coordination. Therefore, the necessity of tourism destination management is not an issue to discuss; what matters is how it should be done.

Tourism destination management should be a continuous, professional activity, implemented within the relevant institutional framework. This panel discussion will therefore aim to provide precise answers to the abovementioned challenges, primarily by focusing on the following dilemmas:

• What is the best tourism destination management model?
• What is the acceptable relationship between the private and public sector regarding this issue?
• Is the public-private partnership concept the optimal solution for destination management?
• Is a destination management organisation (DMO) the most efficient and fairest tourism destination management model?
• Why haven’t any DMOs been established in the Republic of Serbia yet even though there is a developed legal framework for their establishment?
• Is the transformation of existing tourism organisations (TOs) into DMOs the most convenient solution that will ensure equal participation of the public and private sector in destination management?
• What form should the internal organisation of future DMOs, as the professional bodies for destination management, take (regarding the structure and number of employees, management – management board, supervisory board, director, sectors)?
• Once DMOs are established, how would numerous specific issues be resolved (who would be their founders, how would they be financed, how would their authority be defined, how would their directors be appointed, how would professional guidance be provided to newly established DMOs)?
• Is there enough awareness and willingness within the private sector for the introduction of essential changes into the existing models of tourism destination management?
• On the other hand, is the private sector ready to take over the responsibility of participating in the management of their destinations, and take care of the interests of the public sector and employees at the same time?
• Would DMOs be established at local or regional level?
• What experience do the most developed tourism destinations (countries, regions, mountain resorts, seaside resorts, etc.) have regarding the adoption of the optimal tourism destination management model?

Obviously, the current situation concerning this issue in Serbia is not satisfactory; it will take time to solve the problem, and the consensus of all the relevant stakeholders in the private and public sector is inevitable. However, the careful selection of the panelists (tourism professionals with significant experience in destination management) by the SED2025 conference organiser, and the expected participants (the representatives of the academic community, the representatives of the private and public sector in the field of tourism, tourism students, media) guarantee a synergy which will engender practically achievable solutions for the essential improvement of the current tourism destination management.