COLLABORATIVE DESTINATION MARKETING

Abstract

Collaborative destination marketing has been a major topic in tourism research. Several studies have been conducted on the subject, and researchers developed various models that try to understand and explain this issue. In this article, we make a literature review with the purpose of systematizing the several contributions to the topic, presenting different approaches to it, critically analyze various models proposed, and discuss the main issues regarding the subject. The paper also illustrates the intimate relationship between destination marketing and networking, in developing collaborative destination marketing strategies. At the end of the article, a synthesis of the elements involved in collaborative destination marketing is presented within a theoretical framework. Collaborative destination marketing must be seen as a dynamic process happening in a certain context, it is initiated with a specific purpose, involving diversified actors performing integrated activities, and leading to different types of outputs with added value to its stakeholders.