Attitude to the DMO’s roles and interaction with stakeholders in tourism destinations in the North Caucasus region

Oxana I. Shebolkina; Siuzanna V. Mirzoian; Urs  Wagenseil; Bettina  Mandel

doi:10.5281/zenodo.16970085

Authors

Oxana I. Shebolkina North Caucasus Federal University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8564-6868
Siuzanna V. Mirzoian Russian-Armenian (Slavic) University https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8547-1351
Urs Wagenseil Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4164-7743
Bettina Mandel Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16970085

Keywords:

Destination Management Organization (DMO), Stakeholder management, Tourism Destinations, North Caucasus Region, Russia

Abstract

Management of tourist destinations is a priority area in the modern tourism industry and in economic science. In this regard, destination management organizations are critical players in territorial planning and tourism development. The North Caucasus republics are a growing destination for Russian and foreign tourists, which is why the issue of their development is of particular importance, as it is impossible without addressing the tasks of cooperation among the central tourism-related institutions. The article is focused on the role and problems of functioning of DMO’s in North Caucasus republics, particulary on the two key issues: 1) revealing the conditions and tools for the functional relationships among stakeholders in tourist destinations of the Kabardino-Balkarian, Karachay-Cherkess, and Chechen Republics of the Russian Federation, and 2) identifing the abundance and diversity of actions taken by stakeholders for the coordinated management of these destinations. A comparative characteristic of Russian and European literature approaches to managing a tourist destination makes it possible to understand the modern functions and models of DMOs as the key tool of tourism development. A qualitative and quantitative survey of the key stakeholders’ opinions in the tourist destinations considered allowed making conclusions about the implications for managing ski tourism destinations by a Destination Management Organization in Russia. The analysis of qualitative expert interviews and a quantitative stakeholder survey in the North Caucasus reveals the advantages of coordinated destination management for various stakeholder segments and their potential for further development. The results of the study indicate the underdeveloped state of the DMO system in the North Caucasus republics and highlight the need to implement a set of measures to plan the territorial development of their tourist complexes, particularly in ski tourism.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Oxana I. Shebolkina, North Caucasus Federal University

Candidate of Economic Sciences (North Caucasus Federal University, Russia, 2020), Associate Professor, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, North Caucasus Federal University. The head of the educational program 43.03.02 Tourism, specialization (profile) Business administration in tourism. Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education North Caucasus Federal University, 355017, Russian Federation, Stavropol, st. Pushkin 1.

Siuzanna V. Mirzoian, Russian-Armenian (Slavic) University

Candidate of Historical Sciences (Pyatigorsk State Technological University, Russia, 2005), PhD in Tourism Management (Surrey University, 2015), Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Tourism and Services at the Russian-Armenian (Slavic) University, Institute of Economics and Business, Department of Tourism and Services, Republic of Armenia, Yerevan. The head and participant of projects within the framework of the expert and analytical activities in the field of tourism. Expert and member of the working group "Urban Economy and Creative Industries" of the Expert Council at the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, an acting expert on WS standards, competence "Tourism". State Educational Institution of Higher Education Russian-Armenian (Slavic) University, 0051, Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, Hovsep Emin Street 123.

Urs Wagenseil, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

Full time Prof. & Co-Head of Competence Center Tourism at the Institute of Tourism and Mobility ITM (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts), Switzerland, 6002 Lucerne.

Bettina Mandel, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts

MSc in Business Administration, Major Tourism. Full time research associate at the Institute of Tourism and Mobility ITM (Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts), Switzerland, 6002 Lucerne.

References

Abubakar, B., & Mavondo, F. (2014). Tourism Destinations: Antecedents to Customer Satisfaction and Positive Word-of-Mouth. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 23:8, 833–864. DOI: 10.1080/19368623.2013.796865

Afanasiev, O. E., & Afanasieva, A. V. (2021). Tourism industry in Russia and global COVID-19 pandemic: threats, counteractions, trends. Revista Anais Brasileiros de Estudos Turísticos, 11, 33306. DOI: 10.34019/2238-2925.2021.v11.33306.

Afanasiev, O. E., & Afanasieva, A. V. (2022). The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Russian Tourists’ Demand and Preferences. In book: Tourism Through Troubled Times: Challenges and Opportunities of the Tourism Industry in the 21st Century / Eds. by M. E. Korstanje, H. Seraphin, Sh. W. Maingi. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited, Ch. 11, 203-230.

Belozerova, O., Mirzoian, S., & Wagenseil, U. (2021). Optimizing the tourism destination potential with the integration of sustainability and innovation principles. E3S Web Conf., 295, 01055. DOI: 10.1051/e3sconf/202129501055.

Beritelli, P. (2011). Tourist destination governance through local elites: Looking beyond the stakeholder level. Cumulative Postdoctoral Thesis. St. Gallen: University of St. Gallen.

Beritelli, P., Bieger, Th., & Laesser, Ch. (2014). The New Frontiers of Destination Management: Applying Variable Geometry as a Function-Based Approach. Journal of Travel Research, 53(4), 403–417. DOI: 10.1177/0047287513506298.

Beritelli, P., Laesser, Ch., Reinhold, S., & Kappler, A. (2013). Das St. Galler Modell für Destinationsmanagement: Geschäftsfeldinnovation in Netzwerken. St. Gallen: IMP-HSG.

Bieger, T., Beritelli, P., & Laesser, C. (2009). Size matters! - Increasing DMO effectiveness and extending tourist destination boundaries. Tourism Review, 57(3), 309-327.

Bruyn, C. de, & Fernández Alonso, A. (2012). Tourism Destination Governance. In book: Bridging Tourism Theory and Practice, Knowledge Management in Tourism: Policy and Governance Applications, 4. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 221-242. DOI: 10.1108/S2042-1443(2012)0000004015.

Budaev, P. E. (2021). Features of positioning of tourist residences. State and Municipal Management. Scholarly Notes, 2, 157-161. DOI: 10.22394/2079-1690-2021-1-2-157-161. (In Russ.).

Buhalis, D. (2000). Marketing the competitive destination of the future. Tourism Management, 21(1), 97-116. DOI: 10.1016/S0261-5177(99)00095-3.

Crouch, G. I. (2007). Modelling destination competitiveness. A Survey and Analysis of the Impact of Competitiveness Attributes. Gold Coast, Queensland: CRC for Sustainable Tourism Pty Ltd.

d’Angella, F., & Frank, M. Go (2009). Tale of two cities’ collaborative tourism marketing: Towards a theory of destination stakeholder assessment. Tourism Management, 30(3), 429–440. DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2008.07.012.

della Sala, V. (2024). Adaptive strategies in tourism destinations amid migration and displacement. Anais Brasileiros de Estudos Turísticos: ABET, 14(1), 1.

Denisova, O. A., Dubtsova, A. P., Kiryanova, L. G., Surtseva, A. A., Pyatovskiy, A. A., & Yumatov, K. V. (2016). Interaction of stakeholders of the tourism industry in the regions of the Siberian federal district (On the example of the Kemerovo region). Economics: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 6(12A), 291-312. (In Russ.).

Dwyer, L., & Kim, C. (2003). Destination competitiveness: Determinants and indicators. Current Issues in Tourism, 6(5), 369–414. DOI: 10.1080/13683500308667962.

Foris, D., Florescu, A., Foris, T., & Barabas, S. (2020). Improving the Management of Tourist Destinations: A New Approach to Strategic Management at the DMO-Level by Integrating Lean Techniques. Sustainability, 12(23), 10201. doi: 10.3390/su122310201.

Freeman, R. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Boston: Pitman.

Friedman, А., & Miles, S. (2006). Stakeholders: Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Goncharova, N. A. (2013). Organizations for destination management (DMOs) as a system of tourism management at the national, regional, and local levels: Foreign experience. Management of Economic Systems, 11(59), 77. (In Russ.).

Goncharova, N. A. (2014). Formation of a tourist destination management system (The case of Tomsk Oblast). Candidate of Economics thesis. St. Petersburg: Baltic Academy of Tourism and Entrepreneurship. (In Russ.).

Goncharova, N. A. (2015). Local society as a key actor of tourist destination. Vestnik of Kemerovo State University, 2-7(62), 158-163. (In Russ.).

Heitmann, S. (2010). Film Tourism Planning and Development – Questioning the Role of Stakeholders and Sustainability. Tourism and Hospitality Planning and Development, 7(1), 31-46. DOI: 10.1080/14790530903522606.

Ignatiev, A. A. (2018). Innovations as a basis for increasing the competitiveness of tourist destinations. Horizons of Economics, 4(44), 29-38. (In Russ.).

Johnson, R. B., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm Whose Time Has Come. Educational Researcher, 33(7), 14-26. DOI: 10.3102/0013189X033007014.

Kara, M., & Kunt, S. (2020). An Examination of Sarikamiş Destination Competitiveness from the Luge Athletes’ Perspective: the relationship between tourism experience and perceived destination competitiveness. Anais Brasileiros de Estudos Turísticos: ABET, 10(1), 10.

Karakuş, Y. (2019). Identifying the best alternative tourism product for a destination: the case of Cappadocia. Anais Brasileiros de Estudos Turísticos: ABET, 9(1), 4.

Kolodiy, N. A., Rodionova, E. V., & Agranovich, V. B. (2013). Analysis of the Russian experience of the organization of additional professional education in the sphere of tourism. Modern Problems of Science and Education. Surgery, 2. (In Russ.).

Kolupanova, I., Belaya, I., & Vnuchkova, T. (2015). The role of public and private partnership in the development of the tourist destination “Altai Kray”. Bulletin of the KemSU, 2-7(62), 195-200. (In Russ.).

Laws, E., Richins, H., Agrusa, J., & Scott, N. (Eds.). (2011). Tourist Destination Governance. Practice, Theory and Issues. Oxon: CABI Publ.

Li, G., Song, H., Cao, Z., & Wu, D. C. (2012). How competitive is Hong Kong against its competitors? An econometric study. Tourism Management, 36, 247–256. DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2012.11.019.

Luneva, E. A. (2016). The role of event marketing in the development of tourist destinations. Problems, experience, and prospects for the development of tourism, service and socio-cultural activities in Russia and abroad: Materials of the III International Scientific and Practical Internet Conference. Chita, Trans-Baikal State University, 2016, 129-133. (In Russ.).

Morozov, M. A. (2013). Components of the tourism industry as factors of competitiveness of destinations. Innovations in Science: Materials of the International Scientific and Practical Conference. Moscow: Scientific Review Publishing House, 26-38. (In Russ.).

Morrison, A. M. (2013). Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations. London: Routledge.

Morrison, A. M. (2019). Marketing and Managing Tourism Destinations. London: Routledge.

Mukhamedova, Z. Kh. (2019). Events to increase the competitiveness of tourist destinations. Effective management of the economy: Problems and prospects: Collection of works of the IV All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference. Simferopol: LLC Arial Publishing House, 61-64. (In Russ.).

Nesena, M. V. (2012). Interregional organizations as a tool for increasing the competitiveness of the main tourist competitions of Russia. Izvestiya of the St. Petersburg State Economic University, 1, 125-128. (In Russ.).

Partridge, K., Jackson, Ch., Wheeler, D., & Zohar, A. (2005). From Words to Action. The Stakeholder Engagement Manual. Vol. 1: The Guide to Practitioners’ Perspectives on Stakeholder Engagement. Cobourg: Stakeholder Research Associates Canada Inc.

Penkina, N. V., Shakhova, O. Y., Nikiforova, A. A., & Chernyavskaya, O. V. (2020). Tourist and recreational system: Theory and practice of organization: Educational and methodical manual. Nizhnevartovsk, Nizhnevartovsk State University. (In Russ.).

Pimentel, T. D. (2017). Bourdieu, tourism field and its implications for governance of tourist destinations. Anais Brasileiros de Estudos Turísticos: ABET, 7(2), 32-37.

Reinhold, St., Beritelli, P., & Gruenig, R. (2019). A business model typology for destination management organizations. Tourism Review, 74(6), 1135-1152. DOI: 10.1108/TR-03-2017-0065.

Richie, J. R. B., & Crouch, G. I. (2003). The competitive destination: A sustainable tourism perspective. Oxon: CABI Publ. DOI: 10.1079/9780851996646.0000.

Serdyukov, S. D., Serdyukova, N. K., & Romanova, L. M. (2018). System of promotion of tourist destination as a component of information support in tourism. Bulletin of Eurasian Science, 10(2), 1-16. DOI: 10.15862/08ECVN218. (In Russ.).

Sheehan, L. R., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (2005). Destination Stakeholders Exploring Identity and Salience. Annals of Tourism Research, 32(3), 711–734. DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2004.10.013.

UNWTO DMOs (2019). UNWTO Guidelines for Institutional Strengthening of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) – Preparing DMOs for new challenges. Madrid: UNWTO. DOI: 10.18111/9789284420841.

UNWTO TDM (2007). A Practical Guide to Tourism Destination Management (2007). Madrid: UNWTO.

Zoltan, J., & Masiero, L. (2012). The relation between push motivation and activity consumption at the destination within the framework of a destination card. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 1(1-2), 84–93. DOI: 10.1016/j.jdmm.2012.09.002.