The quality of a destination is rapidly becoming the decisive competitive instrument in tourism and travel.
In the last years it became obvious, that a range of new tourist destinations are challenging the traditional places. It is almost self-evident that the quality of these destinations, besides the price, will be the decisive factor of success.
What ist a destination? A tourist destination is an area which is separately identified and promoted to tourists as a place to visit. Usually one or more authorities, organisations, DMO or DMC are responsible for the coordination or promotion of this destination as a tourist product. The destination management authorities are usually also responsible for quality standards and quality monitoring of their product and could as such be partners in the „Quality in Travel“ management and certification.
Quality of a destination does have, apart from general criteria, many special aspects:
- Tourist and general infrastructure
- Availability of tourist services and facilities, above all hotels and other accommodations, means of transport, eating and drinking, participation in cultural events and tourist activities, means of tourist information
- A clear-cut image of the destination, in marketing and reality
- Local uniqueness of historical and tourist features and attractions
- Availability of accommodations fitting in character and quality to the destination
- Sustainability of the protection of cultural traditions and values to save the uniqueness of the place
- Communication of the destination (PR, Advertising, Website, Social Media)
- Quality of the tourist natural environment: Water, Air, Forests, Mountains and other natural resources