international development Archives - Solimar International

Pink cadillac car with tourists drives past colonial homes in Old Havana

Role of Tourism Consultants: Secret to Destination Success

Written by Shannon McCarthy on August 3, 2023. Posted in Tourism Development Consulting, Uncategorized.

The Secret Behind Thriving Travel Destinations

At the heart of every successful tourist destination, the essential role of tourism consultants operates like a well-kept secret. Their work is multifaceted and dynamic, shifting from one project to the next, each day offering a unique set of challenges. However, the proficiency they bring to international development, tourism, and marketing industries is irrefutable. As they utilize their broad knowledge and expertise, these tourism consultants carve a path toward prosperity for their clients, showcasing the undeniable importance of their role in shaping and promoting sustainable travel destinations.

A picturesque landscape of the Namib Desert. — Photo by Arne Smith on Unsplash

Picture this:

You are scrolling through social media and stumble upon a sponsored advertisement. It features a travel blogger playfully navigating through the vibrant, bustling streets of Istanbul or on an uplifting journey in a hot air balloon, ascending above the vast expanse of Namibia’s ancient sand dunes. Soon, you see signs of these leading destinations wherever you look. Your best friend’s parents just returned from their two-week trip to said country, or Netflix uploaded new content that contains historical, cultural, and travel insights into the up-and-coming tourist destination.

Curiosity motivates you to research the travel destination where you discover unique accommodations, adventurous tours with local guides, and local restaurants which serve authentic, mouthwatering cuisine. All of a sudden, you find yourself at the airport convenience store stocking up on snacks and magazines before hustling towards the gate to embark on the trip of a lifetime. You may wonder how you and millions of other tourists became inspired to visit the same tourist destination. Why did this happen? Who made this happen?

The secret behind successful travel destinations is complex and cannot be attributed to one aspect. Leading destinations require months of research, strategic marketing, leadership collaboration, and community involvement. Large marketing budgets certainly play a role into their visibility, but in order to efficiently organize complex aspects of development and marketing tailored to the current situation of a destination, travel destinations may require the expert knowledge of sustainable tourism consultants who advise their clients on how to set themselves up for long-term success and sustainability.

What is the Role of Tourism Consultants?

Sustainable tourism consultants are creative professionals with expert knowledge in the tourism industry and destination management. Their clients include destination management organizations (DMOs), airline and hospitality entities, local and national governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), stakeholders, and tourism boards and businesses. By leveraging their expertise, consultants set the long-term vision and assist clients every step of the way. Ultimately, sustainable tourism consultants act as catalysts for growth, assisting in the development and implementation of effective tourism strategies.

1. How to Research and Assess a Tourist Destination

The crucial first step tourism consulting firms will take is conducting thorough destination market research. This includes gathering information from local stakeholders to understand the client’s assets, growth opportunities, key demographics, and how the client can extend beyond their vision. At Solimar, our consultants present clients with a summary of our findings and insightful recommendations for further expansion based on our data-driven market research.

For example, sustainable tourism consultants play a crucial role in destination assessments to understand what inspires tourists from different demographics. By delving into a destination’s historical, cultural, and geographical stories, these experts can identify activities and experiences that appeal to a diverse range of travelers. By promoting sustainable practices, these destination assessments contribute to the preservation of a tourist destination’s unique charm and ensure that tourism benefits everyone involved.

A scuba diver explores ocean ecosystems off the coast of Saudi Arabia — *Photo by NEOM on Unsplash*

2. How to Brand a Tourist Destination

Within the tourism industry, all leading destinations have a captivating narrative that appeals to a variety of tourist demographics. It is the sustainable tourism consultant’s role to effectively share the destination’s story across multiple marketing platforms.

Destination marketing, or destination branding, is an essential ingredient in a travel destination’s success because it creates destination awareness, illuminates the destination’s attractive qualities, and utilizes market segmentation methods that tailor the branding approach to the tourist demographics, which will yield the best results.

Consider a destination that seeks to brand a specific stretch of its coastline as the ultimate hub for adventure watersports. To achieve this, the destination will emphasize and promote local businesses offering scuba diving and deep-sea fishing experiences, enticing thrill-seeking travelers in search of adrenaline-inducing activities.

The process of branding tourism destinations entails gathering essential details from these local businesses. Sustainable tourism consultants delve into their origin stories, unique selling points, and desired promotional approaches. Next, the consultants will design and implement branding essentials, such as captivating logos, memorable slogans, and a compelling online presence. Through a consistent brand story displayed across various platforms, they effectively communicate the area’s allure for adventure watersports, drawing in an audience of adventure enthusiasts eager to explore the exhilarating opportunities available.

3. How to Create Memorable Experiences for Tourists

All premier tourist destinations curate a variety of experiences. For instance, Mexico is the 7th most popular tourist destination globally. For international travelers planning on visiting the Yucatan Peninsula, they may begin researching the destination months prior. Let’s say the tourist is a history buff; they can easily look into local guides who offer expertly designed trips to archeological sites such as Chichén Itzá.

A local tour guide takes a group of travelers through Chichen Itza — *Photo by Kentaro Toma on Unsplash*

So, how do tourist destinations decide which products and experiences they will offer potential travelers? With the guidance of sustainable tourism consultants, top tourist destinations will partner with local businesses to identify and market experiences that appeal to a variety of tourist demographics. This entails working one-on-one with tourism businesses to design unique offerings, decide prices for their products and experiences, and forecast potential profit margins.

For sustainable travel consultants, every detail is significant. At Solimar, clients can anticipate a comprehensive business and product development plan encompassing evaluations of supply and demand, a sustainable business strategy to ensure recurring revenue, and a thorough training program for business owners, managers, and employees. Moreover, collaborative marketing strategies are expertly crafted to empower local tourism businesses to surpass their goals.

A group of indigenous women from the Kavango region perform traditional styled dance — *Photo by Datingscout on Unsplash*

4. How to Understand the Benefits of Sustainable Tourism

A recent study conducted by Expedia Group Media Solutions revealed a growing inclination among international travelers to pursue eco-friendly and sustainable travel experiences. With the increasing detriments caused by climate change and over-tourism, sustainable tourism consultants aim to inform destinations of how they can reduce the negative impact of tourism while increasing its benefits.

Promotes environmental conservation: Responsible tourism methods promote the preservation and protection of natural resources and biodiversity. For example, eco-friendly accommodations will commit to sustainable operations such as using renewable energy sources, reducing water consumption, and implementing recycling and waste management systems.
Empowers the community: Sustainable tourism practices benefit the local community by creating employment opportunities, funding education systems and infrastructure initiatives, and increasing the understanding of cultural diversity and equity. Additionally, it empowers the local community by encouraging the involvement of the residents in decision-making processes and community-based tourism enterprises.
Preserves cultural heritage: Sustainability is about celebrating the cultural backgrounds of the local people and maintaining their authenticity. For instance, a sustainable tourist destination will promote authentic cultural experiences such as homestay accommodations, traditional craft demonstrations, and traditional performances which benefit those of that heritage.

If you’re wondering how to be a responsible tourist who supports sustainable tourism practices, you can opt for environmentally friendly transportation options, support the community by buying local products and tour experiences, book green and locally owned accommodations, and travel to lesser-known destinations.

A women is bent down in a crop field participating in agritourism. — *Photo by Zoe Schaeffer on Unsplash*

Final Thoughts: The Role of Sustainable Tourism Consultants

Next time you come across a travel blogger’s captivating TikTok content featuring pristine beaches, picturesque villages, or impressive historical architecture, remember that a team of sustainable tourism consultants worked diligently with these destinations for months, if not years, prior to making it all possible. Creating a thriving tourist destination requires attention to every detail. Tourism consultants play a crucial role in identifying the client’s unique voice and offerings that distinguish them from competitors. They establish a consistent media presence, instill successful business operations, and emphasize the significance of sustainable travel practices throughout the journey.

A wooden sign in the shape of a foot sits on the beach and represents the role of tourism consultants by stating, "only leave your footprints." — *Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash*

At Solimar International, sustainability is at the core of our approach. We firmly believe that successful tourist destinations are built upon a foundation of environmental and cultural preservation. In a world where travel has become increasingly accessible and impactful, our team of tourism experts provides invaluable expertise and guidance to help our clients thrive. To learn more about our tourism consulting services, visit website!

Meet Sylecia Johnston, Solimar’s New DMO Solution Lead

Written by Quentin Fidance on March 28, 2023. Posted in Blog.

Solimar International is known globally for our significant work in sustainable tourism initiatives. Engaging in enterprise readiness schemes, developing destination management organizations (DMO), and creating responsible tourism practices, the company is leading the way in countries that have huge economic potential for tourism post-COVID. And no one is better suited to help develop and achieve Solimar’s goals than Sylecia Johnston, our new project manager and DMO Development Solution lead.

Meet Sylecia Johnston!

Sylecia’s first family trip to Israel when she was just 13 months old initiated her life and love of travel, whether it be for education, business, or leisure. Throughout her career, she has also been heavily involved in the conservation of culture, heritage, environment and natural resources.

Graduating from George Washington University with a degree in sustainable destination management, she has used her education to its full career benefit. “I’ve worked for a few different DMOs, various conservation non-profit organizations, and have sat on many boards and committees. Now, I’m ready to help establish Solimar’s DMO program on a global scale.”

Sylecia’s Work at Solimar

As a project manager at Solimar, she leads efforts and drives project communications in some of the countries that we work in. “I am one of the many project managers at Solimar, but because of the company’s reformatted structure, I am also leading DMO solutions for different destinations,” Johnston explained.

Johnston has actually followed Solimar since her days at university. “I am in my dream job right now,” she exclaimed. “Getting to step into this role at this time in my life is fortuitous. I am most excited about working with a team of individuals who are just as passionate about sustainable and regenerative tourism as I am.”

This is her first time working with international development-funded projects like with USAID, but that doesn’t mean she is going to back down from a challenge. “I’m familiar with extensive government reporting, so I think it will be an easy transition to make,” she explained.

“What is great about a DMO is that there can be various levels of organization based on the needs or capacity of the destination, from the most basic forms to hugely elaborate with multiple committees and platforms,” explained Johnston. Because it is managed by stakeholders in the destination, DMO easiness is all about how open they are to make it as best as possible. DMOs can manage a simple website with essential information or a much more elaborate program – both can be equally effective,” she concluded.

Destination Dahar and Tunisia

Dahar area in Tunisia — Dahar Area in Tunisia (*Wikimedia Commons*)

Johnston is working on a wide array of DMO solutions for many Solimar projects, including the work to support Destination Dahar under the scope of the USAID Visit Tunisia project. Johnston is quite familiar with Tunisia. “Previous to Solimar, I was an independent consultant, and I had a client in Tunisia, so I have done a bit of research,” she elaborated. “I’ve also traveled there for vacation before, which has allowed me to keep up with the tourism industry in the country.”

Sylecia really enjoyed visiting Tunisia, despite any western world perceptions that are projected onto the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. “There is an opportunity for bridge building and cross-cultural understanding that could take place for more western tourists to be open to traveling to Tunisia,” she added.

This perception presents an obstacle to Destination Dahar eagerly promoting the Dahar region to travelers around the world. “Dahar is a region with some of the least economic opportunities in the whole country. Many in the local communities are abandoning their villages to go to Tunis or Sfax, or migrating to Europe. The main challenge is developing a robust organization’s product offerings, experiences, tourism management, and marketing that can find the next steps to drive economic growth in the area so that people are motivated to stay.”

The hills of Dahar (Destination Dahar)

Because of her experience and some insight into the future of tourism in the MENA region, Johnston believes Tunisia is very eager and open to international tourism, especially for expanded regional strength and economic benefits through travel beyond the northeastern coastline. “Development in the MENA region will lead to more stability, and investment in the industry will help establish more business, making the destination better promoted and more open to international tourists,” she commented.

As tourist industries around the world prepare to take full advantage of a post-COVID boom, they are going to need a reliable company with a dedicated workforce to help further establish themselves on a global scale. Sylecia’s invaluable experience in the travel industry will significantly help Solimar International in achieving these goals.

Learn more about Solimar’s DMO development process here, and join us in welcoming Sylecia to the Solimar team!

Tourism Improvement District – A Funding Model Case Study

Written by Alicia Winfield O Hare on August 6, 2021. Posted in Uncategorized.

A Tourism Improvement District (TID) is a revolutionary way to fund destination marketing programs. They are typically run by local businesses that collaborate and invest collectively to support the growth and development of their destination’s tourism industry. Depending on where you are in the world, the concept of a Tourism Improvement District has several different names. The United States first started using this term in West Hollywood in 1989. The UK and other destinations soon followed, by developing similar public-private partnerships sometimes called “Business Improvement Districts” or “Tourism Marketing Districts”. Though they have different names, the goal is the same – increase the number of overnight visitors using business and services.

Lodging businesses are usually heavily involved, charging each visitor a per-night occupancy tax (also called a lodging tax, room tax, hotel tax, or tourist tax) usually ranging from 1-5% of the total bill. These funds raised are then directed to a destination marketing organization/destination management organization (DMO), and must be used on programs that increase paid nights spent in the destination. The TID tends to fund services such as marketing programs, tourism promotions, and projects to regenerate the destination to make it more attractive to prospective visitors. The period of the district varies, ranging from one year to a ten-year term, with some contracts lasting even longer. A 2016 survey of tourism districts revealed that most districts took between six and twelve months to form.

West Hollywood Tourism Improvement District Case Study

West Hollywood is the city where it all began and the home of the first TID (and now one of ninety-five of California’s cities that have a TID). In 2013, West Hollywood revived its previous TID and increased the hotel’s levy from 1.5% to 3%. The levy was then given to the West Hollywood Travel and Tourism Board where they used these funds to form strategic plans to promote the identity of West Hollywood, create a destination marketing strategy targeting potential visitors, and undertake advertising solely focused on the travel industry. In 2014, they implemented a three-year plan with the following objectives:

Increase demand of the destination
Strengthen domestic and international awareness
Improve and grow partnerships
Be a leader in developing the destination
Reinforce a culture of innovation

To achieve these objectives, they spent a total of $6,289,440 with the hotel levy contributing a staggering $5,900,000.

A 2015-2016 annual report by the West Hollywood Travel and Tourism Board, noted there were 1.38 million visitors to West Hollywood during this year. These visitors spent a total of $737,212,000, and directly supported 5,289 tourism industry jobs. In 2017-2018, West Hollywood saw record-breaking visitor numbers and spending, with over 3.59 million visitors, spending $1.73 billion, with an increase of employment supporting total 7,958 jobs. These numbers indicate how vast growth occurred in just two years.

Beyond West Hollywood, TIDs have developed other global destinations such as Visit Britain registering a 4 million increase in visitor numbers annually, and Visit Barbados showing an additional 2 million visitors per year. Once a Tourism Improvement District is implemented, destinations must be sure to maintain focus on the implementation of a tourism development strategy for consistent tourism promotion. Businesses in a destination need to collaborate and sync their efforts, to consider innovative ways to effectively market their destination.

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Tag: international development