Developing DMOs/Destination Management Concepts in Georgia

In keeping with the motto “structure follows strategy,” planning destination management requires fundamental statements to be made about the destination’s targets, strategies, and core businesses.

The goal is to create a realistic picture of the future that is supported by a broad base –one that motivates the key actors to participate as active partners. In the next step, the target and strategy system can be used to derive the catalogue of tasks for future destination management and to design an organisational model.

This model establishes who will perform which tasks in the future. All the tasks can be performed by a DMO, or divided up among various actors (DMO, municipality, province, association, etc.). There are many good reasons to combine tasks centrally within the DMO and to integrate the tourism-related actors into the DMO on a broad basis. Depending on the starting situation, this might mean further developing an existing tourism organisation or establishing a new one.

With the support of the World Bank funded project, managed by Ecorys, several meetings were held with Governors, representatives of Governors’ offices and from the municipalities, hotels/private accommodation, travel agents, restaurants, and wineries in Imereti and in Kakheti, Georgia. During these meetings and workshops on developing the DMO several topics were discussed with the stakeholders attending the sessions, such as:

  • How the chances for public private partnerships in destination management were seen.
  • A preliminary vision for the DMOs with objectives and activities was elaborated.
  • Marketing, organisational, financial, and human resources related issues have been discussed.

Following the discussions, DMO concepts were elaborated, which include the most common contents, such as:

Goals and strategies

  • What is our shared vision?
  • What are our fundamental values and principles for tourism-related development?
  • What do we want to achieve overall?
  • How will our destination be positioned on the market?
  • What core businesses do we want to focus on developing for certain target groups?

Organizational model

  • Who will perform which tasks in the destination?
  • How is the DMO institutionalised (legal form, sponsorship)?
  • Who must be involved in the DMO as a member or shareholder?

Funding needs

  • What approximate funding needs are expected?