These days, it is essential for destinations to manage and promote themselves in the right way to the right target group. It is important that stakeholders – including visitors, tourists and companies – have enough relevant knowledge of- and a positive association with a destination. This helps ensure favourable decisions and (tourist) behaviour. During this track you will learn how destinations are actively managing, presenting and promoting themselves to a wide variety of target groups. 

Beyond destination marketing and branding, you will learn how Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) manage and arrange their destination for local stakeholders and tourists. How do you keep all parties involved satisfied? Which role does sustainability play nowadays? A dynamic and relevant topic to explore!   

The main assignment of the course is a group project. During this project you will be challenged to develop a Marketing Communication plan to attract specific target group(s) to a destination. For this you will follow the design-based research guidelines and conduct research at the destination itself during a field trip. Each semester we strive to work with a new destination and real commissioning clients, who you and your team will present your findings to. 

As mentioned, you will be conducting research, leading to a MarCom plan for a real commissioning client in a city abroad. This research is driven by a real problem, and you must come up with a real solution/product. During the semester your learning coach will advise you and provide you with feedback. You will present the results in a pitch. And who knows, maybe it will eventually be executed/implemented by the destination.   

Field trip locations from previous semesters include destinations in Germany, Belgium, Poland, Albania and Bosnia, just to name a few. Keep in mind that costs for this field trip are at your personal expense. The costs for each individual student will be approximately €300,- to €500,-.  

Besides working on the group assignment, you will also compile your own individual portfolio. This consists of various individual assignments, such as the re-branding of a small-scale destination of your choice, creating a vlog, and writing reflections on certain elements of the program and your own personal development. You will work with individual learning goals, which you set yourself, and that could for instance be linked to cross cultural & communication skills, personal leadership or research capabilities. 

• Initiating and creating new or renewed (sustainable) products and services.
• Realizing and implementing new or renewed products and services.
• Marketing (sustainable) tourism products / services based on consumer knowledge and modern communication and distribution techniques.
• Organizing and managing (changing) organizational processes.
• Sustainable skills.

Syllabus and online information 

3 days per week

Papers and presentations 

Individual an groupwork

Question? Contact: kiesopmaat.crb@inholland.nl

Keep in mind that costs for the field trip are at your personal expense. The costs for each individual student will be approximately €500,- to €700,-.  

The module is also offered in Dutch in Rotterdam in semester 2.

It may happen that there are not enough registrations for a module, which means that it has to be cancelled.