THE RELEVANCE OF DESTINATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS’ FUNCTIONALITIES: A MODEL BASED ON STAKEHOLDERS’ VIEW

ABSTRACT

Destination Management Systems (DMSs) have proven relevant to destination competitiveness, namely to attract visitors and foster coordination of destination-based stakeholders. Previous research suggests that one reason explaining the success of DMSs is the ability to engage destination-based players in adopting these systems and in using its functionalities. Nevertheless, there is almost no research on factors explaining the importance that destination-based stakeholders assign to specific functionalities typically found in DMSs, neither on the factors that influence that importance. This research is especially important to design more useful DMSs and promote the use of these platforms. The present paper examines the factors influencing the relevance that stakeholders assign to several DMSs’ functionalities. The empirical study was performed in a Portuguese region – the NUTS II Center of Portugal. Results indicate that the importance given by stakeholders to DMSs’ functionalities is influenced by factors such as their perceptions on the destination’s readiness to adopt these systems, the perceived usefulness of DMSs and, in some cases, by the resources and strategic vision of their own organization, type of respondent, the stakeholders’ knowledge on DMOs’ platforms and affiliation to DMOs. However, the impact of the previously mentioned factors differs according to the kind of functionalities considered.

KEYWORDS:

• Destination management systems
• destination stakeholders
• functionalities
• information and communication technologies
• information systems

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the research unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policy (UIDB/04058/2020)+(UIDP/04058/2020), and by the Institute of Electronics and Informatics Engineering of Aveiro (IEETA) (UIDB/00127/2020), both funded by national funds through FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [UIDB/04058/2020]; Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia [UIDB/00127/2020].

Notes on contributors

João Estêvão

João Estêvão holds a PhD in Tourism from the University of Aveiro, Portugal, under the subject of the adoption of Information Technologies by tourism destinations to foster the internal coordination between stakeholders. He holds MSc in Local Tourism Destination’s Management at the University of Barcelona, Spain, in which the dissertation encompassed the use of cultural resources within tourism. His main research interests are Lifestyle Entrepreneurship in Tourism, Smart Tourism Destinations, and Tourism Destination Marketing. He regularly authors articles under these topics in reference international scientific journals in the areas of tourism and information technologies. He is currently Adjunct Professor at the Lamego Higher School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, where he coordinates the BA in in Tourism, Cultural and Heritage Management. He is also an integrated researcher at the DINAMIA’CET – IUL research unit. He has participated in academic projects aiming to (i) revitalize peripheral rural communities through tourism and (ii) to improve the collaborative efforts within tourism destinations’ players though the use of Interorganizational Information Systems.

Leonor Teixeira

Leonor Teixeira graduated in Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM), received a M.Sc. degree in Information Management, and a PhD in Industrial Management, from the University of Aveiro, Portugal. She is currently an Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism (DEGEIT) at the University of Aveiro and researcher at Institute of Electronics and Informatics Engineering of Aveiro (IEETA). She has published papers in several journals, books and conference proceedings, and has several communications at international scientific conferences. She serves as a member of Program Board and Organizing Committees for several Scientific Committees of International Conferences. She also participates in various research projects in some of which as principal investigator. She is associated with IIIS and APSI/PTAIS.

Maria João Carneiro

Maria João Carneiro is Assistant Professor of Tourism at the University of Aveiro (UA) (in Portugal) and researcher at the Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policy (GOVCOPP) research unit at this University. She holds a Degree in Tourism Management and Planning from UA, an MBA from New University of Lisbon and a PhD in Tourism from UA. She has published papers in several journals and conference proceedings, has also presented several works in conferences and seminars, and participates in various research projects. Her research interests are competitiveness of tourism destinations, consumer behaviour in tourism and destination marketing.