ABSTRACT
Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) occupy a central position in the marketing of tourism destinations. They are destination-based organizations assuming several roles that are instrumental in the marketability and sustainability of the destinations. This chapter examines the roles of DMOs at tourism destinations. The aim is to broaden understanding on their relevance as well as on challenges faced by them in the context of the twenty-first century. The island of Mauritius will be utilised as case study to illustrate the implications of marketing the destination without a DMO. The chapter argues that one of the critical success factors for an effectively managed and competitive destination lies in the type of role played by the DMOs in the marketing of the overall tourism destination.
