ABSTRACT
The application of marketing and advertising principles in tourism is largely undertaken by the private sector, seeking to communicate and sell their products and services to tourists. Destinations are often seen by the tourist as the outwardly facing element of a tourism service or product, being a place where their consumption occurs. Tourist destinations are a mix of tourism products, experiences and other intangible items promoted to consumers. The destination is often referred to as an amalgam of the six A’s: available packages, accessibility, attractions, amenities, activities and ancillary services and in the most developed destinations, a public/public–private or private sector organization may be responsible for the coordination, planning and promotion of the destination. A central feature of any destination marketing strategy will be the formulation of a destination product. In some cases, a destination may find that competitive forces have caused it to begin to decline.
