2.2. The modification of the target markets for established tourism
destinations
Juxtaposed to the increasing competition among tourist destinations,
we can identify a further trend: the modification of the
target markets for established tourism destinations. Indeed classical
target markets are changing and at the same time new target
markets are emerging. Their perception of the destination's image
variables, in relation to the importance they attach to them, is vital
for the marketing and management strategies of Destination
Management Organizations (DMOs).
According to Dolnicar (2008, p.147), who has offered a comprehensive
record of the approaches and developments in segmentation
‘a wide variety of alternative techniques can be used to
identify or construct segments. Approaches range from simple
commonsense segmentations (where tourists are split on the basis
of a predefined personal characteristic) to multidimensional datadriven
approaches where a set of tourist characteristics is used as
the basis for grouping. Of course, managers may be interested in
exploring combinations of simultaneously constructed market
segments’. The study conducted by Vitouladiti on an established
island destination in Greece (Vitouladiti, 2012) combines one of
the simple commonsense approaches (demographic characteristics)
with a data driven approach (important benefits sought by
the visitors) in order to create market segments and achieve a
deeper understanding of the various segments characterizing
today's competitive and evolving business environment. Firstly,
the research points to a change of needs and desires of the
classical target markets, as well as an evolution in their profile,
making them more demanding. At the same time new and
currently unidentified target markets are emerging, which have
never been targeted. Therefore, the study confirms that improvements
in education and welfare in European countries have
diversified the profiles of the consumers, their wants, motives
and preferences and have increased the quality standard
demanded.
Secondly, the perceptions of these target markets (the classical
and the new ones) were used in order to separate the naïve from
the reevaluated destination image. The research conducted reveals
the positive and negative modifications of the image variables, in
relation to their importance for the visitors, and proves that
experience has an extensive research interest and can guide the
destination marketers.
This innovative approach indicates that the most important
variables for destination choice are the ones modified more negatively:
indeed the emerging target markets have expressed the more
negative comments. This is an issue of great importance since these
segments are the more likely to be targeted by the competition. As a
consequence, destination marketers should combine the marketing
mix variables in order to approach the new segments and satisfy the
evolved demands of the classical clientele. The study offers several
implications for a series of immediate actions which concern
targeted policies in infrastructure, superstructure and projects aimed
to enhance the natural and cultural environment and to strengthen
the offered product. Moreover, it offers guidelines for product
differentiation and suggestions for the best allocation of declining
marketing budgets to effective advertising campaigns.