Stakeholder theory, as pioneered by Freeman and developed within the tourism arena by
Sautter and Leissen (1999) and Ryan (2001), focuses on the relationship and management
of stakeholders within a destination. Any person or group with an interest in the procedural
and/or a substantive aspect of the organisation’s activity is referred to as a stakeholder.
(Donaldson and Preston, 1995, p. 67) Stakeholders fall into different categories, depending
on their level of interest and their potential to influence the decision-making process of an
organisation (here: destination management organisation).