Tourism can greatly improve the economical situation of a country by increasing its GDP, thus it is in the interest of countries to employ a Tourism Strategy to encourage people to think of the country as a good tourism destination. The recent global financial crisis has weakened the global economy, however a strong tourism sector can help certain countries to be more resilient against shocks. Many Tourism Strategies are based on promoting the culture and aesthetically pleasing nature of the area, however this often does not differentiate different tourism destination from one another, since 77% of all countries use this same message to attract tourists.
In order to differentiate themselves from other countries and become renowned as being a tourism destination, it would be beneficial for them to create a Destination Branding Strategy. This requires considering and promoting the unique selling points of the country that make them differ from other countries on a national and international level, with the aim of increasing tourism in that country. It may also be beneficial to review their economic policies and infrastructure to decrease any barriers to tourism. If certain countries are not seen as being politically or socially safe, this can have a large negative impact on their tourism sector, thus reform is needed in these countries to help them become tourism destination and improve their economic situation.
In 2012, the United States, Spain and France were listed as the top three tourism destination in their Country Brand Ranking and the economies of these countries have been seen to greatly benefit from tourism.
JOSHUA SMITTH
