Market management in the Holguín destination to promote sustainable tourism development

Abstract

Efficient management of tourist markets in a destination proves an essential element in getting satisfactory and growing outcomes for its sustainable development; therefore, organization and destination managers should constantly assess and improve managing practices. Holguin, as a tourist destination, strongly depends on a restricted number of source markets; consequently, management actions are required to achieve both diversification and consolidation of markets with positive repercussion on sustainable management in the territory. Hence, this research aims at assessing tourist market management in Holguin destination as well as proposing strategies to favor its development. As literature review did not reveal any appropriate procedure in relation to the above-mentioned objectives, a new one is proposed. This proposition, by using appropriate methods and techniques for every step, involves the analysis of present structure of markets, the assessment of competition market share, a thorough characterization of markets, the devising of potential sceneries for the chosen markets as well as proposal of strategies in addition to general actions and recommendations. As a result, a set of strategies and actions in relation to the three main markets plus a group of general recommendations aimed at improving source market management in Holguin destination were proposed in order to contribute to sustainable development.