DMO Final Exam Review (2025/2026)
questions well answered graded A+
Describe the elements of the basic model of communications. - ANS ✔✔The DMO is the sender,
the audience is the receiver. DMO is encoding the message & medium to the audience, which is
decoding the message/medium. Noise on the Sender/DMO side is competition, noise on the
audience/receiver side is distractions & lack of interest.
Define IMC & explain the benefits that DMOs derive by following this approach. - ANS
✔✔Definition: the coordination & integration of all of a DMO's external communications &
promotions to increase their effectiveness & consistency.
Benefits: - greater consistency in communication messages
- added impact as messages are repeated: if the same or a similar message is passed through
multiple channels, there is a much greater probability the message will get to the receiver
successfully.
- Reflects different customer buying stages: Audiences have people spread across all the buying-
process stages, it is better for the DMO to be simultaneously using all of the IMC components.
- More effectively puts across positioning and branding: using all of the IMC components in a
consistent way more convincingly communicates the destination's chosen positioning and
branding approach.
- Better accommodates different consumer learning styles: When used together IMC
components accommodate all different consumer learning styles.
- Components complement and support each other: The weakness of one IMC component is
compensated for by using other IMC components.
Identify, elaborate, and give examples of this major component of IMC: Advertising - ANS
✔✔Definition: the placement of persuasive messages by a DMO in any of the mass media to
remind, inform, or persuade potential pleasure travelers, business event planners, travel trade
companies, & others to consider the destination for future travel
,Importance: -for some DMOs, occupies a significant share of total budget for marketing &
promo
- can be instrumental in building destination awareness in early stages of destination life cycle
- can be crucial in more mature destinations facing intense competition
- in intermediate stages, may not be as important as other IMC components
Example: Colorado in 1992 was ranked the #1 ski resort and #1 summer resort, domestic market
growing 50% annually, Colorado Tourism board dedicated budget of $12 million for tourism
promo.
Next year, promo. budget cut COMPLETELY--lost 30% domestic market share 2 years later
Annual loss of $2.4 billion in tourism revenue by late 90's; 2000 +$5 million promo fund, 2003
one-time infusion of $9 million for tourism promo. By 2004, visitor arrivals increased by 5.3
million trips (17% of total) & $1.4 billion increase in visitor spending
Identify, elaborate, and give examples of this major component of IMC: Sales Promotion &
Merchandising - ANS ✔✔Definition of sales promotion: approaches used by DMOs to give
short-term inducements for people to visit & special communication methods/techniques not
included in other promotional components.
Definition of Merchandising: retail merchandising materials & point-of-purchase advertising
done by DMOs in places such as visitor information centers, transportation terminals,
attractions, & accommodations.
Roles: - Getting people to come to the destination for the first time.
- Increasing off-peak demand.
- Increasing demand in periods that coincide w/ major events, vacations, or special occasions.
- Encouraging travel trade intermediaries to make a special effort to sell the destination.
- Helping sales staff get business from prospects.
- Facilitating travel trade intermediary marketing.
Special communication methods: specialty ads, sampling, travel shows & exhibits, merch.
materials, educational seminars, AV materials
Special Offers: coupons, price-offs/sales, contests, sweepstakes, games, travel trade
inducements, recognition programs, continuity programs
, Identify, elaborate, and give examples of this major component of IMC: Sales (personal selling) -
ANS ✔✔Definition: involves communication between DMO sales staff & prospective customers.
These communications can be face-to-face, by telephone or SMS, e-mail, or an instant
messaging program, or through web services. Very important for certain DMOs w/ strong focus
on attracting business events
Roles: - Promoting to travel trade, associations, corporation, & other groups.
- Providing detailed and up-to-date information to event planners and travel trade.
- Maintaining a personal relationship with key clients.
- Identifying decision-makers, decision processes, & qualified buyers.
- Gathering information on competitors.
Identify, elaborate, and give examples of this major component of IMC: PR & Publicity - ANS
✔✔Definition: all the programs & activities that a DMO initiates or participates in w/ the
purpose of maintaining or improving its relations w/ other orgs. & individuals. Publicity is a PR
technique involving non-paid communications of info. about the destination of a DMO. Internal
PR includes communications w/ local tourism sector stakeholders, community residents, and
non-tourism sector stakeholders
Internal publics: board members, members, staff & staff members' families, unions, tourism
sector stakeholders, other stakeholders, local media
External publics: customers & potential customers, tourism sector companies, media, other
DMOs, government agencies, tourism educational institutions
Roles: - Maintaining a positive public presence: the DMO definitely wants to ensure that the
destination has a positive image externally, & w/in the destination as well.
- Enhancing effectiveness of other IMC components: getting publicity enhances & extends the
effects of other IMC components.
- Handling negative publicity: a destination can receive negative publicity for a number of
reasons, including natural disasters, civil unrest, acts of terrorism, outbreaks of serious illnesses,
etc.
questions well answered graded A+
Describe the elements of the basic model of communications. - ANS ✔✔The DMO is the sender,
the audience is the receiver. DMO is encoding the message & medium to the audience, which is
decoding the message/medium. Noise on the Sender/DMO side is competition, noise on the
audience/receiver side is distractions & lack of interest.
Define IMC & explain the benefits that DMOs derive by following this approach. - ANS
✔✔Definition: the coordination & integration of all of a DMO's external communications &
promotions to increase their effectiveness & consistency.
Benefits: - greater consistency in communication messages
- added impact as messages are repeated: if the same or a similar message is passed through
multiple channels, there is a much greater probability the message will get to the receiver
successfully.
- Reflects different customer buying stages: Audiences have people spread across all the buying-
process stages, it is better for the DMO to be simultaneously using all of the IMC components.
- More effectively puts across positioning and branding: using all of the IMC components in a
consistent way more convincingly communicates the destination's chosen positioning and
branding approach.
- Better accommodates different consumer learning styles: When used together IMC
components accommodate all different consumer learning styles.
- Components complement and support each other: The weakness of one IMC component is
compensated for by using other IMC components.
Identify, elaborate, and give examples of this major component of IMC: Advertising - ANS
✔✔Definition: the placement of persuasive messages by a DMO in any of the mass media to
remind, inform, or persuade potential pleasure travelers, business event planners, travel trade
companies, & others to consider the destination for future travel
,Importance: -for some DMOs, occupies a significant share of total budget for marketing &
promo
- can be instrumental in building destination awareness in early stages of destination life cycle
- can be crucial in more mature destinations facing intense competition
- in intermediate stages, may not be as important as other IMC components
Example: Colorado in 1992 was ranked the #1 ski resort and #1 summer resort, domestic market
growing 50% annually, Colorado Tourism board dedicated budget of $12 million for tourism
promo.
Next year, promo. budget cut COMPLETELY--lost 30% domestic market share 2 years later
Annual loss of $2.4 billion in tourism revenue by late 90's; 2000 +$5 million promo fund, 2003
one-time infusion of $9 million for tourism promo. By 2004, visitor arrivals increased by 5.3
million trips (17% of total) & $1.4 billion increase in visitor spending
Identify, elaborate, and give examples of this major component of IMC: Sales Promotion &
Merchandising - ANS ✔✔Definition of sales promotion: approaches used by DMOs to give
short-term inducements for people to visit & special communication methods/techniques not
included in other promotional components.
Definition of Merchandising: retail merchandising materials & point-of-purchase advertising
done by DMOs in places such as visitor information centers, transportation terminals,
attractions, & accommodations.
Roles: - Getting people to come to the destination for the first time.
- Increasing off-peak demand.
- Increasing demand in periods that coincide w/ major events, vacations, or special occasions.
- Encouraging travel trade intermediaries to make a special effort to sell the destination.
- Helping sales staff get business from prospects.
- Facilitating travel trade intermediary marketing.
Special communication methods: specialty ads, sampling, travel shows & exhibits, merch.
materials, educational seminars, AV materials
Special Offers: coupons, price-offs/sales, contests, sweepstakes, games, travel trade
inducements, recognition programs, continuity programs
, Identify, elaborate, and give examples of this major component of IMC: Sales (personal selling) -
ANS ✔✔Definition: involves communication between DMO sales staff & prospective customers.
These communications can be face-to-face, by telephone or SMS, e-mail, or an instant
messaging program, or through web services. Very important for certain DMOs w/ strong focus
on attracting business events
Roles: - Promoting to travel trade, associations, corporation, & other groups.
- Providing detailed and up-to-date information to event planners and travel trade.
- Maintaining a personal relationship with key clients.
- Identifying decision-makers, decision processes, & qualified buyers.
- Gathering information on competitors.
Identify, elaborate, and give examples of this major component of IMC: PR & Publicity - ANS
✔✔Definition: all the programs & activities that a DMO initiates or participates in w/ the
purpose of maintaining or improving its relations w/ other orgs. & individuals. Publicity is a PR
technique involving non-paid communications of info. about the destination of a DMO. Internal
PR includes communications w/ local tourism sector stakeholders, community residents, and
non-tourism sector stakeholders
Internal publics: board members, members, staff & staff members' families, unions, tourism
sector stakeholders, other stakeholders, local media
External publics: customers & potential customers, tourism sector companies, media, other
DMOs, government agencies, tourism educational institutions
Roles: - Maintaining a positive public presence: the DMO definitely wants to ensure that the
destination has a positive image externally, & w/in the destination as well.
- Enhancing effectiveness of other IMC components: getting publicity enhances & extends the
effects of other IMC components.
- Handling negative publicity: a destination can receive negative publicity for a number of
reasons, including natural disasters, civil unrest, acts of terrorism, outbreaks of serious illnesses,
etc.
