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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to understand and define the "best" marketing practices in the tourism industry for destination marketing organizations and to identify what convention and visitors bureaus in West Virginia are doing to meet these standards. Little research has been conducted on tourism marketing practices; therefore, a standardized list of practices was created using references from major marketing corporations, travel associations, accreditation programs, and universities worldwide. Then quantitative and qualitative research was conducted via telephone and the Internet to collect information from 24 convention and visitors bureaus belonging to the West Virginia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus and the West Virginia Division of Tourism. A comparison was made between West Virginia agency practices and the identified best marketing practices. The importance of tourism marketing and its impacts is also discussed.
Parent Publication
Citation
Thorn, Stephanie L.; Ramthun, Roy. 2009. Tourism marketing: the best there is--a study of West Virginia. In: Klenosky, David B.; Fisher, Cherie LeBlanc, eds. Proceedings of the 2008 Northeastern Recreation Research Symposium; 2008 March 30 - April 1; Bolton Landing, NY. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-42. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 72-77.
