Repositioning an Underperforming Destination

Turning around a destination to once again attract profitable customers often requires a reevaluation of its competitive positioning. This issue of the Wanderlust Report presents a method for addressing positioning problems of underperforming and distressed destinations.

A serious condition has become critical

The symptoms are telling: lack of clear direction, an air of ambivalence, disengaged staff, complacency toward the customer, eroding consumer satisfaction. The results are undeniable: fewer visitors, shorter stays, tighter margins, lower profits. A once thriving and highly desirable destination, resort or attraction is in decline – or worse – it’s teetering on the edge.

There are many reasons why underperforming and distressed destinations get that way. The needs of the market shift. New competitors emerge. Unchecked mismanagement, invisible in good times, can take its toll when a recession rears its ugly head. An old marketing plan that once delivered ROI no longer reaches the right audience, at the right times, with the right message.

As things continue to get worse, budgets are slashed. Staff is released. Everyone left is asked to do more with less, which can take the financial pressure off in the short term. But if something isn’t done to reverse the trend...