DMO Marketing Strategies: Fostering Digital Hosting in Tourism Destinations

Abstract Digitalisation is one of the most striking phenomena of the 21st century. It is considered the third industrial revolution, also known as the digital revolution. In the last two decades, the popularisation of the internet and electronic devices has completely transformed society. The branch of tourism that has emerged from this revolution is called digital tourism, being directly linked to digital tools and the way they support the multiple activities of the sector. The aim of this chapter is to understand the impact of the different digital practices in tourism businesses in the Porto and North region of Portugal. For this purpose, a qualitative research methodology has been adopted, based on an exploratory study, using semi-structured interviews with representatives of different entities in the tourism sector, namely tourism agencies and local accommodation companies. The general objective of the research study is the analysis of the digital hospitality of the destination and the proposal of strategies for the improvement of the destination, to carry out a Benchmarking analysis of competing destinations, the identification of good practices in tourist hospitality in destinations and lastly, the contribution of the digitalisation of tourism businesses as a contribution to the digital hospitality of tourism destinations. In the main conclusions, it is possible to highlight some impacts that companies in Porto have felt in the last decade, such as the increase in the flow of sales, due to the implementation of e-commerce, as well as due to the adoption of e-marketing strategies and website innovation.