Destination Benchmarking

"This book is loaded with insight, founded on thoroughly researched benchmarketing theory and practice. It not only methodically examines benchmarketing and its usage in tourism, it proposes very practical applications, suggestions for users, and even includes forms such as a questionnaire that could be used in a benchmarketing survey."

Jeffrey W Alstete - , Hagen School of Business, Iona College, USA

"This book would benefit anyone reading it with even a passing interest in the topic. It should be required reading for undergraduate / graduate students, academic researchers and practitioners interested in undertaking destination benchmarking research....Well-informed research offers academics and practitioners insights into how they can improve or achieve destination competitiveness through destination benchmarking."

- Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing

"This book makes a genuine contribution to tourism studies and can also aid those in other related fields such as park and recreation management in developing and implementing a benchmarking system.... It focuses on destination benchmarking, not just tourism benchmarking, and is rich with management and marketing strategies."

- Journal of Leisure Research

Chapter One: Overview of Benchmarking Theory
* Overview of Benchmarking Theory
* Overview of Performance Measurement Theory

Chapter Two: Evaluating Benchmarking Studies in Tourism
* Overview of Benchmarking Studies in Tourism
* Limitations of Past Benchmarking Research in Tourism

Chapter Three: Towards Destination Benchmarking
* Major Characteristics of the Tourism Industry
* Rationale for Destination Benchmarking
* What is 'Destination Benchmarking'?
* Elements of Destination Benchmarking
Measuring Destination Performance
Types of Destination Benchmarking
Taking Action

Chapter Four: Measures of Destination Benchmarking
* Rationale for Measuring Destination Performance
* Indicators of Destination Performance Measures
Qualitative Measures
Quantitative Measures Strengths and Weaknesses of Destination Measures

Chapter Five: Internal Destination Benchmarking
* Practices of Internal Destination Benchmarking
* Proposed Model of Internal Destination Benchmarking
Measuring the Internal Performance
Collecting the Data
Identifying Performance Gaps
Deciding What to Benchmark
Presenting the Benchmarking Findings
Taking Action
* Strengths and Weaknesses of Internal Destination Benchmarking

Chapter Six: External Destination Benchmarking
* Practices of External Destination Benchmarking
* Proposed Model of External Destination Benchmarking
* Strengths and Weaknesses of External Destination Benchmarking

Chapter Seven: Generic Destination Benchmarking
* Practices of Generic Destination Benchmarking
* Proposed Model of Generic Destination Benchmarking
Measuring the Internal Performance
Collecting the Data
Identifying Performance Gaps
Deciding what to Benchmark
Taking Action
* Strengths and Weaknesses of Generic Destination Benchmarking

Chapter Eight: Data Collection and Analysis
* Research Methods
* Formulation of Data Collection Procedures
Application of Quantitative Research Methods
Application of Qualitative Research Methods
* Selection of Sample Populations
* Collecting Primary Data
* Collecting Secondary Data
* Analysis of Quantitative Data
* Analysis of Qualitative Data
* Overall Analysis

Chapter Nine: Destination Benchmarking: Characteristics and Limitations
* Destination Benchmarking versus Organisation Benchmarking
* Principles of Destination Benchmarking
* Limitations Influencing the Success of Destination Benchmarking

Chapter Ten: Conclusion
* A General Overview of Destination Benchmarking
* Recommendations for Benchmarking in Practice

Metin Kozak

Metin Kozak is Professor of Tourism in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Dokuz Eylul University, Turkey and currently affiliated as a Visiting Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong. He holds both Master's and Ph.D. degrees in tourism management. His research focuses on consumer behavior, benchmarking, destination management and marketing, and Mediterranean tourism. He acts as the co-editor of Anatolia: An International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Research.