Online destination experiences before the trip on DMO websites

Project description

Destination management organizations (DMOs) often use experience-based marketing to attract visitors. To do so, they use, for example, evocative images or videos to positively influence tourists’ travel decisions. However, little is known about the impact of the user experience on the websites provided by DMOs from the customer’s perspective, even though these sites serve as a key source of information for vacationers during the inspiration and information phases leading up to their trip.

As part of a series of interrelated substudies (using mixed methods), this project examined how users of DMO websites experience travel destinations before their trip, how this experience can be measured, and how websites that offer particularly immersive experiences should be designed. The project was part of a doctoral research project from 2020 to 2022 and resulted in several publications. Subsequently, the theoretical findings obtained during the research process were tested in practical applications in a follow-up project. The tool developed to measure the ODE value was used in onsite surveys conducted on several websites operated by state marketing organizations. The tool also proved to be robust in real-world use, and additional insights were gained regarding the opportunities and limitations of on-site surveys in this context.