Fourth International Conference on Tourism and Leisure Studies

Abstract

Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) plays a significant role in marketing and management of tourist destinations. The paper examines the functional structure of State/UT Tourism Departments of India and compares it with RTOs in other countries. Further it focuses on marketing and promotion of tourism product and services through Facebook- the most common social media channel. A detailed study of Facebook pages of DMOs of India reveals its diverse marketing strategies for tourist of varied cultural background. A content analysis was performed on Facebook pages of 32 State/Union Territory Tourism Departments. State and Union Territory Tourism Departments function as DMOs in accordance with Ministry of Tourism, India. They are responsible for promoting their geographical areas, therefore, may be considered equivalent to the Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) of New Zealand, Canada and Western Australia. Most of the DMOs are found to highlight their regional natural attractions and cultural heritage at large to attract domestic as well as foreign tourists in India.