Managing and marketing regional tourist destinations: the case of the Marche region (Italy)

After an introduction to the basic theoretical concepts of destination management, the study focuses on the organizational model developed in Italy to manage regional destinations. In particular, the paper analyzes the strategic and organizational approach adopted by the Marche region through a longitudinal study over a congruous time period of three years, from 2012 to 2014, in order to assess the critical issues related to marketing management and their evolution. The study reveals that for regional tourism managers the challenge is to identify the best mix of organizational solutions and strategic paths aimed at exploiting both resources and attractions through market-driven policies. Moreover, the study aims to offer some insight on the Italian tourism context, opening up further research paths for scholars and helping policy makers to adopt effective tools and strategies in order to contribute to increasing the competitiveness of regional destinations.