Review article
SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION OF DESTINATION MANAGEMENT: ECONOMIC FRAMEWORKS, DIGITAL SOLUTIONS AND BENCHMARK CASE STUDIES ODRŽIVA TRANSFORMACIJA UPRAVLJANJA DESTINACIJOM: EKONOMSKI OKVIRI, DIGITALNA RJEŠENJA I PRIMJERI DOBRE PRAKSE KROZ USPOREDNE STUDIJE SLUČAJA
Natko Klanac
orcid.org/0000-0002-8304-1128
; PhD, Senior Lecturer, University of Applied Sciences “Lavoslav Ružička” in Vukovar, Croatia
*
Domagoj Karačić
orcid.org/0000-0002-2383-1363
; PhD, Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Osijek, Croatia
Matea Milićević
; Secondary School of Tourism and Hospitality, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
This paper reviews recent scholarly insights and validated managerial practices concerning the sustainable transformation of destination management, with an emphasis on economic implications and the regional context. Building on a systematic literature review that integrates sustainability and innovation in tourism, the paper identifies three key development pathways: (1) operationalizing goals through consistent indicators (KPIs), (2) transitioning from marketing-oriented tourist boards toward destination management organizations (DMOs) empowered to coordinate development, quality, and capacity, and (3) leveraging digitalization to improve measurement, transparency, and decision-making. The theoretical section synthesizes core sustainability frameworks and their governance and economic implications, grounded in normative sources.
The practical section maps reference standards and tools and summarizes benchmark practices. Based on the synthesis, the paper proposes an operational framework for DMOs: establishing a minimal KPI set (seasonality, spending per visitor, visitor density, emissions, community satisfaction, and — where relevant — the share of local suppliers), developing dashboards and reporting protocols, applying demand-management instruments (time-slotting, visitor-flow steering), and strengthening stakeholder coordination through participatory planning. The contribution is twofold: the paper consolidates verifiable concepts and standards and translates the literature into implementable steps for destination managers and policymakers. It concludes with research priorities focused on indicator standardization and the measurable evaluation of digital interventions across destination types.
Keywords
sustainable tourism; destination management; visitor flow management
Hrčak ID:
346514
URI
Publication date:
24.2.2026.
Visits: 70 *