Airlines as Tourist Destination Promoters

Abstract

Airlines strongly contribute to a tourist destination development by including it in their route portfolio, thus making the destination more visible and accessible. In this regard, airlines may also collaborate with the local destination management organization and be involved in the destination promotion. They can also organize marketing campaigns of certain destinations, presenting them as new routes in their maps. Current paper elaborates on the airlines’ role in the destination promotion and illustrates it through a case study of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast destination and the four low-cost carriers that recently started operation to Varna and/or Bourgas. Specific insights of the case are discussed, complemented by managerial implications and certain recommendations.

Keywords: Airlines, Air Transport, Destination, Tourism, Bulgaria, Black Sea Coast, Low-Cost Carriers/LCCs

JEL Classification: M31, O18, R40