Scope

This service covers the structural work required for a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) to operate with clear authority and accountability. It applies to three starting points: building a new destination management organization from inception, restructuring an existing one whose governance, mandate, or accountability structure needs repair, or evolving the governance of a destination that is taking on greater responsibility, scope, or funding than its current structure was built to hold.

The work spans organizational design, board accountability frameworks, enabling legislation, transition planning, and operating models. It answers a fixed set of questions for any destination authority: who has decision rights, how the board is structured and held accountable, how the organization is funded and governed, what roles exist and how they connect, and how the organization moves from its current state to the target structure.

Who It's For

Ministries of tourism planning a new national or regional DMO
Existing DMOs undergoing governance reform or restructuring
DMOs taking on greater scope, responsibility, or funding than their current structure was built to hold
Boards addressing accountability, mandate, or performance issues
Multilateral and development finance institutions funding destination institution building

Process

01
Diagnostic

Review of current mandate, funding model, board structure, and accountability lines. For new formation, assessment of the legislative and institutional context the DMO will operate within. For an organization growing into new scope or funding, assessment of where the current structure will not hold.

02
Design

Organizational structure, role definitions, governance framework, and board accountability model, matched to mandate and funding source.

03
Documentation

Full job description suite, board charter, and operating model documentation, plus enabling legislation or founding documents where required.

04
Activation

Phased implementation roadmap sequencing hiring, board formation, and operational rollout against the funding and legislative timeline.

05
Handover

Knowledge transfer to incoming leadership and the board, with documentation structured for use after the engagement ends.

What You Receive

FAQ

Does this apply to new formation, reform, or an organization that's outgrowing its structure?
All three. The same governance and organizational design work applies whether the DMO is being built from zero, restructured after losing function, or evolved to hold more scope, responsibility, or funding than it currently can. The diagnostic phase differs by starting point. Design, documentation, and activation follow the same structure.
Who typically commissions this work?
Ministries of tourism, national and regional government bodies, and multilateral development institutions funding destination institution building.
Does enabling legislation get drafted as part of this?
Where legislation or founding documents are required, this service produces the governance and structural content for them. Legal drafting and enactment run through the client's own legal and legislative process.
How long does an engagement take?
Duration depends on scope, from a diagnostic-only engagement to a multi-year formation mandate. See Engagement Types for typical structures.

Related Reading

Led by Woodrow Oldford, Managing Principal of Oldford Global Consulting. Full background →

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Oldford Global works with governments, ministries, and DMOs on the formation and governance mandates that determine whether a destination institution functions.

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