Zsuzsa Deli-Gray (ed.)

Cases in Tourism Marketing III

Editorial Preface

Zsuzsa Deli-Gray

Dear Students, Colleagues, and Co-Authors Holding This Volume in Your Hands,

The first volume of “Case Studies on Tourism Marketing” was published in 2010, followed by the second in 2017. As instructors, we greatly enjoyed teaching from these books, and, based on their feedback, students equally appreciated learning through the cases. The key topics of tourism marketing were presented in engaging, realistic contexts – often reflecting the full complexity of reality – immersing readers in the flow of events and encouraging them to become active problem-solvers eager to support the decision makers who appeared in the cases.

Readability and engagement, however, were not our only objectives in developing the cases. We also sought to construct them methodologically in a way that would foster the development of clearly defined competencies through the teaching and learning process. Our intention was to enable the application of creative teaching methods and to support students in recognising the interconnections among different functional areas and academic disciplines.

Eight years have passed since the publication of the second volume. Our environment has undergone almost complete transformation. New phenomena, new challenges, new risks, and new opportunities have emerged – none of which allow market participants to remain neutral. The ability to respond and adapt, as well as the intensity and timing of such responses, has become critical in maintaining, acquiring, and redefining market positions. At the same time, prevailing mindsets have also evolved, placing the evaluation of emerging opportunities and threats on new foundations.

After eight years, the “Team” has come together once again. We felt the time had come to develop new case studies aligned with the transformed environmental conditions. While the principles guiding the compilation of this volume are similar to those of the previous editions, we have introduced two additional considerations.

First, each case study is preceded by a brief theoretical introduction. This is intended to provide orientation for both students and instructors during the analysis process, offering guidance as to which theoretical concepts or models may be applied and suggesting possible directions for critical thinking.

Second, through these case studies, we aim to emphasize that tourism marketing issues, opportunities, and risks affect all market participants – directly or indirectly. Each case presents a problem or opportunity from the perspective of a single stakeholder. During analysis, readers are encouraged not only to identify whose perspective is represented, but also to assess how decisions and their consequences may affect other stakeholders. Let us not forget service providers, consumers, local communities, decision makers, and financiers – each of whom is inevitably involved in every situation.

The case studies are organised around six key themes of tourism marketing of strategic importance. The first section highlights the significance of rethinking and redefining consumer segments in tourism. The second addresses questions of country branding and (re)positioning. The third focuses on the dilemmas associated with reorganising urban tourism and evaluates which considerations are essential for achieving effective solutions, as well as how creative ideas may support restructuring efforts. The fourth section examines digitalisation in tourism, assessing how digital solutions and artificial intelligence can be integrated into different sectors of the industry. It also explores the extent to which digital competencies influence the evaluation of employees’ capabilities in tourism. The fifth section analyses the pivotal role of community collaboration, demonstrating how significantly greater value can be created for stakeholders through joint participation in decision-making processes. Finally, the sixth section presents examples of strategic dilemmas faced by tourism service providers as a result of changing environmental conditions.

I sincerely hope that using this book in teaching and learning will bring as much joy as the care and dedication with which it was created.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Zoltán Veres, who has consistently supported me both professionally and personally throughout the most important periods of my life.

My sincere thanks go to the Authors, who share with me the professional joy accompanying the birth of this volume, and many of whom have now contributed for the third time with high-quality, engaging, and value-creating case studies.

I am deeply grateful to Dr. Ágnes Tóth for professionally reviewing every volume of the Case Studies on Tourism Marketing to date, and for always offering encouraging, forward-looking, and kind words whenever I turned to her.

My thanks also go to Stanley Ward for his linguistic review of the English-language case studies and for suggesting expressions and formulations that have made the content even more compelling and refined.

I would like to thank Tímea Rosta for carefully standardizing the final versions of the case studies into a technically unified format, paying meticulous attention to every detail.

I am grateful to the Colleagues of Akadémiai Kiadó for making it possible for the third volume of Case Studies on Tourism Marketing to be published – both online and in print, in a professionally outstanding format.

Finally, I wish to thank my Son, Gray Edgár, with whom I have been exploring the world since his earliest years –becoming cultural, gastronomic, nature-loving, and adventure-seeking tourists several times each year – for designing such a beautiful illustration which will appear on the cover of this volume.

Witnessing the rapid transformation of our environment, I can promise with great confidence that we shall return soon with a fourth edition. Until then, I wish you much success, many excellent end-of-semester results, and joyful moments in teaching.

Zsuzsa Deli-Gray

Tartalomjegyzék

Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2026

ISBN: 978 963 664 217 4

Marketing Turizmus

The publication of the third volume of Cases in Tourism Marketing is truly welcome news from both an educational and a professional perspective. Through real-world, timely, and thought-provoking cases, this collection helps readers – students and practitioners alike – gain a deeper understanding of the complex world of decision-making in tourism marketing. The case studies not only convey professional knowledge but also develop analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking. One of the volume’s key strengths is its focus on issues that define contemporary tourism, including the role of digitalization, artificial intelligence, destination branding, and stakeholder collaboration in tourism marketing. Long-awaited and highly relevant, this third volume is a worthy continuation of the previous collections and will undoubtedly serve as a valuable resource in higher education in tourism, while also being highly recommended to professionals who enjoy reflecting on challenges and opportunities beyond their own immediate field of expertise.

Tamara Ratz PhD

Director, Centre for International Relations, Kodolányi János University

Head of Tourism Department, Professor of Tourism

It is an honor for me to recommend this volume to everyone who wishes to understand tourism marketing not only in theory, but also through its real business and human dimensions. The worlds of tourism and hospitality have undergone fundamental changes in recent years, which makes case studies based on real market situations, decision-making dilemmas and current challenges especially valuable in supporting both learning and critical thinking. This book provides not only professional knowledge, but also encourages a complex mindset, creative problem-solving and the ability to think in connections — exactly the skills today’s tourism professionals need most. I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to students, educators and tourism professionals alike.

Judit Fodor (Liptai)

Group Director of Sales and Marketing, Danubius Hotels

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/deli-gray-cases-in-toursim-marketing-iii//

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