Reflections on the theme issue outcomes : What marketing strategy for destinations with a negative image?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to profile the WHATT theme issue “What marketing strategy for destinations with a negative image?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editor and writing team. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for the theme issue question, the starting point, the selection of the contributors and material and the editorial process. Findings This paper provides insights and practical suggestions in response to the theme issue question from different academic and professional backgrounds in fields as diverse as marketing, tourism, economics and heritage management. Practical implications The theme issue outcomes provide lines of enquiry for others to explore and reinforce the value of WHATT’s approach to collaborative working and writing. Originality/value The collaborative work reported in this theme issue offers a unified but contrarian response to the theme’s strategic question. Taken together, the papers provide a range of options for destination marketing organizations in response to the issues highlighted.