Benchmarking has been studied as a tool for comparatively evaluating the performance of tourist destinations. However, existing research is limited in that benchmarking is rarely linked with organizational strategy and thus, its potential as a management tool has yet to be fully realized. This paper argues that benchmarking should be considered as a systematic and continuous learning tool that enables destination marketing organizations to develop strategies. It also posits that, due to the unique nature of tourist destinations and the complexity of the industry environment, a set of necessary conditions must be satisfied in order to ensure the success of benchmarking. This paper concludes that under these circumstances the practice of benchmarking has the potential to foster the development of strategy-focused and change-oriented organizations.