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What Is Tourism Marketing?

Published: December 12, 2023

Modified: December 28, 2023

by Oneida Gruber

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Introduction

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, the tourism industry has become increasingly competitive. To stay ahead and attract travelers, destinations, tour operators, and hoteliers need to implement effective marketing strategies. This is where tourism marketing plays a vital role.

Tourism marketing encompasses a range of activities aimed at promoting and selling travel services, experiences, and destinations to potential customers. It involves understanding consumer behaviors, identifying target markets, creating compelling messages, and deploying various promotional tactics to reach and engage with the right audience.

With the rise of the internet and social media, the tourism industry has witnessed a significant shift in how marketing is conducted. Digital platforms have opened up new avenues for reaching and engaging with travelers, providing ample opportunities to showcase destinations, attractions, and services.

The primary goal of tourism marketing is to increase awareness, generate interest, and drive bookings or visits. It is about inspiring and influencing travelers to choose a particular destination, tour package, or accommodation option. By effectively marketing their offerings, tourism businesses can enhance their revenue, grow their customer base, and build long-term relationships with their target audience.

However, effective tourism marketing goes beyond simply promoting travel products. It involves creating a holistic and immersive experience for travelers, reflecting the unique qualities and appeal of a destination. This requires a deep understanding of the target market’s needs, preferences, and aspirations, as well as the ability to effectively communicate the value and benefits of the travel experience.

Moreover, tourism marketing is not limited to tourism boards or large travel companies. It is also essential for small and medium-sized businesses within the industry, such as local tour operators, boutique hotels, and restaurants. By implementing targeted marketing strategies, even smaller players can compete on a global scale and attract their ideal customers.

Definition of Tourism Marketing

Tourism marketing can be defined as the strategic planning and implementation of activities that aim to promote and sell travel-related products and services. It involves understanding consumer behavior, identifying target markets, creating compelling messages, and deploying various marketing tactics to reach and engage with potential travelers.

At its core, tourism marketing is about showcasing the unique experiences and attractions that a destination has to offer. It involves leveraging the distinctive cultural, natural, and historical aspects of a place to appeal to travelers’ interests and desires.

One of the key objectives of tourism marketing is to create awareness and generate interest in a particular destination or travel experience. This can be achieved through a variety of marketing channels, including digital platforms, traditional advertising, public relations, and partnerships with travel agents and tour operators.

In addition to promoting destinations, tourism marketing also encompasses the marketing of travel services such as accommodation, transportation, activities, and tours. It involves highlighting the unique features, amenities, and benefits of these services to differentiate them in a crowded marketplace.

Moreover, tourism marketing often involves segmenting the target market based on various factors such as demographics, psychographics, and travel preferences. This allows marketers to tailor their messages and marketing strategies to specific customer segments, increasing the chances of attracting the right travelers.

Effective tourism marketing requires staying updated with the latest trends and leveraging technological advancements. With the rise of the internet and social media, digital marketing has become a crucial aspect of tourism marketing. This includes activities such as search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, social media advertising, influencer marketing, and online reputation management.

In summary, tourism marketing is the strategic promotion and selling of travel-related products and experiences. It involves understanding consumer behavior, creating compelling messages, and deploying various marketing tactics to reach and engage with potential travelers. By effectively marketing destinations and travel services, tourism businesses can attract more visitors and drive growth in the industry.

Importance of Tourism Marketing

Tourism marketing plays a crucial role in the success and growth of the tourism industry. Here are several reasons why tourism marketing is important:

• Increasing Destination Awareness: Effective tourism marketing helps to create awareness about destinations. It showcases the unique attractions, cultural heritage, and natural beauty of a place, encouraging travelers to consider it as a potential travel destination.
• Attracting More Visitors: Through targeted marketing strategies and promotional campaigns, tourism businesses can attract more visitors to their destinations, hotels, and tour packages. By effectively communicating the value and benefits of a travel experience, marketing efforts can inspire and influence travelers to choose a specific destination.
• Boosting Local Economy: The tourism industry is a significant economic driver in many regions. By promoting tourism and attracting more visitors, tourism marketing helps to generate revenue for local businesses, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth.
• Enhancing Competitiveness: In a highly competitive tourism industry, effective marketing can give destinations and businesses a competitive edge. By promoting unique selling points and differentiating offerings, tourism businesses can stand out from the competition and attract their ideal customers.
• Cultivating Repeat Visitors: Marketing efforts, such as personalized email campaigns or loyalty programs, help to cultivate repeat visitors. By nurturing relationships with past visitors, tourism businesses can encourage them to come back and explore more of what the destination has to offer.
• Driving Collaboration: Tourism marketing often involves collaboration among stakeholders within the industry. Destination marketing organizations, hotels, tour operators, and local businesses work together to promote the destination as a whole, leveraging each other’s strengths and resources for a more impactful marketing strategy.
• Creating Positive Perception: Effective tourism marketing not only promotes destinations and travel services but also helps create a positive perception of a place. Through storytelling and compelling narratives, marketing efforts can shape and enhance the reputation of a destination, making it more appealing to potential travelers.

In a nutshell, tourism marketing is essential for raising destination awareness, attracting visitors, boosting the local economy, enhancing competitiveness, fostering repeat business, driving collaboration, and creating a positive perception of a destination. By investing in well-planned marketing strategies, tourism businesses can thrive in a highly competitive industry and contribute to the overall growth and development of the tourism sector.

Components of Tourism Marketing

Tourism marketing involves various components that work together to create effective promotional strategies. Here are the key components of tourism marketing:

• Market Research: Market research is an essential component of tourism marketing. It involves gathering and analyzing data to understand consumer behavior, travel trends, market demand, and competitor strategies. This helps tourism businesses identify their target market, tailor their marketing messages, and make informed decisions.
• Segmentation and Targeting: Segmenting the target market is crucial to deliver tailored marketing messages. Tourism marketers divide the market into specific segments based on demographics, psychographics, and travel preferences. This enables them to customize their marketing efforts and reach the right audience with the right message.
• Positioning: Positioning refers to how a destination or travel service is perceived in the minds of consumers. Tourism marketers define a unique selling proposition (USP) and create a positioning strategy to differentiate their offerings from competitors. This involves highlighting the unique features, benefits, and experiences that set them apart from others.
• Branding: Branding plays a crucial role in tourism marketing. It involves creating a distinct brand identity, including a logo, tagline, and visual elements, that represents the destination or travel service. A strong and consistent brand helps build trust, recognition, and loyalty among travelers.
• Advertising and Promotion: Advertising and promotion are key components of tourism marketing. This includes traditional advertising such as television, radio, and print ads, as well as digital advertising through search engines, social media platforms, and display networks. Promotional tactics may also include public relations, partnerships with travel influencers, and participation in travel fairs and events.
• Content Marketing: Content marketing involves creating and sharing valuable and informative content to attract and engage potential travelers. This can include blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, and social media posts that showcase the destination, provide travel tips, and inspire wanderlust. Content marketing helps build brand credibility, increase website traffic, and foster customer loyalty.
• Online Presence and Website Optimization: A strong online presence is crucial in tourism marketing. It includes having a visually appealing and user-friendly website that provides relevant information, easy navigation, and online booking options. Website optimization, including search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience (UX) optimization, helps improve visibility in search engines and enhances the overall online presence.
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Effective customer relationship management involves building and maintaining strong relationships with past, present, and potential customers. This can include personalized email marketing, loyalty programs, and customer feedback management. CRM helps nurture repeat business, encourage positive reviews, and strengthen customer loyalty.

By integrating these components into their marketing strategies, tourism businesses can create comprehensive and effective campaigns that resonate with their target audience and drive bookings and visits to their destinations and services.

Strategies and Tactics in Tourism Marketing

Tourism marketing involves a range of strategies and tactics to effectively promote destinations, travel services, and experiences. Here are some commonly used strategies and tactics in tourism marketing:

• Targeted Advertising: Tourism marketers utilize targeted advertising to reach specific demographics and interests. This includes running targeted ads on social media platforms, search engines, and travel-related websites to reach potential travelers who are most likely to be interested in a specific destination or travel service.
• Content Marketing: Content marketing involves creating and sharing informative and engaging content to attract and engage potential travelers. This can include blog posts, articles, videos, and social media posts that inspire and educate travelers about destinations, travel tips, and experiences. Effective content marketing builds brand credibility and connects with the target audience on a deeper level.
• Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have become powerful tools in tourism marketing. By creating compelling visual content, engaging with followers, and running targeted ads, tourism businesses can reach a wide audience and generate brand awareness. Influencer partnerships and user-generated content also play a significant role in social media marketing.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): A well-optimized website is crucial for tourism marketing. SEO involves optimizing website content, meta tags, and other on-page elements to improve search engine rankings. A higher ranking in search results increases visibility and organic traffic to the website, ultimately leading to more bookings and visits.
• Online Reputation Management: Online reviews and ratings have a significant impact on travelers’ decision-making process. Tourism businesses need to actively manage their online reputation by encouraging positive reviews, responding to negative feedback, and addressing customer concerns promptly and professionally.
• Partnerships and Collaborations: Collaborating with influencers, local businesses, and other tourism stakeholders can amplify marketing efforts. Partnerships can include influencer campaigns, joint advertising initiatives, and cross-promotion to reach a wider audience and provide added value to travelers.
• Personalization and Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Personalization is a powerful tactic in tourism marketing. By collecting and analyzing customer data, tourism businesses can deliver personalized marketing messages, custom offers, and tailored experiences to individual travelers. CRM tools and strategies help manage customer relationships, nurture loyalty, and drive repeat business.
• Event and Experience Marketing: Hosting or sponsoring events and creating unique experiences can be highly effective in tourism marketing. This can include cultural festivals, adventure challenges, or themed tours that attract attention and create a buzz around a destination or travel service.

It’s important for tourism marketers to employ a combination of these strategies and tactics, tailored to their target audience and marketing goals. By implementing a comprehensive and integrated approach, tourism businesses can effectively engage with travelers, drive bookings, and ultimately succeed in a competitive industry.

Digital Marketing in Tourism

Digital marketing has revolutionized the way tourism businesses promote their offerings and engage with travelers. With the proliferation of the internet and social media, digital marketing has become a crucial component of tourism marketing strategies. Here are some key aspects of digital marketing in the tourism industry:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEO is essential for improving a tourism website’s visibility in search engine results. By optimizing website content, meta tags, and backlinks, tourism businesses can rank higher in search results and attract organic traffic.
• Content Marketing: Content marketing is a powerful tool in the digital landscape. By creating high-quality and valuable content, such as blog posts, articles, and videos, tourism businesses can attract and engage potential travelers, build brand credibility, and drive organic traffic to their websites.
• Social Media Marketing: Social media platforms provide tourism businesses with a direct way to connect and engage with travelers. Through strategic social media marketing, businesses can build a strong online presence, cultivate a loyal following, and showcase their destinations, services, and experiences.
• Online Advertising: Online advertising, including search engine marketing (SEM) and social media advertising, allows tourism businesses to reach a targeted audience. By running well-crafted ads, businesses can increase brand visibility, drive traffic to their websites, and generate bookings or inquiries.
• Influencer Marketing: Collaborating with travel influencers can be highly effective in digital marketing. By partnering with influencers who have a large and engaged following, tourism businesses can tap into their influence and reach, showcasing their offerings to a wider audience and gaining credibility through authentic recommendations.
• Online Travel Agencies (OTAs): OTAs such as Expedia, Booking.com, and Airbnb have become prominent players in the digital marketing landscape. Tourism businesses can leverage these platforms by listing their offerings and optimizing their presence to reach travelers who use OTAs for travel bookings.
• Email Marketing: Email marketing allows tourism businesses to nurture relationships with past and potential customers. By sending personalized and targeted emails, businesses can provide relevant offers, travel updates, and exclusive deals to encourage bookings and foster customer loyalty.
• Website Optimization and User Experience (UX): A well-designed and user-friendly website is crucial for digital marketing success. Ensuring fast loading times, easy navigation, mobile responsiveness, and clear call-to-action buttons can significantly improve user experience and boost conversion rates.

Implementing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy can give tourism businesses a competitive advantage in reaching and engaging with the modern traveler. By leveraging digital channels effectively, businesses can increase their online visibility, attract more visitors, and ultimately drive bookings and revenue.

Challenges and Trends in Tourism Marketing

The tourism industry is constantly evolving, and with it comes new challenges and emerging trends in tourism marketing. Here are some of the key challenges and trends that tourism businesses need to be aware of:

• Rising Competition: The tourism industry is becoming more competitive with the rise of digital marketing and the ease of global travel. Tourism businesses need to find innovative ways to differentiate themselves and stand out from the competition.
• Managing Online Reputation: With the increasing influence of online reviews and social media, tourism businesses need to actively manage their online reputation. Addressing customer concerns, responding to reviews, and providing excellent customer service are crucial for maintaining a positive online image.
• Changing Consumer Behavior: Consumer behavior is continuously evolving, with travelers becoming more tech-savvy and seeking personalized and unique experiences. Tourism businesses need to adapt their marketing strategies to cater to the changing preferences and expectations of travelers.
• Data Privacy and Security: With the collection and use of customer data for marketing purposes, data privacy and security have become significant concerns. Tourism businesses must comply with privacy regulations and ensure the security of customer information to maintain trust and protect sensitive data.
• Sustainability and Responsible Tourism: The growing importance of sustainability and responsible tourism has led to a shift in consumer attitudes. Travelers are increasingly seeking environmentally friendly and socially responsible travel options. Tourism businesses need to incorporate sustainability practices and communicate their commitment to responsible tourism in their marketing efforts.
• Technological Advancements: Emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming the tourism industry. Tourism businesses need to stay updated with these advancements and explore ways to incorporate them into their marketing strategies to provide immersive and personalized experiences to travelers.
• Shift towards Experiential Travel: Travelers are seeking more authentic and experiential travel experiences. This has led to a shift from traditional sightseeing to immersive and meaningful experiences. Tourism businesses can capitalize on this trend by designing unique experiences and crafting compelling storytelling in their marketing campaigns.
• Influence of Social Media and Influencers: Social media platforms and travel influencers have a significant impact on consumers’ travel choices. Tourism businesses need to harness the power of social media and build relationships with influencers to effectively engage with their target audience and tap into their influence.

By acknowledging and adapting to these challenges and trends, tourism businesses can stay ahead of the curve and create effective marketing strategies that resonate with today’s travelers. Embracing technology, promoting sustainability, and delivering personalized and experiential travel offerings are key to success in the dynamic tourism industry.

Tourism marketing plays a vital role in the success and growth of the tourism industry. It encompasses various strategies and tactics aimed at promoting destinations, travel services, and experiences to potential travelers. In today’s digital age, digital marketing has become an integral part of tourism marketing, allowing businesses to reach and engage with travelers on a global scale.

Effective tourism marketing is essential for raising destination awareness, attracting visitors, boosting the local economy, enhancing competitiveness, fostering repeat business, driving collaboration, and creating a positive perception of a destination. By implementing well-planned marketing strategies, tourism businesses can thrive in a highly competitive industry and contribute to the overall growth and development of the tourism sector.

However, tourism marketing also faces various challenges, including rising competition, managing online reputation, changing consumer behavior, data privacy concerns, and the emergence of new technologies. It is crucial for tourism businesses to stay updated with the latest trends and adapt their marketing strategies to meet the evolving needs and expectations of travelers.

Looking ahead, sustainability, experiential travel, technological advancements, and the influence of social media and influencers will continue to shape the tourism industry. Tourism businesses that embrace these trends and incorporate them into their marketing strategies will be better positioned to attract and engage with modern travelers.

In conclusion, tourism marketing is a dynamic and ever-evolving field that requires creativity, adaptability, and a deep understanding of consumer behavior. By leveraging targeted strategies, embracing digital marketing channels, and staying ahead of industry trends, tourism businesses can effectively promote their offerings, attract visitors, and contribute to the growth and success of the tourism industry.

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Tourism Marketing

Travel and tourism marketing is the systematic and coordinated execution of business policies by the both private or public and public sector tourism organizations operating at the local, regional, national, or international level to achieve the optimal satisfaction of the needs of identifiable tourist groups, and in doing so to achieve an appropriate return .

Travel agencies in the pre-deregulation, pre-liberalization, and pre-globalization era were often contended to take whatever business that come along this way and sold them on a straight commission basis without bothering about the extensive marketing. Moreover, their scope of the operation was small and was not much complex, sophisticated and competitive.

But today the travel companies are becoming larger, more sophisticated and more automated in management.  Similarly, the clients/tourists are also becoming more trained, experienced, erudite and demanding higher quality services and packages.

Therefore, in this volatile travel business environment, marketing knowledge and skill are more necessary ingredients than the product knowledge and enthusiasm, for a travel agency’s long-term survival and growth. Thus, this has led to the use of tourism marketing which is recent phenomena.

History of Tourism Marketing

The ‘ marketing concept ‘ is not very old. I came into the scene in the 2nd half of the 20th century. In the beginning, it was linked with the number of closely associated factors for achieving volume sales.

The development of the marketing concept, in fact, is the outcome of political, technological, social, economic and business pressures. However, the importance of marketing within travel and tourism industry has been the level of economic and business growth throughout the 20th century, which has led to the improvement in living standards, an enlargement of the population and an increase in discretionary income and time.

These changes have also led to the construction of infrastructure, accommodation, transport , and other recreational facilities. Within a very short period, travel and tourism have become one of the most important and leading industry in the world.

Modern tourism marketing has evolved as a business reaction to changes in the Socio-Economic environment, with the most successful tourism companies or tourism bodies have demonstrated a keen sense of providing the right of organizational structure and products offer for the visitors/tourists.

Interestingly, the tourism companies have recognized the significance of key factors such as needs, wants, and satisfaction in the planning and designing of the tourism product. In the tourism industry, every tourist wants to be treated as a special client and any organization catering to this attitude of the tourist will naturally be head of other competitions.

Definitions of Tourism Marketing

According to Kotler, ” Marketing is a social and managerial process by which consumers obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging product services and values with other .” He has emphasized more on wants, needs, satisfaction, demand, and marketers.

According to the British Chartered Institute of Marketing, ” It is the management process responsible for the identification, anticipating, assessing and satisfying the customer’s client’s requirements profitable .”

The modern marketing concept is not limited only to the identification and satisfaction of customers. It is a comprehensive process which encompasses research and analysis of society’s as well as consumer’s needs, asserts the company’s resources and marketplace and delivers the products/services to those whose experience provides a set of satisfactions which are preferable to those of the competitors.

Krippendorf defines tourism marketing,” as the systematic and coordinated execution of business policies by both private or public sector tourism organizations operated at the local, regional, national, or international level to achieve the optimal satisfaction of the needs of identifiable tourist groups, and in doing so to achieve an appropriate return .”

According to Paynter (1993), ” tour marketing is a systematic process consisting of marketing objective, strategies, schedules, marketing media, focused on the specific market segment and based on a substantial return on investment. ”

World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) at Ottawa Seminar, has defined tourism marketing as,” a management philosophy which, in the light of tourist demand, makes it possible through research, forecasting and selection of tourism products/services from suppliers, on the line with organization’s purpose and tourist satisfaction .”

The following aspects can be identified from the above definitions:

• Tourism marketing is a thought-provoking process.
• Identification and selection of the target market.
• Positioning and product lifecycle is important.
• Future tourism marketing strategies.
• Innovative/proactive marketing.

Unique Features of Tourism Marketing

Tour package as a specialized product creates a number of significant considerations which need to be fully analyzed. The management of tour package cannot be divorced from the management of service and quality. Thus, the marketing of the tour package is different from other products because the tour package is a service product where instead of selling physical goods an intangible experience is sold.

An understanding of the complexity of the tourism product concept is an essential pre-requisite for effective tour package marketing in this context. The specific features of tourism marketing are:

• The demand for tour package is highly elastic and seasonal in nature.
• Tour package is a combination of various service ingredient.
• Designing, developing and marketing of tour package a number of intermediaries are involved. Bed experience at one level can spoil the entire image of the package as well as the tour operator .
• A tourist does not only by the tour package in advance because it is consumed and felt at the same time at a particular destination.

It is not possible to evaluate/demonstrate/sample the tour package in advance because it is consumed and felt at the same time at a particular destination.

Tour Package Marketing

A tour marketing plan is a structured guide for carrying out marketing operations. It provides a common structure and focuses on all the company’s management activities. The purposes of a marketing plan include:

• It provides a clear direction for marketing operations.
• It coordinates the resources of the organization in order to eliminate confusion and misunderstanding and achieving cooperation.
• Identifying different market segments.
• Setting targets/goals.
• Identifying the organization’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Corporate mission and goals.
• External and Internal Audit.
• Business situation analysis.
• Creating the objectives.
• Providing an effective marketing mix strategy.
• Monitoring the plan.

Thus, it has become imperative to discuss the tour marketing segment, tourist generating market, and tour marketing mix before developing a tour marketing plan.

Tour Market Segmentation

It involves a division of the prospective market into identifiable groups. The reasoning behind this is that a tour package can be sold more effectively if efforts are concentrated towards those groups which are most potential.

According to Middleton, “ Market segmentation is the process whereby producers organize their knowledge of customer groups and select for particular attention those whose needs and wants they are best able to meet their product .”

The main purpose of tour market segmentation in tourism marketing are:

• Segment the tourists generating markets.
• Identify the network of intermediaries.
• Identify the nature of demand for one’s product.
• Identify the prospective tourists.

An effective market strategy will determine exactly what the target market will be and to attempt to reach only those markets. The target market is that segment of a total potential market to which the tourist attraction would be most saleable.

Targets markets are defined geographically, demographically and so forth market segmentation must be employed in the marketing programmes to both the long-term strategies. Every tourism attraction can appeal to a multitude of market segments, and the market segment can overlap a great deal. The tour manager must look at market segments and determines which one offer the promising potential for his/her service.

Tour market segment further categories into the following types:

• Geographic Segment
• Demographic Segment
• Psychographic Segment
• Socio-Economic Segment
• Price Segment

Geographic Tourism Market Segmentation

This segment is based on the idea that customer needs differ according to geographic regions.

Demographic Segmentation

Under this segmentation, the tourism market is divided into various groups, keeping in view the demographic variables such as age, income, sex family size, occupation, education, religion etc.

Behavioral Segmentation

In this segmentation, prospective tourists are segmented on the basis of their knowledge, attitude, use or response to the tour product. Under this segmentation, the marketing strategies of a four-company include:

• User Status
• Loyalty Status
• Buyer Readiness Stages

Psychographic Segmentation

Under this, the tourists are divided into different group on the basis of their social status, lifestyles, and personality characteristics. For example, upper class, upper middle, lower classes, product preferences, adventure sports, etc.

Price Segmentation

Price ranges often come in handy in segmenting the tourist markets, such as

• Those who want to take a low priced vacation.
• Those who may take a moderately priced vacation.

Price ranges communicate to the tourists the quality expectation of a product along with the producer’s image. While determining the price of a tour package a tour planner must understand the paying capacity of the tourist.

Tour Marketing Mix

In the competitive tourism marketplace, a tour operator can be successful if it’s complete marketing mix offer matches what the tourist wants. It is planned and coordinated by marketers so that the input can be contributed in such a way that the company will be able to maximize demand and satisfaction of the tourists.

The concept of the tour marketing mix is equally relevant in the case of tourism products as it is in the case of other services and goods. Tour marketing manager must constantly search for the right marketing mix, the right combination of elements that will produce a profit. The marketing mix is composed of every factor that influences marketing efforts such as:

• BrandsPricing – In the Ratio of quality and value
• Product features
• Channels of distribution – both international and national
• Advertising
• Selling techniques
• Public relation

The fundamental starting point for the creation of a successful tour marketing mix to ensure that the target market is clearly defined. The target market is the focus of all marketing mix activities. Generally, the marketing mix constitutes four P’s . These four P’s are following as:

However, besides these four P’s in the tourism industry fifth P – People, Process, Physical evidence is also of most relevance.

Developing Tour Marketing Plan

The marketing of the package tour is materially different than the marketing of other tourism products. The reasoning behind this is that the type of tours offered by one tour company and another are different, and the marketing strategies also differ from company to company.

Each company has a wide range of tours and marketing strategies. No other travel and tourism industry component have such a wide range of specialization.

This fact should be recognized, that the effective and profitable marketing strategies are based on the tour marketing plan which is a complete ‘mechanism’ for the success of a tour company. The mechanism includes several components. These component and stages of making a tourism marketing plan are following as:

Developing a tour marketing plan

Marketing Budget

Plan Strategies

Prepare Plan Schedules

Decide Media Plan

Developing Advertising Plan

Developing Public Relation Plan

Preparing an Annual Sales Plan

Feedback and Evaluation Plan

Marketing91

What is Tourism Marketing? 15 Strategies in 2023

March 22, 2023 | By Hitesh Bhasin | Filed Under: Marketing

From hotels and other types of accommodation to car rental services, airlines , restaurants, entertainment spots, and travel agents – tourism marketing encompasses a wide range of advertising and marketing strategies often used by companies in the tourism and travel industry themselves. All these various marketing efforts are put together under one collective name – Tourism Marketing!

Tourism marketing is an essential tool for a business to ensure they are standing apart from its competitors, garnering customers, and creating brand recognition. Nowadays, various digital marketing platforms such as websites, online ads, email marketing campaigns , and social media marketing outlets have become vital components of modern tourism marketing initiatives for businesses.

Table of Contents

What is Tourism Marketing?

Tourism marketing is a type of marketing used by businesses operating in the travel and tourism industry to attract tourists to a business name or particular location which can be a state, a city, a particular heritage site or tourist destination spot, a hotel, or a convention center anything.

Achieving success in the travel and tourism industry requires thoughtful Tourism Marketing campaigns that are designed to generate brand awareness , create both, reach the most target audience or potential customers, drive traffic, foster loyalty among existing clients, and create a captivating customer experience . By utilizing these strategies, businesses can effectively engage with travelers while generating more sales opportunities.

Tourism Marketing has been profoundly impacted in recent years by digital development, as well as changes in consumer attitudes and desires. Crafting successful Tourism marketing messages today entails taking advantage of social media platforms, featuring user generated content, leveraging online reviews and search engines to your benefit, collaborating with influencers to drive traffic and expand reach, and experimenting with various channels for targeted messaging to attract travelers and optimize their customer journey in a way to convert them into loyal customers.

Why is Tourism Marketing Important?

To make a tourism business thrive, savvy marketing is an absolute must. By staying up-to-date with current trends and launching impactful campaigns, businesses can boost the recognition of their brand, gain customer loyalty and attract travellers. Moreover, tourism marketing holds promise for contributing to the economic growth of the region by driving tourists towards local enterprises.

The tourism industry is one of the biggest in the world and therefore highly competitive. To succeed, businesses must differentiate themselves from their competitors by promoting and advertising what makes them unique, showcasing why they’re the best option for tourists, and advertising and highlighting any special features that set them apart.

To allow businesses to gain a competitive advantage , marketing is essential. Many of the top tourism marketing approaches concentrate on highlighting a business’ unique selling point and broadcasting it effectively. Moreover, marketers must keep abreast with current trends to generate an effective promotional mix and deploy the most viable methods for disseminating their message across all channels.

Understanding the concept of Tourism Marketing

Tourism marketing is associated with most businesses, with marketing strategies in the field of tourism.  Today there are many countries in the world, where the tourism industry plays a major role in economic development , enhancing their GDP.

In such cases, tourism and digital marketing become important things. Many of the places are generally the hotspot for tourists like the Taj Mahal in India. Now places like these are considered the perfect areas where one can boost tourism through digital marketing.

The places which are more likely to be the major spots for attracting tourists are the places where tourism marketing flourishes the most. Now tourism marketing is all about applying several marketing techniques and strategies to create and boost the tourism industry of that place.

For successful tourism marketing to take place, the thing that is required the most is that the brands should speak for themselves in such a way that makes sense that their voices can be heard in the targeted markets.  This way they will be able to generate the cleanest successfully. Also, they need to be really careful in providing services to clients.

This is because if the customers are happy with the services chances they will spread the word and this may bring them more customers.  In the case of tourism marketing, it becomes easy to find the right audiences and create content to draw the attention of the targeted customers to the website by providing encouraging content.  Thus strategic planning , content marketing, and branding is the key to effective tourism marketing.

With it being carried out by keeping these two points in mind, chances are that the company that is involved in tourism marketing will be able to gain the advantage over their existing customers in no time and become a monopoly in the tourism industry.

What are the different ways in which Tourism Marketing Can Be Done in 2023?

Now various methods are applied for tourism marketing to flourish.  Below are some of the important ways in which the tourism marking of any place is given a boost.

1) Location marketing

In this type of marketing strategy , the main focus of tourism marketing is one bringing people’s attention to a specific location. In this strategy , no recommendations are made with respect to a particular site or any accommodation. Now some locations are already so popular all over the world that tourism marketers don’t have to make many efforts to attract their attention to such places.

All they need to do to attract customers is remind them of such locations and chances are that the consumer can easily get convinced to spend money and visit any such place. For example, Las Vegas is popular for its undying charm and full of life kind of prospects.

Now there s also a popular slogan related to Las Vegas which is ‘What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’. This slogan has gained worldwide popularity and almost everyone wants to visit Las Vegas at least once.

So here the tourism marketers have to simply remind people of how amazing this city is and what are the different ways in which they can have the time of their lives here. Another example that can be taken in Florida.

They use a more ‘benefit-oriented’ approach. Their slogan and website are ‘The Sunshine State’.  This way they are presenting their state with a joyous and charming climate and as a perfect place for beach and football lovers.  Also with their slogan and website, they are successfully able to present their state as an ideal ‘summer vacation’ destination and are definitely a dream for many to visit this place.

Thus location marketing is one of the simplest forms of tourism marketing in which without even putting much effort, with the brand value and the popularity of some specific location, the customers can be attracted.

2) Activity marketing

Now, this type of tourism is carried out keeping in mind both the location and the activities that are performed in such places.  This type of tourism marketing strategy usually keeps in mind travelers who are adventure lovers or activity freaks.

There are many other sites and locations all over the world that are famous for some specific activities. Like Alaska is famous for snowboarding, Yellowstone national park is famous for thrilling activities like hiking, and camping and is a perfect place for all nature lovers, similarly, there is ‘Colonial Williamsburg’ which attracts all history lovers.

Thus depending on the target audience and the type of activity that a particular place is famous for, tourism marketing can be carried out. Some people may be adventure lovers, some people may be looking for art and culture some people love hunting, depending upon their area of expertise and interest, the tourism markers can segment the groups of potential visitors and customers and approach them.

Thus activity marketing is a form of tourism making and social media marketing that emphasizes the booking process and bringing the attention of a customer to particular places on the basis of the activities that are performed there.

3) Corporate marketing

This is quite an interesting approach to tourism marketing. Now it has been found that a large number of people working in corporate sectors have to travel to different places to attend a conference or a meeting.

Then according to research, it was found these locations were ideal for tourists, and a number of people came to attend those places. Also, they brought their families and their loved ones as well. Now considering these scenarios’ latest trends in mind, corporate influencer marketing can contribute a lot to tourism marketing as it has significant potential.

Here the tourism marketers take advantage of the fact that by planning the business meeting in touristy places, people come in large numbers thus they can make a lot of profit out of it.

What are the four basic pillars of Tourism Marketing?

The foundation of tourism marketing stands firmly on four of its important pillars which are the product , the price, the place, email marketing, and the promotion.

Let us understand each of these separately as to how they contribute to tourism marketing!

Marketing Mix of Tourism

1) product in tourism marketing.

One of the most important aspects of the tourism marketing strategy is to determine the effect of the selling benefits and the other types of benefits that are re-obtained by competing with their rivals in the same market .

Tourism marketers need to focus more on such destinations that provide both business advantages to travel brands and pleasure to their customers. These pleasures depend on several factors like the ease of traveling, facilities of the sites and the hotels, the nightlife of that place, activities offered, and the overall culture of that place.

Thus by considering these factors, tourism marketers will understand the areas that have to focus more on, so that marketing can be done effectively.

2) Price in Tourism Marketing

The price point is yet another important aspect of tourism marketing. Now many people avoid traveling due to money-related issues.  And this is where tourism marketing comes in to save the day.  Today so many mobile apps have been developed, on which if a person books a hotel r a transport like a flight or a train, they get discounts. This attracts a lot of customers.

Along with the free referral marketing, they also try to give value-added services to their customers. Some hotels also offer free shuttle services to their visitors. Also depending on whether it is a high season or an offseason, the prices are altered.  

3) Place in Tourism Marketing

Now for tourism marketing to earn a profit, deciding the location where they want to perform the marketing can play a key role in how far they can go. The place refers to the area where the products and services can be distributed.

Now in tourism and destination marketing, the location and the destination marketers offer their products and services to their customers through travel agents, tour operators, inside sales teas, etc.  The distribution of their products and services to visitors can be done through catalogs, online, sites, mobile devices, websites, stores, etc.

4) Promotion

In this numerous different strategies and technologies are used for the promotion of any specific area or tourist destination.  In fact, trade magazines and meeting planners are also efficient ways for promotion purposes.

These often come with many other forms of discount coupons, brochures, etc. also they try their target customers to come across the ads that pop up on the website to make them aware of the various tourist places.

15 Tourism Marketing Strategies in 2023

1. prioritising hygiene and safety via marketing communication.

Tourism marketers must now prioritize safety and hygiene to give their customers peace of mind when they travel. By highlighting the protocols that are being taken, tourists can rest assured knowing they will be protected while visiting.

2. Developing Loyalty Programmes

Loyalty programs are the ideal way to demonstrate your appreciation for existing customers and stimulate repeated patronage. Tourism marketers should construct loyalty programs that will not only retain existing customers but also appeal to fresh audiences.

3. Capitalising on Voice Search

In the age of voice search, it is essential for tourism marketers to create content that can be quickly found and accessed. Optimizing your site and content for this new technology will bolster your site for visibility and success in the long term.

4. Facilitating User-Generated Content

User-generated content, such as ratings and reviews on social media, is critical in helping customers make informed decisions. User-generated social media content is one of the key tourism marketing trends.

5. Deploying Artificial Intelligence:

AI technology is a valuable asset for Tourism marketers, allowing them to track customer behavior and create personalized brand experiences tailored to each individual. This can help customers find the brand information they need quicker and more easily than ever before.

6. Not Neglect Review Marketing

Reviews and ratings are a critical resource for Tourism companies, making them an invaluable asset in swaying potential customer decisions. Any Tourism marketer must recognize the importance of reviews if they wish to stay competitive.

7. Enhancing the Guest Experience & Satisfaction Through Chatbots

Chatbots can be a vital tool in creating an effortless, tailored experience for all customers. Chatbot technology should be a top priority for the hospitality and tourism industry to provide quick customer service and support, as well as respond promptly to any inquiries.

8. Investing in Remarketing Efforts

Maximizing your Tourism business’ potential by tapping into already engaged customers is a surefire way of increasing sales. Leverage the power of remarketing to maximize your potential and gain more qualified leads.

9. Utilising Augmented Reality Technology

Augmented reality provides the ideal platform for tourism businesses to build mesmerizing and unforgettable experiences for their customers.

10. Prioritising Personalisation

Customization is a crucial element of this form of marketing. By personalizing content and messages to the target audience’s wants and needs, Tourism marketers can engineer and create an experience that will ensure positive word-of-mouth publicity for their business or brand.

11. Exploring Metaverse

The metaverse is becoming more and more popular with tourism companies, as it allows them to give their customers an unparalleled, immersive experience.

12. Using NFTs

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are quickly becoming a widely recognized trend. Tourism companies can harness this technology to propel their marketing campaigns and draw in more visitors.

13. Promoting Virtual Reality (VR) Tours

Allow your customers to explore new destinations without even having to leave their homes – with VR tours, the possibilities are endless!

14. Focusing on the Customer Experience

Crafting an exceptional customer experience should be the primary focus of any Tourism promotional strategy . Optimizing customer experiences on all marketing channels is crucial.

15. Embracing content and influencer marketing

Content and influencer marketing are essential building blocks of any successful tourism strategy. It helps in optimizing the presence of a travel business in the search engine.

Thus, tourism and travel agency marketing are one of the branches of marketing that deal with the tourism and travel industry only.

It is essential to carry out efficient tourism marketing, as one can make a lot of money through this because there are so many people in this world who love traveling, and this can help the tourism marketing industry to flourish their business.

Liked this post? Check out the complete series on Marketing

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This was a great article! Now I’m interested in a career in tourism marketing. How do I start? I already write travel content/copywriting blogs for an agency. Where would I go from there?

this article really helped me in conducting research on tourism. Thank you very much

This article helped me alot on my academic research

Hello,the article is highly assisting and I am seriously having interest in studying Tourism Marketing.

This information was very helpful

hey! This is a good and interesting article about tourism marketing. I am a second degree student in tourism business administration,the program is all about tourism as a business perspective.if you can possible,please post such relevant articles via email address that i have attached below the space provided.

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The Definition of Tourism Marketing

by Steve Milano

Published on 25 Jan 2019

In its broadest sense, tourism marketing is the business discipline of attracting visitors to a specific location . Hotels, cities, states, consumer attractions, convention centers and other sites and locations associated with consumer and business travel all apply basic marketing strategies to specific techniques designed to increase visits.

Location Marketing

In many cases, tourism marketing centers on attracting people to a specific location without recommending specific sites or accommodations. For some locations, the attractions are so well-known, the tourism marketer simply needs to remind consumers that the area offers a good time. Las Vegas, for example, uses the slogan, “What Happens In Vegas, Stays in Vegas.” Florida takes a more benefit-oriented tack, marketing itself as “The Sunshine State,” promising an attractive climate to those who want a beach, golf or other warm-weather vacation.

Activity Marketing

Some areas market themselves based on their attractions. For example, Williamsburg, Virginia, markets “Colonial Williamsburg” hoping to attract families and individuals interested in history. The National Park Service promotes destinations such as the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone National Park as camping, hiking and nature vacations. Resort communities such as Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, segment the tourism market, creating different campaigns to attract golfers, tennis players and individuals and families looking for a beach destination. Other tourism activities marketed to consumers include hunting, annual festivals and theme parks.

Corporate Marketing

More than 225 million people attended some type of corporate meeting in 2012, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. There were more than 1.8 million such meetings that year. To attract attendees, convention and trade show planners often consider the tourism aspect of their location . More attendees might be willing to come if they can bring partners or families members and enjoy the locale. Tourism marketers tout the fact that they can provide both the business and pleasure aspects of their locations to meeting planners.

The Four Ps

Basic marketing addresses four pillars of creating and selling a product or service: product, price, place and promotion. In tourism marketing, the four Ps are often applied in the following ways:

Tourism marketing includes determining the unique selling benefit or benefits one area has over its competition. A destination might offer people looking to combine business and pleasure ease of travel to and from the area, ample convention halls and hotels, interesting nightlife, and activities for adult partners and children.

When trying to attract tourists, locales often use discounts, loss leaders and bundling to draw visitors. For example, a local chamber of commerce might solicit money from local businesses to hold a free concert, sporting event or festival that generates hotel stays, restaurant visits and other consumer spending. A hotel might offer discount coupons to a local restaurant. The restaurant gets free referral marketing, while the hotel offers a value-added service to its guests. Some hotels and resorts offer guests free shuttle service. Tourist centers carefully analyze tourism trends and raise and lower their prices based on a busy or “high” season and an off-season, and based on what their competitors are offering, to maximize occupancy rates.

The “place” in the four Ps refers to where a business distributes its product or service , such as in a store, online, using catalogs or through wholesalers. In tourism sales, location and destination marketers sell through tour operators, travel agents, inside sales teams and by setting up websites and phone operators to handle incoming inquiries. Spring break cities are well known for working with packaged vacation tour companies that bring college students to specific hotels by the busload. Destinations often offer free “site visits” to meeting planners , providing free rooms at different hotels, meals, golf, tennis and guided tours to vetted business professionals who select the location of meetings, seminars, retreats, conventions and trade shows.

Tourism marketing uses a wide variety of communications strategies and techniques to promote areas and destinations. A convention center might purchase advertisements in trade magazines for meeting planners and send direct mail materials to corporations that hold events. They might place ads in tennis or golf magazines to attract those consumers. Destinations build websites and place ads in consumer publications read by their target customers. Chambers of commerce are involved in promoting their areas generally and the businesses within their areas specifically. This often includes offering potential visitors packets filled with brochures, discount coupons and other materials.

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Chapter 8. Services Marketing

Ray Freeman and Kelley Glazer

Learning Objectives

• Explain the meaning of services marketing
• Describe the differences between marketing services and marketing products
• Describe the characteristics of a marketing orientation and its benefits
• Define key services marketing terminology
• Explain the PRICE concept of marketing
• Provide examples of the 8 Ps of services marketing
• Gain knowledge of key service marketing issues and trends

Marketing is   a continuous, sequential process through which management plans, researches, implements, controls, and evaluates activities designed to satisfy the customers’ needs and wants, and meet the organization’s objectives. According to Morrison (2010), services marketing  “is a concept based on a recognition of the uniqueness of all services; it is a branch of marketing that specifically applies to the service industries”(p. 767).

Marketing in the tourism and hospitality industry requires an understanding of the differences between marketing goods and marketing services. To be successful in tourism marketing, organizations need to understand the unique characteristics of their tourism experiences, the motivations and behaviours of travelling consumers, and the fundamental differences between marketing goods and services.

The Evolution of Marketing

Until the 1930s, the primary objective of businesses was manufacturing, with little thought given to sales or marketing. In the 1930s, a focus on sales became more important; technological advances meant that multiple companies could produce similar goods, creating increased competition. Even as companies began to understand the importance of sales, the needs and wants of the customer remained a secondary consideration (Morrison, 2010).

In 1944, the first television commercial, for Bulova watches, reached 4,000 sets (Davis, 2013). The decades that followed, the 1950s and 1960s, are known as an era when marketing began to truly take off, with the number of mediums expanding and TV ad spending going from 5% of total TV revenues in 1953 to 15% just one year later (Davis, 2013).

The era from approximately 1950 to around 1970 was known as a time of marketing orientation (Morrison, 2010). Customers had more choice in product, this required companies to shift focus to ensure that consumers knew how their products matched specific needs. This was also the time where quality of service and customer satisfaction became part of organizational strategy. We began to see companies develop internal marketing departments, and in the 1960s, the first full-service advertising agencies began to emerge.

Societal marketing emerged in the 1970s when organizations began to recognize their place in society and their responsibility to citizens (or at least the appearance thereof). This change is demonstrated, for example, by natural resource extraction companies supporting environmental management issues and implementing more transparent policies. This decade saw the emergence of media we are familiar with today (the first hand-held mobile phone was launched in 1973) and the decline of traditional marketing through vehicles such as print; the latter evidenced by the closure of LIFE Magazine in 1972 amid complaints that TV advertising was too difficult to compete with (Davis, 2013).

The mid-1990s ushered in the start of the online marketing era. E-commerce (electronic commerce) revolutionized every industry, perhaps impacting the travel industry most of all. Tourism and hospitality service providers began making use of this technology to optimize marketing to consumers; manage reservations; facilitate transactions; partner and package itineraries; provide (multiple) customer feedback channels; collect, mine, analyze, and sell data; and automate functions. The marketing opportunities of this era appear limitless. Table 8.1 summarizes the evolution of marketing over the last century.

Typically, the progression of marketing in tourism and hospitality has been 10 to 20 years behind other sectors. Some in the industry attribute this to the traditional career path in the tourism and hospitality industry where managers and executives worked their way up the ranks (e.g., from bellhop to general manager) rather than through a postsecondary business education. It was commonly believed that to be a leader in this industry one had to understand the operations inside-out, so training and development of managers was based on technical and functional capabilities, rather than marketing savvy. And, as we’ll learn next, marketing services and experiences is distinct and sometimes more challenging than marketing goods. For these reasons, most businesses in the industry have been developing marketing skills for only about 30 years (Morrison, 2010).

Differences Between Goods and Services

There are four key differences between goods and services. According to numerous scholars (Regan; Rathmell; Shostack; Zeithaml et al. in Wolak, Kalafatis, & Harris, 1998) services are:

• Heterogeneous
• Inseparable (simultaneously produced and consumed)

The rest of this section details what these concepts mean.

Intangibility

Tangible goods are ones the customer can see, feel, and/or taste ahead of payment. Intangible services, on the other hand, cannot be “touched” beforehand. An airplane flight is an example of an intangible service because a customer purchases it in advance and doesn’t “experience” or “consume” the product until he or she is on the plane.

Heterogeneity

While most goods may be replicated identically, services are never exactly the same; they are heterogeneous . Variability in experiences may be caused by location, time, topography, season, the environment, amenities, events, and service providers. Because human beings factor so largely in the provision of services, the quality and level of service may differ between vendors or may even be inconsistent within one provider. We will discuss quality and level of service further in Chapter 9.

Inseparability

A physical good may last for an extended period of time (in some cases for many years). In contrast, a service is produced and consumed at the same time. A service exists only at the moment or during the period in which a person is engaged and immersed in the experience.

Perishability

Services and experiences cannot be stored; they are highly perishable . In contrast, goods may be held in physical inventory in a lot, warehouse, or a store until purchased, then used and stored at a person’s home or place of work. If a service is not sold when available, it disappears forever. Using the airline example, once the airplane takes off, the opportunity to sell tickets on that flight is lost forever, and any empty seats represent revenue lost.

Planning for Services Marketing

To ensure effective services marketing, tourism marketers need to be strategic in their planning process. Using a tourism marketing system  requires carefully evaluating multiple alternatives, choosing the right activities for specific markets, anticipating challenges, adapting to these challenges, and measuring success (Morrison, 2010). Tourism marketers can choose to follow a strategic management process called the PRICE concept , where they:

• P: plan (where are we now?)
• R: research (where would we like to be?)
• 
I: implement (how do we get there?)
• C: control (how do we make sure we get there?)
• E: evaluate (how do we know if we got there?)

In this way, marketers can be more assured they are strategically satisfying both the customer’s needs and the organization’s objectives (Morrison, 2010). The relationship between company, employees, and customers in the services marketing context can be described as a services marketing triangle (Morrison, 2010), which is illustrated in Figure 8.5.

In traditional marketing, a business broadcasts messaging directly to the consumer. In contrast, in services marketing, employees play an integral component. The communications between the three groups can be summarized as follows (Morrison, 2010):

• External marketing: promotional efforts aimed at potential customers and guests (creating a promise between the organization and the guest)
• Internal marketing: training, culture, and internal communications (enabling employees to deliver on the promise)
• Interactive marketing: direct exchanges between employees and guests (delivering the promise)

The direct and indirect ways that a company or destination reaches its potential customers or guests can be grouped into eight concepts known as the 8 Ps of services marketing .

8 Ps of Services Marketing

The 8 Ps are best described as the specific components required to reach selected markets. In traditional marketing, there are four Ps: price, product, place, and promotion. In services marketing, the list expands to the following (Morrison, 2010):

• Product: the range of product and service mix offered to customers
• Place: how the product will be made available to consumers in the market, selection of distribution channels, and partners
• Promotion: specific combination of marketing techniques (advertising, personal sales, public relations, etc.)
• Pricing: part of a comprehensive revenue management and pricing plan
• People: developing human resources plans and strategies to support positive interactions between hosts and guests
• Programming: customer-oriented activities (special events, festivals, or special activities) designed to increase customer spending or length of stay, or to add to the appeal of packages
• Partnership: also known as cooperative marketing, increasing the reach and impact of marketing efforts
• Physical evidence: ways in which businesses can demonstrate their marketing claims and customers can document their experience such as stories, reviews, blog posts, or in-location signage and components

It’s important that these components all work together in a seamless set of messages and activities known as integrated marketing communications, or IMC, to ensure the guests receive a clear message and an experience that meets their expectations.

Integrated Marketing Communications

Integrated marketing communications (IMC)  involves   planning and coordinating all the promotional mix elements (including online and social media components) to be as consistent and mutually supportive as possible. This approach is much superior to using each element separately and independently.

Tour operators, attractions, hotels, and destination marketing organizations will often break down marketing into separate departments, losing the opportunity to ensure each activity is aligned with a common goal. Sometimes a potential visitor or guest is bombarded with messaging about independent destinations within a region, or businesses within a city, rather than one consistent set of messages about the core attributes of that destination.

It’s important to consider how consumers use various and multiple channels of communication and reach out to them in a comprehensive and coherent fashion. As a concept, IMC is not new, but it is more challenging than ever due to the numerous social media and unconventional communication channels now available. Each channel must be well maintained and aligned around the same messages, and selected with the visitor in mind. Too often businesses and destinations deploy multiple channels and end up neglecting some of these, rather than ensuring key platforms are well maintained (Eliason, 2014).

In order to better understand our guests, and the best ways to reach them, let’s take a closer look at the consumer as the starting and focal point of any marketing plan.

Consumer Behaviour in Tourism and Hospitality

Customers use their senses to see, hear, smell, and touch (and sometimes taste) to decipher messages from businesses, deciding on a product or service based on their perception of the facts rather than, at times, the actual facts. A number of factors have been shown to impact the choices the consumer makes, including personal factors, which reflect needs, wants, motivations, previous experience, and a person’s lifestyle, and  interpersonal factors, such as culture, social class, family, and opinion leaders.

Perception Is Reality

The area of perception can be further broken down to screens and filters, biases, selective retention, and closure (Morrison, 2010). Let’s look at these concepts in more detail.

The world is filled with things that stimulate people. People are exposed to thousands of messages every day. Some stimuli come from the people around us; for example, a person on the bus might be wearing a branded cap, the bus may have advertising pasted all over it, and free newspapers distributed at the bus station could be filled with advertising. The human brain cannot absorb and remember all of these messages; people will screen out most of the stimuli they are exposed to. They may remember a piece or segment of a message they have seen or heard.

Take a Closer Look: 100 BC Moments Vending Machine 

As part of a 2012 integrated campaign, Destination BC (then operating as Tourism BC) created a vending machine that offered users the opportunity to experience moments that could be part of their visit to British Columbia. At 14 feet tall, this vending machine dispensed free items like bikes, surfboards, and discounts on flights to encourage people to travel British Columbia. This experiential innovation was a way to provide a tangible element to intangible services. It was complemented by an online and social media campaign using the hashtag #100BCMoments and special web landing page at 100BCMoments.com. A video of the San Fransisco installation earned hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube; cutting through the clutter both in person and online. Watch it here:  Giant Tourism BC Vending Machine comes to San Francisco : www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWbQtK4N8cM

Perceptual Biases

Everyone has perceptual biases; each person sees things from his or her own unique view of the world. An advertising message can be received and changed to something very different from the marketer’s intended statement.

Selective Retention

Once messages have made it through the screens, filters, and biases, they still may not be retained for long. Customers will practise selective retention, holding on only to the information that supports their beliefs and attitudes.

The brain does not like incomplete images. There is a state of psychological tension present until the image is complete (closure). Where information is unavailable to round out the images, the mind adds the missing data. Over time, through the use of imagery and music (such as jingles), messages are ingrained in a customer’s mind, and he or she automatically adds the company’s name, whether it is mentioned or not.

Applying Psychology to Marketing

Marketers may determine a degree of predictability about customer perceptions. 

Customers are likely to:

• Screen out information that they are already familiar with
• Notice and retain information to satisfy a need they are aware of (want)
• Purchase services that reflect the image they perceive themselves to project
• Notice and retain things out of the norm
• Attach credibility to personal information rather than commercially generated information

Customers are less likely to:

• Use perceptual biases to distort information received on an interpersonal basis
• Absorb complicated information that requires effort to comprehend
• Notice and retain information about a competitive service or product if they are satisfied with another brand

Tourism marketers are in the business of reminding and making customers aware of their needs. Customers have to be motivated to act on satisfying their wants and needs, while marketers need to trigger the process by supplying objectives and potential motives.

Spotlight On: Tourism Victoria’s Visitor Centre

Tourism Victoria’s Visitor Centre is a member of the Visitor Centre Network. Staff are available to provide travellers with tourist information, assistance, and advice. The Tourism Victoria Visitor Centre provides travellers with a wide range of services, including professional visitor counselling, helpful travel information and literature, and accommodation reservations (Tourism Victoria, 2015).

Consumer Decision-Making Process

In 1968, Kollat, Blackwell and Engel released the first edition of a book called Consumer Behavior where they identified a distinct five-step pattern for consumer decision-making (1972). These steps are: need recognition, information search, pre-purchase evaluation, purchase, and post-purchase evaluation.

Here are some critical components at each stage:

• Need recognition: For this process to start there needs to be a stimulus; a need must be triggered and identified.
• Information search: The customer begins to consult different sources of information; personal (marketer dominated) and intrapersonal (non-marketer) factors will likely be used.
• Pre-purchase evaluation: After researching the choices, the customer starts to evaluate options using both objective criteria, such as price and location, and subjective criteria, such as the perceived status of the product or service.
• Purchase: The customer intends to buy the product or service that best matches the criteria, although he or she can still be influenced by a number of factors, such as friends and family who disagree with the purchase, or a change in personal finances.
• Post-purchase evaluation: After use, the customer evaluates the purchase against expectations; if these don’t match, the customer will be either dissatisfied (expectations not met) or impressed (expectations exceeded). For this reason, it’s best for hospitality and tourism providers to “under promise” and “over deliver.”

Spotlight On: BC Ferries Vacations

BC Ferries Vacations offers over 70 unique travel packages to 40 destinations, connecting travellers to unbeatable scenery, accommodations, and activities. With world-class hotels, activities, and adventures to choose from, travellers can experience BC’s pristine wildlife or urban coastal culture with each customized vacation package. BC Ferries Vacations travel experts help travellers create a personalized vacation complete with ferry reservations to bring all-in-one convenience, quality, and value. And, in partnership with some of BC’s best hotels, BC Ferries Vacations is able to provide customers with the best rates, customer service, and overall experiences, whether travelling to Vancouver, Victoria, the north coast, or to remote and amazing destinations in-between (BC Ferries Services, 2015).

In order to reach consumers and stimulate need, tourism marketers can employ a number of traditional and online channels. These are detailed in the next section.

Reaching the Consumer

Marketers have more choices than ever when it comes to broadcasting their message to consumers. Potential travellers and guests will respond, in varying degrees, to traditional channels and emerging online communications tools. There are many choices in marketing and communication channels, each with strengths and weaknesses. Determining the right mix, frequency, and message depends heavily on establishing objectives, completing research, performing a situational analysis, and creating a positioning approach (Morrison, 2010). Let’s take a closer look at communications channels that may form part of the marketing mix.

Traditional Channels

Mass media is best described as the use of channels that reach very large markets. Examples include national newspapers and radio or television advertising. The immediate advantage of using mass media is the ability to reach multiple target markets in significant numbers. Disadvantages include the high expense and difficulty in effective target marketing and measuring return.

Out-Of-Home (OOH)

Out-of-home (OOH) channels refer to four major categories: billboards, transit, alternative outdoor, and street furniture.  OOH advertising plays an important role in the tourism and hospitality industry as it provides an opportunity to inform travellers in unfamiliar territory. Transit advertising includes airports, rail, and taxi displays. Alternative outdoor refers to arenas, stadiums, and digital media. Street furniture includes bus shelters, kiosks, and shopping malls.

Print Media

Print media includes newspapers, magazines, journals, and directories. There is an increased trend away from traditional purchased print advertising toward editorial features, as these are more trusted by consumers. A print ad and an editorial feature created together is known as an  advertorial .

Spotlight On: The Tartan Group

Founded in the 1990s in Victoria, The Tartan Group is a public relations firm focusing on tourism and hospitality clients including Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Harmony Hotel, Inn at Laurel Point, and Hotel Zed. The staff have extensive experience working in the industry, and the organization has relationships with multiple tourism associations and press groups. For more information, visit the Tartan Group website : www.tartangroup.ca

Online Channels

As discussed in Chapter 7, the internet is nearly twice as important as travel agents as an information source for travel (Deloitte, 2015). There are an estimated 3 billion people around the globe with internet access, and social media has become truly integrated into the travel and hospitality industry. TripAdvisor and similar sites have become the customer’s first point of connection with tourism and hospitality products and experiences. This can be both an opportunity and a threat: an opportunity to open the channels of communication, but a threat if negative information about the travel or hospitality organization is widely spread. As online distribution expands, empowered and savvy travellers are unbundling the booking component and self-booking directly (Deloitte, 2015).

Internet and mobile technology are referred to as interactive media . For tourism and hospitality businesses, there are significant advantages to creating an online presence: it’s cost effective, it provides global reach, it allows a business to be available 24/7, and it provides a reciprocal communication platform for customers.

Social Media and Reputation Management

There are also challenges with online marketing, including being noticed within the volume of information customers are exposed to, and loss of control in delivering a message. Despite these challenges, as more consumers seek real-time information online, tourism marketers are responding with increasingly sophisticated online marketing strategies. This section draws from resources and expertise provided by WorldHost Training Services (2013).

Social Media

Social media is a broad term that refers to web-based and mobile applications used for social interaction and the exchange of content. Social networking is the act of using social media. Unlike traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, and television, social media is largely powered by user-generated content. This refers to content created and shared by consumers rather than by marketers, journalists, experts, and other paid professionals, although they too contribute to social networks.

Word of Mouth in the Age of Social Media

Social networking has transformed how many people interact with businesses and share experiences with others, in a communication channel known as word of mouth where customers share directly with each other. Consumers now have a variety of channels on which to express likes and dislikes, many of which have large audiences. Some of this commentary is made in real time, on a smartphone, while the customer is still in the business (WorldHost, 2013).

Advertising and Trust

Social networks, and review sites in particular, are used more and more to seek information and advice on things to do and products and services to purchase. Travellers and locals alike check out these sites for ideas on where to stay, eat, relax, shop, and explore. These channels are highly trusted. A survey of over 28,000 consumers in 56 countries found that consumers trust the advice of people they know (92%) and consumer opinions posted online (70%) more than any other advertising source (Nielsen, 2012).

Online Reviews = Business Success

Research shows a direct correlation between consumer reviews and purchase decisions. A 2011 survey by Phocuswright found that three in four active travellers cite reviews and photos as influential in choosing activities (PR Newswire, 2011). A 2011 study conducted by Harvard Business School found that, for independent restaurants, a one-star increase in Yelp ratings led to a 5% to 9% increase in revenue (Luca, 2011). And, according to a study by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, if a hotel increases its review score on Travelocity by 1 point on a 5-point scale, it can raise its price by 11.2% without affecting demand (Anderson, 2012).

Understanding Customer Needs

As we have discussed, service plays an important role in shaping customer impressions, where the ultimate goal of a tourism or hospitality business is to exceed expectations. Every customer has different wants and needs, but virtually all customers expect the following basic needs to be taken care of:

• Convenience
• Good service

To fully satisfy customers, businesses must deliver in all four areas. If they meet the basic needs listed above, they’ll create a  passive customer — one who is satisfied, but not likely to write a review or mention a business to others.

On the other hand, failure to deliver on the promise can result in a disappointed customer undoing all the efforts of the marketing plan. For this reason, the entire process must be well coordinated and well executed.

Bringing it All Together

The role of destination bc.

Destination BC is responsible for executing key components of the provincial government’s tourism strategy (British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, 2011). As we learned in the last chapter, this provincial destination marketing organization has been mandated to fulfill several key marketing and leadership responsibilities critical to the long-term sustainable growth of the provincial tourism industry. This includes marketing British Columbia domestically, nationally, and internationally as a tourist destination (Destination BC, n.d.). Its first three-year corporate and marketing strategy was released in November 2014 articulating its new vision, mission, and goals.

Take a Closer Look: Online Reputation Management

This guide from Destination BC’s Tourism Business Essentials series helps businesses understand how to manage their online reputation and includes tips for responding to reviews and other best practice. To get a copy of the guide, visit the Online Reputation Management Guide [PDF] : www.destinationbc.ca/getattachment/Programs/Guides-Workshops-and-Webinars/Guides/Tourism-Business-Essentials-Guides/TBE-Guide-Online-Reputation-Management-2nd-Edition-Sep-2014-(2).pdf.aspx

Market Segmentation

Tourism marketers, including the team at Destination BC, choose target markets for their efforts through market segmentation techniques, where potential visitors are separated by:

• Demographics
• Countries of origin
• Trip purposes
• Trip planning and arrangements
• Psychographics and lifestyles
• Special interests
• Technology uses

The Canadian Tourism Commission’s award-winning Explorer Quotient program provides tourism marketers with detailed psychographic and travel motivations information (Canadian Tourism Commission, 2008; 2012). It allows destinations and experiences to market themselves to target audiences based on psychographic profiles (their psychological tendencies) rather than geographic segments.

Take a Closer Look: EQ (Explorer Quotient)

Destination Canada’s EQ tool allows businesses to segment their customers in a new and innovative way. EQ offers a range of online resources from an EQ Quiz (so you can identify what type of traveller you are) to business toolkits and more. Explore this new tourism marketing tool by visiting the Explorer Quotient tool : http://en.destinationcanada.com/resources-industry/explorer-quotient

BC’s Tourism and Hospitality Key Markets

BC’s key target tourism markets can be broken down into three main categories: nearby markets, top priority markets, and emerging markets (BC Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, 2011).

Nearby markets are BC, Alberta, and Washington State, which are characterized by high volume and strong repeat visitation. Marketing activities to these areas are led by the regions, communities, and/or sectors such as ski. Top priority markets of Ontario, California, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia are characterized by high revenue and high spending per visitor. Marketing efforts here are led by Destination BC. Emerging markets , which include China, India, and Mexico, are monitored and explored by Destination BC.

Performance Measurement and Evaluation

In order to measure its success in the realm of destination marketing, Destination BC has introduced a tool called the  net promoter score (NPS) , a metric designed to monitor customer engagement. The NPS indicates the likelihood of travellers recommending a destination to friends, family, or colleagues. NPS is based on responses to the question, How likely are you to recommend [British Columbia] as a travel destination to a friend, family member, or colleague? Responses are scored from 0 = “not at all likely” to 10 = “extremely likely.” Respondents are divided into three categories:

• Detractors (scores of 0 to 6): Unhappy visitors, unlikely to tell others to visit and might even damage the reputation of a destination through negative word of mouth
• Passives (scores of 7 or 8): Marginally satisfied visitors not excited enough to tell others about their travel experience
• Promoters (scores of 9 or 10): Loyal enthusiasts likely to return and rave about their travel experience

NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters: NPS = % of detractors — % of supporters. The intention to recommend a travel destination, reported by the NPS, is a proxy measure of overall satisfaction with the travel experience. Satisfaction with the travel experience and the intention to recommend greatly increase the likelihood of a return visit to British Columbia. And word-of-mouth advocacy, either face-to-face or through social media, is critical for attracting first-time visitors to British Columbia.

Destination BC uses NPS as a performance measurement tool (among others) to help determine the overall effectiveness of online and integrated marketing communications strategies (Destination BC, 2013). Furthermore, Destination BC has developed the Remarkable Experiences program to “enable tourism operators to become experts in areas such as service design and digital marketing” (Destination BC, 2014).

Spotlight On: Aboriginal Travel Services

Aboriginal Travel Services (ATS) is BC’s first Aboriginal-owned travel agency, focusing on business and leisure needs of companies, First Nations bands, and individual tourists. Located on Coast Salish territories in downtown Vancouver, ATS reinvests profits into Aboriginal communities by way of youth scholarships in tourism and hospitality. The agency was developed as a social enterprise, with the dual purpose of selling travel services that provide cultural and economic opportunities to the communities it serves and committing to investing in the Aboriginal communities and tourism initiatives (Aboriginal Travel Services, 2015). For more information, visit the Aboriginal Travel Services website : www.aboriginaltravelservices.com

Effective planning, research, customer understanding, integrated marketing communications, and using online customer service strategies to support effective marketing are fundamental requirements for successful services marketing. However, it is critical that marketers understand the key trends and issues that will help to identify tomorrow’s marketing strategies (Government of Canada, 2013).

Trends and Issues

Tourism marketers in BC need to monitor trends in the following areas that may impact the success of their marketing efforts:

• Demographic shifts (aging population, the rise of millennials), and socioeconomics (cultural changes, economic decline/growth)
• Political, economic, and geographic changes (emerging or declining economies)
• Trip purpose (growth of multipurpose trips)
• Psychographic changes (special interests, healthy lifestyles, sustainability)
• Behavioural adaptations (free independent travel, decreasing brand loyalty)
• Product-related trends (emerging niches)
• Distribution channels (online travel agencies, virtual travel)

Remaining abreast of information in these areas is critical to the success of any services marketing plan, which should be continually monitored and adapted as the landscape changes.

Effective services marketing in the tourism and hospitality sector requires marketers to gain a solid understanding of the differences between the marketing of goods and services. Successful organizations use market research to learn the preferences and behaviours of key customer segments. Through a strategic planning process, organizations and destinations develop a marketing orientation designed to identify customer needs and trigger their wants, while striving to meet organizational objectives. Activities are designed to support integrated marketing communications across multiple platforms with reciprocal communications — that is, not just broadcasting information, but having conversations with customers. Savvy marketers will leverage these conversations to keep up with evolving customer interests while seeking an understanding of emerging trends in order to anticipate needs and wants. Engaged marketers also know that social media and integrated marketing communications must be complemented with remarkable customer service, which ultimately supports successful marketing strategy.

Chapter 9 will delve further into the components of delivering exceptional customer service as a key component of industry success.

• 8 Ps of services marketing: refers to product, place, promotion, pricing, people, programming, partnership, and physical evidence
• Advertorial: print content (sometimes now appearing online) that is a combination of an editorial feature and paid advertising
• Customer needs: gaps between what customers have and what they would like to have
• Customer wants: needs of which customers are aware
• E-commerce: electronic commerce; performing business transactions online while collecting rich data about consumers
• Emerging markets: markets for BC that are monitored and explored by Destination BC — China, India, and Mexico
• Heterogeneous:  variable, a generic difference shared by all services
• Intangible:  untouchable, a characteristic shared by all services
• Integrated marketing communications (IMC):  planning and coordinating all the promotional mix elements and internet marketing so they are as consistent and as mutually supportive as possible
• Interactive media: online and mobile platforms
• Interpersonal factors: the influence of cultures, social classes, family, and opinion leaders on consumers
• Marketing: a continuous, sequential process through which management plans, researches, implements, controls, and evaluates activities designed to satisfy the customers’ needs and wants, and its own organization’s objectives
• Marketing orientation: the understanding that a company needs to engage with its markets in order to refine its products and services, and promotional efforts
• Market segmentation: specific groups of people with a similar profile, allowing marketers to target their messaging
• Mass media:  the use of channels that reach very large markets
• Nearby markets:  markets for BC, identified by Destination BC as BC, Alberta, and Washington State, characterized by high volume and strong repeat visitation
• Net promoter score (NPS):  a metric designed to monitor customer engagement, reflecting the likelihood that travellers will recommend a destination to friends, family, or colleagues
• Out-of-home (OOH):  channels in four major categories: billboards, transit, alternative outdoor, and street furniture
• Passive customer: a guest who is satisfied (won’t complain, but won’t celebrate the business either)
• Perishable : something that is only good for a short period of time, a characteristic shared by all services
• Personal factors:  the needs, wants, motivations, previous experiences, and objectives of consumers that they bring into the decision-making process
• PRICE concept: an acronym that helps marketers remember the need to plan, research, implement, control, and evaluate the components of their marketing plan
• Print media:  newspapers, magazines, journals, and directories
• Services marketing: marketing that specifically applies to services such as those provided by the tourism and hospitality industries; differs from the marketing of goods
• Services marketing triangle: a model for understanding the relationship between the company, its employees, and the customer; differs from traditional marketing where the business speaks directly to the consumer
• Social media:  refers to web-based and mobile applications used for social interaction and the exchange of content
• Societal marketing: marketing that recognizes a company’s place in society and its responsibility to citizens (or at least the appearance thereof)
• Tangible: goods the customer can see, feel, and/or taste ahead of payment
• Top priority markets: markets for BC identified as a top priority for Destination BC — Ontario, California, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia — which are characterized by high revenue and high spend per visitor
• Tourism marketing system: an approach that guides the planning, execution, and evaluation of tourism marketing efforts (PRICE concept is an approach to this)
• Word of mouth: information about a service experience passed along orally or through other social information sources from past customers to potential customers
• Should services be marketed exactly the same as manufactured products and packaged goods? Why or why not?
• Name at least three reasons for tourism marketers to do marketing research.
• Why is segmentation so important to effective marketing?
• What does integrated marketing communications achieve?
• What stages do customers usually go through when they make decisions about buying travel services?
• Name the three types of market priorities for British Columbia’s tourism experiences (according to Destination BC). What geographic segments are found in each?
• What is the net promoter score (NPS) for a destination with 20% detractors and 80% supporters?
• Why is delivering great experiences an important part of services marketing? Give five reasons.
• What characteristics do you agree with, which ones do you not? Why?
• Select one of the experiences (preferably in BC) matched to your profile and determine how it fits your type.
• How does the website of that company market to your traveller type? What visuals or key words do they use to get your attention?

Case Study: The Wickaninnish Inn

Located in Tofino, the Wickaninnish Inn (or “the Wick,” as it’s affectionately known) is a world-recognized high-end property famous for offering four seasons of luxury experiences on BC’s “wild coast.” But how does the Wick stay top-of-mind with tourism consumers? A quick look at their marketing mix offers some answers:

• Product: The inn has long been a leader in offering experiences that go above and beyond a room in a luxury hotel, starting with their storm-watching packages in the late fall, a time that was once their off-season.
• Place: Reservations can be made online on the inn’s website, via a toll-free number, through OTA sites including TripAdvisor (where reviews are constantly monitored in order to engage with customers), and other reservation services including the HelloBC program. The staff constantly engages with, and monitors their customers, tracking trends in traveller purchasing behaviour to ensure it is front and centre with the inn’s target markets.
• Promotion: The inn has a well-maintained, visually rich website and social media presence on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+, and Flickr (a presence that shifts constantly depending on where consumers can be found online). Its site features a media page with blogs, press releases, and high-resolution photos and videos to ensure journalists can easily post a story at any time.
• Pricing: The inn has a comprehensive revenue management and pricing plan that includes packaging and promotions for all seasons. The pricing reflects offering value to guests, while confidently staying at the higher end of the scale.
• People: Not only does the inn attract and train staff who deliver on its promise of exceptional experiences, the Wick also has a multi-person team responsible for sales, marketing, and media (blogging, press releases, photography, hosting familiarization tours).
• Programming: Programs include packaging under themes such as elopement, natural, seasonal, romantic, spa, and culinary. Many packages include the involvement of hotel personnel such as an elopement coordinator or concierge to help guests plan specific value-added and memorable components of their experience, such as a last-minute wedding (Wickaninnish Inn, 2015).
• Partnership: The Wick partners with other experience providers and events such as the Tofino Saltwater Classic — a fishing tournament hosted by Brendan Morrison of the Vancouver Canucks. By supporting the event as a platinum sponsor (Tofino Saltwater Classic, 2014), the representatives from the inn meet new potential guests and solidifies its place in the community.
• Physical evidence: In addition to familiarization tours (see Chapter 7 for definition), the media team ensures the inn is considered for a number of high-profile awards, and celebrates wins by broadcasting these as they occur (e.g., Travel and Leisure Awards World’s Best Winner 2014). Prize logos are placed on the inn’s home page online, in print ads, and in physical locations on the property. The inn also has a regular consumer newsletter that celebrates achievements and shares promotions with past and future guests.

Thinking about this example, answer the following questions:

• Imagine the inn received a review on TripAdvisor that showed a customer was not satisfied. How might it deal with this?
• Visit the company’s website at  www.wickinn.com . Who are the target customers? How is this conveyed on the site?
• What are the prices for packages and accommodations? What does the price signal to you about the experience you might have at this hotel?
• Do an online search for “Wick Inn” using your favourite search engine. What are the first five links that come up? How do these present the property? What hand does the inn’s staff have in these results?
• Look at the community of Tofino as it is presented online and name five potential partners for the Wick.

Aboriginal Travel Services. (2015). Aboriginal Travel Services. Retrieved from www.aboriginaltravelservices.com

Anderson, C. (2012). The impact of social media on lodging performance. Retrieved from www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/reports/abstract-16421.html

BC Ferries Services. (2015). BC Ferries vacations. Retrieved from: www.bcferriesvacations.com

British Columbia Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation. (2011). Gaining the edge: A five year strategy for tourism in British Columbia. [PDF] Retrieved from: www.jtst.gov.bc.ca/tourismstrategy/documents/mjti_tourismstrategyreport_fnl.pdf

Canadian Tourism Commission. (2008). The explorer quotient: A deeper understanding of the modern traveller . [PDF] Retrieved from: www.ttracanada.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/ctc._the_explorer_quotient_-_a_deeper_understanding_of_the_m.pdf

Canadian Tourism Commission. (2012). EQ profiles . [PDF] Retrieved from: https://en-corporate.canada.travel/sites/default/files/pdf/Resources/ctc_eq_profiles_2012-eng-lowres.pdf

Davis, K. (2013, July 17). A (kind of) brief history of marketing (infographic). Entrepreneur. Retrieved from www.entrepreneur.com/article/227438

Deloitte. (2015). Hospitality 2015 game changers or spectators? Retrieved from www2.deloitte.com/ie/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/hospitality-2015.html

Destination BC. (n.d.). About us . Retrieved from: www.destinationbc.ca/About-Us.aspx

Destination BC. (2013). Net promoter score. Retrieved from: www.destinationbc.ca/Resources/Monitoring-and-Evaluation/Net-Promoter-Score.aspx#.VOZd1_nF9Z9

Destination BC. (2014).  Remarkable experiences program . Retrieved from: http://strategy.destinationbc.ca/how-we-will-win/foster-remarkable-experiences/remarkable-experiences-program/

Eliason, K. (2014, December 23). The importance of integrated marketing communications. Retrieved from www.portent.com/blog/internet-marketing/raining-marketing-importance-integrated-marketing-communications.htm

Government of Canada. (2013). FedNor: A guide to using market research and marketing measurement for successful tourism destination marketing . Retrieved from:
http://fednor.gc.ca/eic/site/fednor-fednor.nsf/eng/fn03327.html

Kollat, D., Blackwell, R., & Engel, J. (1972). The current status of consumer behavior research: Developments during the 1968-1972 period. Proceedings of the Third Annual Conference of the Association for Consumer Research. Chicago, IL : Association for Consumer Research, pp. 576-585.

Luca, M. (2011, September 16). Reviews, reputation, and revenue: The case of Yelp.com . [PDF] Retrieved from www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/12-016_0464f20e-35b2-492e-a328-fb14a325f718.pdf

Morrison, A. M. (2010). Hospitality & travel marketing (4th ed., international ed.). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.

Nielsen. (2012, April 10). Global consumers’ trust in ‘earned’ advertising grows in importance. Retrieved from www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-room/2012/nielsen-global-consumers-trust-in-earned-advertising-grows.html

PR Newswire. (2011, January 11). Smart phones, social media and local search create marketing mojo in the travel industry, new report says . Retrieved from www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smart-phones-social-media-and-local-search-create-marketing-mojo-in-the-travel-industry-new-report-says-113262519.html

Tofino Saltwater Classic. (2014). Tofino saltwater classic . Retrieved from www.tofinosaltwaterclassic.com

Tourism Victoria. (2015). Visitors centre . Retrieved from: www.tourismvictoria.com/plan/visitor-centre

Wickaninnish Inn. (2015). Elopement wedding packages . Retrieved from www.wickinn.com/package-type/elopement

Wolak, R., Kalafatis, S., & Harris, P. (1998). An investigation into four characteristics of services. [PDF]   Journal of Empirical Generalisations in Marketing Science, 3 , 22-43. Retrieved from http://members.byronsharp.com/empgens/emp1.pdf

WorldHost Training Services. (2013). Remarkable service in the age of social media . 
Retrieved from: www.worldhosttraining.com/elearning/

Attributions

Figure 8.1   Vintage Ad #1,203: This Cheap Hotel Does Not Compute  by Jamie is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 8.2   1970s Advertising – Poster – Peter Max Don’t Smoke Cigarettes (USA) by Daniel Anyes Arroyo is used under a CC BY-NC 2.0 license.

Figure 8.3   British Columbia Parliament Christmas Lights by James Wheeler  is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Figure 8.4   Empty Flight by Rex Roof  is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 8.5   Services Marketing Triangle by LinkBC  is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Figure 8.6   Pacific Centre igloo by Janis Behan   is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Figure 8.7   Army Photography Contest – 2007 – FMWRC – Arts and Crafts – Eye of the Holder by US Army is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 8.8  BC Tourism Vending Machine by davitydave is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 8.9  Precious Treasure by Dave Sutherland  is used under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license.

Figure 8.10   Victoria’s Inner Harbour at Night 2012 by Gord McKenna is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0  license.

Figure 8.11   Out of Home Advertising for Grouse Mountain by LinkBC  is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 8.12   Fairmont Empress and Helijet Partnership by  LinkBC  is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Figure 8.13   Wreath makin’ – an unhappy customer (pas moi) by Katy  is used under a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license.

Figure 8.14   Twitter escultura de arena by Rosaura Ochoa  is used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Long Descriptions

Figure 8.1 long description: A man holds up a calculator looking confused. He says, “Are you kidding me? A big double bed, television, air conditioning, and only $12.95 a night? It doesn’t compute.” [Return to Figure 8.1]

Figure 8.5 long description: Internal marketing is used between the company and its employees. External marketing is used between the company and its customers. Interactive marketing is used between the employees and the customers. [Return to Figure 8.5]

Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality in BC Copyright © 2015 by Ray Freeman and Kelley Glazer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Build a Tourism Marketing Strategy or Plan in 6 Easy Steps

When it comes to your tourism marketing strategy, it’s important to know exactly where you’re headed. Having a wishy-washy plan of action is where most destination marketing strategies fall a little short.

It’s important that you get very specific and granular about the goals you would like to achieve because this means you’ll be a whole lot closer to actually achieving them. But before we dive into marketing in tourism , let’s find out what destination marketing is in the first place.

What is a Tourism Marketing Plan?

Having a marketing strategy in tourism means having a specific plan that aims at promoting touristic products or services such as tours, accommodation, or concierge services.

A well-executed tourist marketing plan or strategy is ultra important to the success of your business. After all, if you fail to let potential customers know the value that your business can add to their travels, they have no reason to use your business.

6 Step Marketing Strategy for Tourism

If you’re hoping to come up with a travel and tourism marketing plan that will actually generate leads, then follow these steps closely for the best results.

1.    Identify Your Target Audience

If you are hoping to implement an effective marketing strategy, you need to know exactly who it is that your marketing needs to be geared towards. If you try to market to EVERYONE, very often, it turns out that you’re reaching NO ONE.

You’ll need to come up with a customer persona that represents your ideal audience or customer. While you’ll need to outline their general demographic, you also want to get a little more granular with their description as if they were a real person.

Having this detail will help you to market directly to your ideal audience as well as effectively manage your marketing budget. So you can spend more time focusing on developing customer loyalty.

When creating a buyer persona, include information such as the following:

• Physical location

Creating a buyer persona is often overlooked, but without this step, your marketing strategy could be completely ineffective. You want your message to come through loud and clear to the people whose attention you are trying to grab. So make sure you know exactly who that is.

2.    Create Clear Goals

Your marketing strategy should have very clear goals. This way, you’ll be able to measure whether your marketing is effective or whether you need to reassess your strategy to help reach your goals. Each goal that you come up with should be a SMART goal :

If you ensure that each of your marketing objectives is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely, then you know that you have a list of very strong goals.

3.    Analyze Your Competitors

The best way to get ahead in any industry is to learn from other companies’ mistakes so that you don’t have to go out and make them for yourself. The best way to do this is to analyze your competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses. This allows you to excel where they excel and improve on their weaknesses.

Take at least three of your top competitors, and run them through this analysis to get a better understanding of their marketing strategy:

• What makes them attractive to their customers?
• What experiences do they offer, and at what price?
• Who is their target audience?
• What unique features and benefits do they offer?
• What is their overall rating on review sites?
• What do their guests/customers say about them?
• What type of social media platforms do they use?
• What kind of content are they posting?
• What kind of distribution channels do they rely on?
• Their domain authority score (that can be checked on Moz Keyword Explorer or Ahrefs )
• What keywords do they rank for? (can also be checked on Moz or Ahrefs)

This type of analysis will give you a better idea of where to start and how you can improve on your competitor’s marketing strategies when creating your own.

4.    Choose Your Tourism Marketing Platforms

Unless you are a big company that can outsource its marketing efforts, you’ll likely have to refine your marketing to a couple of key platforms. So how do you decide which platforms are worth the ROI?

The best place to start is by looking at which platforms the majority of your competitors are focusing their marketing efforts on. There’s probably a good reason that most of them spend a lot of time on the same platforms. While that’s a good place to start, it may also take a little trial and error until you find the platforms that are converting best for you.

It’s important to remember that tourism is a highly visual niche, so whichever platform you are using to market your products or services, make sure it can support your high-quality content. These are some of the platforms that work well for tourism marketing :

• Pinterest marketing
• SEO (search engine marketing)
• PPC (pay-per-click advertising)
• Content marketing

As you can see, there are many directions you can go in when it comes to tourism marketing. So it’s best to refine the process early on and decide on a couple of main platforms rather than half-heartedly trying to use every single one.

5.    Ensure That You Are Selling a Unique Proposition

When creating your marketing content, you want to ensure that what you are selling has a clear message and one that sets you apart from your competitors. Here’s an example of what we are referring to:

• M&M’s – “Melts in your mouth. Not in your hand.” – this slogan tells people exactly what sets M&M apart as a candy.
• Domino’s – “Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or less, guaranteed.” – they are not claiming to have the best pizza; they are claiming to have pizza in your hand quickly.

So what does this look like for a tourism company? Well, that is entirely up to you, but here are some examples of how you could make your offer different from industry competitors:

• Tour company: book your tours last minute, let us handle your entire trip or no person-to-person contact booking.
• Accommodation: last-minute bookings, free cancellation policy, or return visitors get a night free.

There are many different directions you can go with your USP ( unique selling proposition ), and they don’t have to come at a cost to the company. Think about how you want to set your business apart from industry competitors and make sure that message comes across loud and clear in your marketing strategy.

6.    Create Tourism Marketing Content

When creating a strategy for each of the platforms you have chosen, you need to make sure that each platform is working together as a cohesive team. For instance, you could run a competition on Instagram or Facebook that aims to collect emails for your email marketing campaign.

You should also ensure that the content being produced is not simply copied from one platform to another. The users of each platform are looking for something slightly different, so you will need to adapt your content to suit the audience of each platform.

Tips for Creating Marketing Content That Converts

Once you have chosen your marketing platforms, it’s important to understand that having a presence on those platforms is simply not enough. You need your copy to really speak to the right audience.

• Speak to your customer persona – You need to speak directly to the audience that you want to sell to, and your customer persona is a great example of your target audience. The voice present in your copy needs to speak to the values and perceptions held by your target audience. After all, if you try to speak to EVERYONE, you end up speaking to NO ONE at all.
• Use benefit-driven copy – when you are trying to entice your audience with an offer, focus on the benefits that you offer rather than just stating facts. If you are trying to sell a destination, focus on the benefits of visiting that location rather than just spewing out facts about the city or town.
• Collect emails ASAP – Having an email list that contains the emails of people interested in visiting your location or staying at your accommodation is one of the most valuable things you have. You can collect emails by having CTAs in your marketing content, offering freebies in return for emails, etc. This is important because you can send emails to people on your list, providing them with valuable content that can eventually lead to a conversion .

Implement Your Tourism Marketing Strategies

Now that you know exactly how to come up with a tourism marketing strategy, it’s time to implement it and get those bookings or sales. The marketing of tourism can seem tricky at first, but if you follow the steps provided above, you’ll be well on your way to running a successful company in the tourism industry.

We have been working with industry leaders for over 5 years. So if you would like to leave your tourism marketing strategy in safe hands, let us handle your marketing content so you can focus on building your business.

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Tourism Marketing Strategy: Boosting Your Destination’s Appeal in 2024

David Ciccarelli

January 18, 2024

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In the dynamic realm of travel and tourism, leaving your marketing efforts to chance is akin to setting sail without a compass. It is crucial to understand the pulse of the market, from shifting trends and algorithm changes to staff turnover and technological advancements. Without a strategic framework, you could squander valuable resources, lag behind competitors, and miss out on potential growth opportunities.

Having a structured tourism marketing strategy is not just beneficial but essential. It serves as the foundation upon which you can build and refine your marketing initiatives, ensuring that experimentation comes with direction and purpose. In a sector where every click could translate to a booking and every shared experience could lead to a loyal customer, it’s vital that your marketing plan isn’t left to random acts but is a deliberate storyboard of success.

Crafting Your Tourism Marketing Strategy

Imagine you’re the captain of a ship; your tourism marketing strategy is the map that guides you through the vast ocean of the travel industry. It’s a well-thought-out plan that aims to pinpoint your current standing in the marketplace and chart a course for future achievements.

Think of it as your navigational chart through the competitive seas, geared with tools to keep you on course and to adapt when unexpected waves hit. Here’s what you can expect to incorporate:

• SWOT Analysis : Assess your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats to stay two steps ahead.
• Unique Value Proposition : Clearly define what makes your offering irresistibly attractive.
• Customer Personas : Know your audience as if they were your travel buddies.
• Competitor Insights : Keep an eye on fellow voyagers, learning from their adventures and missteps.
• Marketing Mix : Blend the perfect cocktail of price, product, promotion, and place.
• Budget & Resources : Allocate your treasures wisely for a prosperous journey.
• Objectives & Metrics : Set clear destinations and measure the nautical miles you’ve covered.
• Marketing Itinerary : Outline the routes and stops of your promotional exertions.

Crafting a Strategic Framework for Tourism Promotion

Assessing Your Tourism Business Through SWOT Analysis

Embarking on a SWOT Analysis sets the groundwork for a robust tourism marketing plan. Dive into a thorough examination of internal and external elements that could impact your success. Evaluate your team’s expertise, location perks, and resource availability , considering them your enterprise’s strengths and weaknesses. Similarly, pinpoint external opportunities and threats stemming from market trends and competitive actions. Engage diverse team members for a well-rounded perspective, culminating your insights into a visual SWOT grid.

Clarifying Your Unique Tourist Attraction Proposition

Unearth your company’s unique allure by distilling your strengths into a captivating value proposition. This clear, persuasive statement should spell out why travelers should choose your offerings. Focus on attributes that distinguish your service in the marketplace, and ensure that this key message is a prominent fixture on your digital storefront.

Painting a Portrait of Your Ideal Visitor

Narrow down your ideal market segment to avoid the pitfalls of overly generic marketing. Fashion a detailed guest persona that answers critical questions about demographics, psychographics, and online behaviors. Surveys and analytics tools are your allies in crafting this persona, helping you to personalize your communications and align your tactics with your audience’s preferences.

Benchmarking Against Your Competition

A nuanced understanding of your competitors arms you with the knowledge to outmaneuver them. Compile profiles of top competitors, including their marketing strategies , audience, and unique selling points. Stay informed of their movements through online alerts and social monitoring, allowing you to anticipate industry shifts and adapt your strategies accordingly.

Piecing Together Your Tourism Marketing Framework

Construct a tourism marketing strategy that takes into account the nuances of your services. This mix should involve a strategic selection of your offerings, ideal booking avenues, pricing mechanisms, and promotional activities. Additionally, weigh in on the personal touch your team brings and the operational plans in place to ensure memorable experiences.

Allocating Finances and Resources Wisely

Your strategy’s effectiveness hinges on a realistic assessment of your financial capacity and available assets. Budgeting forms the cornerstone of your plan, influencing which marketing activities you pursue. Strike a balance between ambitious goals and the practicalities of your resource pool to ensure sustainable execution of your strategy.

Setting Clear Objectives and Success Metrics

Anchor your tourism marketing plan with specific, measurable goals. Define what success looks like with a set of key performance indicators, and outline the steps necessary to reach these milestones. This goal-oriented approach ensures focused efforts and a clear understanding of what constitutes progress.

Laying Out Your Strategic Marketing Roadmap

Your marketing roadmap translates your strategy into tangible steps over time. It should consider long-term aspirations and short-term actions, integrating content strategy, digital marketing, and social media engagement . Construct a timeline that maps out brand awareness campaigns, conversion tactics, and opportunities for customer advocacy, ensuring that you navigate the journey from awareness to inspiration to booking with clear direction.

Streamlining your marketing efforts with a structured plan creates a clear path for captivating and converting your target audience, propelling your tourism business toward sustained growth and success.

Where to go from here?

You’ve reached a pivotal moment! Flexibility is key in any marketing plan, especially when reflecting on the unpredictable nature of events like COVID-19. Haven’t we all learned that lesson?

Adapt and Overcome:

• Reassess Regularly : Circumstances change; ensure to regularly evaluate your progress.
• Be Prepared for Challenges : Unforeseen events may prompt shifts in tactics.

Remember, your strategy is living and breathing—adjust as needed! Keep pushing forward with eyes on your goals, and modify your approach when necessary. Isn’t it exciting to think on your feet?

Elevate Your Tourism Tactics

Leverage your tourism enterprise by harnessing a powerful, results-driven marketing approach. With the right blend of the tourism marketing mix, strategic partnerships, and an efficient booking system, you can magnify your market presence.

• Tourism Marketing Mix: Tailor your services to the traveler’s needs and desires.
• Partnerships: Collaborate with complementary businesses to broaden your reach.
• Booking System: Simplify reservations with a user-friendly booking system.

Common Questions Regarding Tourism Marketing Tactics

Utilizing the Fundamental Aspects of Tourism Marketing for Effective Campaigns

Understanding the 4 A’s of tourism marketing—Accessibility, Accommodation, Attractions, and Amenities —is vital for shaping successful campaigns.

• Accessibility : How easily can tourists access the destination?
• Accommodation: Are there adequate facilities for different budgets and preferences?
• Attractions: What are the unique, must-see places or events?
• Amenities : Are the necessary services available to enhance the visitor experience?

Incorporating these elements ensures each aspect of a visitor’s experience is considered.

Success Stories in Tourism Marketing

One standout example is the “Share a Coke” campaign by Coca-Cola which, although not exclusively a tourism strategy, inspired destination marketing with its personalized approach. You can see how personalization creates a connection with audiences globally, inviting them to be part of the experience.

Key Steps for Crafting a Tourism Marketing Plan

For crafting a well-rounded tourism marketing plan, pivotal steps include:

• Market Research: Understand your audience and competition.
• Establish Objectives: Set clear, measurable goals.
• Budgeting: Allocate your financial resources efficiently.
• Strategic Development: Choose the appropriate marketing channels and tactics.
• Implementation: Deploy the strategy with precision.
• Monitoring: Track progress against objectives regularly.

Adapting Marketing Tactics to Current Tourism Trends

Modern marketing strategies stay aligned with the current trends by being flexible and responsive. Whether it is the rise of eco-conscious travel or the growing emphasis on local experiences, making adaptations to these evolving preferences is fundamental to remain relevant.

Influence of Marketing Mix on Campaign Efficacy

The tourism marketing mix—Product, Price, Place, Promotion—significantly influences the success of a campaign. Balancing these elements ensures that the offering is attractive, communicated effectively, and priced competitively, thereby influencing a traveler’s decision-making process.

Cutting-edge Strategies for Marketing Tourism Destinations

Innovative strategies for this year include leveraging user-generated content, virtual reality experiences, and sustainable travel incentives. Embracing digital transformation has also been key, as seen in destinations using data analytics to understand traveler behavior and personalize marketing efforts.

Engaging with the audience on a personal level and utilizing technology to enhance traditional marketing efforts are at the forefront of successful strategies today.

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David Ciccarelli, is the Founder and CEO of Lake. He is based in Toronto, Canada, and is an expert in management, business administration, strategy, product development, and customer experience. His educational achievements include the Owner President Management Program at Harvard Business School (2019-2022) and the QuantumShift Program at Ivey Business School in 2017, aimed at CEOs of growing businesses.

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Digital Marketing in Tourism

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Information and communication technologies have contributed significantly to the development and growth of the tourism industry. Tourists use the Internet in all phases of the customer journey. In 2020, the typical user spent on average 6 h and 43 min online each day, which was about 40% of their waking life. Mobile devices account for more than half of all the online time, but most Internet users still use a combination of mobiles and computers to access the Internet. Therefore, digital marketing offers great opportunities for tourism organizations and suppliers to promote and sell their offers and to establish long-lasting relationship with their customers. This chapter discusses the development of digital marketing in tourism and illustrates the evolution over various steps. A brief history of the development of digital marketing for tourism businesses and an outline of its benefits and challenges will be provided. This chapter focuses on website publishing, traffic building, and digital marketing campaign planning. Challenges and future developments of digital marketing conclude this chapter.

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IMC University of Applied Science Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria

Christian Maurer

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Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

Zheng Xiang

Department of Tourism Studies and Geography, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden

Matthias Fuchs

Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Ulrike Gretzel

Department of Business Informatics, University of Applied Sciences Ravensburg-Weingarten, Weingarten, Germany

Wolfram Höpken

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Department of Economics, Geography, Law and Tourism, The European Tourism Research Institute, Mid-Sweden University, Östersund, Jämtland, Sweden

The Howard Feiertag Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA

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Maurer, C. (2021). Digital Marketing in Tourism. In: Xiang, Z., Fuchs, M., Gretzel, U., Höpken, W. (eds) Handbook of e-Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05324-6_82-1

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Travel and Tourism Marketing: The Complete Guide

A travel and tourism marketing plan will help you reach new customers and protect the future of your business, no matter what its size.

Travel is big business in Canada. Tourism spending in the first quarter of 2023 surpassed $20 billion , an increase of 2.6 per cent over the previous quarter.

While these numbers are good news, travel and tourism companies still have to work hard to stand out and capture their market share. There’s more to running a successful travel company than guest experiences.

To keep travel and tourism companies thriving, marketers must stay on top of trends, reach new customers and engage audiences in new ways.

Travel industry marketing trends

Online consumer behaviour can drive changes in any industry, travel included. Your potential customers are changing how they plan, research and book their trips.

Consumer priorities will continue to shift in 2023, according to Deloitte . Travellers are likely to be budget conscious due to rising inflation. They may want to explore working remotely from attractive destinations or book trips that include sustainability initiatives.

They likely research travel options online before contacting tourism agencies or hospitality operators. They may follow social media accounts for travel inspiration or check online reviews before making decisions. These behaviours will change how you attract, reach and engage potential customers with your marketing.

Common challenges faced by travel and tourism operators

There are multiple challenges for marketers in the travel industry, especially as consumer expectations and marketing channels shift from year to year.

• Standing out in a competitive industry

The travel industry is highly competitive, and any tourism company will need strong branding and marketing messages to differentiate itself from competitors.

• Balancing seasonal fluctuations

Travel and tourism companies navigate significant business swings over a calendar year and may need to explore off-season income sources to stay profitable.

• Building consumer loyalty

In a time when potential customers can research your company online and read reviews from past clients, building trust and managing your online reputation is critical.

• Reaching new audiences

Growing your business means adding new customers to replace those you lose each year through attrition. Without proactive marketing, your potential customer base could shrink every year.

• Adopting digital processes

Digitalization of business practices will affect nearly every area of your business. Exploring updated approaches can help you stay ahead of others in your industry.

• Customer attrition

Most people you sell to will eventually leave your business, creating a steady loss of revenue over time for any company not proactively marketing to new customers.

7 tips for creating a travel and tourism marketing plan

To stay ahead of others in your industry, you’ll want to create a targeted travel and tourism marketing plan to get your brand in front of more people.

With a concrete plan, you can deliver targeted messaging that resonates with your audiences and compels people to book their next travel adventures with your company.

1.     Define your goals

The first step in any plan is to be clear about your objectives. Ensure the goals you’re trying to achieve align with those of all the stakeholders in your company. This effort will ensure you create a plan within an approved budget and drive tangible progress toward business outcomes that will strengthen your business over time.

Your marketing goals could include a plan for measuring success as well as the overarching brand story and messages you want to communicate to future guests.

2.     Update your research

Many marketers are working with outdated or lacklustre marketing plans. If you plan your marketing and spend your budget based on old information, you could target the wrong people or miss out on new markets emerging from recent travel trends.

Take the time to research the latest industry trends, local markets and other shifts in how people spend money on travel in your area. You can brainstorm new income sources or off-season ideas that will meet the evolving needs of your customers.

3.     Learn about your audience

Your marketing should target specific groups of people who are likely to become customers. Demographic or lifestyle factors may drive them toward what you sell, or they may have been customers in the past. Their online habits will also enlighten you.

Researching your potential customers to create target audiences is a valuable step in marketing. The information you glean can help you understand your customer’s needs and develop marketing messages crafted to address those needs.

4.     Plan and develop marketing content

These fresh insights about your target audience let you create marketing campaigns that position your company as the best choice.

The messaging, visuals and channels you choose will be affected by who you’re targeting. For example, consider the differences between a marketing campaign aimed at young couples planning a destination weddings and one aimed at solo travellers in their fifties who want to experience local culture and volunteer while visiting a destination.

Most of your customers will search online, so you’ll need a helpful and robust content suite on your website. Some may use Instagram to discover new destinations, while others may read trending articles on LinkedIn about remote work.

5.     Leverage multiple platforms

Creating meaningful marketing content is essential, but it won’t help you if nobody sees it. Your travel marketing plan should include a content distribution calendar that outlines where and when you’ll share your marketing content.

Your marketing plan may include posting content on your website, distributing it through your social channels and leveraging your email list to get as many people to see your content as possible.

Imagine your target customers see your marketing content regularly, and you’ve refined the messaging to speak directly to them. In that case, there is a good chance they will follow your desired call-to-action, whether it’s visiting your website, contacting your service team or booking their trip.

6.     Optimize your marketing

It can be tempting to choose a few topics and quickly post a blog or social media post to share your ideas. These actions are often where smaller companies start with their marketing, but there’s much more to marketing than simply telling your customers you’re offering something appealing.

For example, you may publish blog content that would attract more website visitors if you optimized it for SEO, included links to other content and had a call to action. Your social media posts should drive traffic to your website, engage your customers with replies and responses, and include hashtags to increase visibility.

Optimizing each marketing channel will ensure every piece of content you distribute works to build the return on your marketing investment. Every area of marketing requires expertise to drive results. Don’t be afraid to enlist outside help.

7.     Track and adjust over time

As you implement your marketing plan, you may realize some channels drive better results than others. You may notice a new trend that could affect your target audience. Your company may develop a new avenue of attracting customers with an off-season event or new amenities.

A plan helps guide your actions but should remain flexible and fluid so you don’t miss out on new opportunities. Ensure you can access analytics and data to help you assess your plan’s most effective components and adjust accordingly. With the right insights, you can increase coverage of topics that perform well or invest more resources in content for an audience that is most responsive.

Reaching new customers is vital to your business growth, and we’re here to help you be successful. Download our Travel Report to learn more.

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Destination marketing in tourism: what brands need to know.

In Blog , marketing .

By Tom Mcloughlin, Founder, SEO Travel

When it comes to booking a travel experience, what drives you to visit a new destination? Have you been given a recommendation by a friend? Was the location promoted by a publication or influencer whose judgement you trust? Or have you seen the destination promoted in video ads, on billboards or in print, and been inspired by the captivating visuals and promise of a unique travel experience.

If your answer is the latter, then you’ve had a firsthand experience of the impact of destination marketing.

From promoting an entire country to trying to get more people to visit an unheard-of town or village, destination marketing uses a range of engaging techniques to sell the benefits and features of a location to inspire more people to visit it. This post discusses the use of destination marketing in the tourism industry , explaining how this approach impacts tourism and what brands need to know to make an impression in this sector with their destination marketing campaigns.

What is Destination Marketing?

Destination marketing is a specific approach used by brands in the travel and tourism industry to promote a specific location. Whilst more conventional travel marketing tends to showcase the service or product of a travel company, destination marketing illustrates the features and benefits of a place to get more people to come to it.

The overall aim of destination marketing is to increase customer awareness of a location. By promoting it as a desirable place to visit, the idea is that travellers will think of that destination when they decide to plan a holiday and want to go there. And if it’s a travel company that is promoting a destination, the idea is that the customer will be motivated to book their trip through this brand.

Whilst destination marketing is used by plenty of travel brands as a way of promoting the tours, accommodation or services they offer in specific countries, it’s also a key method of marketing in the tourism industry. Tourist boards and local authorities often rely on destination marketing as a way to promote their town, region or even country with the intention of getting more travellers to visit to boost the local economy and improve their reputation as a holiday destination.

How Does Destination Marketing Impact Tourism?

When used as part of a tourism marketing strategy, destination marketing can have a big impact on how many people visit a location, the kind of travellers that book trips there, and the overall image and reputation of a place.

The goal of this approach is to generate more interest in visiting a location, which increases tourism by bringing more people to an area on holidays and day trips. When done successfully, this can impact a range of factors.

Perhaps the biggest impact that destination marketing has on tourism is that it can massively boost the local economy. Bringing more tourists to an area is better for all kinds of businesses, not just ones providing accommodation and food, and enough growth in popularity also means that there’s the capacity for more businesses to open or expand to meet increasing demand.

Having more people visit a location because of successful destination marketing has the potential to improve its reputation through word of mouth, as if tourists have a good time during their trip they’re likely to recommend a visit to others. This increases interest in a destination further, helping a positive reputation to reach a wider audience and bring in even more tourists.

Destination marketing can also have an impact on the kind of tourism that a location receives, depending on the approach used in marketing campaigns and material. For example, if a destination is advertised as a prime place to visit for outdoor pursuits like hiking or cycling, the majority of the tourists that are going to visit will be interested in these kinds of activities. This means that the location’s most successful attractions and facilities will appeal to this demographic, which may lead local businesses to change their offering to remain relevant.

A more negative impact that destination marketing may have is that it can lead to over-tourism. There are many recorded instances where the popularity of a particular destination has led to environmental damage, locals getting driven out by rising living costs, and overcrowding to the point where the destination gains a negative reputation for being too busy.

This isn’t an issue that many destination marketing companies have to deal with, but it is a potential outcome to bear in mind.

How to Make It Work for Your Brand

Whether you’re a marketing agency working with a tourism board or as part of a travel and tourism marketing campaign, or a travel brand wanting to take a ‘tourism’ angle in your destination marketing approach, here are some of the most important things to remember when it comes to delivering a successful destination marketing campaign.  

Find What Makes You Unique

When you’re marketing a destination with the aim of attracting more visitors, what’s going to have the biggest pull is the appeal of a unique attraction or experience. Therefore, all of your destination marketing content should revolve around this unique selling point so that you have the best chance of standing out against competitive destinations.

The more specific your destination, the easier it will be to draw out a unique quality. When marketing a country or a region to increase tourism this can be harder, so instead of trying to identify an attraction or feature that stands out, think about advertising a unique travel experience that the location can provide.

Build your entire destination marketing campaign around this unique selling point, even if it’s not that explicit in some approaches. It will help to deliver a much more cohesive campaign overall and ensure that your location sticks in potential visitors’ minds .

Choose a Traveller Demographic

Any kind of marketing campaign works best when you have a specific audience in mind. Advertising a location is no different.

Whilst you may think that promoting a location as part of tourism efforts should try and target as many potential visitors as possible, it also means that a lot of your marketing efforts are going to be quite vague as they try to appeal to numerous different groups. Sure, you’ll still get a reasonable response from some people that are engaged by your promotion of the place, but conversion rates tend to be lower when you don’t have a specific demographic in mind.

After you’ve identified what it is that makes your destination unique, establish the kind of traveller to whom this unique factor is going to appeal. You should create profiles for typical people within this demographic, detailing the kinds of travel experiences they enjoy, their pain points when visiting new destinations, and any particular content formats or marketing techniques they respond well to or frequently engage with.

Once you have this target audience in mind, try and shape your destination marketing around them. You may be appealing to a smaller group, but you’re likely to get a much higher percentage of them to engage with what you’re sharing.

Make it Personal

One of the most effective techniques you can use in a destination marketing campaign is using a personal hook to make your content more engaging. 

This is particularly useful when you’re simply promoting a location, as your main intention is to get your target audience to start picturing themselves there so that they develop the desire to visit. It’s much easier for them to do this when you present a personal, relatable experience with your content, be that in text, video or audio format.

One of the simplest ways to make destination marketing personal is to capture real people experiencing the location, focusing on finding the best ways to present different sensory elements. Video is one of the best formats to do this, especially when you create content with lots of stunning visual elements that elicits an emotional response.

Getting local people to tell stories about a destination is also a brilliant technique for making your destination marketing content more personal, which also works really well in a written or audio format. This also allows you to share exclusive insight into a place, giving a more authentic feel to your marketing material.

Recognise Trends, but Think Long-Term

The popularity of plenty of destinations is affected by travel trends. Whether your destination offers a desirable climate, activity or cultural experience, responding to trends to capture audience interest as it peaks can seem like the ideal marketing strategy.

The thing to remember with trends however is that they don’t often last for long. Your destination may be all the rage for a single season, but hype often quickly dies down as travellers find something new to get excited about, meaning that what was once ‘trendy’ about your location may not stay that way for long.

Acknowledging and capitalising on trends as part of your destination marketing campaign is a good idea, but it’s important not to put all of your eggs in this brand new basket and keep long-term planning in mind as well. The last thing you want is to splurge all your resources on an approach that’s only going to be relevant for a few months. So use more instant channels like social media and email to respond to trends, and ensure that things like written and video content and advertisements are more evergreen.

Utilise Reputation and Association

Influencer marketing is an incredibly useful approach to include in your destination marketing strategy if possible. A key objective for destination marketing companies is to increase awareness of a location, and having an affiliation with a well-known figure can have a really positive impact on this.

The more famous or recognized the person you work with is, the more attention your marketing campaigns are going to get. But whilst we’d all like to dream of partnering with an A-list celebrity to promote our target destination, this probably won’t be a reality for most brands, which is where working with influencers comes in.

Whether they’re known for their presence on social media, in print or on a video channel like YouTube, we recommend working with either a travel influencer or someone who has a following that overlaps with the demographic you’re trying to appeal to. Having your destination endorsed and associated with someone that already has a trusted reputation will bring positive associations to your location and increase the reach of your promotional material.

Deliver What You’re Advertising

This last piece of advice might seem obvious, but it’s very important not to oversell your target location in any of your marketing material. You’re obviously going to promote the best version of your destination to catch as much attention as possible, but when people do actually visit you need to ensure that they’ll experience what they were promised.

If the place you advertise is nothing like the place visitors arrive, your destination marketing campaign is quickly going to stop bringing in any kind of tourism. It’s okay to romanticise and glamourise aspects to engage your target audience, but ensure that you’re promising an experience that you can deliver on if you want word to spread about your location in a positive way.

Whilst destination marketing was initially just associated with tourist boards and adverts for different countries, it’s an approach that has been used by a wide variety of travel brands as a new way to reach customers and subtly promote their services. It’s still important to understand the best practices and the potential impact if you’re using destination marketing in tourism to help raise awareness and improve the image of a location, and we recommend you check out our other posts in the destination marketing series if you’re looking for more information and inspiration.

If you need more information or help with your travel marketing strategy or want to find out more about approaches like destination marketing, get in touch with SEO Travel for a chat and to find out more about the range of marketing services that we offer.

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• Digital Marketing

Destination Marketing 101: Your Ultimate Guide

In an era where travel has become more accessible than ever, businesses and marketers are increasingly turning their attention to the art and science of promoting destinations. Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just dipping your toes into the travel industry, understanding the nuances of destination marketing can significantly impact your success. 

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll navigate the landscape, exploring the definition, benefits, and proven strategies to make your destination stand out.

What is Destination Marketing?

At its core, destination marketing is a specialized form of marketing that promotes a specific location to attract visitors and boost the local economy. This type of marketing goes beyond conventional tourism marketing efforts, aiming to create a compelling narrative that captivates potential travelers. The focus is on crafting an identity for a destination, transforming it from a spot on the map to a must-visit experience.

What are the Benefits of Destination Marketing?

Destination marketing isn’t just about increasing tourist footfall; it’s about creating sustainable growth and fostering a positive impact on the local community. These are some of the main benefits:

• Economic Growth : Successful destination marketing can lead to increased spending by tourists, benefiting local businesses and creating job opportunities.
• Cultural Exchange : By showcasing the unique aspects of a destination, marketing efforts contribute to cultural exchange, fostering a deeper understanding between visitors and locals.
• Community Development : A thriving tourism industry often leads to improved infrastructure, public services, and community well-being.

Now that we’ve covered why destination marketing matters, let’s shift gears and dive into the practical strategies to make it work seamlessly.

What Are The Best Strategies for Destination Marketing Success?

Embarking on successful destination marketing involves employing a set of strategic moves that go beyond the basics, ensuring your efforts resonate with your audience and leave a lasting impact. Let’s dive into these key strategies and see what they entail.

1. Understand Your Target Audience

Understanding your target audience is the foundation of any successful destination marketing campaign. Dive deep into demographics, interests, and behaviors to create detailed buyer personas. For instance, if your destination is a paradise for adventure enthusiasts, consider age groups, preferences, and online behaviors associated with this demographic.

To illustrate even further, imagine your analysis reveals a significant interest in eco-friendly travel among your audience. Tailor your marketing messages to highlight sustainable practices and the environmental initiatives your destination supports.

2. Target Pain Points

Addressing the pain points of potential travelers is a strategic move that builds trust and connection. Identify common concerns, such as safety, accessibility, or language barriers, and showcase how your destination mitigates these issues.

Create content addressing safety measures, accessible infrastructure, and language support in your destination. Implement customer service initiatives that directly tackle concerns raised by previous travelers.

For example, if safety is a concern, feature testimonials from solo travelers who felt secure during their visit. Highlight security measures and partnerships with local law enforcement to reassure prospective visitors.

3. Identify USPs (Unique Selling Points)

USP is a distinctive and compelling characteristic or benefit that sets a product, service, or brand apart from its competitors in the eyes of the target audience. Every destination has unique features that make it uniquely attractive to visitors. 

Identifying and using these USPs is crucial for creating a compelling narrative that resonates with your target audience. Conduct surveys and interviews to discover what visitors find most memorable about your destination. Showcase unique attractions, experiences, or cultural elements that differentiate your destination from others.

4. Analize Your Competitors

A thorough analysis of competitors in the travel industry can provide valuable insights into market trends, successful strategies, and areas for differentiation. By understanding what works and what doesn’t, you can refine your destination marketing plan.

Get started by monitoring competitors’ social media channels, websites, and marketing materials. Then, find gaps in their strategies and capitalize on areas where your destination excels. 

If your competitors primarily focus on luxury experiences, consider targeting a niche market, such as budget travelers, or emphasize unique cultural aspects that others haven’t extensively promoted.

5. Craft a Compelling Destination Brand

Developing a compelling brand is about more than just a visually appealing logo; it’s about creating a holistic brand identity that resonates with your audience. Let’s see what goes into it.

Logo and Visual Elements

Invest in a professional logo that encapsulates the spirit of your destination. The logo should be versatile and easily recognizable. Extend the visual identity beyond the logo. Consistent color schemes, fonts, and imagery across all marketing materials contribute to a cohesive and memorable visual brand.

Brand Personality

Define the personality of your destination as if it were a person. Is it adventurous, relaxed, or culturally vibrant? Align your marketing messages, visuals, and tone with this personality. Create content that reflects the desired personality, whether it’s through adventurous activity guides, serene landscapes, or cultural anecdotes.

For example, if your destination has a laid-back beach vibe, your brand personality may be casual, easy-going, and carefree. Emphasize leisurely activities, sunsets, and relaxation in your marketing materials.

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Creating a Memorable Tagline

Craft a tagline that encapsulates the essence of your destination in a few words. The tagline should be catchy, easy to remember, and evoke the emotions you want associated with your brand. Keep it concise and impactful, and test it with a focus group to ensure it resonates with your target audience.

Consistency is Key

In the end, ensuring you maintain consistency across all platforms is crucial for brand recognition. Whether it’s social media, print materials, or your website, a cohesive brand identity builds trust and familiarity. 

Create brand guidelines to ensure consistency in visuals, tone, and messaging. Regularly audit your marketing materials to ensure they align with the established brand identity.

6. Focus on Video and Visuals

In today’s digital world, catching the eye is all about the visuals. Think of it like a visual feast – you want potential travelers to savor the experience before they even arrive. Let’s break it down:

Video Content

Videos are like a magic carpet ride, giving viewers a taste of the adventure, beauty, and vibe of your destination. Picture this: clips of local life, thrilling activities, and stunning landscapes, all in motion. A good video can transport people and make them feel the excitement, making them want to pack their bags pronto.

Stunning Images

Invest in top-notch photos that capture the heart of your destination. Whether it’s a jaw-dropping view or a candid moment of local life, these images should make potential travelers daydream about being there.

Virtual Reality Tours

Virtual reality tours are like having a personal tour guide without leaving your couch. Use VR tech to create virtual adventures, letting people explore your destination from the comfort of their homes. These virtual tours are like a teaser, sparking excitement and making them want to see more.

7. Work With Influencers

Engaging with influencers can significantly boost your destination’s visibility. These social media figures have large followings, making them effective messengers for your brand. Partnering with influencers aligns your destination with trusted voices in the digital space, reaching audiences that value their recommendations. 

Encourage influencers to share genuine experiences , adding authenticity to your marketing efforts. Choose influencers whose style resonates with your destination’s vibe, creating a natural and effective partnership. It’s about leveraging their influence to narrate your destination’s story in a way that feels both honest and appealing.

8. Create Collaborations and Partnerships

Other than influencers, explore diverse partnerships that can elevate your brand and enhance the overall appeal of your destination. Connecting with local businesses is a smart move to enhance your destination’s charm. 

By teaming up with nearby spots, you’re not just supporting the community but also giving visitors a richer experience. Work with restaurants, shops, and attractions to create packages that add value for travelers. These local partnerships boost your destination’s local ties and create a more complete experience for visitors.

Also, collaborative campaigns , whether with nearby destinations or brands that complement yours, spread your message to a wider audience. Think of joint promotions, shared content, and events that bring more eyes to your destination.

Find partners who share your values for a seamless collaboration that benefits everyone involved. Through these campaigns, you’re not just marketing a place – you’re crafting a story that captures a broader audience’s attention and interest.

9. Create And Optimize Your Destination Website

Your destination’s website is the virtual gateway for potential travelers. Ensure it’s user-friendly, visually appealing, and provides all the necessary information. Then, optimize it for search engines to increase its visibility. This includes keyword optimization, local SEO, and creating high-quality content that resonates with your target audience.

10. Start Blogging

Content marketing is a powerful tool in destination marketing. And the good news is – there are so many topics to cover! Start a blog on your website to share engaging stories, travel tips, and insider information about your destination. This not only attracts organic traffic but also positions your destination as an authority. Ensure that you keep this content in line with your SEO strategies, targeting the right keywords and optimizing it to rank well in search engines

11. Social Media Strategies

Harness the power of social media to connect with your audience on a personal level. Here’s how:

• User Reviews and Testimonials : Encourage visitors to share their experiences on social media platforms. User-generated content adds authenticity and serves as valuable social proof.
• Running Social Media Contests : Engage your audience with contests that encourage participation. Whether it’s photo contests or travel stories, these initiatives create a buzz and attract attention.
• Showcasing Authentic Experiences: Use your social media channels to showcase authentic experiences. Share real stories from visitors, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and captivating visuals that convey the essence of your destination.

12. Online Advertising Strategies

Use online advertising to broaden your destination’s visibility across digital landscapes. This strategic approach involves deploying different types of ads tailored to meet the varied online behaviors of your potential visitors.

Here are the types of online ads you can use: 

• Display Advertising : Think of this as your digital billboard. Display ads utilize captivating visuals strategically placed on websites, drawing attention to the unique features of your destination.
• Search Advertising : Have you ever noticed the label “Ad” at the top of your search results? That’s search advertising at work. It ensures your destination stands out when users actively seek travel options.
• Social Media Ads : Picture your destination seamlessly integrated into users’ social feeds. Social media ads act as tailored narratives, showcasing your offerings based on users’ interests and demographics.

Overall, online ads cast a broad net, extending your destination’s reach to a diverse audience. Tailor your ads to specific groups, addressing the preferences of adventure seekers, food enthusiasts, or cultural explorers. This ensures a more personalized and impactful engagement.

13. Events and Promotions

When it comes to creating buzz around your destination, events and promotions are your dynamic duo.

Hosting Destination Events

Imagine your destination as a vibrant host of engaging events that not only showcase its uniqueness but also foster a sense of community. Here are the types of events that will make your destination an easy-to-market, attractive place for travelers: 

• Festivals : Dive into the heart of your destination’s culture by organizing festivals. These celebrations not only embrace local traditions but also draw in a diverse audience, adding a lively touch to your community.
• Cultural Events : Elevate the allure of your destination through culturally rich events – from captivating art exhibitions to the rhythm of music festivals and captivating performances. It’s not just an event; it’s an invitation to experience the soul of your locale.

Limited-Time Promotions and Discounts

Now, let’s talk about creating a buzz that’s quick and effective – limited-time promotions and discounts. This strategy not only lures budget-conscious travelers but also amps up the overall curiosity about your destination. It’s like an exclusive invitation to a fantastic deal that can’t be missed.

Stay on Top of Your Destination Marketing Strategies

On a final note, once you start with destination marketing, you need to know how your efforts are performing and how you can improve in the future. Consider website analytics – it’s like peeking at a map to see where visitors are coming from, what they’re interested in, and where they’re spending the most time. 

Additionally, stay informed about industry trends—like virtual experiences or niche travel—to keep your marketing strategy relevant and appealing. This helps you adjust your marketing strategy, keeping it fresh, interesting, and in tune with what travelers are looking for. 

Wrapping It Up: Your Destination’s Next Chapter

And there you have it – a journey through destination marketing strategies that goes beyond the mundane. We’re not just talking about selling a place; we’re talking about creating connections, sharing tales, and building a community.

Now that you’ve got these strategies under your belt, your destination is more than a spot on the map; it’s a living, breathing experience waiting to captivate.

Are you curious about how Play Media can enhance your destination’s narrative? Let’s chat! Contact us for a consultation, and let’s turn your destination into a must-visit chapter in every traveler’s journey. 

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Business Management & Marketing

What is tourism marketing channels, strategies .

Traveling is a fun and enjoyable activity for many people. But the tourism and hospitality industry has changed significantly with the advancement in technology and the internet. Leisure for tourists depends on their budget, and it changed their behavior in choosing the tour destination. Today, we’ll discuss what is tourism marketing; its importance, traveler’s cycle, channels, and implementing strategies.

What is Tourism Marketing? 

Tourism marketing is a strategic approach that employs various specific plans and techniques for the promotion of hospitality products and services like transportation, hotels, and picnic destination services. The core idea of tourism marketing is to attract the attention of tourists and travelers at a specific location point or tourist destination.

Tourism is a very diverse and multifaceted industry and it comprises various other fields like lodging, hotels and restaurants, car rental services, and airlines. It also consists of other relevant professions like customer acquisition, online sales, travel agents, tour plans, hotels, and restaurants.

You can implement the tourism marketing and promotion strategy in various ways. It is significant to comprehend the tourist strategy as a well-crafted plan. However, it comprises various tools, processes, methods, and techniques; their focus is on promoting tourism.

Importance of Tourism Marketing 

Tourism marketing is significant because it offers the following strategies;

• Implementing the right strategy and plan would help you to spread brand awareness and amplify your revenue and profitability
• Tourism is the world’s leading industry and its growth has been multiplying for the past few years
• High growth and demand have made the industry highly competitive
• New practices, methods, and strategies have amplified the experience for travelers
• Allows them to approach the mass audience and attract their attention
• Helps you to keep up with the latest trends in the market

Traveler’s Cycle or Journey 

The journey of travelers comprises of following stages;

Recent research studies have shown that many travelers buy services online. Many people believe buying it online offers the best deal for hotel booking and airplane tickets. Social media posts are a great source to plan trips.

The total number of mobile internet users has increased significantly over the past few years. Approximately 75% of people check out traveling destinations and do research on their smartphones. It would mean that the users would add and find information from anywhere at any time. Along with gathering information, the tourist would also give you the information in the form of a picture, comments, and feedback.

When the tour is over; now, it is time for users to share their experiences, mood, and feelings, whether they have enjoyed the trip or not. If their experience is good and valuable, they would refer it to their friends and relatives in the form of a blog or social media post.

Methods & Channels of Tourism Marketing 

Some of the key channels and methods for tourism marketing are as follows;

When we talk about tourism marketing, CRM is a great tool. It helps many marketers to manage and organize the data in a clean format. However, it also helps them to launch the campaign based on customer segmentation. The CRM tool amplifies the efficiency of marketing efforts and reduces the time spent and the wastage of resources.

Email Marketing

Emailing is a valid tool for marketers to employ in tourist market strategies. You can employ it for various purposes like loyalty programs and lead nurturing. The email market strategy allows marketers to remain in contact with their potential customers and craft their own strategy.

Social Media Marketing

Social media is a great place for asking people to leave feedback, reviews, and recommendations. The good feedback encourages other potential customers to check out the company’s tourist services. You should develop your own strategy and take advantage of the social media platform.

Strategies of Tourism Marketing 

Some of the key strategies and tips for tourism marketing are as follows;

Along with attracting people around the world, it is significant that you should attract people from the nearest places and locals. It would help you to keep your business going in case of lockdown and other market instabilities. You should organize and offer one day trip by highlighting various services and facilities that you’re offering like hotels, bars, and cafes.

Online Working

The trend of online and remote working is increasing for the past few years. You should target online workers to visit, stay, enjoy, and do their work by doing all of this in one place. Marketers and advertisers offer special services to meet the needs and requirements of online workers.

VR (Virtual Reality) Trip

VR is a groundbreaking technology and it is highly beneficial for the tourism industry. It allows you to offer a live-view experience of the hotel, restaurant, and light to your potential customers. The VR tour should be easily accessible for the customers to check out on their phones and computers.

Tech Like Voice Search

It is significant that you should take advantage of the tech features and tools as much as you can to make them user-friendly. For instance, you can add a voice search feature for planning, mapping, and booking, and get their feedback just by speaking. Your chatbots should be available in various languages for different types of customers.

Personalization

Personalization is a great feature in marketing and you can use it in various ways like on social media, emails, and other marketing platforms. Modern customers have got a very developed taste and you should offer them what attracts their attention relevant to their interest.

Conclusion: What is Tourism Marketing? Channels, Strategies 

After an in-depth study of what is tourism marketing; its importance, tourist journey, channels and methods, and strategies; we have realized that tourism marketing is highlighting beneficial for your tourist services. If you’re planning and developing strategies, then you should keep in mind the abovementioned tips and guidelines.

Ahsan Ali Shaw is an accomplished Business Writer, Analyst, and Public Speaker. Other than that, he’s a fun loving person.

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Tourism Marketing and Promotion

General overview.

Marketing and promotion are essentially figuring out what message(s) you need to sell a product and how to communicate to potential buyers. To use the famous quote from the 1989 movie Field of Dreams “if you build it they will come” is NOT how tourism works, marketing and promoting is essential to be successful. But, marketing and promoting tourism is very different than other tangible products and services. Destination CVBs are marketing and promoting an entire destination with numerous “products” and services.

Tourism Marketing

The American Marketing Association (2022) indicates “Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large” (https://www.ama.org/the-definition-of-marketing-what-is-marketing/). There are common elements of marketing used for all products, but tourism marketing is unique. In marketing in general there are the common 4-Ps:

• Product – Whatever is being sold (in tourism it is the experience).
• Price – Cost of the product (in tourism it includes everything you purchase for the experience).
• Place – Where you purchase the product. Also known as how the product is distributed.
• Promotion – How the company or organization communicates the product to the consumer(s).

Marketing tourism is very unique compared to other products. Shoemaker and Shaw (2008) provide four primary ways marketing tourism is different than other products:

• Intangibility – Tourism is an experience, not a physical product (e.g., computer). Tourists will have memories of the experience they may share with others (e.g., family, friends).
• Perishability – The supplier cannot stockpile the product and resell it. For example, an empty seat on an airplane cannot be resold on a different flight. Each plane has a limited number of seats. An airline cannot add a seat unsold on the first plane to the second plane.
• Heterogeneity – The experience is not likely to be the same for consumers. Unlike physical products (e.g., computer), tourism experiences cannot be mass produced.
• Inseparability of production and consumption – Tourism experiences are consumed as they are produced. Other products can be produced in one city, state, etc. and sold in another. In tourism, the consumer (tourist) has to go to the product (i.e., destination). With tangible goods they can be purchased in a store and taken home or shipped to the consumer.

For tourism marketing there are an additional 4-Ps (Morrison et al., 2018):

• Packaging – A way to purchase some, many, all of the tourism product together (often through intermediaries such as Travelocity, Expedia, etc.).
• Programming – Ability of the destination to change themes, delivery of the product, and when the programs are available (e.g., destinations may have a special program around certain holidays).
• People – Tourism focuses on people. Destinations strive to provide a good experience and people are needed who can provide the experience. Although technology is changing some aspects of tourism, people will likely always be required.
• Partnerships – When businesses, organizations, etc. work together or collaborate deliver the tourism experience.

Marketing Orientation

Marketing orientation is essentially a guide for marketers. Morrison et al. (2018) suggest the following orientations

• Production – Focuses on what the product is and how it might fulfill needs and expectations of tourists.
• Sales – Focuses on selling more. So, increasing the volume of travelers, getting day-trip tourists to stay overnight are two examples of selling more.
• Marketing – First the needs and expectations of tourists are identified. Then, marketing tries to find a way to fulfill those needs and expectations.
• Societal – This orientation considers the society and local community and finds sustainable and/or responsible ways to market. This is a perspective or orientation that can minimize the negative social/cultural impacts.

In addition and similar to other topics covered (e.g., planning, development), marketing needs to be adaptable. Remember, tourism is season in many destinations, which might mean different target markets, different programming and events, and other issues to consider. As discussed from several perspectives, marketing needs to be adaptable because of challenges such as the economy, natural disasters, and other challenges.

Market Segmentation

Market segmentation in tourism is a way to group tourists according to characteristics they have in common since they are not exactly alike (Morrison, 2010). Some of the simple ways to segment the tourism market includes by demographics (e.g., age, household income, education, marital status). However, by combining such variables and looking at life cycle tourism marketers can be much more targeted and strategic. Another important consideration is geographic, or where actual and/or potential tourists reside. Another option is purpose of trip (e.g., business or leisure; group, family, individual). Behaviors of travelers can also be used to segment tourists. For example, marketers might segment based on travelers’ motivation or benefit they seek from taking a leisure trip/vacation. Psychographics (e.g., attitudes, interests, opinions) is a valuable segmentation tool which Strategic Business Insights (2009-2023) uses to group travelers into lifestyles (there is a survey you can complete to find out what type of VALS traveler you are) .

An example of segmenting a group of travelers is Shoemaker’s (1989) study that segments based on senior travelers reasons for traveling using cluster analysis, which is a statistical technique to segment a sample into groups based on a set of survey questions (Brochado, 2021). Shoemaker (1989) segmented based on reasons seniors traveled, including rest/relaxation, festivals/special events, experience new things, visit new places, escape daily routine, intellectual, and a number of other items. This study identified that there are sub-markets of the broader senior travel market. For example, Shoemaker (1989) identified three clusters: “Family Travelers” who enjoy spending time with immediate family; “Active Resters” travel to escape daily routine, intellectual enrichment such as visit historical sights, and participate in physical activities; and “Older Set” whose main differentiating characteristics is they are older then the other two groups and enjoy staying at all inclusive resorts, and participating in activities such as visiting historical sites.

When selecting target markets there are several criteria to consider according to Morrison et al. (2018). First, the need to be measurable, meaning you can estimate how many exist in the target market. This is essential because you want your broad or mass marketing to reach a sizable number of potential visitors. Next, the target market(s) need to be accessible, meaning you can reach them with your message. The next criteria is they need to substantial enough to justify the time and money that will be spent. Fourth, the target market(s) need to be defensible or make sense that they are likely to visit. The defensible criteria includes recognizing if they are a separate target market than other target markets or are they enough alike another that they are not truly distinct. Durability of a target market implies they will continue to exist over time and not just be a short-term or one occurrence. The destination also needs to ensure they can compete with other destinations for the target market. Homogeneity of the target market is the criteria that there are enough similarities with the target market. Finally, each target market needs to be compatible with the other target markets, as well or residents or locals to minimize negative social/cultural impacts.

Morrison et al. (2018) also identifies concerns the destination needs to consider when identifying target markets. First, do they have enough income to travel now and in the future and will they potentially spend enough money at the destination to make they a worthwhile target market. The destination also needs to be confident they can be competitive with other destinations marketing to the same or similar target markets. Another important concern is to ensure the investment needed to offer the product(s)/service(s) to attract the target market and to market/promote to them is worthwhile. Finally, does the destination have sufficient financial and other services to design and promote at necessary levels.

Destinations should also consider internal marketing within the destination. This includes to members of a CVB and/or other businesses within the destination system. Other internal stakeholders should be included such as politicians and community leaders, service providers (e.g., police, fire, EMT/healthcare) who are included in the important infrastructure component of a destination system. External marketing should not only done for visitors, but also intermediaries, suppliers, media, and other potential groups who can help with a destination’s efforts.

Branding and Positioning

Branding is applied quite a bit for products and services. However, in tourism it is more complex to brand a destination. Until relatively recently, CVBs would use the full phrase and/or acronym in the name of the organization (e.g., Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau). These long and often similar names for the organizations could make it difficult to differentiate from other destinations. Many CVBs began developing shorter, more attractive names such as Visit Houston and have various logos and other branding to differentiate themselves from competitors.

A key element of branding, logos “can facilitate many DMO marketing activities to establish brand image and identity, particularly relevant before the actual visitor experience” (Blain et al., 2005). Branding is critical for developing a destination’s image because of increased competition among destinations (Jetter & Chen, 2011). Branding and brand identity help a destination position themselves or establish an image as a travel destination.

All brands have a value generated by the name, icon, or other identification, which represent brand equity. Williams (2021) the brand equity concept is complex. For tourism with so many stakeholders involved it is way more complex than single brands. So, destinations need to figure out what represents the overall  tourism product of their destination. Kim and Lee (2018) found that characteristics such as price and work of mouth influence perceptions of perceived quality, brand awareness and image, which then help a destination’s brand equity.

Marketing Plan

Within a destination’s marketing plan should be both strategic and tactical elements (Morrison et al., 2018). Strategic activities are more related to long-term goals, which might include developing relationships and or partnerships with and between tourism related organizations (e.g., CVB, sports commission, hotel association, etc.). These types of strategies help a destination be cohesive and develop long-term value, which can lead to repeat visitation. The relationships and partnerships can help a destination manage the impacts (i.e., economic, environmental, social) as well. The tactical elements are shorter term, but help the destination with long-term goals. Examples include public relations campaigns, social media efforts, and the foci of convention and meeting sales, which can include booking short-term meetings to fill in the gaps for the destination around larger conventions, trade shows, and other large events that are booked and confirmed much further in advance.

The marketing planning process as explained by Morrison et al. (2018) should address the following questions:

• Use situation and or SWOT analysis (i.e., strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). This analysis(es) should consider who current visitors are, what the destination offers. To reflect how all of the modules for this class interact, a destination might identify an opportunity to develop a new attraction. Also consider environmental scanning, which assesses legal (e.g., travel restrictions), technological (e.g., smartphones), accessibility to and within the destination, economic, and macro-level competition for consumers discretionary income.
• Evaluate the entire tourism system components (i.e., attractions, facilities, infrastructure, transportation, hospitality)
• Assess visitor market, including current target markets, as well as potential target markets.
• Compare and contrast the destination with competitor destinations, which can include but not limited to their image and their marketing plan.
• Through out all this process strengths and weaknesses should be clearly identified. Through weaknesses a destination might identify opportunities or things that can be done better.
• Vision and mission statement. The vision statement is very much future oriented. The mission statement is essentially what the organization does and its’ values.
• Establish marketing goals to get to where the destination would like to be, which might include number of visitors, economic impact, visitor satisfaction, and/or various other possible ways to measure if the destination gets there. Remember, most or all CVBs are at least partially funded by the hotel occupancy tax, so hotel tax might be a goal to set.
• Using the segmentation ideas and criteria (e.g., measurable, accessible, etc.) above, the destination needs to identify target markets.
• Create – if destination does not have a positioning approach.
• Change – if positioning has not resulted in the desired image the approach likely needs to be changed.
• Reinforce – perhaps target markets have forgotten or the image they have of the destination is not as strong as it used to be. In this case finding a way to reinforce or remind visitors is needed.
• Establish objectives that the destination can measure, including within target markets. These should be very specific and result from all the analysis performed throughout the marketing planning process.
• By implementing the marketing plan. Typically have sub-marketing plans for each target market because of various potential differences between them. The differences would include the marketing mix or 4-Ps of marketing (i.e., product, place, price, promotion).
• Monitor along the way so the destination can adapt if needed. Remember the objectives are stepping stones toward the longer term goals. So, if objectives are not being achieved something(s) likely need to be adapted.
• Research and statistics. It depends on what the measurable goals (and objectives) are as to how to measure.

Tourism Promotion

Promotion is essentially communicating or making consumers aware of a product, which can be verbal, written, and/or visual. Walker and Walker (2018) provide sequential steps of how promotion affects the buying process labeling each with one word descriptions:

• Provider creates awareness of the product to consumers (awareness).
• Consumer needs to become aware of how the product will fulfill or affect their needs (knowledge)
• Hopefully this knowledge creates a positive disposition for the product (liking).
• Hopefully the positive disposition lead to the consumer preferring the product over those of the competitors (preference).
• Finally, this should increase the probability of the consumer purchasing the product (probability).

Remember, the tourism product is very different and more complex than other products. One, the product is intangible and two it is derived of many aspects (i.e., attractions, accommodations, built facilities, transportation, infrastructure, hospitality).

Since promotion is a communication tool, there is a sender and a receiver. The sender for destinations as a whole are typically the CVB or DMO and the receivers are potential travelers/consumers. Messages/promotions can be sent through a variety of channels (e.g., billboards, television, newspaper, magazines, internet, email newsletters, etc.). However, not all promotions reach the intended recipient(s). Morrison et al. (2018) explains the following issues related to promotions and reaching the intended recipient(s):

• Barriers – ways consumers can block messages, such as Do Not Call Registry and recording television shows to be able to fast forward through commercials.
• Filters – deleting emails from companies and people not known to the recipient.
• Noise – any distraction keeping the recipient(s) from the promotional message.
• Permission – can be explicitly or implicitly. An example of explicitly is subscribing to a CVB e-newsletter. An example of implicitly is the organization pays for a message, such as on Facebook or a television commercial.

Morrison et al. (2018) also suggest even if the intended recipient(s) receives the promotion, it does not mean they hear, understand, and/or believe the message. It is important to send a message that people can understand and is realistic or believable. Ideally, the sender of messages will be able to receive feedback from the recipient(s). For example, number of recipients who click a link to get more information, number of sales of the product, a follow up survey to find out what the recipient(s) thought of the promotion to name a few.

Promotion Goals and Types

There might be various goals a CVB or DMO has for their promotions. One very obvious goal is to get consumers to purchase or book a trip. Other potential goals would be to entice travelers to upgrade to more expensive packages, stay longer, convert day visitors to overnight tourists, and be repeat visitors. In order to potentially achieve these goals it is important to understand the visitor buying process in order to establish goals and to influence purchasing behaviors. Inherently, consumers need information to consider any purchase, including travel. The general consumer decision-making process according to The Sales Optimization Company. (2009-2022) includes the following stages:

• Awareness – consumer becomes aware they need a product, in the case of leisure tourism it could be a weekend getaway, family vacation, a day trip to a community event or other activity in another destination than where they reside, and many other possibilities.
• Research – the consumer will search for information about possible options. A destination should have their promotional materials in multiple sources to be as visible as possible.
• Consideration – the consumer through the research stage may have numerous possibilities to consider.
• Conversion – the purchase decision is made. This could include deciding not the take the trip, perhaps for various reasons (e.g., do not have enough money for the desired trip).
• Re-purchase – consideration if the trip or product fulfilled their need and would buy again, or take a trip to the same destination again.

Morrison et al. (2018) suggest thee are three goals of promotions. You might also consider these strategies to try to modify consumers’ behaviors. The first is inform, which is relevant for the awareness and research stages of the consumer decision-making process. Next is persuade, which is relevant to the consideration and conversion stages of the consumer decision-making process. Last, remind is a strategy to use as consumers contemplate the potential re-purchase stage of the consumer decision-making process.

Promotional Tools

The ‘place’ component of the 4-Ps of marketing provide what Morrison et al. (2018) refer to as ‘the promotional toolbox’. Many references (e.g., Morrison, et al., 2018; Walker & Walker, 2018) regarding promotional tools highlight and explain the following

• Advertising -primary source for promoting to the mass market for leisure travel (e.g., television, magazines, newspapers, billboards, internet (banner ads).
• Personal selling – primarily used to promote a destination for the meetings and events sector where a small number of people decide on the destination and venue, but the event brings many people.
• Merchandising – travelers may purchase souvenirs when they travel. This is a good promotional tool where the traveler pays for it and is a reminder of the trip later one. For example, someone might use a coffee cup from a trip and be reminded of their experience. If it was a good experience it might influence them to consider visiting again. Another example, someone might wear a shirt or hat they purchase from a destination. A friend or even someone they do not know might ask them about their experience. This is free word-of-mouth promotion that a business or organization benefited financially since the tourist paid for it.
• Digital marketing – websites, social media, e-mail, e-newsletters.
• Sales promotion – a form of promotion that is typically separate from the broader advertising that takes place pretty much all of the time. Sales promotion offers an extra incentive to purchase and is more likely for a limited time.
• Public relations – this promotional tool is important because they deal with the media. Think about when large events have been announced for a city, like the Super Bowl or FIFA World Cup. The local news channels might interview someone from the planning committee. A public relations person would handle arranging that and any inquiry from the media.

Planning Promotions

Morrison et al. (2018) suggest there is a “big P” and “little p(s)”. The big P is the overarching promotional plan for the organization, which is derived of the little ps. Examples of little ps will be the convention sales team’s plan, the leisure sales plan, sporting events, any other categories a destination provides or focuses on. Convention sales might be trying to promote a period of time where they currently do not have conventions or meetings and need to fill in the gap. Sporting events might focus on a specific sport.

Promotions Planning Process

Tourism promotions planning process asks the same questions as marketing planning process. Essentially at this stage, you are implementing the marketing plan:

• Where are we now? – this question is guided by identifying target markets and the promotional tools a destination will use to promote to specific target markets. The target markets should include not only different visitor groups, but also travel trade intermediaries, local community, and media/press.
• Where would we like to be? – this question is used to identify or establish measurable objectives (e.g., number of people to click on the promotion icon, number of overnight stays generated). These objectives are specific to the little ps and include goals of the promotion (i.e., inform, persuade, remind).
• This question also identifies the budget for the specific promotion and potential partnerships to pool resources (e.g., funding, talent and knowledge of people).
• This question also helps determine the message idea, which may require research, focus groups, and other forms if feedback to assess consumers’ interest and refine the promotion.
• The message format needs to be created to ensure it is understandable, distinct from competitors, and believable (i.e., destination really can provide what it is promoting).
• In terms of financial resources, there are various measures that help to determine the promotional reach (e.g., cost per contact, cost per inquiry, geographic – how many people in a designated market area you might reach). (There are various others in the PowerPoint we will discuss in more detail, including tradeoffs with specific promotional tools.)

American Marketing Association. (2022). Definitions of marketing. https://www.ama.org/the-definition-of-marketing-what-is-marketing/

Blain, C., Levy, S. E., & Ritchie, J. R. B. (2005). Destination branding: Insights and practices from destination management organizations. Journal of Travel Research, 43 , 328-338.

Brochado, A. (2021). Cluster analysis. In R. P. S. Kaurav, D. Gursoy, & N. Chowdhary (Eds.), An SPSS guide for tourism, hospitality and events researchers (pp. 284-303). Routledge.

Jetter, L. G., & Chen, R. J. C. (2011). Destination branding and images: Perceptions and practices from tourism industry professionals [Article]. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 12 (2), 174-187. http://ezproxy.lib.uh.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hjh&AN=60294280&site=ehost-live

Kim, H.-K., & Lee, T. L. (2018). Brand equity of a tourist destination. Sustainability, 10 . https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020431

Morrison, A. M. (2010). Hospitality & travel marketing (4th ed.). Delmar.

Morrison, A. M., Lehto, X. Y., & Day, J. G. (2018). The tourism system (8th ed.). Kendall Hunt.

Shoemaker, S. (1989). Segmentation of the senior pleasure travel market. Journal of Travel Research, 27 (3), 14-21.

Shoemaker, S., & Shaw, M. (2008). Marketing essentials in hospitality and tourism: Foundations and practices . Pearson Education, Inc.

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The Sales Optimization Company. (2009-2022). Understanding the consumers decision-making process in sales . https://www.socoselling.com/understanding-the-decision-making-process/

Walker, J. R., & Walker, C. J. (2018). Tourism: Concepts and practices (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Williams, A. (2021, December 8). What is brand equity? The Branding Journal . https://www.thebrandingjournal.com/2021/02/brand-equity/

GHL 2365 - Tourism Copyright © 2024 by Jason Draper is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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