Integrating business skills into

ecotourism operations:
Tourism Marketing
June 2012

Kirsten Focken
 Agenda

 Tourism Marketing Overview

- Tourism system/destinations
- Marketing Strategy
 Target Marketing / Segmentation
 Distribution Channels
 Branding
 Marketing Tools
 Marketing

 Marketing is a activity, set of institutions, and

processes for creating, communicating,
delivering, and exchanging offerings that have
value for customers, clients, partners, and
society at large.
 Tourism Marketing is a continuous, sequential
process through which management in the
hospitality and travel industry plans, researches,
implements, controls, and evaluates activities
designed to satisfy both customers’ needs
and wants and their own organization’s
objectives.
 Destination Marketing

 Destination Marketing is the management

process through which the National Tourist
Organization and/or tourist enterprises
identify their selected tourists, communicate
with them to influence their wishes, needs,
motivations, likes and dislikes, on local,
regional, national and international levels,
and to formulate and adapt their tourist
products accordingly in view of achieving
optimal tourist satisfaction thereby fulfilling
their objectives.
 Marketing
How to put it together?
 Marketing

Needs, wants
and demand

Markets Products

Exchange, Value,
transaction, satisfaction,
relationship quality
 What is Tourism Marketing

 Product
 Develop key attributes (e.g.
nature, culture, people,
adventure,...)
 Quality of Services (accomodation,
restaurants, transport...)

 Place
 Sell directly to the identified target
markets
 Through Intermediairies or other
service providers
 What is Tourism Marketing

 Promotion
 Develop tools to communicate the product to
the target markets

 Price
 Competitive Pricing for packages, tours and
single products (hotels, transportation,
entrance...)

 People
 Develop capacity and knowledge
 The Tourism System
DESTINATION

SUPPORT
TOURIST
SERVICES COMMUNITY
GENERATING SECTOR
REGIONS
= DEMAND SIDE DESTINATION
International TRANSIT = SUPPLY SIDE
FRONT LINE
Tourists REGION
SECTOR
Domestic Tourists

BIO-PHYSICAL GOVERNMENT
ENVIRONMENT
 Destination - Markets
Destinations Europe Travelers
NTO
Internet
Attractions
Travel
Airlines Transport Agencies
Inbound Outbound
TO TO
Other: restaurants, Hotels
Handicraft, souvenirs

Outbound Inbound Hotels

Other: restaurants,
Handicraft, souvenirs
Travel TO TO
Agencies Airlines Transport

Internet Attractions

NTO

Travelers Destinations Asia

Why a Marketing Strategy

 Achieve the overall vision for

tourism development:
 sustainable growth
 income generation
 Develop a long term consistent
image of the destination/company
on international travel markets
 Understanding strengths and
weaknesses
 Focus investments and
developments
Why a Marketing Strategy

 Assure that all stakeholders work

in the same direction
 Assign responsibilities
 Develop Action plan – Roadmap
 Marketing strategy is about
making choices

 deciding doing the right things

 Overview Marketing
Strategy + Plan

Tourism Market Tourism Product

Arrivals, Origin, type of tourists… Assets, Attractions, Hotels…
Analysis

Trends / Competitive Position / SWOT Analysis

Define overall guiding marketing strategy and strategic objectives Strategy

Place /
Product Promotion Price Plan
Distribution

Public – Private - Jointly Primarily private sector activities

Writing a Marketing
Strategy + Plan
Example Laos
 “ Tourism is like an
iceberg. It is easy to
describe the part that
stands out from the
water but very hard to
be precise about exactly
what lies beneath.”
 Market Analysis
 Where is my product / service / destination
situated?
 What type of visitors
 Regional, Domestic, Long haul, Short haul
 What is the perception of tourists
 What is the travel behavior
 Define the market potential and connect to
other destinations
 Select business partner and other
stakeholder
 Develop products across provinces, regions,
countries etc.
Target Marketing
Why having Target markets ?

 Target the markets with the highest benfits

 Limited marketing budget
 Limited capacity to receive tourists
 Some people like your destination more than
other
 Some people spend more money than other
 Some people stay longer than other
 No market is attracted if the destination tries
to be all things to all people

 You should be in control and decide

who the future tourists are
 Target Market Segments
Group of people that are defined according
to selected attributes
 Define groups on the basis of attributes:
 Where they come from
 Age, gender, etc
 What they like to do
 Identify what is important to your customers
and rank these
 Define what is important to your destination
 Identify primary/secondary markets
Marketing Channels
Direct Marketing to consumers

 Advertisement campaigns (print or online)

 Printed material (brochure, email)

 Tourism trade shows for public

 Press + Media

 Internet: get listed on

special websites
(e.g. sustainable travel,
adventure travel, UNESCO)
 Business to Business
Marketing
 Trade shows / Exhibitions
 Direct contact: letter, email, visit
 Brochure, leaflet, quotations
 Trade Media (tourism publications)
 Associations (PATA etc)
 Internet: member of trade groups and
networks
 The Travel Industry

Inbound Tour Operators

Member Outbound Tour Operators

organization - Specialized
- Major

Travel agency
What is a brand?
 What is a Brand?
NOT:
 Core essence / characteristics
Logo
 Holistic sum of all information about a
product or group of products Slogan

 Set of values Campaign

 DNA – runs through all Brochure
communication
Design
 Brands create value by generating
demand and securing future earnings Product
for the business
 Live the Brand
 Perform attitudes and behaviors that are
compatible with the brand promise
 Develop consistent communication to be
memorized, classified and recognized by
tourists, tourism trade and partners.
 The main elements:

 Logo, colors, images and pictures

 Key messages (core values, brand

statement, slogan…)
 Adapt to target market
 Marketing tools

Press and media

relations Website / Internet
Ensures growing
awareness Marketing
Publications / Increase awareness
and inform tourists
Brochures
Contains key messages,
words, images

• Flyer, Brochure
Information centre • Map
Informs tourists • Calendar of festivals
where to go • Special interest (adventure,
culture, biodiversity, …)
Fairs + Exhibitions
Create and strengthen
awareness in the tourism
businesses
 Promotional Program

Press
Relations
Advertise-
ment
Establish
Define Evaluate
Identify Marketing Events
Objectives options
Target Mix =
for and
Audience Marketing
Promotion budget Publications
Tools

Information
Centre

Internet
 Publications
All publications should follow branding rules to
assure a consistency.

Before the design and production of a publication

following key questions need to be addressed:

• What is the objective?

• Who is the target?
• What are their needs?
• What do they know?
• What is the link to the country, regional brand?
• Where are you finding the target?
• How will you distribute the information?
• What quantity is needed?
• What is the budget?
Basic Rules Publications

 Be clear and simple

 Use images and pictures
 Define key messages
 Test draft
 Be creative
 Be different
 Be honest
 Create CD version
 Internet Strategy
Efficient tools to convey your messages:

 No geographic border
 You can reach a (world)wide target
 You can show everybody who you are
 It is under your control
 Cost efficient

Tools:
 Website

 Social Media

 SEO – Search Engine Optimization

 TSE - Travel Search Engines

 Networks, Connections to travel sites

Websites
 Trade Shows
Event Location Target Timing Exhibitors Visitors

Fitur Madrid World travel market January / 12.000 (47% 140.000

International

February international
from 170
countries)
ITB Berlin World travel market March 11.087 180.000
(187 countries) (42%
internat.)
Le Monde Paris French tourism March 680 (217 103.000
market destinations) public,
5200 trade
World Travel London World travel market November 5600 (202 48.000
Market countries) trade (48%
internation
al)
ATF (Asean Rotating Asian and January 300-400 n/a
Asian

Tourism International Travel

Forum) market

TTM Bangkok Travel market in June 400 500

Thailand + GMS
Pata Mart Rotating Asian travel market September 340 1000- 1500

ITE HCMC Ho Chi Vietnamese + October 601 (10 56 trade +

Minh City regional travel countries) consumer
market
 Why your participating
 Make your company and products known to international
buyers
 Enhance your company’s image and reputation
 Generate new business, conclude business deals
 Maintain customer loyalty
 Reach a new target group
 Present innovative products
 Establish and maintain contacts with potential affiliates and
sales representatives
 Analyze competition and current market
 Participate in trade events, e.g. ITB Congress
 Implement new market strategies
 Recognize new developments, market niches or trends
 Generate media exposure
ITB 2012
 Conclusion

 Marketing is the social process by

which individuals and organizations
obtain what they need and want
through creating and exchanging
value with others.
Kotler and Armstrong (2010).
Create Value
Analyze, plan and
be consistent
Secure tourism development
in a continuous and
sustainable way
 Thank you!
Kirsten.Focken@gmail.com