Post on 24-Jul-2020
CHAPTER 1
I N T R O D U C T I O N
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INTRODUCTION
In today's highly competitive and dynamic global tourism environment, there
is a need to develop a clear brand identity, reflecting the core strengths and personality of
its products. Destination branding is an important marketing strategy adopted by nations
to promote tourism. A destination or a place brand is the sum total of all the customers'
perceptions and encounters with these perceptions. This may include past experiences,
movies, news reports, advertising, access to information, weather, price, what friends
think of it, the web site and its residents. Branding aims at creating a unique identity to
differentiate the destination from their competitors. Destinations, which have a clear market
position and appealing attractions, will remain at the top of consumer minds when they
book their holidays. It is well established that branding can make effective contribution to
the economic development of places such as towns and cities. Unless a destination brand
is adopted, supported and given life by stakeholders and promoters, it will amount to
nothing more than a mark on a piece of paper. Destination marketers have a vested
interest in building strong and powerful image for their destination. Holiday makers of
the 21st century will be looking for places with a trendy image and a strong and clear
state image can increase consumer confidence in its attractions and consumer
predisposition to purchase them (Ahmed; 1991).1
The substitutability of tourist destinations led to the branding and marketing
of travel destinations. Countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Dubai and Singapore were among
the first to give importance to destination branding. During the 1980's and 1990's, these
countries designed and executed elaborate marketing strategies with the help of successful
taglines.
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During the process of conceptualization of the research problem, the
researcher was able to observe various brand-building measures adopted by some tourism
brands and realize that these tourism promotion strategies were very effective and
contributed a lot to the brand building efforts of those countries.
The following are some of the leading destination brands which have a global
appeal:
1. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched Singapore's new destination brand
'Uniquely Singapore' to promote Singapore as a premier travel destination, offering
a unique spectrum of enriching experiences for visitors. The overall objective is to
achieve strong brand recognition among travellers and to position Singapore as a
travel destination around the world.
2. Western Australian Tourism Commission (WATC) developed Brand Western
Australia as a nature based tourism destination with friendly, spirited people and
the freedom and space to travel. The Brand WA strategy relies heavily on consumer
advertising and also participates in selected consumer and trade shows throughout
the region and core markets.
3. Malaysia has created a powerful travel destination brand. The tagline
‘Malaysia- Truly Asia’ describes Malaysia as the true spirit of Asia and projects it
as a must-visit tourist destination.
4. 'Amazing Thailand' is an advertising campaign designed to project Thailand as an
enchanting, yet, unexplored destination.
As Morgan Nigel and Pritchard Annette (2003)2 states, successful
branding brings enormous rewards in tourism. It offers an innovative and effective tool by
which managers can establish emotional link with the consumer. Branding has the potential
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to engender consumer loyalty and position destinations to appeal to consumers' self-
images and lifestyles. It has become the basis for survival within a globally competitive
market.
1.1 DESTINATION BRANDING IN INDIA
India is endowed with a naturally beautiful landscape, and all vital ingredients
that make a successful tourism product. The vastness of the country offers varied climatic
options making India a hotspot round - the - year. A vast geographical spread, and a
rich historical and cultural heritage add to its charm. Tourism earns the third largest
foreign exchange for India after IT and commerce (Chowdhary, Renuka, 2005) 3. Tourism
provides immense job opportunities to the society. It is estimated that about 8 million
jobs are created in the country through tourism directly and another 7 million indirectly
(Mansukhani, Bhisham, 2003 )4. WTTC's Tourism Satellite Accounting shows that by
2014, India's Tourism Industry is expected to generate 28 million jobs
(Chowdhary, Renuka, 2004)5. Realizing the potential of the tourism industry, the
Government of India took initiative to market the destination in a professional manner in
the late 1990's. In 1997 an advertising campaign 'Eternally Yours' was launched. The
'India Changes You' campaign, launched in 1998, promoted the whole of India as one
destination, offering a unique experience.
Focused marketing, innovative marketing strategies and attractive slogans
have made India the most sought after destination. The internationally accepted travel
book, ‘Lonely Planet’ has rated India among the top five destinations of the world. The
European Travel Connoisseurs Guide ‘Conde Nast Traveller’ has rated India among the
top 10 destinations in the world (Sharma, Arjun, 2005).6 The year 2005 saw the launch
of the much popular ‘Incredible India’ campaign. This was designed to create a positive
awareness about India as a destination. The tourism ministry has already adopted a
campaign 'Athithi Devo Bhava' which aims at creating awareness about multiplier effect
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of tourism and sensitizing people about cultural heritage, its preservation, cleanliness and
hospitality. It is encouraging to note that many innovative marketing and promotional
strategies are being introduced to portray and promote the country’s multifaceted
attractions in international platforms.
Tourism authorities have identified new areas to promote religious, cultural
and heritage, rural, adventurous, ecological, medical, ayurvedic and dental tourism in the
country. Various state tourism boards, along with the private sector comprising of travel
agents, tour operators, hotels and other accommodation providers, are marketing these
products to promote destination India both internationally and domestically.
1.2 THE PATHWAY OF TOURISM BRANDING IN KERALA
A cursory check on India's most successful brands reveals that Kerala tourism
is the only Tourism Destination Super Brand in India7. Tourism in Kerala has emerged
as a major revenue spinner and job provider, making it a vital sector for growth and
development.
It was in 1986 that Kerala declared tourism as an industry which should be
given the status and concessions eligible for other industrial projects. It is a reported fact
that Kerala tourism has been witnessing a boom especially after the 90’s, and now the
industry is showing signs of rapid growth both in terms of tourist inflow and earnings.
The state authorities first promoted Kerala as the land of lagoons, lakes and backwaters.
The focus then shifted to hill stations, waterfalls, the Western Ghats, wild life sanctuaries
and its rich cultural heritage. Traditional art forms like Kathakali, Koodiyattom and
Kalaripayattu, snake-boat races and Ayurveda became the newer attractions.
(V. Sarvani, 2003)8. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) adopted the
slogan ‘God’s Own Country' in its advertising campaigns. This slogan,
some opine, was first used by Vipin Mohan when he created the first web page on
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Kerala in 1993. Others believe that Walter Mendez, the corporate creative director
of the national advertising agency Mudra Communications, gave the tagline
‘God’s Own Country’ to Kerala Tourism (Parvez, Javed, 2008)9. However the slogan
now holds the super brand status.
The official website of Department of Tourism, www.keralatourism.org
provides an extensive information on Kerala and tourism in Kerala. An exception to
other traditional lines of industries, there exists public-private participation in the tourism
industry in Kerala. All the promotional efforts by Kerala Tourism were supplemented by
the private sector. Government has also acted as a catalyst in encouraging private sector
investment for the development of tourism infrastructure. The Kerala Travel Mart Society
(KTM) in participation with Department of Tourism organized KTM-2000 at the
International Convention Center, Kochi. This event spread the charm of God’s Own
Country' to countries world over. This mega event held once in two years exhibits the
various tourism products available in Kerala.
At present, in order to sustain competition Kerala tourism is offering a variety
of tourist packages with attractions such as Ayurvedic tourism, Pilgrimage tourism,
Heritage tourism, Adventure tourism, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions
(MICE) and Medical tourism. The state also offers special support for the promotion of
Eco tourism. It is learnt that the state is now taking up more initiatives in the areas of
better infrastructure, tourism product development, conservation of nature and heritage,
human resource development and professionalism in the tourism sector.
Today the Government is planning to mould Kerala into a model of responsible
tourism with special focus on conservation and preservation of nature and culture. The
state has adopted a long-term, focused marketing and conservation strategy that will
position Kerala as a destination for global up market tourists.
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1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Tourist destination is acknowledged to be one of the most difficult entities to
manage and market. The multiplicity of components that make up the destination product,
the complexity of the relationship that exists between them and the involvement of large
number of stakeholders are the factors that make a destination more complex.
The complexity is further increased when consumer is taken into consideration. Consumers
of the destination product will often differ in their perceptions, expectations and desired
satisfaction of the tourism-place. For destinations to be a success, marketers need to
take account of the needs, wants and expectations of the potential customers. It is now
the customer who can decide how and when they access their travel and tourism
information and how and through what process they access and purchase their travel and
tourism arrangements.
In general, the complexities of tourist destination brand management and
marketing are applicable to Kerala Tourism also. But the focus of this study is on the
promotional aspects of Kerala Tourism. It is widely reported and recognized even in
international circles that Kerala Tourism is a well-known and accepted product due to its
own unique features. The slogan itself ‘God’s Own Country’ - is very catching and it
sounds very justifiable considering its special attributes. Kerala Tourism is even regarded
as a model to other lines of industries and other states. It is also a fact that Kerala
Tourism industry is growing at a faster phase. But the performance of Kerala Tourism
brand the only tourism super brand in India- does not really justify the inherent potential
of Kerala Tourism, the well-known destination brand. The literature reports also admit
that Kerala Tourism potentials and products are not yet fully exploited. The performance
is not at all commendable in tune with the diversified destination features of Kerala.
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The tourists' perceptions both domestic and foreign- also vary. The researcher identifies
this problem prevailing in the tourism industry as one of the crore areas and tries to
convert it into an academic problem. Various reasons could be attributed to this unmatched
tourism performance both by practitioners and academicians. But the major contributor
of this deficiency can be identified as the Tourism Brand Promotional factors. Another
important reason can be the infrastructure. This is an enquiry about the effectiveness of
the Tourism Brand Promotional measures, the strategies adopted and the infrastructure
facilities provided by the agencies concerned with public-private participation.
Considering the above factors the present study raises some questions relating
to tourism in Kerala :
1. How and to what extent is Kerala tourism products promoted and marketed in
the domestic and the international market and how far are these effective?
2. Are our infrastructure facilities adequate to host existing and additional number of
tourists?
3. What are the needs, wants, expectations and perceptions of the tourists in the
present tourism marketing environment?
The study is aimed at measuring the travel behaviour of tourists, Destination
brand image, Destination brand loyalty, Potential of tourism products and the Marketing
strategies adopted by the intermediaries such as tour operators and accommodation sector.
The problems faced by the tourism industry are converted into a research problem. The
topic of the research was identified as Tourism Brand Promotion. The title of the research
problem was framed as follows:
Tourism Brand Promotion - An Empirical Study On Kerala.
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1.4 NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The researcher recognized the following special background factors that make
the study more relevant and significant.
The rapid growth of tourism in the twentieth century has produced problems
as well as opportunities for both developed and developing countries. With regard to
societal background, it is noticed that tourism acts as a potential catalyst in employment
generation, wealth creation, and development of remote and rural areas, environment
preservation and social integration. A successful tourism brand must be community welfare
oriented. The local communities of the prominent tourism areas must be benefited
socio-economically by the tourism projects. A successful tourism development programme
provides life support through a number of infrastructure facilities and services.
But unplanned tourism development has resulted in various problems and chaos.
The environmental degradation is a major fallout of the indiscriminate growth of tourism
at most of the tourist destinations. This study explores the prospects and key challenges
in the path of the development of tourism and suggests clear guidelines that would facilitate
the policy framework.
As the professional background Destination branding is seen as a crucial
marketing concept in the tourism industry. Marketing agencies are trying harder to create
favourable brand image for their destinations. The study citing a case of Kerala tourism
wishes to probe into how sustained brand promotion by a state in similar lines of
“Country Branding” adopted by Singapore, Dubai etc. can make a significant impact on
the overall welfare of the state.
The intellectual background can be understood from the advances in effective
destination management systems, airline management in low cost and competitive
environment, growth in Internet marketing and the plethora of new destinations. These
intellectual movements of the time provided a special context for the study.
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The researcher as a faculty in commerce has got sincere interest in the tourism
areas and possesses the habit of keen observation of the current trends and developments
in the tourism industry. During this observation process, the researcher was able to find
some problems in the tourism industry, which demands great concern and analysis.
In fact, these problems remained unanswered too. A thorough literature review revealed
the fact that many scholars have contributed much to the theories relating to marketing
strategy and brand promotion strategy. But there is lack of enough empirical studies on
travel behaviour of tourists, destination brand image and loyalty, role of tour operators
and hospitality services in tourism industry. There was not even a single study specifically
exploring the brand promotion effectiveness of Kerala Tourism. This gap in the literature
has prompted the researcher to conduct a study on Brand Promotion of Kerala Tourism.
The researcher feels that there exists a group of research consumers in the industry and
the study results will be of great practical utility to them. Definitely, a study of this nature
will be of immense policy application at the government level. It will also pave way for
the growth of non governmental agencies like tour operators, property owners and travel
agents and aid them in formulating promotional strategies. Hence the relevance of this
study.
1.5 OBJECTIVES
The following objectives were designed for the study based on key insights
and literature review.
1. To assess and compare the Travel Behaviour of both domestic and foreign tourists.
2. To analyze and compare the Destination Brand effectiveness of Kerala Tourism
among domestic and foreign tourists in terms of Brand Image and Brand Loyalty.
3. To measure and compare the effectiveness of Kerala Tourism Brand Promotion
measures and the Tourism Product Usage patterns of both domestic and foreign
tourists.
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4. To assess the attitude towards and the adequacy of accommodation spots and
other infrastructure facilities in Kerala.
5. To analyze the role of tour operators and accommodation providers in the
promotion of tourism products in Kerala.
6. To find out the interrelationships, if any, between the variables.
7. To give suggestions on the basis of the findings and conclusions of the study.
1.6 HYPOTHESES
H1: There is no significant difference between domestic and foreign tourists with regard
to the Travel Behaviour measured by Purpose of Visit.
H2: There is no association between Travel Behaviour of domestic and foreign tourists,
measured by the Pattern of travelling.
H3: There is no association between the age of the travellers and their duration of stay
in Kerala.
H4: The Destination Brand effectiveness is independent of the category of tourists
based on the domicile, measured by the Brand Image Attributes.
H5: Domestic and foreign tourists do not differ in their assessment of present trip to
Kerala.
H6: There is no association between male and female tourists with regard to the source
of information about Kerala Tourism.
H7: The income levels of tourists have significant association with the Tourism Product
Usage in terms of ayurveda and backwater cruise.
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H8 : The sex and the category of tourists, domestic and foreign, have no influence in
perceiving the tourism products as most potential.
1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research methodology provides a detailed description of the various steps
and procedures taken by the researcher in studying the research problem.
1.7.1 Research Approach
The research reported here embodied a quantitative approach. Even though
the study mainly focuses on the assessment of attitudes, opinions and behaviour of the
tourists, the approach is considered as quantitative. The data is obtained in quantitative
form, which can be subjected to quantitative analysis.
1.7.2 Research type
The type of research is designated as Diagnostic research.
1.7.3 Research method
The research method used to collect data was sample survey method. The
researcher considered sample survey method as the most appropriate method keeping in
view the nature of the research problem, time and resources available along with the
desired degree of accuracy.
1.7.4 Research design
Research design constitutes the conceptual structure within which the research
is conducted. This is explained in the table 1.1.
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Table 1.1
RESEARCH DESIGN
1.7.5 Sample for the study
The required data for the conduct of the study was collected from primary
sources. In addition to the primary data used for analysis, information based on secondary
data have also been used for conceptualization of the problem and operationalisation of
the study. Sample survey method was used to collect data for the study. The period of
survey was one year commencing from October 1st 2005 to September 30th 2006.
The source of information consists of both domestic and foreign tourists,
approved tour operators and accommodation providers. The universe of the study
comprises Foreign tourists and Domestic tourists visiting at least any one of the destinations
in Kerala for a minimum period of twenty four hours and spent at least one night in a hotel
or some other paid accommodation spots. It also includes Tour operators operating in
Kerala and providing in bound tour packages to the domestic and foreign tourists and the
accommodation establishments in Kerala like hotels and resorts.
Type of study Diagnostic study
Sampling design Probability sampling design(random sampling)
Statistical design Pre planned design for analysis
Observational design Structured questionnaire forcollection of data
Operational design Advanced decisions aboutoperational procedures
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The Sample size of tourists was determined as 300 including both categories.
Based on the published statistics and reports over the years, it was noticed that majority
of tourists arrivals constitute the domestic tourists when compared to foreign tourists and
therefore the total sample size of 300 numbers include 210 domestic tourists and 90
foreign tourists. Though the main focus of the study was on the tourists, in order to ensure
the statistical analysis feasibility, 30 tour operators and 30 accommodation centres were
also selected to constitute the sample.
Multi-stage stratified random sampling was resorted to as the sampling
procedure, which is detailed below. In order to ensure that the study tapped a wide
range of experiences and perceptions, stratification is done on the basis of geographical
area. Accordingly, based on the published information in the relevant literature, at the
first stage, the researcher has divided Kerala into North, Central and South zones. The
districts under respective zones are as follows. North Kerala includes Malappuram,
Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargode districts. Central Kerala consists of
Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts. Under the South Zone
fall Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.
As the second stage, 5 major tourism products namely, Backwaters, Beaches,
Eco tourism, Hill stations and Health tourism were considered for identifying the most
potential districts. All the 14 districts were considered for listing as the potential districts
in order to ensure that the sample selected were representative of target population.
Even though most of the districts under North, Central and South zones offer major
tourism products typical of the state, some districts do not come under the purview of the
tourism products under study, as explained in Table 1.2. It shows the classification of
potential districts under each Zone on the basis of major tourism products under study.
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Beaches Backwaters Hill Health Wild lifestations tourism sanctuary
Trivandrum Trivandrum Trivandrum Trivandrum
Kollam Kollam Kollam
Alappuzha Alappuzha Alappuzha Alappuzha
Kottayam Kottayam Kottayam
Idukki Idukki
Ernakulam Ernakulam Ernakulam Ernakulam
Kozhikode Kozhikode Kozhikode Kozhikode
Wayanad Wayanad
Kasargode Kasargode
Table 1.2
DISTRICTS WITH POTENTIAL TOURISM PRODUCTS
Thus the number of potential districts comes to 9 and the names of potential
districts selected for the study under each zone were Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam,
Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kasargode.
In the next stage, the total number of domestic and foreign tourists to be
selected under each district was fixed based on the proportional allocation principle. The
number of tourists from each district was fixed in proportion to the total number of tourists'
arrivals. As per the Tourist Statistics 2002 by Department of tourism, the total number of
domestic tourists in each zone comes to 7,75,225 (Thiruvananthapuram), 91,331
(Kollam), 1,39,305 (Alappuzha), 1,60,269 (Kottayam), 3,66,861 (Idukki), 9,61,820
(Ernakulam), 4,42,602 (Kozhikode), 2,02,291 (Wayanad), 1,34,391 (Kasargode).
SouthKerala
CentralKerala
NorthKerala
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The number of domestic tourists were selected in the ratio of 0.24: 0.03: 0.04: 0.05:
0.11: 0.29: 0.14: 0.06: 0.04. Therefore the following number of domestic tourists was
selected under the respective districts, representing the zones. These are
Thiruvananthapuram (51), Kollam (6), Alappuzha (8), Kottayam (11), Idukki (23),
Ernakulam (61), Kozhikode (29), Wayanad (13), Kasargode (8). Thus the total number
of domestic tourists comes to 210.
Foreign tourists were also selected proportionally according to the Tourists
Statistics 2002. As per the statistics the total number of foreign tourists comes to 63197
( Thiruvananthapuram), 9970 (Kollam), 12871 (Alappuzha), 17744 (Kottayam), 25385
(Idukki), 69972 (Ernakulam), 3232 (Kozhikode), 630 (Wayanad), 761 (Kasargode).
The foreign tourists were selected in the ratio of 0.31: 0.05: 0.06: 0.09: 0.12: 0.34: 0.02:
0. 00: 0.00. It is very clear from the above statistics that the proportion of foreign tourist
arrivals in Wayanad and Kasargode districts were very negligible in number and somewhat
equivalent to nil considering the ratio in other districts. Therefore these districts are excluded
from the sample. The following number of foreign tourists was selected under the respective
districts. These are Thiruvananthapuram (28), Kollam (5), Alappuzha (5), Kollam (8),
Idukki (11), Ernakulam (31), Kozhikode (2), Wayanad (0), Kasargode (0). Thus the
total number of foreign tourists comes to 90.
The number of tour operators was fixed in proportion to the total number of
tour operators in the respective districts. As per the information provided by Department
of Tourism in Tourist Statistics, the total number of International Air Transport Association
(IATA) approved tour operators in respective districts comes to 50 (Thiruvananthapuram),
5 (Kollam), 21 (Alappuzha), 3 (Kottayam), 7 (Idukki), 55 (Ernakulam), 17 (Kozhikode),
0 (Wayanad), 2 (Kasargode). The tour operators were selected in the ratio of
0 .31: 0.03: 0.13: 0.02: 0.04: 0.34: 0.11: 0: 0 .01. Since Wayanad district does not have
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any IATO approved tour operator, it is exempted from sample selection. The number of
tour operators selected from each district is as follows. Thiruvananthapuram (9), Kollam
(1), Alappuzha (4), Kottayam (1), Idukki (1), Ernakulam (10), Kozhikode (3),
Wayanad (0), Kasargode (1). The total number of tour operators comes to 30.
The number of accommodation establishments to be selected under each
district was fixed in proportion to the total number of hotels in the respective districts. As
per the information provided by Department of Tourism, the total number of hotels and
resorts in respective districts comes to 105 (Thiruvananthapuram), 11(Kollam),
25 (Alappuzha), 24 (Kottayam), 57 (Idukki), 50 (Ernakulam), 18 (Kozhikode),
15 (Wayanad), 6 (Kasargode). The properties were selected in the ratio of 0.34: 0.04:
0.08: 0.08: 0.18: 0.16: 0.06: 0.05: 0.02. The number of hotels and resorts selected from
each district is as follows. Thiruvananthapuram (10), Kollam (1), Alappuzha (2),
Kottayam (2), Idukki (5), Ernakulam (5), Kozhikode (2), Wayanad (2), Kasargode (1).
The total number comes to 30.
The final stage of sampling was the selection of respondents representing
tourists, tour operators and accommodation establishments and it was done based on the
principles of convenient sampling.
1.7.6 Research instruments
Structured questionnaire was the instrument used for collecting data. Since
the respondents are widely spread geographically, questionnaire is found to be the best
instrument for the collection of data. The results can also be made more reliable and
dependable if this method is used. Three sets of questionnaires were developed and
direct questionnaire administration method was followed for primary data collection. The
same was administered personally among tourists, tour operators and accommodation
establishments.
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1.7.7 Variables under study
In order to assess the effectiveness of tourism brand promotion and the
adequacy of infrastructure facilities in Kerala, the researcher collected information from
both domestic and foreign tourists with the help of Questionnaire I. The main variables
studied in this phase are shown in Table 1.3.
Table 1.3
MAIN VARIABLES
TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR
TOURISM DESTINATION BRAND
TOURISM BRAND PROMOTION
TOURISM PRODUCT
ATTITUDE TOWARDS ACCOMMODATION SPOT
RATING OF INFRASTRUCTURE
Questionnaire 1 administered to tourists was aimed to elicit other items of
information too like Demographics, Perceived changes in infrastructure, Attitude towards
supporting services, Critical limiting factors etc.
1.7.7.1 Measures of variables
The first part of questionnaire 1 requested information on demographic details.
The participants were asked to answer 4 demographic questions. Questions on age, size
of the family, occupation and annual income were asked.
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Proper understanding of the needs and preferences of the tourists is very
essential for building effective brand promotion strategies which can be done by measuring
the Travel Behaviour of tourists. The different items of information measured under travel
behaviour are shown in Table 1.4.
Tourist Destinations offering diverse attractions like hill stations, beaches,
backwater and wild life sanctuaries are selected for defining destination product in this
study. Invariably all the destination products are included within the sphere of tourism
products; but the purview of tourism products extends beyond the destination products.
In the case of Kerala attractions like ayurveda, houseboats and art forms including
'kathakali' are being widely recognized as tourism products. However, for
operationalisation simplicity, the terms destination product and tourism product are being
used interchangeably in this study. Kerala Tourism is regarded both as a well-known
destination brand and a tourism brand providing diverse destination products and tourism
products.
PURPOSE OF VISIT
PATTERN OF TRAVELLING
DURATION OF STAY
TRAVEL BUDGET
REPEAT VISITATION
FAVOURABLE HOLIDAY ACTIVITY
TOURISM PRODUCT PREFERENCE
Table 1.4
MEASURES OF TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR
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The researcher evaluated the extent of effectiveness of Kerala Tourism Brand
Promotion by measuring the Destination Brand Image and Loyalty, Tourism Brand
Awareness, Destination or Tourism Product Awareness, Tourism Product Usage and
Attitude towards Tourism Products.
In evaluating the Tourism Destination Brand, two items are worth measuring.
Destination Brand Image and Destination Brand Loyalty. Based on literature review, the
researcher considered serene beauty, cost effectiveness, medical care, easy conveyance,
and attractive weather condition and ayurvedic treatment as Brand Image Attributes.
Behaviour of host people, safety and assessment of present trip is also considered for
measuring tourists’ perception about Kerala. The researcher had considered items such
as respondent's intention to visit the destination again, their intention to recommend the
destination to others and repeat visitation for measuring the Brand Loyalty towards
destination Kerala.
The awareness level of tourism brand among the respondents was measured
for analysing the effectiveness of Tourism Brand Promotion. The awareness of super
brand status of Kerala was also assessed. The influence of tourism slogan was assessed
by measuring the popularity of the ‘God’s Own Country’ slogan among the tourists.
Various information sources about destination Kerala was also checked in this study.
Destinations like Kumarakom, Thekkady, Munnar, Kovalom, Kochi, Periyar,
Poovar, Kappad, Bekal, Wayanad and Alappuzha offering diverse attractions like hill
stations, beaches, backwater, wild life sanctuaries were selected for measuring the
awareness of tourism destinations in Kerala.
The major Tourism Products were evaluated in terms of awareness,
usage and attitude towards tourism product. The other item of information
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‘Most Potential Tourism Product’ was also elicited in this context. The respondent’s
awareness and perceptions about tourism products like Ayurveda, Backwater, Art forms,
Medical tourism, and MICE were also measured.
The next aspect of the study requested information on accommodation in
Kerala. The participants were asked to provide information on accommodation facilities,
behaviour of staff in hotels and food and communication facilities offered. Tourist's opinion
regarding transportation, roads, communication facilities and tourist information centres
were assessed for rating the infrastructure facilities in Kerala. The opinion of tourists
about supporting services was also obtained. An elaborate assessment of the problem
faced by tourists was carried out to identify the major drawbacks of Kerala tourism.
The second questionnaire was designed mainly to study the role of tour
operators in the promotion of Kerala tourism. Questionnaire 3 focussed on the role played
by accommodation establishments in the promotion of Kerala tourism. The main items of
information collected through this questionnaire includes, apart from the profile of tour
operators and accommodation establishments, other items like trends in duration of stay,
tourism marketing, seasonality problem, level of government support, adequacy of
supporting services and rating of infrastructure.
In this study though diverse variables were studied elaborately, the main
focus was on the category of tourists by way of domestic and foreign and their
travel behaviour, destination brand image and loyalty, tourism product awareness
and finally the attitude towards accommodation. Therefore Category of tourist is
treated as the Independent Variable in the study and Domestic Tourists and Foreign
Tourists invariably became the two factors of the independent variables. The main
dependent variables in the study are Travel behaviour, Tourism destination brand
and Tourism products. A more detailed view of the interplay of the Independent
Variables and Dependent Variables and their sub variables are given in table 1.5.
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1.7.8 Pilot study
The questionnaire was pre-tested using a judgment sample of 35 domestic
tourists, 15 foreign tourists and 5 tour operators and accommodation providers in
Ernakulam District. An informal talk was also held with them. Questionnaire was
subsequently revised based on the results of pilot study to improve the reliability and the
level of understanding. Pilot study also aids the investigator to conduct field survey more
effectively for collecting primary data.
1.7.9 Data processing and Analysis
The collected data was edited, coded and then entered into a master chart
by the researcher using the M S Excel programme. The data was presented in a tabular
form and was analyzed with reference to the objectives and hypotheses of the study.
Table 1.5
INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES
Independent Variables Dependent Variables
Sub Variables
Category of tourists Travel behaviour
Purpose of visit
Pattern of travelling
Duration of stay
Travel budget
Category of tourists Tourism destination brand
Destination brand image
Destination brand loyalty
Category of tourists Tourism product Tourism product awareness
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In addition to the descriptive statistics, the statistical tools applied for analysis in the
present study were Chi square test, ANOVA and Multi Dimensional Scaling with the
software support of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).
1.8 LIMITATIONS
1. The sample selected for the study need not be strictly representative of general
population due to the adoption of convenience sampling in the last stage for the
selection of respondents. This is a factor that limits generalisability of the results.
2. Majority of respondents among domestic tourists were non Keralites. This cross-
cultural and linguistic orientation generated some initial inhibitions among the
respondents and investigator. It was observed during survey that some of the sample
respondents were reluctant to give correct information. This limits reliability of the
study.
3. The tourist survey questionnaire was relatively lengthier which required more time
than the normal attention span of the respondents.
4. The time period available for data collection was felt as a constraint which
necessitated data collection even in off seasons. Otherwise, tourists with some
more diverse interests and preferences could have been contacted during peak
seasons alone.
1.9 SCHEME OF CHAPTERISATION
The thesis is organised in six chapters including the Introduction, which
describes the research problem, need and significance of the study, objectives, hypotheses
and methodology.
The chapter Tourism- an overview will describe the various tourism
products in Kerala, brand promotion strategies etc.
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The chapter Review of Literature will critically explain the theoretical and
empirical research in the field.
The next chapter, Tourism Brand Promotion in Kerala – Problems and
Prospects gives a detailed analysis of tourists survey, their results and interpretations. In
the discussion section, the results obtained during analysis are discussed in relation to the
existing empirical studies.
The chapter, Destination Brand Effectiveness of Kerala Tourism
analyses in detail the results of the survey of tour operators and accommodation providers.
In the discussion section, the results obtained during analysis are discussed in relation to
the existing empirical studies.
The last chapter, Summary of Results, Conclusions& Recommendations
provides the findings of the study, its conclusions, explains the scope for future research,
limitations of the study and gives managerial implications and recommendations based on
the study.
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REFERENCES
1. Ahmed Z.U., “The influence of the components of a state’s tourist image on product
positioning strategy”,Tourism Management, 1991, p.334-340.
2. Morgan Nigel, Pritchard Annette and Pride Roger, “Contextualizing Destination
Branding”, Destination branding, Reed Educational and Professional Publishing
Limited, 2003, p.39.
3. Chowdhary, Renuka, “Planning for the times ahead”, Travel Trends Today, Vol.21,
January 2005, p.21.
4. Mansukhani Bhisham, “Indian Tourism-Ready to exhale”, Express Travel and
Tourism, Vol.6, October 2003, p.20.
5. Chowdhary, Renuka, “Awareness Campaign, Infrastructure top Renuka’s List” ,
Express Travel and Tourism, October 2004, Vol.7, p.12.
6. Sharma, Arjun, “Summer 2005: Seamless seasons”, Travel Trends Today, Vol.21
January 2005, p.25.
7. www.keralatourism.org
8. Sarvani V, “Kerala Tourism – Branding a tourist destination”, ICFAI Centre for
Management Research, 2003, P.5.
9. Javed, Parvez, “Copy writing pani kittum,panavum”, Malayala Manorama, March
14, 2008, p.12.