Integrating business skills into ecotourism operations:

Tourism MarketingJune 2012

Integrating business skills into ecotourism operations:

Tourism MarketingJune 2012

Kirsten Focken

AgendaAgenda

Tourism Marketing Overview- Tourism system/destinations- Marketing Strategy

Target Marketing / Segmentation Distribution Channels Branding Marketing Tools

MarketingMarketing

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 MarketingDestination 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 Marketing

How to put it together?How to put it together?How to put it together?How to put it together?

MarketingMarketingMarketingMarketing

Needs, wants Needs, wants and demandand demand

ProductsProductsMarketsMarkets

Exchange, Exchange, transaction, transaction, relationshiprelationship

Value, Value, satisfaction, satisfaction,

qualityquality

What is Tourism MarketingWhat 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 MarketingWhat 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

DESTINATION= SUPPLY SIDE

FRONT LINE SECTOR

BIO-PHYSICALENVIRONMENT

GOVERNMENT

COMMUNITY

SUPPORT SERVICES SECTOR

TOURIST GENERATING

REGIONS

= DEMAND SIDE

International Tourists

Domestic Tourists

TRANSIT REGION

The Tourism SystemThe Tourism System

DESTINATIONDESTINATION

Destination - MarketsDestination - Markets

Destinations Europe

Attractions

Hotels

TransportAirlines

Other: restaurants,Handicraft, souvenirs

NTO

Travelers

Travelers Destinations Asia

Attractions

Hotels

TransportAirlines

Other: restaurants,Handicraft, souvenirs

NTO

Inbound TO

Inbound TO

Internet

Travel Agencies

Travel Agencies

Internet

OutboundTO

OutboundTO

Why a Marketing StrategyWhy 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 StrategyWhy 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

Overview Marketing Strategy + Plan

Tourism MarketTourism Market Arrivals, Origin, type of tourists…Arrivals, Origin, type of tourists…

Tourism ProductTourism ProductAssets, Attractions, Hotels…Assets, Attractions, Hotels…

Trends / Competitive Position / SWOT AnalysisTrends / Competitive Position / SWOT Analysis

Define overall guiding marketing strategy and strategic objectivesDefine overall guiding marketing strategy and strategic objectives

ProductProduct PricePrice Place / Place / DistributionDistributionPromotionPromotion

Public – Private - JointlyPublic – Private - Jointly Primarily private sector activitiesPrimarily private sector activities

AnalysisAnalysis

StrategyStrategy

PlanPlan

Writing a Marketing Strategy + Plan

Writing a Marketing Strategy + Plan

Example LaosExample Laos

“ “ Tourism is like an Tourism is like an iceberg. It is easy to iceberg. It is easy to

describe the part that describe the part that stands out from the stands out from the

water but very hard to water but very hard to be precise about exactly be precise about exactly

what lies beneath.”what lies beneath.”

Market AnalysisMarket 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 MarketingTarget Marketing

Why having Target markets ? 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 SegmentsTarget Market Segments

Group of people that are defined accordingto 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 ChannelsMarketing Channels

Direct Marketing to consumersDirect 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

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 IndustryThe Travel Industry

Inbound Tour OperatorsInbound Tour Operators

Outbound Tour Operators- Specialized

- Major

Travel agencyTravel agency

Member Member organizationorganization

What is a brand?What is a brand?

What is a Brand?What is a Brand?

Core essence / characteristics Holistic sum of all information about a

product or group of products Set of values DNA – runs through all communication Brands create value by generating

demand and securing future earnings for the business

NOT:

Logo

Slogan

Campaign

Brochure

Design

Product

Live the BrandLive 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 toolsMarketing tools

Press and media relations

Ensures growing awareness

Website / InternetMarketing

Increase awareness and inform tourists

Information centreInforms tourists

where to go

Publications /Brochures

Contains key messages, words, images

• Flyer, Brochure• Map• Calendar of festivals• Special interest (adventure, culture, biodiversity, …)

Fairs + ExhibitionsCreate and strengthen

awareness in the tourism businesses

Promotional ProgramPromotional Program

Identify Target Audience

Define Objectives for Promotion

Evaluate options and budget

Establish Marketing Mix = Marketing Tools

Press Relations

Advertise-ment

Events

Publications

Information Centre

Internet

PublicationsPublications

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 PublicationsBasic 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 StrategyInternet StrategyEfficient 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 TSE - Travel Search Engines Networks, Connections to travel sites

WebsitesWebsites

Trade ShowsTrade Shows Event Location Target Timing Exhibitors Visitors

Inte

rna

tion

al

Fitur Madrid World travel market January / February

12.000 (47% international from 170 countries)

140.000

ITB Berlin World travel market March 11.087 (187 countries)

180.000 (42% internat.)

Le Monde Paris French tourism market

March 680 (217 destinations)

103.000 public, 5200 trade

World Travel Market

London World travel market November 5600 (202 countries)

48.000 trade (48% international)

Asi

an ATF (Asean

Tourism Forum)

Rotating Asian and International Travel market

January 300-400 n/a

TTM Bangkok Travel market in Thailand + GMS

June 400 500

Pata Mart Rotating

Asian travel market September 340 1000- 1500

ITE HCMC Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnamese + regional travel market

October 601 (10 countries)

56 trade + consumer

AITEX Siem Reap Cambodian travel market

November 400 n/a

CITM Kunming Chinese travel market

November n/a n/a

Oth

er Jata Tokyo Japanese travel

market September 770 (131

countries) 100.000 (38000 trade)

Why your participatingWhy 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

ConclusionConclusion

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!Thank you!Kirsten.Focken@gmail.com