Marketing and Tourism

4Ps where

Product is service element, branding and tangible objects

Price means discounting, getting the best value for the money

Place using push and pull strategies and direct sales

Promotion to include advertising, brochures and sales promotion

Key objective for tourism in positioning – product’s place in the consumer’s mind with regard to the competition.

Positioning maps – for hotels with low to high prince, high to low service axioms into four quadrants.

Stages of product life cycle – introduction, growth, maturity, decline Certain consumers come at different stages to the product.

BRANDING – identification through differentiation.

Product plc stage Consumer Mkt program

Summersun Mat. Middle majority reassuring promo, emphasize

Holidays families brand. Relaunch with new dest.

Long-haul Intro Innovators-outer Promo to build awareness.

Holidays directed Distrib sales promo. Emphasis

On product excitement

Flydrive Growth Families in mid brand building promo.

Holidays mid income seeking Safety reassurance

New experiences

Build brand equity through repeated experience, service, brand positioning

Use of branding for international consumers

Sector Example Comments

Destinations Spain – Passion for life attract up-mkt seeking cult. exp

Transport British Air “The world’s int cust seek reliability and

Favorite airline” customer service

Attrctions Disney Paris children

Tour Operator Sustainable program envir. Conscious tourist

Accommodation MGM Vegas attract cust.seek ent &gambling

PRICE

Price must relate to consumer expectations

Major airline.

Product Customer Expectations

1st Class hi ec & status hi personal service, rapid check

in, roomy seats

Bus class med/high soc-ec class med personal service, check in,

space and bus services

Coach families, low/med lo pers serv, limited menu, tite

How price is used to influence customers in tourism

Technique Example Effects on consumer behavior

Low intro tour operator lures consumer to new markets

Low across board econ air travel encourages cos to travel

Last-min discount middle range hotel encourages impulse purchase

Discount to segments museum encourages groups

Premium luxury hotels status, value and exclusivity

PLACE

How travelers access information and reservations

Push to retailers and wholesalers

Pull to individual consumers- Internet

PROMOTION

PR – to create favorable impression of organization

Brochure-initiate sales

Advertising –reach large audiences, TV and magazine

Sales promotion – trial and repeat packages

Personal selling – agents, hotel concierge

POP materials – highlight themes “Irish holiday”

Direct mail – database customization to clients

Exercise: How will this mix work with Wine Country tour?

Vegas marketing video. What is highlighted? From whose perspective?