CHAPTER 5

TOURISM PROMOTION

Learning Objectives

Define the meaning of tourism promotion

Explain the relation between promotion and communication

Discuss the relationship between promotion and the traveler’s buying process

Illustrate the relationship to marketing

Enumerate the importance of promotion planning and budgeting

Explain the major types of the promotion mix

Discuss the major issues of promotion

Meaning of Tourism Promotion

Tourism promotion means stimulating sales through the dissemination of information. It means trying to encourage actual and potential customers to travel. The objectives of promotions are:

1. To make the tourist product widely known.2. To make it very attractive in order to

encourage many people to try it.3. To make the message attractive without being

dishonest.

Promotion and Communication

Good promotion is good communication. Essentially, developing the promotional mix is an exercise in communication.

The communication system is made up of the sender, receiver, and a message.

The SENDER (the travel organization) transmit certain information that will change people’s attitudes and create in them a desire to use the product or service.

The RECEIVER is the potential tourist.

The MESSAGE can be,Verbal (radio)Visual (press advertising, television, film shows, exhibition, periodicals).Written (periodicals, brochures, press advertising)

The END GOAL of promotion-

Information Promotion Persuasive Promotion 3 types of Promotion Reminder Promotion

Promotion and Traveler’s Buying Process

Relationship of Promotion to Marketing

Marketing – is a total process which includes all elements from production and product improvement to the final exchange of a product or service for something of value whereas promotion is one of the major elements in the marketing mix.

Promotion – is one of the major tools used in marketing a tourist product. It is the responsibility of the people involved in promotion to devise methods of communication that will make the greatest number of potential consumers aware of their product.

Promotion Planning

Promotion planning determines the objectives or goals the organization should strive to accomplish and the plan of actions to attain these goals.

1. The objectives of promotion that are consistent with the general marketing plan.

2. The identification of the market group to which the promotion is targeted.

3. The identification of the specific advertising, sales support and public relations programs to be organized.

4. The budget allocation to the various market segments and target groups.

5. The methods to be used to control and assess the effectiveness of the promotion.

GoalsGoals are important in developing promotional

strategies.To be effective, goals must be specific,

quantifiable, measureable, realistically attainable and have a time frame.

a. To create and measure the awareness of a particular tourist attraction in a specific market.

b. To communicate a specific tourism appeal in your promotion to a specific market and then determine how many people can recall it.

c. To communicate a basic campaign theme to a specific market and then determine how many people can restate the premise without aided recall.

Market Targets

A common theme is necessary in establishing a market target.

Promotion would be useless if the plan assumed that all people have the same travel inclinations.

It is also important to understand that travel companies cannot provide services for the whole population.

It is mandatory that a promotion plan recognizes both characteristics of marketing.

Segmentation provides the necessary guidelines for isolating target market. It identifies people according to their socioeconomic status, social influences, personality features, attitudes, values,motivations, expectations. Certain markets are not compatible for the same destination.

The Message The message which is chosen for the advertisement

follow the goals and objectives of the promotion plan. It should be understandable, distinctive and believable.

Promotion Mix It is the tool that conveys the message to the

customers.

Advertising- any form of paid-for, non-personal presentational and promotion of ideas, products or services by a specific sponsor using some form of mass media.

Personal selling- an oral presentation to one or more perspective customers on a face-to-face basis.

Sales Promotion- activities, other than advertising and personal selling that stimulate a purchase. Sales promotions are directed toward the consumer or toward intermediaries.

Public Relations- the presentation of ideas, good or services about an organization using mass media. Unlike ADVERTISING, IT IS NOT PAID FOR.

AdvertisingAdvertising uses several forms to attract attention,

arouse interest, convey information and encourage the potential tourist to act in a specific manner.

Some forms of advertising are: newspaper, direct mails, television, magazines, radio, yellow pages, outdoor advertising, novelties, directories, and display materials.

Advantage and Disadvantage of Newspaper advertising.

Direct Mail, although expensive, rank high are as an advertising medium. Direct mail materials are sent to people who will most likely use the service offered.Brochure, Leaflets, Travel Catalogs and Sales Letters are often used in Direct Mail.

Brochures are smaller in size than a travel catalog but offer more information than a leaflet or folder. In cruise companies can be very expensive and are used as sales tools by travel agents since they provide detailed information about cabins, prices, schedules and other things.

Travel Catalogs present a complete travel program lists of many destinations, services, accommodations, activities, excursions, and information about the destinations.

Leaflets or Folders are usually single sheet which provide minimum information. They are more flexible since they are sometimes used with travel catalog, brochures or folders.

Television is a very effective audio and visual medium when wider coverage is required. It is an expensive medium, so only large organizations use it.

Radio is more flexible and cheaper compared to the other mass media. It allows some interest segmentation since radio stations have segmented their own markets according to the program they air.

The Yellow Pages gives information to those requiring services. A tourist in a destination area might use the yellow pages to look for a service such as a restaurant or other tourist-related establishments.

Outdoor advertising is usually seen in three areas:first, in areas with high visibility like public transportation vehicles such as buses and taxis;second, on benches particularly along public transportation routes;third, billboards along highways to make travelers aware of hotels, restaurants, service stations and camp grounds.

Point-of-sale advertising uses windows, floor displays, counter displays and literature racks. The main purpose of point of sale advertising I to remind customers of the advertising messages and themes communicated to the media.

Web Sites

Although relatively new in the advertising scene, web sites have become one of the most powerful means of directly communicating with persons in the market place.

Sales Promotions

Sales promotions have become very common at present such as free tickets to special events, trade show, exhibits and free strips. A common sales promotion is the familiarization trip.

Travel shows are also a common form of sales promotion. Travel agencies and tour operators gather travelers together to promote a special tour.

Public Relations

The objectives of Public Relations is to build a strong positive image of an organization for the public.

1. The purpose of public relations is communication to potential customers in methods other than normally paid advertisement channels or direct sales effort;

2. It recreates a public awareness in order to enhance advertising and sales;

3. Public relations create a positive image for a product, service or destination in the minds of those who make public opinions such as journalist, travel writers and those who act as intermediaries as travel agents and tour operators.

Other Forms of Promotion

In addition to the major sales of promotion, there are sales gimmicks that are worth mentioning.

Budgeting

Major Issue of PromotionThe major considerations of promotion are accuracy and reliability of

information in one hand and false and misleading advertising on the other. Promotion techniques use words that evoke emotion and create awareness of a product or service.

1. False, oral or written statement, which has the capacity or tendency of misleading consumers made in connection with the offer for sale, lease, rental or loan of consumers goods or services.

2. Representation that consumer goods or consumer services have a sponsorship, approval, characteristics, ingredient, use, benefit or quality which they do not have; consumer goods or consumer services are of a particular standard, quality, grade, style, or model which they are not.

3. Failure to state a material fact if the failure deceives or tends to deceive.

4. Disparagement of the goods, services, or business of another by false or misleading representation of material fact.

5. Advertisement or offer of consumer goods or consumer services without the intention to sell them as advertised.