8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
1/20
Tourism Sector Review
&Tourism Branding
Final Report
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
2/20
The present day tourism, if we take in India with the billion people,
with the vast civilization heritage of the country, from the Himalayas to
Kanyakumari, J&K, Central India, North Eastern states, Bihar, Western States,
the large coastal line, Andaman Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands have a lot to attract the tourists. It has sea coast in three sides, it has islands, it has snow
covered hill region, it has desert and it has thick forest regions. All of them are of
natural evolution. Many centuries old monuments, temples, churches and mosques
are spread throughout the country. You will find in many parts of the country all
three situated adjacent to each other. It is a treat to watch such type of unity.
India has one of the Seven Wonders of the World Taj Mahal. Any tourist can see the continuity of the only enriched civilization of billion people of the largest
democracy with multiple religions, multiple languages and multiple cultures.
Extracts from the Address of
President of India at the Inauguration of the
5th Global Travel & Tourism Summit
in New Delhi on 8 th April 2005
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
3/20
Tourism Branding Preface
PrefaceTourism Branding is about using strategic marketing to promote a countrys image
and attractiveness for tourism. Marketing a country is not entirely new; in fact,numerous countries have traditionally promoted their image for tourism. However, the
current process of globalization has underlined the need for countries to brand
themselves and in an integrated manner.
As we reach the year 2006, three things are clear:
i) Tourism Branding is no longer a choice but a necessity;
ii) it is no longer conceived as a function to be performed individually by the
state, associations or individual private companies, but as an integrative
and concerted effort by all interested stakeholders;
iii) if done effectively, state branding can provide soft power.
Every Country needs to take a critical look at itself and ask: Why should tourists
come here, rather than go to other countries for tourism?
We live in a world where countries are trying to become the same in terms of
infrastructure and quality of life. However, national objectives, including a promotion
of trade, investment and travel/tourism, are best achieved through differentiation.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
4/20
Tourism Branding Introduction
- 1 -
Chapter 1
IntroductionIndia is probably the only country that offers various categories of tourism. These
include history tourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism (ayurveda and other
forms of Indian medications), spiritual tourism, beach tourism (India has the longest
coastline in the East) etc.
The year 2004-05 saw tourism emerging as one of the major sectors for growth of
Indian economy, the foreign exchange earnings increased from Rs. 16,429 crore to
Rs. 21,828 crore up to December. Similarly in the last year, tourism industry
registered a growth rate of 17.3% in foreign tourist arrivals, which has been the
highest in last 10 years. Foreign exchange earnings grew at an even higher rate
30.2%.
Interesting feature of this growth is that it has come even as global tourism has
dropped, due to the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, the outbreak of
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in East Asia, and the Iraq war. Even thedisastrous tsunami didn't affect India's tourism industry, as tourist arrivals in India
rose 23.5 percent in Dec 2004 and tourist arrivals crossed 3 million mark for the first
time in 2004. The disaster was expected to have a negative impact on India's tourism
in terms of large-scale cancellations of tourists to India but nothing of that sort was
seen.
Snapshot of 2004:
Foreign Tourist Arrivals to India 3.37 Million Earnings from Tourism US $4810 Million Domestic Tourist Visits 367 Million Indians Going Abroad 6.2 Million Share of Tourism in GDP 4.9% Share of India in World Arrivals 0.44%
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
5/20
Tourism Branding Introduction
- 2 -
How Tourism can contribute to Economic Conservation
Foreign exchange earnings Contribution to government revenues Employment generation Stimulation of infrastructure investment Contribution to local economies
Basic Concepts in Branding: Brand, STP
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a name, term, sign, symbol,or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one
seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of the competition. It
follows that just as a brand name may be the only common element linking otherwise
unrelated products together, a country name is a symbol that joins together a broader
range of products and services.
According to Kotler , brands pu rpose is two- fold: i) they serve as a major tool to
create product differentiation ii) they represent a promise of value.
From a consumers viewpoint, a brand is above all a shortcut to a purchasing decision. The
essence of the brand is a single simple value, easily understood and valued by customers.
Segmentation and targeting entail identifying your markets and within them your potential
clients for each branding dimension. Positioning is about emphasizing those traits of your
country that are more appealing to each specific country and audience. All three phases
require an ongoing understanding of how your country is perceived across space and overtime. This in turn makes it possible to adjust the message to different countries over time.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
6/20
Tourism Branding Tourism Branding
- 3 -
Chapter 2
Tourism BrandingPromoting tourism products successfully requires a context that allows the audience
to appreciate what the country has to offer to visitors. That context is the overall
image, or brand, of the country.
If, for example, the country is widely viewed as a modern, secure, clean and efficient
state, the chances of getting tourists to visit attractive destinations are good. Whats
more, if a nation is known for its unique features, whether they be cultural, artistic,
natural or man-made, positive curiosity will provide a context that encourages tourists
to discover first-hand something new or at least interesting.
With most destinations boasting superb hotels, services and facilities, claiming a
unique culture and heritage and the friendliest people, and also competing on price,
the need to create a unique identity to find a niche and differentiate yourself from
the rest of competitors is more critical than ever. Furthermore, with 15 countries
accounting for nearly 70% of the market share of international tourist arrivals,branding becomes essential for the other countries.
Tourism Branding is a strategic process to establish a roadmap that outlines the
essence of a truly distinctive experience from the visitors point of view.
Branding Benefits
Clearly defined points of differentiation with competition A promise that frames the experience to facilitate visitor choice Increased revenues Development of new partnerships More engaged support
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
7/20
Tourism Branding Tourism Branding
- 4 -
Tourism Branding the World Over:
Following are some examples of Tourism Branding done by countries:
Taglines such as Spain -Everything under the S un, Costa Rica -No Artificial
Ingredients, Hong Kong -Asias World City, Peru -Land of the Incas , India-
Eternally Yours, Amazing Thailand or Malaysia -Truly Asia are most often used
for tourism purposes and are meant to be catchy, arouse interest and convey the
essence of the country brand.
South Africa
Purpose: To reposition South Africa in as a country alive and with possibility and
overcome the negative image left by the Apartheid era and inherited problems, mostly
AIDS.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
8/20
Tourism Branding Tourism Branding
- 5 -
Institutions: Ministry of Foreign Affairs; International Marketing Council (IMC), a
publicprivate partnership developed in 2000 at the initiative of President Thabo
Mbeki to create a positive and united image for South Africa.
Instruments:
- Communications Resource Center (international
monitoring on news about South Africa
- Web Portal www.safrica.info
- Marketing of South Africa internationally at trade fairs,
exhibitions, international events, and through media
products.
- Effective international media briefings, press conferences, media briefings, feature
articles, photo opportunities.
Scotland
The campaign Scotland the Brand established in 1994 as a joint venture of industry
and government for the promotion of Scottish trade, tourism and culture is a goodexample of integrated state branding at work and good coordination between the
public and private sector.
The aim of using a national logo on exported products was to encourage cohesion in
image and marketing to deliver greater commercial value and contribute to raising
Scotlands profile and status in the global marketplace.
Spain
Most experts agree that post-Franco Spain is one of the most successful examples of
national branding, especially as a tourist destination. As the nation took off
economically and democracy strengthened, Spain was able to convey this image of
change on the international scene. Key to this success was a tourism marketing
campaign launched in 1982 on the occasion of the World Soccer Cup held in Spain.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
9/20
Tourism Branding Tourism Branding
- 6 -
The campaign used Joan Miros s un design to symbolize the modernization of Spain.
This logo has since become Spains tourism logo.
Costa Rica
Brand Creation: Even though Costa Rica started to develop as an ecotourism
destination in the mid- eighties, the brand Costa Rica, No Artificial Ingredients was
first used in 1996 in a promotional campaign by the Costa Rican Tourism Board
(ICT) in the U.S and has ever since become the
countrys official tourism brand. In terms of graphics,
the logo may feature different colors with different
animals.
Positioning: The brand leverages the rich biodiversity of Costa Rica, as well as its
image as a sustainable tourism destination fostered by President Figueres during his
term in office (1994-1998). An important element which contributes to this
positioning is the Certificate of Sustainable Tourism (CST) developed by ICT.
Despite the success of the brand, the current tourism authorities would like to go
beyond an ecotourism positioning and adopt more of a sustainable tourism image,which in their view would make it possible to combine different destinations within
the country (sun and beach, nature, adventure).
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
10/20
Tourism Branding Tourism Branding in India
- 7 -
Chapter 3
Tourism Branding by India
Recently, Indian government adopted a multi-pronged approach for promotion of
tourism, which includes new mechanism for speedy implementation of tourism
projects, development of integrated tourism circuits and rural destinations, special
capacity building in the unorganized hospitality sector and new marketing strategy.
Incredible India: A nation wide campaign, for creating awareness about the effects of
tourism and preservation of our rich heritage & culture, cleanliness and warm
hospitality through a process of training and orientation was launched during 2004-05.
The aim was to rebuild that sense of responsibility towards tourists among Indians
and re-enforces the confidence of foreign tourist towards India as a preferred holiday
destination. More than 6500 taxi drivers, restaurant owners and guides trained under
the program.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
11/20
Tourism Branding Tourism Branding in India
- 8 -
Government also took several other initiatives to promote Indian tourism industry and
increased the plan allocation for tourism i.e. from Rs. 325 crore in 2003-04 to Rs. 500
crore in 2004-05. Road shows in key source markets of Europe, Incredible India
campaign on prominent TV channels and in magazines across the world were among
the few steps taken to advertise Indian tourism. In addition a task force was set up to
promote India as prominent health tourism destination.
According to WTTC exclusive TSA Research:
India is one of the fastest growing tourism economies in the world today. It is
estimated to grow at 8.8 percent over the next 10 years.
By 2014, the travel and tourism economy is expected to generate $90.4 billionof total demand and nearly 28 million jobs.
The year 2004 has been a highly successful year for India tourism. The foreign tourist
arrival crossed the 3 million figure with arrivals estimated at 3.37 million. The foreign
exchange earnings also recorded an unprecedented growth of about 38% with receipts
at US$ 4810 million. The growth of about 24% in foreign tourist arrivals during 2004
was achieved over and above a growth of about 14% witnessed in the year 2003. This
was achieved despite the fact that the world over, there was a decline of about 1.5% in
tourist arrivals in 2003, and only a growth of 10.7% in 2004. This has been possible
mainly due to the attempts made by Government to:
Improve tourist infrastructure at important destinations/ circuits; Focus attention on growth of hotel infrastructure, particularly budget hotels;
Enhance the connectivity through augmentation of air seat capacity andimproving road infrastructure to major tourist attractions;
Directly approach consumers through electronic & print media through
Incredible India campaign;
Have greater focus in the emerging markets, particularly in the region of
china, north east Asia and south east Asia;
Use internet and web connectivity;
Launch road shows in big source markets of Europe.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
12/20
Tourism Branding Tourism Branding in India
- 9 -
To sell India as a desired destination to the upscale American traveler, not simply as
an attractive vacation, but as an exercise in spiritual regeneration
One ad reads, `One billion people. One thousand languages. And a surprising
number of places to seek inner peace.' The visual is of a boat with flowers on
Dal Lake.
Another ad, with a visual of a field behind the Taj Mahal reads - `Many
travelers to India claim to experience reincarnation. They come back as human
beings'.
The third ad, with elephants wading in a river at sunset reads - `Only one
country can change the way you see the whole world.' The sign off - `Eternally
Yours' communicates the idea that India stays with the traveler forever.
Awards and Recognition
The IndiaTourism also continued to receive international acclaim when it won the
Gold Award of the PATA in the travel advertisement print category and marketing
award in 2004.
The Ministry of Tourism also won the 2005 PATA Grand Award in the Heritage
category, for its Ajanta Ellora Conservation & Tourism Development Project and
the PATA Gold Award in the Print Media category for its Incredible - Taj.
Payment in Installments for Traveling
The SOTC Ad, given below, is truly the sign of the maturing tourism sector in India.
Holiday Abroad in Easy Monthly installments. Your dream holiday abroad will not
be a dream any longer. SOTC in association with Kotak Mahindra bank brings you
under one roof the convenience and comfort of taking a SOTC Holiday today and
paying for it in easy monthly installments. Yes you can Holiday Abroad Now and
Pay later. You have the ease of paying through Installments over 12 to 36 months.
These measures will only result in the much needed boost for the tourism sector.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
13/20
Tourism Branding Tourism Branding in India
- 10 -
Infrastructure
"Various initiatives are underway in the tourism sector to provide visitors to
Incredible India' with a world-class experience that differentiates itself as a
spiritually enhancing, culturally enriching, physically invigorating and mentally
rejuvenating experience," Renuka Chowdhury said. In this regard efforts were being
made to improve accessibility and infrastructure, provide trained human resources and
diversify tourism products.
The minister said infrastructural facilities in the country were being augmented in a
well-planned manner, in partnership with states and private sector. "A number of
tourism circuits criss-crossing the country are being taken up for immediate
development. These include the Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Central Circuit,
Western Circuit, Southern Circuit and eco-tourism circuit in the North East of India.
"New Buddhist circuits have also been identified for development in Uttar Pradesh
with Financial assistance from Japanese Bank for international cooperation," she said.
In addition 12 airports are being developed as model airports within the next five
years. "The plan is to make these airports cater to 40 million international and 65
million domestic travelers by 2010," she said. Medical Tourism, a new productlaunched recently is being promoted in key markets, Chowdhury said. "India not only
has a rich heritage in the areas of traditional and natural medicine, but has also made
tremendous advancements in the field of modern medicine and health care techniques,
with state of the art infrastructure and technology available in the country." The recent
introduction of the medical visa would help in the growth of medical tourism. Under
this visa a patient along with an attendant can come to India.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
14/20
Tourism Branding The Way Ahead
- 11 -
Chapter 4
The Way Ahead By 2020, Tourism in India could contribute Rs 8,50,000 crores to the GDP.
(Source- WTTC).
In other words, every man, woman and child could become richer by Rs 7,000. India
has yet to realize its full potential from tourism. The Travel and Tourism industry
holds tremendous potential for India's economy. It can provide impetus to other
industries, create millions of new jobs and generate enough wealth to help pay off the
international debt. That is why we have included Tourism amongst the Core Sectors
of the Indian Economy.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry has said that to create
synergy there is a need to set up an inter-ministerial forum on the pattern of export
promotion councils where the Union and State government departments concerning
tourism, infrastructure and transport should be involved. Decisions taken by such a
forum should be binding on every department of the Government, it said. It envisagedthat efforts have to be initiated to actively involve State governments in tourism
promotion. The Government suggested to the States to produce master plans for
tourism development in the respective States.
Despite all the constraints of infrastructure and high taxation structure, tourism is the
largest net foreign exchange earner with the smallest import component of six to
seven percent when compared to other industries. Analysts, highlighting the need to
have a renewed thrust in developing tourism in India, say that for every Rs. 10 lakh
invested in hotels and restaurants India can create as many as 89 jobs compared to
similar investments in agriculture which are able to create only 44.7 jobs or 13 jobs in
the manufacturing sector.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
15/20
Tourism Branding Recommendations & Suggestions
- 12 -
Chapter 5
Recommendations & SuggestionsThe following are the recommendations and suggestions that were the outcome of this
project research:
Have a single National body governing the overall branding and promotion of
tourism in India. As of now, most states have their own promotions, which
may not have the impact that a national campaign can have.
Have a long term goal, but focus on short term results
Dont fall into the diversity trap. Most countries will love to promote their
country as we have it all, from the seas to the mountains. This gives a fuzzy
image of the country to the tourists and may not be able to attract their
attention.
Failing to base the brand on its strongest and most distinctive benefits could
dilute the message and present a weak and irrelevant proposition
Frequently advertise to get the attention of travelers.
Dont try to be something that youre not. A brand must always be truthful,
realistic, and deliverable. Otherwise it will be based on hype and have a very
short life. It may also fail to get the local traction that is needed to launch
and deliver the brand.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
16/20
Tourism Branding Conclusion
- 13 -
Chapter 6
ConclusionEffective state branding is a source of competitive advantage, especially for
developing countries. In these nations, the private sector must abandon its belief that
state branding is the sole responsibility of the government. By engaging in
partnerships with the government, the private sector can make a significant
contribution to the countrys perceived competitiveness and thus trigger the process of
image change.
The tourism industry has increased remarkably in the last decades and has become
one of the major sources of income in many countries. In many tourist sites the
rewarding phase of development is characterized by a long and intense growth of
infrastructures, superstructures and facilities.
India is now chalking up one of its strongest growth charts in a long time. As the
Indian economy continues to open up in an effort to integrate with the world
economy, benefits of doing business with and in India are increasing. With the results,hundreds of thousands of jobs are moving to the Indian shores from the West. This
brings in its wake transit travelers, business travelers, business meets and holiday
seekers.
According to the WTO, 698 million people traveled to a foreign country in 2000,
spending more US$ 478 billion. International tourism receipts combined with
passenger transport currently total more than US$ 575 billion - making tourism the
world's number one export earner, ahead of automotive products, chemicals,
petroleum and food.
But India had a measly share of 0.38% of total tourist arrivals worldwide!
Thats what is required to be changed. And thats where Tourism Branding can help
in the growth of the sector and sustenance of the same.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
17/20
Tourism Branding Caselets
- 14 -
Caselets
Case 1: SINGAPORE
The Singapore Tourist Promotion Board was first established in 1964 with the
mandate to promote Singapore as a tourist destination. The thinking of the
government then was that an organisation was needed to coordinate the efforts of
hotels, airlines and travel agents in promoting the overall image of the destination
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is an economic development agency for one of
Singapore's key service sectors - tourism. The mission of the Board was to develop
and champion tourism, so as to build the sector into a key driver of economic growth
for Singapore.
These initiatives will be reinforced by STB's international operations which cover the
key markets in Asia, Oceania, Europe and Americas, with expanded resources to
capitalise on growth markets like China and India.
In September 2005, Singapore welcomed 703,901 visitors, registering a 6.9%
growth over the same period a year ago. Visitor days were estimated to reach
2,352,432, an increase of 10.9% in comparison to September 2004.
In September 2005, Singapore hotels recorded S$103 million in room revenue,
an increase of 20.6% over September 2004.
The Average Room Rate (ARR) in September 2005 was estimated at S$139,
an increase of 14.3% over September 2004. The Average Occupancy Rate
(AOR) for hotels was estimated to have reached 85% in September 2005, a 3
percentage points increase over September 2004.
With increasing competition from its neighboring countries, STB's goal now is to
create exciting and innovative experiences for our visitors, in close partnership with
the trade industry, thus etching forever in visitors' minds an image of Singapore as a
unique and compelling destination. But the contribution of the private entities has
been criticized by many analysts as being lesser than the benefits they are gaining out
of the initiatives taken by STB raising issues of public-private partnership role in
tourism development.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
18/20
Tourism Branding Caselets
- 15 -
Case 2: Re-positioning Hong Kong
Statistics may suggest that Hong Kong was the most popular tourist city destination in
Asia in 2002, with over 16 million visitors or 20.7 per cent increase over 2001.
However, actions are needed to strengthen branding and partnership in order to realize
its full potential as a tourist destination, urged industry experts from Hong Kong.
Selina Chow, Chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board, reiterated the
Government's commitment to developing the tourist industry. Faced with the "double
whammy" of the Gulf War and outbreak of the atypical pneumonia at the moment,
"We will keep our heads down and build for the future", she said. "But we are already
planning for a comeback (when the current problems are resolved)."
Two of the issues that the Tourism Board plans to tackle are: eliminate tourist rip-offs
and ensure the balance of supply and demand of tourist-related services.
In its "2020 Vision" report, The World Tourism Organization has forecast
international arrivals to reach over 1.56 billion. Some industry experts also expect
tourism to peak by 2005, when Disneyland officially opens and the benefit of other
Government initiatives realized. Hong Kong is in the mature stage of the tourism area
life cycle, noted Dr. Judy Siguaw of Cornell University's School of Hotel
Administration. This means that market segments previously attracted to Hong Kong
may no longer be attracted. Hong Kong needs, therefore, to find ways of "extending
the brand".
How should Hong Kong position itself to capitalize on this tourist boom? Proposed
strategies include continued positioning as Gateway to Asia; collaboration with
neighboring tourism destinations; promoting safety and security and creatingpromotional strategy for targeting third-world travelers.
How far this strategy is feasible, how HKTB will realize these plans is yet to be seen.
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
19/20
Tourism Branding Annexure
- 16 -
Annexure
8/4/2019 Tourism Branding - A Report
20/20
Tourism Branding Annexure