Tourist behaviour & Marketing

ITB (2011-13 Batch)

 PART I Marketing Research

PART II Relationship between marketing mix & Tourist behaviour

Purpose of marketing research

identify opportunities for product development make decisions about investment in new facilities choose locations for new hotels and theme parks, for instance

set prices in relation to those of competitors and to what consumers are willing to pay
ensure that the distribution network is working effectively select the best combination of promotional techniques and the most appropriate advertising media subdivide the total market into segments which can be targeted by the organization review and change brands and logos

suggest opportunities for diversification.

Data required
Statistical profiles of tourists. Statistical records of tourist behaviour. How tourists make purchasing decisions. Who makes the purchase decision. When the purchase decision is made The identification of trends in tourist behaviour Segmentation criteria Product positioning in relation to competitors The attitude of non-users

Cultural and national differences in tourist behaviour

The link between tourist behaviour and their purchase of other products.

Consumer perceptions.
Tourist satisfaction.

Problems in research in tourism

Difficulties in measuring domestic tourism Distinction between tourists & visitors Much data is out of date and based on unreliably small samples of tourists

Lack of Longitudinal studies which allow us to see how tourist behaviour is developing over time
Often the highest quality data is collected by private sector organizations, is commercially sensitive and is not generally available difficult to find a sample of tourists that is representative of tourists as a whole The absence of reliable empirical data on the motivations and determinants of tourist behaviour

Problems.
There is a lack of comparative data on national and cultural differences in tourist behaviour

The techniques for gathering the perceptions of tourists are relatively underdeveloped and unsophisticated
Tourists, when questioned, can provide inaccurate information either deliberately or accidentally.

It is also very difficult for tourists to answer some of the standard questions they are often asked
The problem of when to ask people questions. Malpractices in dissemination of information

Future of Tourist behaviour research

Satisfaction-related research Making greater use of secondary and individual sources
Work of academic researchers Feedback of travel agents

Development of more sophisticated techniques for collecting qualitative data in tourism Focus groups Observation User diaries Informal conversations with tourists