Consider tangible products such as apparel, bags and shoes. Marketing professionals can rely on their usual tools (the oft-cited 4 Ps) when creating a marketing plan. But in the case of tourism services such as tour packages, we are selling not just individual products or services, but an entire experience. Our strategic marketing plan would have to account for these differences, as follows:
Tourism products are perishable.
By perishable, we mean product inventory cannot be carried forward to the next day. Hotel rooms not sold today are gone forever. Yield management is used as a strategic approach to manage perishability.
Tourism products are intangible.
Intangibility refers to the fact that tourism products and services cannot be subjected to scrutiny or sampling. Hence, reviews play a big role in influencing purchase. Actively engage your clients in social media.
The management of reviews, either on the company’s website or on popular sites such as TripAdvisor, is an essential task.
Tourism products are inseparable and variable.
Tourism products are inseparable to the consumer because the consumer and service provider should both be present for the consummation of the sale.
Examples are walking tours or city tours.
In this case, creative distribution strategies should be considered for efficient product execution.
As the experience is also variable, highly dependent on external factors, consistency of the service provider is key to ensure satisfaction.
Customer service during peak season should be the same as the service rendered during lean months.
The guest should be treated with same warmth and attention at all times regardless of the number of other customers.
For this week’s article, we consulted Maricel Badilla, a consultant for destination master planning, tourism and marketing trainer and author. She will be conducting a course titled “Tourism Marketing: Creating a Marketing Plan for your tourism and hospitality business” on Oct. 15.
There is also a course on “Operating and Maintaining Tourism Service Facilities: Standards, regulation, requirements and best practices” on Sept. 28, which is ideal for project management teams of hotels, condotels, resorts, dormitories, bed and breakfast and the like.
The Inquirer Academy is at 4168 Don Chino Roces Ave. corner Ponte St., Makati City. For more information about the workshops or if you would like to add your input on the article, you may email ask@inquireracademy.com, call (632) 834-1557 or 771-2715 and look for Jerald Miguel or Judy Bondoc.