Travel and Tourism. Marketing in Travel and Tourism: An Introduction [HIGHER] Genevieve McCabe. abc

Transcription

1 Travel and Tourism Marketing in Travel and Tourism: An Introduction [HIGHER] Genevieve McCabe abc

2 The Scottish Qualifications Authority regularly reviews the arrangements for National Qualifications. Users of all NQ support materials, whether published by LT Scotland or others, are reminded that it is their responsibility to check that the support materials correspond to the requirements of the current arrangements. Acknowledgement Learning and Teaching Scotland gratefully acknowledge this contribution to the National Qualifications support programme for Travel and Tourism. This resource is based on the document Travel and Tourism: Introduction to Travel and Tourism at Intermediate 2, product code 5642, which was published by the Higher Still Development Unit in August Learning and Teaching Scotland acknowledges with grateful thanks the commitment of the authors and other contributors in developing the original resource. First published 2005 Learning and Teaching Scotland 2005 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes by educational establishments in Scotland provided that no profit accrues at any stage. ISBN

3 CONTENTS Section 1: Introduction Unit content 4 Unit outcomes, performance criteria and assessment 6 How to deliver the Unit 8 The learning environment 18 Opportunities for development of core skills 19 Opportunities for integration with other units 19 Visits and speakers 20 Section 2: Lesson plans 21 Lesson content Teaching and learning methods Section 3: Student guide 145 Appendices Appendix 1: Education and industry links 150 Appendix 2: Using industry visits 155 Appendix 3: Coordinating organisations 160 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 3

4 INTRODUCTION SECTION 1 Unit content This Unit is one of the two mandatory Units which, along with one optional Unit make up the Travel and Tourism (Higher) Course. The Unit is designed to develop a practical knowledge of the application of marketing concepts and techniques in the travel and tourism industry. While the content outlined below is fairly wide ranging, tutors should bear in mind that this is an introductory Unit and that, at this level, overall understanding of day-to-day marketing operations and the practical application of marketing techniques are more important than a detailed theoretical knowledge. The main elements of the Unit include: the role and importance of marketing in a travel and tourism business environment: definitions of marketing, comparisons with other product marketing strategies, the intangible and variable nature of the tourism product and the implications for marketing. market orientation: comparison with product or sales orientation, the possible advantages of a market-led approach; e.g. business growth and market share. Examples should be drawn from a range of tourism businesses such as: museums, gardens, events organisers, festival organisers, hotels, specialist restaurants, wildlife and nature centres, tour operators, travel agencies, airlines, visitor centres, managed countryside areas, guided tour companies, information services, transport operators, destination management companies, and entertainment organisers who stage special programmes for visitors. The above list is not exhaustive. market research techniques: a range of techniques applied to specific and general research objectives; primary and secondary research; qualitative and quantitative research; visitor surveys, interviews, questionnaires, suggestion boxes; observation; use of data available through Tourist Boards, local government, trade associations and internal records. 4 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

5 INTRODUCTION pricing strategies (not covered in depth): market trends in the local area, related to the target market; seasonal and demand factors; pricing policies of competitors; internal influences, overheads, and profit margins; life cycle of the product/service. promotional techniques (including advertising, special offers and other incentives, print, display, PR, sales promotions, exhibitions): media and materials; their application and effectiveness, the target market, marketing objectives, image, message, design, costeffectiveness, shelf life; distribution of promotional material and information through a range of outlets and mechanisms including tourist boards and tourist information centres (TICs); visitor facilities and operators, e.g. accommodation providers, distribution agencies, computer information services. the role of customer service in the marketing chain, the role of the individual in marketing the organisation and the local area, robust customer service strategies contrasted with the negative effects of poor customer service. Examples of quality customer service initiatives such as Investors in People, Welcome Host and Scotland s Best and their impact on promoting excellent standards of customer service within tourism businesses. monitoring mechanisms: customer surveys, mystery shopper, observation, suggestion boxes, staff meetings. the marketing function in practice. How travel and tourism businesses organise themselves to carry out the marketing function: structure of the organisation, marketing department-led, wholeorganisation approach. The marketing mix in practice; description of the product, price, place, promotion and the markets of a particular travel and tourism business. SWOT analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats. Importance of a SWOT analysis. setting aims within tourism businesses; SMART objectives. evaluation mechanisms, including improvement/lack of improvement in staff relations, increase/decrease in positive/negative feedback, increase/decrease in revenue. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 5

6 INTRODUCTION Unit outcomes, performance criteria and assessment General competence for the Unit Developing a practical knowledge of the application of marketing concepts and techniques in a travel and tourism business. Outcome 1 Explain the role of marketing and its application in travel and tourism. Performance criteria (a) Explain the concept and importance of marketing and market orientation. (b) Describe methods and purposes of market research techniques. (c) Describe the component elements of the marketing mix. Outcome 2 Explain the role of customer service as a marketing tool in travel and tourism organisations. Performance criteria (a) Explain the principles of customer service. (b) Describe the business benefits of good customer service. (c) Explain how quality customer service contributes to competitive advantage in a travel and tourism organisation. Outcome 3 Evaluate the marketing function in a travel and tourism business or organisation. Performance criteria (a) Identify the aims and objectives of the travel and tourism business or organisation. (b) Produce a SWOT analysis for the business or organisation selected. (c) Analyse the marketing mix for the business or organisation selected. 6 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

7 INTRODUCTION Assessment Guidance on assessment is provided in the National Assessment Bank item for this Unit, where the recommended format for Outcomes 1, 2 and 3 is: A report, based on coursework, which provides an analysis of the marketing function in a travel and tourism business or organisation and covers all outcomes and performance criteria. Recommended entry While entry is at the discretion of the centre, candidates will normally be expected to have attained some of the following: Standard Grade English at grade 2 or above Course or units in Travel and Tourism (Intermediate 2). Progression This is a mandatory unit in the Higher Tourism course. Successful students may wish to progress to Advanced Higher, and specifically to: Marketing in Travel and Tourism (AH). Credit value: 1 credit at Higher (6 SCQF level 6). MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 7

8 INTRODUCTION How to deliver the Unit Timing in the context of the course If the student group has not previously completed Travel and Tourism (Intermediate 2) units or the course, this unit should be delivered either after, or concurrently with, the other mandatory unit in the Higher course, the Structure of the Travel and Tourism Industry. The sequence of delivery is important because an awareness of the organisations and structures involved in the tourism industry is necessary for the successful completion of the Unit. in terms of learning and teaching Outcomes 1, 2 and 3 should be covered in approximately 14, 6 and 10 hours respectively. (Total 30 hours.) The remainder of the Unit time should be allocated to research and write-up of the Report. The maximum time allowed for research activity is 6.5 hours, though additional time will arise naturally from coursework. The final write-up, under controlled conditions, is allocated a maximum of 1.5 hours. (Total 8 hours.) All course delivery timings are approximate and will depend on the particular student groups and on centres own circumstances. The assessment timings however are mandatory. Unit Plan The Unit Planner which follows is provided for guidance only; it indicates a possible delivery approach. In particular it should be remembered that it is recommended that part of the additional 40 hours allocated for Higher courses is used for visits and/or visiting speakers. Two visits, scheduled to take place within the additional time allocation, are therefore included in the Unit Planner. The Unit Plan and the Lesson Plans which follow in Section 2 are divided into 2-hour slots. Where local timetabling arrangements dictate longer or shorter periods, adjustments can be made accordingly. 8 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

9 INTRODUCTION Unit Plan Where time for two visits is allocated from the additional 40 hours course time Hours Outcome Key content Possible specific content and teaching approach All Unit induction Unit descriptor; delivery and assessment arrangements. O1 Introduction to Brainstorming what is marketing, concepts marketing vs. selling, definitions of marketing, market orientation vs. product orientation; the intangible and variable nature of the tourism product and the implications for Market marketing. Preparation for visit. orientation Marketing department-led, wholeorganisation approach. Inseparability of tourism product/service. Extra All Application of Visit to travel and tourism hours marketing in organisation including/or speaker on travel and the role of marketing within the tourism organisation. Structure of the organisations organisation, market research techniques, marketing mix and customer service strategies. See note* Feedback from visit Discussion of findings Re-cap lessons 1 & 2 Advantages of a market-led approach O1 The marketing Components of the marketing mix O3 mix application to known travel and tourism organisations O1 Strengths, SWOT analysis. O3 weaknesses, Application of SWOT analysis. opportunities Issue of seasonality. and threats O1 Market Importance of MR. Finding out about O3 research your target market. Customer surveys. Field research. Primary and secondary research. Qualitative and quantitative data, uses of data obtained from Tourist Boards, local councils, trade associations and internal records O1 Pricing and Factors which affect pricing; length promotion and intensity of visit, unique selling point, the range of services provided, MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 9

10 INTRODUCTION costs, competition, seasonal variations, target markets, product life cycle, image, what the market will bear O1 Promotional Effectiveness of promotional techniques techniques including printed and contd. electronic messages (www). Advertising, exhibitions, public relations and special promotions. Final decision on travel and tourism organisation for individual students and research activity Selected organisations checked against a list of criteria for suitability. Strategy discussed for collecting data for the Report. Case Studies organisations marketing strategies exemplifying content of Outcome 1. List of criteria, based on content of all outcomes, examined to familiarise group with the requirements of the selected travel and tourism organisation. Group work on individual case studies to apply marketing principles. Question and answer. Discussion on choice of travel and tourism organisations. Options discussed O2 Promotion Principal marketing campaign techniques techniques used in travel and tourism. cont. Consolidation/ extension exercise O2 Marketing Who can help in the marketing effort? support organisations. Consolidation/ extension exercise O2 Principles of The importance of customer service to customer the tourism industry. Welcome Host, service. IiP, Scotland s Best. Benefits of good Current industry customer service to the employee, the initiatives. organisation, the local community and Definition of the tourism industry in general in customer service. Scotland. Critical analysis of customer service practice in chosen tourism 10 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

11 INTRODUCTION business or organisation. Competitive advantage of providing quality customer service. Review of strategy for collecting data about the chosen organisation. Addressing issues likely to affect compilation of the student reports. Extra All Application of Visit 2. hours marketing in travel and tourism businesses O3 Good and bad Factors affecting the level of service. service. SAQs. Application of customer service principles and practice to chosen tourism business or organisation O3 Meeting Specific needs of travel and tourism customer needs. customers O3 Business aims Mission statement or equivalent. and objectives. Why have corporate aims and Monitoring and objectives? evaluation. SMART objectives. Feedback from Setting appropriate objectives for a visit 2. tourism business or organisation. Project planner. Discussion about findings from visit 2. SWOT analysis contd O3 Setting aims and Visitor surveys, mystery shoppers, business observation, suggestion boxes, staff objectives. meetings, daily work checklists and Monitoring and procedures, quantitative methods, e.g. evaluation monitoring phone calls answered or mechanisms. lost, waiting times. Study of the different evaluation and monitoring methods used by a variety of tourism businesses and organisations for, e.g. better staff relations, improvements in: timekeeping, retention, morale, motivation, absence; uptake of MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 11

12 INTRODUCTION training; increase/decrease in positive/ negative feedback, increase/decrease in sales revenue, merchandise, ancillary products and services: increase/decrease in visitor numbers, increase/decrease in bookings, improvement/lack of improvement in appearance of premises O3 Commence Analysis of chosen business or work on Report organisation in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats All Work on Review of strategy for collection of projects. data. Data collection. Amendments to strategy. Review of data collected to date. Addressing issues likely to affect the compilation of the student Report. Advice on organisation of data. Report guidelines All Work on Organisation of data. projects. Preparation for assessment. Data collection All Assessment All Remediation All Remediation and resulting reassessment * Timing of first visit: The intention behind scheduling a visit at the beginning of the Unit is to enable students to benefit from the learning experience of the visit when considering the main components of marketing in Outcome 1, i.e. to provide them with a hook on which to hang marketing ideas and concepts. In this way classroom teaching can be related to actual practice to facilitate learning it is much easier to understand and apply the marketing mix and SWOT analysis, for example, if the student can think of these in terms of a known travel and tourism organisation. Similarly, a talk during the visit may provide an insight into market research methods, pricing policies, etc., and will have the added benefit of reducing the amount of classroom teaching required. Some teachers may however prefer to cover a little more theory first before the visit; in which case, the visit can be scheduled later in the outcome, possibly after hours 5 and MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

13 INTRODUCTION Approaches to learning and teaching As in all vocational tourism Units, maximum use should be made of authentic materials and access to industry specialists and site visits as appropriate and feasible, within the limits of time and other centre resources. Although two visits have been included in the preceding Unit Planner, it is recommended that part of the additional 40 hours course time is used for this purpose, and where this can be accommodated, additional time is freed up from the Unit plan to devote to class-based activities and teaching. Where industry visits are not feasible, case studies backed up with authentic materials, video or multimedia packages may be used. In all aspects of the Unit, a practical rather than a theoretical approach is required. Emphasis throughout should be placed on actual business practice, and centre-devised case studies, examples, promotional materials, etc., should be gathered from a wide range of providers in the field. Maximum benefit will be achieved through such a practical approach and by taking advantage of opportunities for visits to, and talks from, practitioners in tourism businesses and organisations, and from field trips to promotional events. Student-centred activities should be used to encourage the learner to participate in the collection, discovery, evaluation and organisation of the materials required for write-up of the final Report. Group work incorporating discussions and diagnosis should be encouraged throughout the delivery of the Unit. Visits to tourist servicing organisations, e.g. a TIC, local tour operator, travel agency or similar where students will be able to observe best practice in customer service, market research and promotional methods, are recommended as an appropriate teaching/learning method. After initial consultation with the tutor and during the Report preparation stages, the approach should be to allow the student a large degree of autonomy in the research and collection of data with ongoing tutorial support provided as appropriate. Both desk research and fieldwork may be necessary. While the subject area is applicable to any tourism business or organisation, centres may find it most suitable to concentrate on tourism activity in the local area, i.e. within an approximate 30-mile radius of where the student lives or works. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 13

14 INTRODUCTION Examples of appropriate teaching/learning approaches include: teacher exposition/lecture discussion question and answer case studies visits and speakers accessing the internet independently and in group sessions media watch for PR approaches, advertising, etc. desk research analysing trends and forecasting group/pair work on investigations and other activities direct sourcing of materials by students for use in compiling the final Report. 14 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

15 INTRODUCTION Frameworks for induction The section which follows relates to Unit induction. Hours Outcome Key content Possible specific content and teaching approach All *Unit induction Unit descriptor content; delivery and assessment arrangements; OHP, H/O Q&A/PowerPoint/VLE. O1 Introduction Brainstorming what is marketing, to concepts marketing vs. selling, definitions of marketing, market orientation vs. product orientation; the intangible and variable nature of the tourism product and the implications for marketing. * A framework for Unit induction might include: Introduction to what is to be learned why it is relevant how it will be taught where learning will take place Information about what is expected of students homework progress monitoring, assessment, and remediation practicalities materials needed where to get help levels of prior knowledge Communication to allow students to ask questions to reassure and promote confidence and interest Method teacher input Unit descriptor student guide teacher input Unit descriptor student guide brainstorming/activity discussion and questions student activity MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 15

16 INTRODUCTION Student guide The student guide will vary from centre to centre, but may contain some common components such as: Unit descriptor or simplified version Guide to assessment (contained in National Assessment Bank items) Work and assessment schedule for the Unit Visits schedule Where to get help. A sample student guide is contained in Section 3. Materials for the staff induction pack are incorporated in the lesson plans in Section 2. Sample resources Visits/Speakers Texts/Media* Materials Visits to and/or Individual company and speakers from local consortia advertising tourism businesses materials and organisations. Field trip to a What s On/events guides promotional event, Marketing in Travel and e.g. Scotland s Travel Tourism Middleton Travel brochures Fair (usually April). (Heinemann) Research visits made NTS/HS tickets, brochures independently by individual students. Tourism Marketing Examples of special Holloway and Robinson promotions, e.g. (Longman) competitions, 2-for-1 tickets Leisure and Tourism Kemp and Pearson Adverts (Longman) Special events publicity Tourism in Action: Ten Case Studies Warnes Press releases (Stanley Thornes) Sample visitor surveys Market Research in Travel and Tourism VisitScotland (Butterworth-Heinemann) Marketing and development guides 16 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

17 INTRODUCTION Successful Marketing Davies, Institute of Management (Hodder & Stoughton) Welcome Host Xtra (Contact: Scottish Enterprise) ASVA marketing guide ATB member newsletters Travel trade guides Students own files Travel and Tourism Teaching (subscription magazine including photocopiable classroom materials) Contact: Authentically English Posters * These texts are as suggested by teachers and lecturers currently delivering this and related marketing Units. They are not recommended as set texts, but as reference sources, mainly for staff use. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 17

18 INTRODUCTION The learning environment Within centres Students will benefit from an attractive and professionally presented learning environment. Rationale an attractive and practical classroom layout makes learning easier and more enjoyable for both teacher and student. It will help to motivate the students to allow open access during class time to the wide range of tourism materials to which students must have access, and avoid the necessity of having to transport large amounts of materials and equipment between classrooms continuity of classroom accommodation is particularly desirable in this Unit because of the need for ease of storage, and access to tourism materials, required for the Reports access to IT resources such as PCs with CD-ROM and internet connection are necessary for data collection resources can be used and maintained by all students following various tourism courses in the centre. Outwith centres Because of the nature of the Unit, the learning environment in this case is not confined to the classroom and may include visits to tourism businesses and organisations. It may also include field trips to travel/ holiday fairs or other promotional events. Many schools and colleges have staff with experience in establishing business links who will view the task of setting up visits and speakers as an extension to an already existing framework. For those with less experience, more guidance on how to get the most out of visits and speakers is given in Section 2 and in Appendix 2. In addition to recognising the learning opportunities offered by such visits, students should be made aware of the responsibilities which participation in field trips entails. In particular, it should be made clear that continued support from industry will depend to a great extent on their conduct, enthusiasm and commitment to the tasks set. Schools and colleges may have existing guidelines to ensure that student groups make the most favourable impression when in contact with cooperative businesses. 18 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

19 INTRODUCTION Opportunities for development of core skills It is likely that attainment of this Unit would lead to the automatic award of: Critical Thinking at Higher Planning and Organising at Higher. Opportunities for integration with other units In terms of specific learning and teaching approaches, there is scope for some integration of activities with: The Structure of the Travel and Tourism Industry Introduction to the Scottish Tourism Product. This may be achieved chiefly through the suggested approach of using industry visits and speakers to promote learning, and specific advice as to how this may be managed is provided in Appendix 2. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 19

20 INTRODUCTION Visits and speakers Two out-of-school/college visits are recommended to support students learning in this Unit: 1. To/by an organisation which demonstrates a customer-oriented approach and whose marketing activities will provide a good source of reference/case study material on which to base learning activities. 2. To/by an information provider such as a TIC or travel agency or another organisation where a large amount of tourist information is collected and analysed and where there is evidence of recognition of marketing mix variables and the marketing function is well established. Appendix 1 contains further information on education and industry links. Appendix 2 contains notes and visit record sheets to assist with pre-visit planning along with an illustration of the possible format of a visit to an organisation. Information obtained during these visits may be relevant to other travel and tourism subjects. Appendix 3 provides information on coordinating organisations who can help with education and industry links, including a full list of all education business partnerships in Scotland. 20 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

21 SECTION 2 LESSON PLANS Lesson plans Contents: Background reading Lesson plan proforma Detailed lesson plans and materials. The outline lesson plans that follow are exemplars for guidance. Teachers may use these as they are presented or may wish to adapt them to incorporate their own tried and tested approaches. A template is provided which can be photocopied and used to make up alternative lesson plans. Each outline lesson plan is accompanied, where appropriate, by: 1. overheads/powerpoints 2. student activities 3. information sheets. Teachers may wish to use all or only some of these and supplement them with their own materials. As teaching and learning styles differ, the activities are left open and can be used in different ways according to teacher preferences and the particular student group. They can, for example, be used as: individual exercises pair/small group work with whole group feedback sessions a stimulus for debate/discussion homework. Specifically, some tasks are designed to be set as preparatory work for subsequent classes and, where this is the case, this is indicated as Work Out on the relevant lesson plan. OHTs/PowerPoint pages are designed so that they can also be used as handouts. Where there is no corresponding student activity the OHTs/ PowerPoints are intended for use during lectures. More and more teachers are using PowerPoint as an effective way of presenting information. It is straightforward to obtain handout material from a PowerPoint presentation. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 21

22 Background reading It is unlikely that students will require to do extensive background reading, because of the availability of up-to-date information via the world wide web(www). However, students should be made aware of the availability of textbooks on the subject, particularly of specialist texts dealing with marketing in travel and tourism. There is no requirement envisaged for copies of text to be made for circulation to the learner. This applies to full-time, part-time and e-learning situations. 22 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

23 Lesson plan Course: Tourism (Higher) Lesson No.: Unit: Marketing in Travel and Tourism: An Introduction (Higher) Topic: Outcome and PC Objectives: Detail of what is to be covered/achieved in the lesson Resources Essential resources are listed. You may also wish to add your own. Admin Left blank for teachers own use Work In: Work to be handed in by students Out: Work to be handed back to students/work to be issued to students Left blank for teacher use MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 23

24 Lesson plan Course: Tourism (Higher) Lesson No.: Unit: Marketing in Travel and Tourism: An Introduction (Higher) Topic: Objectives: Resources Admin Work In: Out: Left blank for teacher use 24 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

25 Key points Teaching/learning method Materials Time MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 25

26 Lesson plan Course: Tourism (Higher) Lesson No.: Unit: Marketing in Travel and Tourism: An Introduction (Higher) Topic: Unit Induction Outcome 1 PC a: Introduction to concepts Objectives: 1. Unit Induction Understand the aims of the Unit Understand teaching/learning approaches Understand homework, progress and assessment arrangements Establish levels of prior knowledge 2. Explore marketing ideas and concepts (overview) what is marketing? market orientation vs. product orientation marketing vs. selling tourism marketing special features 3. Prepare for visit/speaker Resources OHTs Student guide Activity Sheets Visit Sheets Admin Work In: Out: Visit Sheets For Lesson 4/5: Task (a). Use the internet to find information for any tourismrelated organisation. Obtain some literature about the organisation and comment on the user-friendly nature of the web information. Task (b). Go to a local tourist information office, hotel, travel agency or attraction and pick up a couple of leaflets or brochures. Study the materials and decide whether you think they are effective advertising documents and if not why not. Be prepared to share your thoughts in class. (Divide tasks (a) and (b) among the group.) Left blank for teacher use 26 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

27 Teachers Notes Unit Induction should only take a short time, the bulk of this session being spent on a general introduction/overview of marketing what it means, what it is, what it isn t, and why tourism, or services, marketing, although based on the same principles and concepts, differs from the marketing of more tangible consumer goods. The session should draw on the students own experiences as consumers, and users of services. Students may find it easier to complete the Brainstorming Activity with prompting by the teacher, and this can therefore be used as a small-group or whole-group activity. A teacher s prompt sheet is included for this purpose. A visit (or visiting speaker) is planned in the early stages of the Unit to enable students to relate marketing theory and concepts to actual practice which they will be able to refer to when considering issues, ideas and working on marketing activities throughout the Unit. It is important therefore that they understand the objectives of the visit and what they are expected to learn from it. Teachers should go through the visit sheet with students to clarify unfamiliar terms, e.g. target markets, monitoring, etc. and to ensure that students are comfortable with the objectives of the visit. Explain briefly what a SWOT analysis is at this stage students should be able to enter comments under strengths and weaknesses based on their observations during the visit, but opportunities and threats can be left until the next classroom session. Students should bring this visit sheet to every class so that it can be referred to in relation to the rest of the course content and used as case study material. A suggested outline Teaching/Learning approach is provided on the next sheet. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 27

28 Key points Teaching/learning method Materials Time Induction Issue student guide Student Guide Aims of the Talk through Unit descriptor OHT/ Unit PowerPoint Teaching/ learning approaches Teacher input on types of classroom activity, visits, practical content, scope for independent study, etc. Homework, Teacher input: Student Guide progress and Types of homework tasks, e.g. OHT/ assessment worksheets, sourcing and PowerPoint gathering of materials, examples of promotional literature and other techniques. Students encouraged to media watch for examples of ads, PR coverage, special promotions, etc. Progress checks how and when. Timing and nature of assessment and reassessment arrangements. Links between internal Unit assessment and external course assessment. Student Activity Question and Answer Sheet What is Student Activity small group. OHT/ Marketing? Whole-group feedback, leading PowerPoint to definition of marketing and list of what marketing involves. Teacher summing up and input. Market vs. Teacher input. Student Activity Product OHT/ Orientation PowerPoint Marketing Student Activity. Student Activity and Selling Teacher summing up and input. OHT/ (Alternatively the activity can be PowerPoint given as homework after the teacher input.) Marketing Tourism Student Activity and Feedback. Teacher input and summing up. 28 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

29 Visit Teacher input relate aims of the Visit Objectives Preparation Unit to visit, i.e. why it is relevant. Visit Sheet Talk through Visit Sheet, Visit Info on place Objectives and administrative to be visited arrangements (and timing, (e.g. leaflet) transport, dress code, etc.) MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 29

30 OHT/Handout Induction Marketing in Travel and Tourism: An Introduction (Higher) Aims of the Unit: To develop knowledge and understanding of marketing concepts and practice in a travel and tourism context. To enable you to apply marketing techniques and resources in a travel and tourism business or organisation. To place an emphasis on actual business practice and the need to become familiar with the external and internal working activities of travel and tourism organisations in presenting a positive company image. Outcome 1 Explain the role of marketing and its application in travel and tourism. Outcome 2 Explain the role of customer service as a marketing tool in travel and tourism organisations. Outcome 3 Evaluate the marketing function in a travel and tourism business or organisation. 30 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

31 OHT/Handout Induction Teaching and learning: Visits/speakers marketing in practice Case studies from actual businesses look at Scottish Thistle Awards at Application of principles to authentic workplace situations Individual research and information gathering (data collection) Observing and assessing marketing techniques, visitor service, market research, advertising, pricing strategies, promotional techniques Ongoing internet access Individual and small-group activities Lectures MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 31

32 OHT/Handout Induction Homework Specific tasks, e.g. finding out about prices charged to different categories of customers Follow-up on, or preparation for classwork Media Watch Individual work on projects Internet searches Monitoring your progress Progress checks Quizzes Teacher feedback 32 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

33 OHT/Handout Induction Assessment Open-book report, covering all outcomes and performance criteria. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 33

34 OHT/Handout Lessons 1 & 2 Outcome 1 Definitions of marketing Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably. (Chartered Institute of Marketing definition) Marketing is about finding out what your customers need or want, and providing it while making a profit. It is a process which underpins all of a company s activities. Marketing is not... Marketing is not the same as selling, nor is it just about advertising. Advertising and selling are both important elements in the marketing process, but they are not the only elements involved. Marketing is important Marketing is an essential core business cost, not an optional activity. It is not a luxury, to be afforded when your budget runs to it and discarded when it does not. When things are tough, that s usually the time to increase your marketing activities. (ASVA Visitor Attractions Marketing Guide) 34 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

35 OHT/Handout Lessons 1 & 2 Outcome 1 What marketing involves: 1. Taking stock of your business and analysing its strengths and weaknesses in the context of the business environment in which your business operates. 2. Finding out about your customers actual and potential and about their needs, wants, attitudes and expectations. 3. Responding to these, if necessary by changing or adapting what you provide or how you operate. 4. Setting realistic business objectives. 5. Promoting the business making sure the right messages get to the right people at the right time. 6. Continually monitoring and evaluating what and how well you are providing for your customers, and the effectiveness of your marketing strategy in relation to your business objectives. Remember Marketing is an ongoing process, not a one-off activity. It underpins all the activities of the business. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 35

36 OHT/Handout Lessons 1 & 2 Outcome 1 Product orientation vs. market orientation Product orientation: Is essentially inward looking. Its focus is on the needs and operations of the business. Product-oriented companies may place most emphasis on sales and advertising to persuade consumers that they need a product. Market orientation: Is essentially outward looking. Its focus is on the needs and expectations of the marketplace, i.e. the customer. Market-oriented companies may place more emphasis on market research and may produce or adapt products in line with what the customer wants. They will still use advertising and selling, but as tools to inform and persuade customers about a product which is tailored to their needs. The marketing concept: Puts the customer at the centre of the company s activities. 36 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

37 OHT/Handout Lessons 1 & 2 Outcome 1 Marketing tourism vs. marketing consumer goods Buying a holiday You can t see what you re buying except in a brochure/you buy on the basis of what the travel agent tells you, i.e. on trust. Variations in weather, services, etc. mean it s not always possible to guarantee standardisation of product. You can t try before you buy. You pay for the purchase before you receive the holiday. You can t take it back and get a replacement if it didn t work for you! Highly perishable once the plane has gone the chance of selling the holiday has gone. Buying a CD player You can inspect it, play it, establish that it is just what you want before you buy. Quality-control systems mean all players should be identical. You can test the sound quality. You pay when satisfied that the player is suitable for your needs. If it doesn t work you can take it back. Long shelf-life. Year-round supply and demand but relatively easy-to-manage fluctuations. Highly seasonal. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 37

38 Student Activity Lessons 1 & 2 Outcome 1 Brainstorming! What is marketing all about? In your group, discuss what you think marketing involves. Elect a spokesperson to feed back your group s ideas. Write a definition of marketing. Marketing involves: Definition of marketing: 38 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

39 Teacher Notes on Student Activity Lessons 1 & 2 Outcome 1 Brainstorming! What is marketing all about? Sample teacher prompts: Have you ever been stopped in the street and asked your opinions about anything? How do you find out what s on at the cinema? How does your local supermarket get you to try new products? What do people dislike most about buying a new car? You decide to go for a day out with friends/family. You have a choice of two similar attractions, both easy to get to. What might make you choose one rather than the other? How many ways of buying a holiday can you think of? What influences you to: go back to a restaurant more than once/use the same tour operator or travel agency when booking your holidays/change your bank? Marketing involves: Student responses may include answers which amount to the identification of such marketing components as: 1. Market research 2. Advertising 3. Special promotions, e.g. introductory offers 4. Pricing 5. Product development 6. Selling 7. Publicity 8. Distribution 9. Customer awareness and service 10. Providing goods and services that the customer wants Definitions of marketing: There are a variety of definitions around, some more complicated than others. Try to keep it simple, e.g. Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably (Chartered Institute of Marketing definition) Marketing is about finding out what your customers need or want, and providing it while making a profit. It is a process which underpins all of a company s activities. It is also a good idea to point out what marketing is not, i.e. marketing is not the same as selling, marketing is not just about advertising. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 39

40 Student Activity Homework Outcome 1 Marketing and selling Case Study 1 Your parents buy a new front door after a company calls them on a Sunday night and persuades them to have an adviser call round the next day as they are doing a special promotion in your area. There was nothing wrong with the old front door, but the adviser was very persuasive and your folks end up buying from the company. [It probably wasn t their first choice of colour but the special promotion ended that day so they had to buy it in order to get it at the promotional price.] Case Study 2 Your neighbours have a young family and enjoy taking the children on outings, when they usually travel by car. They are pretty safety conscious and after seeing an advert on TV for a new model with additional safety features which protect rear-seat passengers, they go along to the showroom for a look. The salesman offers them a good trade-in for their existing car and they decide to buy the new model. Case Study 3 You receive a telephone call telling you that you have won a free holiday all you have to do to claim your prize is to attend a holiday presentation on a specified date. You agree. On the day, you and about 30 others listen to a presentation about a holiday property ownership scheme which you can buy into for a special promotional price of 5,000 and which seems to have amazing benefits and the company can arrange loans to help you finance it. The only snag is that this price is only offered on the day and you have to sign up before you leave. There is a lot of pressure on people to sign up there and then, but you decide against it, and ask instead for the free holiday, which was the main reason you came. The presenter s attitude changes from best mate to I ve just wasted three hours of my time on you and now I won t get my commission! The free holiday turns out to have so many conditions attached to it that in the end you put it and all the forms in the bin and put the whole episode down to experience. Working in groups of three, discuss whether what was happening in these three case studies involved marketing or selling and whether there is any difference between the two. 40 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

41 Information Lessons 1 & 2 Outcome 1 Marketing and selling Marketing is not the same as selling, nor is it just about advertising. Advertising and selling are both important elements in the marketing process, but are not the only elements involved. Marketing orientation [Extract from Marketing for Tourism, Holloway and Plant] As Theodore Levitt expresses it, while selling focuses on the needs of the seller, marketing focuses on the needs of the buyer. Marketing is about finding out what the customer wants first, and then producing the product to fit those needs (a marketing-oriented approach) as opposed to producing the product or service and then seeing to whom it can be sold (a product-oriented approach). Clearly, a marketing-oriented company is one in which the philosophy of marketing is understood and practised throughout the entire organisation. If decisions at board level are production-oriented, or the chief executive is unsympathetic to the marketing philosophy, the marketing manager s task becomes impossible. Equally, marketing cannot function effectively if other departments are inefficient. If the company s costs are too high, or inadequate control over product quality results in poor value for money, no amount of marketing will make the company a success. The customer s needs will remain unsatisfied, however well advertised, or hard sold, the product is. MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 41

42 Student Activity Outcome 1 Visit to: Date: Objectives: to learn how marketing is put into practice in/by travel and tourism businesses and organisations to find out about the range of customers of the travel and tourism organisation to find out how the business conducts market research to find out who works with the organisation in terms of its marketing activities to find out about the importance of customer service in travel and tourism businesses and organisations. Preparation: You will benefit most from the visit by finding out as much as you can about the organisation beforehand. This will help you to focus on the main objectives of the visit and enable you to identify any questions that you might want to ask. Find out about: the location of the travel and tourism organisation how accessible it is to customers travelling by car or by public transport the aims and objectives of the organisation its prices historical/architectural importance (if relevant) you might also try to find some information via a web address about the organisation. This travel and tourism organisation has kindly agreed to allow us to visit as a tourism education initiative. Your responsibility is to demonstrate your enthusiasm by preparing well for the visit, and by showing interest and courtesy to the staff and management of the facility who are welcoming you to their workplace. This is part of a Scotland-wide collaboration between industry and education to raise awareness of how the tourism industry works. The continued cooperation of businesses such as the one we are going to visit will largely depend on the conduct and commitment of the students who participate. In the future you might even apply for a job here, so remember you never get a second chance to make a first impression! 42 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

43 Marketing in Travel and Tourism: An Introduction (Higher) All Outcomes Visit to: Type of Facility: Date: Location: Business Profile Operated by: Rates/prices: Opening: Main business: Main markets: Examples of product development: Marketing activity, e.g. research, promotion, monitoring MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 43

44 Visitor Service Initiatives, e.g. Welcome Host, Scotland s Best, Mystery Shopper: Membership of Quality Assurance Schemes, Trade Associations, ATB, etc: Visitor Services scored 1 5, where 5 = Excellent Signposting Parking Interpretation Foreign languages Child friendly Provision for disabled Catering Retail Overall value for money Customer service skills Occupational skills Appearance of staff SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats 44 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)

45 Lesson plan Course: Tourism (Higher) Lesson: Visit/Speaker Unit: Marketing in Travel and Tourism: An Introduction (Higher) Topic: All outcomes Objectives: 1. Learn how marketing concepts are applied in/by the travel and tourism business or organisation. 2. Identify the aims and objectives of the business. 3. Describe the customers of the business. 4. Find out how the business carries out market research. 5. Find evidence of product development/market orientation. 6. Identify examples of promotional techniques used by the business. 7. Identify the pricing strategies used by the business. Resources Visit activity sheets Admin Work In: Out: Task is to complete visit sheet including simple SWOT analysis. Left blank for teacher use MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER) 45

46 Teachers Notes All Outcomes The success of the visit will depend to a great extent on the teacher s liaison with the organisation concerned. The travel and tourism organisation must be thoroughly briefed on the objectives of the visit and on the level of understanding of the students involved so that they can tailor their talk and visit to the needs and experience of the group. Specific guidance on planning for visits is given in Section 1 of this pack. 46 MARKETING IN TRAVEL AND TOURISM: AN INTRODUCTION (HIGHER)