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Index
Index .......................................................................................................... 1
Introduction .............................................................................................. 2
Definitions and terms............................................................................... 2
Define your destination. .............................................................................. 4
Location, location, location! ...................................................................... 4
What are you selling? .............................................................................. 5
How much? ............................................................................................ 6
To whom? .............................................................................................. 7
Set your boundaries ................................................................................ 8
Make your SWOT’s .................................................................................. 8
USP’s .................................................................................................... 8
Business plan ............................................................................................ 9
Branding................................................................................................... 9
What is a brand? ..................................................................................... 9
Why do we need a brand? ...................................................................... 10
How to manage a brand ......................................................................... 11
Market ................................................................................................... 13
Find your market .................................................................................. 13
SWOTS ................................................................................................ 13
Strategy .............................................................................................. 14
Continuation ......................................................................................... 14
Where to market ................................................................................... 15
Fam Trips............................................................................................. 15
Promote ................................................................................................. 17
Advertising ........................................................................................... 17
Free promotion ..................................................................................... 17
Trade shows ......................................................................................... 17
Tips on trade shows............................................................................... 18
Press Trips ........................................................................................... 21
Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 ............................................................................. 22
Management .............................................................................................. 24
Manage .................................................................................................. 24
Consistent Funding ................................................................................ 24
Organize ................................................................................................. 24
National Tourism Organization ................................................................ 24
Tourism Information .............................................................................. 25
Addendum .............................................................................................. 25
Ready for the International Market? ......................................................... 25
Business plan index ............................................................................... 26
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Introduction
A very important part of the tourism industry is Destination Management. Basically
this means that you want to put your Destination, your country, city, village, region
in the market for everyone to see. Think of it as an open air marketplace: you all
know the market stall where people flock around, because the stall holder is
entertaining, tells a good story or has a catching gimmick. People buy his product
whether they need it or not.
He tempts you with the price:
’ I give you not one, not two, but three bunches of bananas for the price of one!’
Do you pay less then elsewhere? No. But you think you do.
‘My bananas are directly imported from Guatemala, fresh from the tree, better
tasting!’
True or false?
Does it matter?
What matters is, you bought his story!
The same goes for your tourism product. And I will show you how it is done in this
seminar.
A destination cannot plan, cannot fully benefit from its potentials, or reliably avoid
the inherent negative possibilities, without knowledge of the tourism market,
visitors (demand side) and tourism industries (supply side).
With increased market knowledge, the improvements in strategic marketing are
powerful. The destination marketing organizations I researched invest a significant
portion (2% to 10%) of their annual budget on research, and they are continually
innovating ways to gather market information and apply it
I divided Destination Management into 2 parts: Destination and Management.
In the Destination part we will:
Define: we will first define your product, what and where it is.
Brand: we will give your product a name and make it stand out from the rest
Market: Where are we selling it?
Promote: once we have done the first three parts, we will start to tell people about
it.
In the Management part of the seminar we will discuss how to set up your local
representation into a well oiled machine, with lots of interlocking wheels that start a
momentum which will perpetuate the movement. You will see how tight
organization and strict management will benefit you all, cost less, has more effect
and is very successful. Working together is the motto you should never forget.
Definitions and terms
Before we go on I want to explain some terms to you that are essential in the
tourism industry:
1. The Tourist: Defined by total needs and total experience desired by the
visitor.
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The traveler is understood as someone who is seeking values such as leisure,
relaxation, fun, personal enrichment. The tourist is most often traveling with
a family or partners, which gives rise to additional needs and wants.
Furthermore, the tourist will consume a broad range of products and services
during the visit, all of which should offer an acceptable standard of quality.
The tourist also wants choices, and sufficient information to make the best
choices for him or herself.
2. The Destination: An interconnected and complimentary set of attractions,
events, services and products which together create the total experience and
value for the visitor.
Within the picture of the total experience, there is usually a balance of the
unique and the complementary - that is to say, interesting choices that
together create a fun, convenient and personally valuable visit. Attractions in
close proximity can be mutually supportive -- by offering nice choices for a
vacationing family -- even though they differ thematically. In a successful
destination, each attraction contributes something to the total. A coordinated
and consistent offering is not realized by accident, but instead through
careful management.
3. The Tourism Service Suppliers: Destination marketing is primarily
accomplished by a large group of independent firms and agencies that work
together to serve their independent interests.
Suppliers include both private sector firms (e.g. a hotel), and public sector
agencies (e.g. a public transportation department). Each private sector firm
will behave in a way that maximizes its own return on investment, while
public sector agencies will act to maximize the effectiveness of their
resources and to accomplish their legislative mandate. But because of the
essential interdependence of the players in the tourism market, destination
tourism service suppliers should - and do - attempt to coordinate their
marketing activities. Even so, private firms are constrained from taking a
long-term view of destination marketing by short-term profit pressures and
imperfect information. Coordination is difficult to sustain because of the
inherent difficulty involved in perceiving the connection between individual
contributions and individual returns. This inspires the need for a specialized
public-private interest coordinator, who will not only coordinate strategy but
also undertake the expense of demonstrating the benefits of coordination. It
is this essential and necessary expense that is most often forgotten when it
is assumed that private firms and agencies will coordinate tourist policies.
4. The Citizen: The ultimate authority and beneficiary with regards to his or her
home city.
The first mandate of destination marketing is to satisfy the long term needs
and wants of its natural constituents: the people who sustain the city and
give it life. Citizens are asked to host visitors and to harmonize their city's
qualities with the needs and expectations of prospective visitors.7 What is
tourism's reward to the citizens? Does it go beyond pure economics? These
issues are vital to successful destination marketing, and the responsibility for
handling these issues also falls to the public-private interest coordinator.
5. The Public-Private Interest Coordinator: An organization (like a National
Tourist Board) that has the responsibility to coordinate and facilitate the
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interests and actions of all the concerned parties in the marketing of the
destination.
In other words, its job is to increase the potential benefits available to all the
parties.
Its duties are to:
a. Recognize and respond to all concerned parties.
b. Take a leading role in researching and analyzing the incoming-tourism
market.
c. Identify positive and negative influences in the market.
d. Inform all concerned parties of these influences and facilitate the process
of innovating or legislating solutions for them.
e. Create positive influences by undertaking the marketing activities for
which no other single party would have a sufficient return to provide on its
own (e.g., consumer research, development of the destination brand image,
communication, etc.). Fundamentally, the main roles of the public-private
interest coordinator are continuous and rapid learning about the tourism
demand-supply market and effective communication of the opportunities,
threats and potential areas for coordination. This role cannot be fulfilled
effectively either by the public sector or the private sector acting
independently. Nonetheless, public and private sector interests are optimally
served when a third-party coordinator provides these services; therefore,
both the public and private sectors justifiably finance this service in
conjunction with each other.
Define your destination.
Before you start doing anything you have to sit down and think about what you’ve
got and what you want to sell. By defining your destination you can find out which
sort of tourist might be interested in your product and which tourist you will attract.
Location, location, location!
Time is too short these days! And leisure time with family or friends, when
it is available, is treated as more precious than ever. Whether it is the time needed
to find information, to book a hotel, to reach the destination, or to access a specific
place when you arrive, accessibility and ease of experiencing the destination are all
critical considerations for visitors. The distance visitors have to travel can directly
influence how long they may stay, or more importantly, whether they even want to
make the effort to visit. How easy is it to get there? Is it accessible year round?
How easy is it to get around once they are there? For any community serious about
tourism, building greater visitor accessibility and convenience is critical. There is a
vital link between the efficiency of transportation systems and tourism. Ensure that
it is as easy as possible for visitors to visit and enjoy a stay with your community.
On paper a distance may look close. But you know only too well that this is
deceptive. Be realistic and measure in time not in distance. Is your destination
reachable in one day or one hour? Not only that, traveling to your destination must
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be fun in itself. Find things on the way that your guests may find interesting
enough to take a small break. Have some coffee or a snack. Visit a monumental
church or vineyard. Prepare your itineraries in such a way that at least every 90
minutes there is the possibility to stop, relax or have a photo op. If travelling over
the open road with normal traffic, take covering a distance of 50 km every hour as
your measuring stick. Obviously travel over mountain- or unpaved roads take much
longer. If organizing excursions in your area do a sample run yourself and pretend
you are a visitor.
What are you selling?
Take a good hard look at your product with eyes as if you have never seen it
before. Let us take some examples.
You have a hotel with 20 double rooms. In a best case scenario you can offer
hospitality to 40 guests. Are you going to sell to a coach operator? Why or why not?
You have a vineyard and wine tasting room. Are you going to promote your product
to families? Why or why not?
You have a monument, church, monastery, or museum. What kind of visitors will
you attract?
Never sell what you cannot deliver. A bad experience takes years to recover from.
But there is much more to consider.
Can you combine your product with that of another supplier in your area? We call
that ‘added value’.
Is your product for the local market or the international market? Local market
spends less but is consistent.
Is your product seasonal; are there ways to extend the season? Offering off-season
packages is a way to extend your season.
Make your product irresistible to the client.
What makes your destination unique and different from the others?
The Disney company bought masses of land in Florida for next to nothing when it
was just a swamp and practically useless. It was hot, wet and millions of
mosquitoes. Today it is the number one tourist destination in the world: an endless
bonanza of delights for the family, with parks, rides, museums, concerts, sporting,
cuisine, and the growing list continues on, to include almost all imaginable leisure
activities.
Las Vegas used to be a place in the desert with no natural water supply. Today over
30 million people visit Las Vegas.
Both places looked like they had nothing to attract visitors at the time, but
imagination and cooperation made it what it is now.
Every place has its own stories, character, style, history, people, and culture that
reflect the essence of the place. When you are able to preserve this and interpret it
in a manner that enhances the experience for visitors, you can have an edge over
places that convey an all too familiar “sameness”. That “sameness” in destination is
increasingly reflected in streets dotted with the architecture of “off the shelf”
and uniform, national franchises that deny the distinctiveness provided by a local
“sense of place” or character. Visitors want to understand and experience the local
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story whether it is through the character of the streets, the foods, the museums,
the special events, or the lifestyle of the people. It makes for a fresh or different
perspective and far richer and rewarding experience.
A community’s appeal involves so much more than “what to see and do”. So
many destinations try to sell themselves using a “laundry list” of attributes e.g. a
beach, a casino, forests, or an historic museum. The reality is that most tourists
travel to feel better in some way. This involves the visitor connecting with the
place at a sensory or emotional level. Destinations that are able to deliver
extraordinary, fulfilling or unforgettable experiences not only have a distinct
competitive advantage, but are able to attract premium pricing and appeal to high
value visitors. The destinations and tourism operators that focus on the customer
experience and deliver it effectively are among the most profitable and attractive.
All places have something that makes them different. When that “something” is
attractive to visitors, then it is possibly something that can lead marketing efforts,
and possibly even your branding. On the other hand, if your streets, attractions,
and countryside are the same as everywhere else, why should people visit your
community? Focus on features and experiences that make your destination a
special place to visit. Does your destination have distinctive natural, cultural, or
historic features? Does it have a different ambiance or character? Does it have a
unique story to tell? These are the keys to successful tourism development.
Successful destinations celebrate what makes them different.
Shopping is an integral component of the tourism experience. For most urban
destinations around the world (and for many non-urban ones too), shopping may
not be the main reason visitors go there, but once there, shopping – as could be
predicted - becomes the number one activity in terms of time and money spent.
Shopping and browsing are the most popular tourist activity for most destinations.
Having a variety of interesting retail stores in close proximity to each other can be a
vital source of outside income for a destination.
Celebrate shopping - it is the number 1 money spinner.
How much?
The crucial question every tourist asks first. Price is a question of comparison. Is it
worth it? Can I afford it?
In this chapter we will look at your price as compared to other places and an overall
comparison of value for money.
Does the price you need to charge for your product compare in a positive way to a
similar product? Make sure you do not compare apples and pears.
How much does a visitor have to spend to reach your destination?
And when he gets there, how much does he need to spend to do what he wants to
do?
Rule of thumb:
Selling price=your price + 20 to 30% (T.O.)
The tour operator needs to pay the travel agent (10%) and promote the product.
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Example: If you own or manage a budget hotel with few amenities you cannot
charge almost the same price as a hotel with new furniture, excellent beds and a
swimming pool. If you need to charge the same price because of your overhead,
you are doing something wrong.
Clever managers make packages: remember the guy that was selling bananas. Add
another product that is valuable to your client.
Look and listen what your client wants.
Example: If you organize excursions or guided tours, add value to your product by
offering something for free.
Or generate cost and time savings through visitor activity packages that include
admission to several attractions over a period of several days.
Example: Ski resorts offer packages including lift passes or discounts on equipment
rentals.
Example: Guided city tours give out coupons for restaurants offering a free aperitif
or discounts on meals.
To whom?
Who is your client? These are questions you need to find an answer to. You cannot
offer white water rafting trips to older people or young children. You cannot take
non drinkers on a wine tour. These are simple examples. But the question is much
more complex.
It is nothing new to take tourists for granted, to assume they will respond to the
opportunity to visit a nice or interesting destination. Operating in this way -- in the
dark, so to speak – is not necessarily wrong (it is an essentially organic growth
strategy), but it certainly can slow the ability to achieve important goals. You
cannot plan, cannot fully benefit from your potentials, or reliably avoid negative
possibilities, without knowledge of the tourism market, visitors (demand side) and
tourism industries (supply side).
Start at the beginning and do a small survey of the people that visit you. Make a
questionnaire to try and find out without being obtrusive what category your clients
fall into:
How old is he/she – simple enough as you can see the client
Where do they come from – ask
What is their income – tricky, but you can usually put them into one of three
income groups pretty easily: budget; middle income; affluent.
What do they like – food, outdoor sports, peace & quiet, shopping, fashion,
mountains, hiking, photography, bird watching, etc.
How do they communicate – are they constantly on their cell phone or laptop
or do they not even have an email address?
What do they like to spend their money on – gadgets, foods, clothes, wine,
home decorations, investing, family, children, electronics
How do they travel – car, bicycle, train, plane, walking
How long is he/she staying
After one season you look at your statistics and draw a conclusion.
Don’t try to be everything to everyone – you’ll end up in the poorhouse.
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Choose your target customer, which is the sort of client you see most of, and build
your product around them.
If your clients like to eat improve on your catering.
If your clients like outdoor sports offer them a package including transfers.
If your clients are budget conscious families with children find them self-catering
apartments.
If your clients are elderly make sure you offer them comfortable beds and furniture.
If your clients have plenty of money, make sure you can offer them outings that
they can spend it on.
And again: coordinate and cooperate, find other suppliers you can work with to
make a perfect package.
Set your boundaries
This is all about planning. Once you have decided what your target customer looks
like you have to make a master plan, or 5 year plan if you want. Know your options
– count your pennies and spend them wisely. Obviously you will not plan a camping
if you are located on a steep hill, or plan to build a ski lift if you never get snow.
If in 5 years you want to double the amount of guests, your target should be to add
15% more visitors each year. That doesn’t look so bad, does it?
But, your capacity to serve double the amount of guests in five years means you
have to start planning now. Take a coach company for example: if you have one
coach and two drivers at the moment, you will need two coaches and four drivers
and probably more staff in the office. That means heavy investments.
If you have a hotel with twenty rooms and a restaurant with ten tables for four
people at present, this means you will need to build another twenty rooms and
extend your dining room, hire more staff, etc.
Will you be able to do that?
Your overhead will be much higher since you had to finance your extensions. Is the
extra turnover worth it?
Maybe you should not grow in height but rather in depth.
You can class up your act in other words, go for the amount of clients that you may
easily accommodate but offer them more (and more lucrative) choices.
Make your SWOT’s
What is a SWOT?
SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats)
SWOT is a method of reviewing the current situation of your business or service.
The idea is that you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your service, pinpoint
opportunities and note threats.
USP’s
What is a USP?
USP (Unique Selling Point)
A unique selling point or proposition is a unique feature of a product that a
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competitor cannot claim. It is what makes the product competitively strong and
without direct comparison; generally the most valuable unique advantage of a
product or service, for the market or prospect in question; now superseded by UPB.
To find the SWOT and USP of your product it is essential that you do the research
as mentioned in the above paragraphs.
Business plan
The best way to achieve the above and the find financing for your projects is to use
a standard business plan that will guide you through all the stages. If you want to
have a template of a business plan for tourism, ask me afterwards, I can download
a copy for you or send it to you by email. In the addendum of this paper I have
added the index of a business plan for tourism.
Branding
What is a brand?
We all recognize Starbucks or McDonald by its logo. Why is that? Because it is used
all over the world in the same identical manner.
We all recognize New York’s Apple, or Paris’ Eiffel tower, Pisa’s Leaning Tower or
even China’s Olympic Games Logo.
And take a look at these:
UK: Visit Britain
Singapore: Uniquely Singapore
New York: Miffy/Nijntje
Starting in the fall of 2003, NYC & Company, the official visitors & tourist
organization for New York City, launched a marketing campaign to lure families to
the city.
Central to that effort was Miffy Loves New York City!, a picturebook-cum-guidebook
where Dick Bruna's silent little Dutch rabbit visits \"30 family-friendly New York City
landmarks,\" including Central Park, the Empire State Building, Ellis Island, The
Plaza Condo’s Apartments.
Brands and visual identity are fundamental parts of commercial activity, but does a
destination need a brand and identity for tourism development? The answer is yes,
because destinations, like companies, must communicate to a broad market of
consumers what they are, why they offer what they do, and the consistency and
quality of their offerings.
This is accomplished through recognition of the brand and visual identity.
Ultimately, a company's brand is the most visible part of that company's marketing
strategy, and the same is true for tourism destinations. Without a strong identity,
its marketing strength is severely undermined. Destination branding is a term used
frequently in destination marketing to indicate the synergy of vision and branding in
strategic marketing.
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Why do we need a brand?
Marketing cities, regions, and nations has never been more dynamic, competitive
and important than it is today. In this environment, market leaders have turned to
branding themselves to stand out from competitors.
These are some of the reasons why you need a brand:
To amplify strengths with target markets to clearly stand apart from
competitors.
To create a unifying marketing umbrella and stimulating partnerships to
project the destination as a place with attractive and desirable qualities,
hence building a larger market share for the entire destination.
To provide a focused decision-making framework to consistently shape a
strong identity and avoid the “ad of the month” syndrome with frequently
changing targets, designs, messages, images and themes.
To improve and extend the results of your marketing efforts. Actually
reducing marketing costs by generating a higher ROI for marketing
investments.
Creating greater synergy and harmony between all marketing messages.
Clearer positioning and differentiation from competitors to project a winning
edge in the mind of customers.
Enables premium pricing rather than relying on discount pricing and
incentives.
Facilitates easier consumer recognition and simplify the purchase process.
Contributes toward a faster recovery when they were affected by a crisis
such as a natural disaster.
Creates a barrier to new competitors wanting to introduce similar messages
and product offers.
Enhances the value of local businesses and provide the springboard and
‘celebrity’ for the launch and export of non-tourism products e.g. wine,
crafts, art.
Improved stakeholder profit margins, increased lodging tax revenues and
enhanced appeal as a place to live and do business.
Providing more repeat visitors and word-of-mouth referrals.
Economic development objectives for investment, talent, and trade are more
readily achievable.
Overcome negative perceptions of the destination that had been out of date
or inaccurate.
Energizes stakeholders to more actively support the marketing of the
destination.
Greater unity and stronger partnerships and alliances between public and
private sector organizations.
My final suggestion to enable you to gain the greatest benefits from branding is to
engage outside professional assistance to develop the brand strategy. You might
find it too difficult without the objectivity, field experience, practical insights, and
time savings that a professional can bring.
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A powerful brand is often accompanied by a catchy slogan.
You need to build brand awareness in an over-communicated market to be noticed.
All the more reason to not just create visual recognition but include a catchy
tagline, we used to call it a slogan in the days before internet, which will add a
great deal to brand recognition.
Examples:
Delta Airlines: You'll love the way we fly
DHL: We keep your promises
Esso: Put a Tiger in Your Tank
Gillette: The best a man can get
IBM: Solutions for a small planet
New York: The Big Apple. I love New York!
KLM: The reliable airline
Marlboro Cigarettes: Come to Marlboro Country
United Airlines: Fly the friendly skies of United
Las Vegas: What Happens In Vegas Does Not Always Stay In Vegas
Virginia: Virginia is for Lovers
Australia: 'so where the bloody hell are you?'
WOW Philippines: More than the usual
American Express CC: Don't leave home without it
India: Incredible India!
Spain: Spain is different
Georgia (US): Discover the Unexpected - Georgia on my mind
How to manage a brand
Everything you do to promote your brand needs design consistency. Continuous
management of appearance is critical to creating brand equity and leverage. The
biggest part of attraction that many people forget, is that people need to know
you're there! Brand consistency must be seamless and transparent.
Having an effective brand does not require, however, that the destination
must be one-dimensional in its appeal. All destinations, beneath the brand umbrella
are a family of diverse offerings, each of which has a brand of its own. This form of
marketing -- multibranding -- is motivated by the findings of market research.
The research will indicate that most visitors are seeking a varied experience that
includes several distinctive attractions. In most cases, a premier attraction
functions as a hook to bring in tourists, who will ultimately spend money on many
other items.
A visitor to any of these destinations will inevitably experience far more than the
hook attraction. Multiple values are each branded and communicated to the
potential consumer as a total, diverse experience.
It is important to remember that once you have chosen your brand recognition
values, taglines, visuals etc. you need to stay with that chosen image, maybe not
forever, but a long time. Why does a famous brand never change its image?
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Because punishment of consumers is harsh and unforgiving. Take the Coca Cola
brand. It has changed over the past century but only little bits at the time, so
people wouldn’t notice.
It is therefore of the ultimate importance that a destination brand image is carefully
selected and developed over time and that once a choice has been made, this
image functions as an umbrella to catch all promotional products for years to come.
Sometimes rebranding is necessary, when the old image was damaged in some way
or other.
Example:
May 18th 2008: Kenya steps up tourism marketing abroad
The government has stepped up efforts to market Kenyan tourism abroad,
Tourism minister Najib Balala has said after a 10-day tour of Europe where
he visited among others the UK, Italy and Sweden. He met travel agents,
tour operators, and government officials in those countries.
Mr Balala said that the challenge lay in re-branding Kenya as a tourist
destination following the post-poll violence that severely affected the
industry.
The marketing efforts begin on Saturday with a photo-shoot of ambassadors
touring the Maasai Mara game reserve. The minister said the photo session
will involve the British, American, Canadian and Australian envoys, and a
delegation from the European Union.
“The aim of the event is to reassure tourists in those countries, that Kenya is
back to normal and safe for tourism,” he said.
At the same time, he revealed that President Kibaki and Prime minister Raila
Odinga had been invited to London by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to
discuss trade and tourism.
He warned politicians “Politicians have to tone down, because a single
statement can cause damage to the tourism that takes longer to correct,” he
said.
The minister said that more innovative ways of marketing tourism were
needed. He said collaboration among ministries of Tourism, Culture, Finance,
Sports, Transport, Immigration, and Trade was key if the revival efforts of
the tourism industry were to succeed.
The minister also disclosed that a television series to market Kenya in Italy
was ready. He said the clip would be aired on May 18, five times a day on
Italian channel, Rai TV.
Also, he said, the ministry in collaboration with tour operators and the Kenya
Tourism Board had sponsored a 36-page inserts in Italian newspapers to
promote the Kenyan market.
The tourism industry will use Euro 400 million to boost the marketing efforts.
He also said that a fashion week would be organised in Mombasa early next
year to market Kenya abroad.
“The government realises that to milk a cow you have to feed it,” he said,
alluding to the increased funding by the government to the KTB. The tourism
board had a budget of Sh1.5 billion for marketing the tourism industry
abroad.
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The KTB boss, Dr Ong’ong’a Achieng, revealed that there would be a number
of celebrities visiting Kenya to endorse it as a tourism destination.
Among those lined to visit the country are Prince William, the mayor of Milan
Letizio Moratti, and president of Rome marathon Enrico Castrucci.
Mr Balala flew in with a group of 30 tourists, among them travel writers,
media personalities and tour operators.
Virgin Atlantic chairman Sir Richard Branson will also be in Maasai Mara
during the photo-shoot.
Mr Balala would be visiting Japan and South Africa, and later Spain, America
and France in the ongoing marketing efforts.
Market
Find your market
Tourism is a relatively new field for marketing. As we have shown in the first part of
this seminar creating a powerful brand is a first step. The second step is to find
your market. This is primarily done through extensive surveys and research as
shown before, of your visitors. Marketing is the science of creating added customer
value, good marketing requires knowledge of what customer value is. The most
basic marketing question is: \"What do our customers, or potential customers,
value?\"
The second key application of consumer knowledge should be segmentation and
selection of target segments. The broad market of former, current and potential
customers can be segmented along a number of dimensions. The most
frequent being: geography, age, family status, household income, needs and
wants, length of stay, trip budget.
Another way to segmentyour visitors is by status such as:
1. Local residents
2. Motor Coach Tours/Retirees
3. FIT's (Frequent Independent Travelers)
4. Families with Children
5. Young Married Couples
6. Children or Students on School Tours
7. Convention Participants
8. International visitors
In today's marketing environment, which is increasingly oriented to electronic
communication media and information technology, targeting is especially useful,
because only then can one utilize the new tools: email, Internet, ecommerce,
database marketing.
SWOTS
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The analysis of your SWOTS will tell the strengths and weaknesses of your
destination. It is a very important exercise.
It covers both internal and external factors. By using this tool, you’ll be able to see
the pros and cons before even putting any money into a project.
The Strengths and Weaknesses categories are both internal factors. These are
pretty self-explanatory, but they are the aspects of your destination that you would
be directly in control of. They could include the proper management of staff,
financial situation, knowing the destinations capacity of supply and demand, and
the overall efficiency of your operations.
The Opportunities and Threats portion are external factors. These two are
influences outside of your control and are external factors. By pointing out these
aspects of the destination, you’ll be able to try and cradle the Opportunities to
make the most of them and, hopefully, avoid the Threats before they occur. A few
examples of these are changes in the economy, environmental issues,
catastrophes, wars and weather.
All in all, after using the SWOT analysis on your business plan, you’ll have a much
better understanding before investing in your projects be it financial or in human
resources.
Strategy
“Any road will take you there if you don’t know where you’re going”, said The Mad
Hatter in “Alice in Wonderland”. The Mad Hatter’s approach to planning is certainly
one to avoid when it comes to the tourism marketing for destination. In today’s
competitive and over-crowded environment cities and regions cannot afford an ad
hoc approach to marketing.
Destinations have to plan to deliver outstanding experiences from the first moment
that visitors click on a web site or look at a brochure, to when they see a “Thanks
for Visiting Us” sign as they leave town.
The first application of your destination marketing data is often setting the targets
and planning the strategy for future years. In destination marketing, more so then
in any other industry, there are many directly involved partners, even competitors
that must work together to develop the destination: hotels, museums, monuments,
event planners, theaters, restaurants, local government, transport providers, travel
bureaus, tour operators, etc.
It is difficult, if not impossible for destinations and tourism enterprises to survive if
they do not actively participate in linkages, networks, partnerships and alliances.
Tourism destinations, by their very nature are often a mix of places, visitor
experiences, businesses, and organizations. At times these elements must come
together to present a unified and cohesive product for prospective visitors.
Continuation
Success will require constant internal and external reminders and messages, and it
is possible that only a small number of communications will be delivered through
advertising.
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Winning the “hearts and minds” requires an integrated approach over a long period
through a wide range of channels, methods, and experiences.
One of the most important requirements for creating a meaningful brand is to
maintain consistency in all applications and experiences. This consistency must be
based on being true to the brand platform to connect with the hearts and minds of
your best customers. It is an old marketing truism that we get tired of our
advertising long before our customers do.
A brand can unravel at any point of contact with customers. A slow-loading web
page, poor phone service, inadequate signage, sloppy service, or poor
interpretation will all impact a visitor’s perception and experience of the destination.
Outstanding experiences are the hallmarks of a successful brand. What are the
critical Promise Points? What is expected? Is it being delivered?
Where to market
There is a saying: ‘Don’t run, before you can walk’! To market your destination in
places that you are not prepared for is a waste of money and effort. Take for
example a show like ‘Vakantiebeurs’ in The Netherlands. Even though your
destination was offered free space, you still had to invest in travel, staff, hotels,
meals, advertising material, etc.
All your research should have given you your answers already. If your research
showed that 70% of your visitors are national in origin, then most of your
marketing efforts should be directed towards your national market. While affluence
grows, people will have more money to spend.
If most of your international visitors come from one or two countries then develop
strategies to market in those countries. If 50% of your visitors come from The
Netherlands, and 5% from the USA, market in The Netherlands and leave the US
for what it is.
If your visitors come to ski, wine tasting or bicycling, divide your investment
equally around those activities percentagewise.
Don’t go into new territory until you have exhausted your present targets.
And when going into new territory plan years in advance and start planning with a
very small percentage of your budget. Spend a little more each year when you see
that your efforts are successful. If not, stop immediately, you are wasting your time
and money.
Fam Trips
Fam trips are familiarization trips for the travel industry. These are very important.
The travel industry is your bread and butter, either national or international. Once
your hotels are up to standards, you developed proper and interesting itineraries
and you think you have a sellable product: you are ready to show the world your
destination. Particularly the representatives of the travel industry.
Fam trips are best organized by the umbrella organization for instance the National
Tourist Bureau who can best coordinate and advise the suppliers.
Set aside a few days in the season that the buyers in the travel industry our
scouring the world for new and interesting products. Usually 6 to 8 months before
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the new season starts. Travel brochures are printed and hit the shelves before
Christmas. To research, develop and price a new travel product takes up to one or
two months.
Organize your fam trips along these lines:
No longer then 3 to 4 days (2 – 3 nights)
Set up 2 or 3 different itineraries
Send invitations to tour operators 2 months in advance
Send out extensive information on the itineraries beforehand or make special
pages on your websites accessible only with a password
List all the reasons why you think T.O. should include your destination
List accessibility by air, by road, by train
Expect commitments to take part in the fam trip no earlier than one month in
advance
Divide participants into small groups, making sure that competing
participants are put into different groups, no more than 3 T.O. each per
group
Include as many hotels and other accommodations as possible even if it
means a detour
Travel in minivans with a particularly good driver and each group
accompanied by a knowledgeable and senior (English speaking)
representative of the tourism industry (a supplier for example, who also
recognizes that he has to sell the whole destination not just his own product)
Try and organize the tours of each little group in opposite directions and with
different destinations
Start with a welcome dinner and a visual presentation of each itinerary
On the last day organize a workshop where all buyers have a table and
suppliers can offer their product by appointment of 10 minutes max.
The afternoon can be used to meet up with individual suppliers or visits to
suppliers product
Use the best hotels to accommodate your guests, spare no expense
BE FLEXIBLE!
BE FLEXIBLE!!
BE FLEXIBLE!!!
Remember these people are doing a job, they are not on vacation, don’t
make it a vacation. Don’t spend too long at anyone stop, be it a hotel or a
monastery or a vineyard. Only if a participant asks, prolong your intended
stay after you consult the other participants. The more you can fit into one
day, the better it is.
Do not spend time on meals. Try to limit lunch to ½ hour, and dinner to 1
hour. Make sure the meals are ordered in advance and ready on arrival
including local specialties.
Do not include alcohol, like beer or wine at lunch, unless specifically
requested.
Prepare your suppliers beforehand to make sure they offer a well coordinated and
worthwhile product. (Check guidelines in the addendum).
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Promote
Advertising
Advertising: The paid, public, non-personal announcement of a persuasive message
by an identified sponsor.
Advertising is just a single component of the marketing process.
It's the part that involves getting the word out concerning your business, product,
or the services you are offering. It involves the process of developing strategies
such as ad placement, frequency, etc. Advertising includes the placement of an ad
in such mediums as newspapers, direct mail, billboards, television, radio, and of
course the Internet. Advertising is the largest expense of most marketing plans,
with public relations following in a close second and market research not falling far
behind.
And although advertising cannot be avoided in today’s marketing mix, there are
many ways to avoid costly newspaper or magazine ads.
Free promotion
It is an art in itself to best make use of free promotion. I always advise to keep a
large database of addresses of press agencies, travel writers, journalists,
newspapers, magazines, television, radio, online magazines, P.R. and
communication professionals, trade magazines etc. It should be the task of one
dedicated person to keep this database up to date and to search constantly for new
additions. Since the internet mailing does not cost very much. For instance you can
send numerous mailing to up to 10.000 recipients for US$ 75 a month.
Since you mail to commercial addresses this is not seen as spam, although you will
have to give the recipient easy access to an unsubscribe button.
Don’t worry about this, if they are professionals and the right recipient, they won’t
unsubscribe.
Mail if you have something new or exciting to communicate, make Press Releases
regularly, make seasonal updates of your website and communicate this to your
‘subscribers’. If 4% of your recipients pay attention and write about your
destination that is free advertising. All you want accomplish is that the public will
start to recognize ever so slowly that your destination is a worthwhile place to go
on holiday, to hold a conference or to have meetings.
One 3 page article in a major magazine could have cost you over 100.000 Euro’s if
you had to pay for it!
Trade shows
Trade and public shows, in the tourism industry these are often held in combination
while there are one or two days especially for the tourism trade and the rest for the
public, are a very good way to promote your destination. However, there are many
snakes under the grass.
A National Bureau of Tourism will usually be the driving force behind taking part in
one or another trade show. Shows are very expensive, not only the space but the
design of your booth, the staff, the preparation before, leaflets, brochures, travel
and accommodation expenses, etc. Therefore it is of utmost importance that you
choose carefully which trade show to partake in. Decisions should be made in
context of target markets and expected visitors.
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If your fam trips were a success and T.O.'s have added your destination to their
program, it is certainly worthwhile to sign up for a show in the area that this T.O. is
located. In this case contact the T.O. and ask if you can piggy-back your
destination in their booth. This is a great way of saving money and is usually
beneficiary for both parties.
If you have several T.O.’s in the area it will be sensible to have your own booth.
Have a booth or displays designed especially incorporating your destination brand
and taglines. You can use this display for several years.
Tips on trade shows
Do:
Research a show carefully before you decide to exhibit. Does this show attract a
large number of people from your target audience? Tradeshow participation takes a
lot of time, energy and resources. You don't want to spend them on folks who are
unlikely to visit your destination in the foreseeable future.
Don't:
Be afraid to ask questions. Show organizers have all kinds of information that new
exhibitors would benefit from knowing. Ask about attendee demographics,
exhibitor's requirements, and what assistance you can expect from the show's staff.
Do:
Start planning early. Regular tradeshow exhibitors routinely start planning their
appearances twelve to eighteen months in advance.
Don't:
Pass up the chance to visit other tourism events before you exhibit for the first
time. Make note of what exhibitors worked for you and what turned you off. What
did you find to be effective? Can you incorporate those items into your own
exhibit?
Do:
Make a list of goals and objectives for the show. This list should be very specific.
Do you want to generate $X in new sales, start a certain number of new business
relationships, or spread the word about introducing your destination to the market?
Don't:
Get sidetracked by what everyone else is doing - or by what people tell you you
'have' to do at a tradeshow. You're at the show to reinforce your expert identity
and achieve your goals and objectives. Anything else is off-target.
Do:
Be open to creative and new ways of presenting your services. Tradeshow
attendees see hundreds of exhibits in the course of one day. You need to be
unique and engaging for your display to be memorable.
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Don't:
Be afraid to be enthusiastic about your services. If you're genuinely jazzed up
about what you represent, attendees will sense that. Enthusiasm is contagious --
and more importantly, it sells!
Do:
Learn the 80/20 rule and take it to heart. The best exhibitors are those who listen
80% of the time and talk 20%. Focusing on attendees' wants and needs is a
surefire route to success.
Don't:
\"Throw Up\" on attendees. This very common practice occurs when nervous
exhibitors can't stop talking, and keep up a constant barrage of facts, figures, and
sales spiel. Attendees are quickly turned off by this.
Do:
Remember you're on display. What you're selling at a tradeshow is, primarily, first
impressions. Be professional, well-dressed, and mannerly at all times. You never
know who's watching.
Don't:
Eat, drink, or chat on your cell phone on the show floor. When you need
refreshment or a break, leave your exhibit booth. Remember, the eyes of the
public are on you at all times, so you'll want to conduct yourself well.
Do:
Be realistic. Tradeshows are long events. You're on the floor for anywhere from
ten to twelve hours at a go, often several days in a row. This is a lot for any one
person to do on their own. A booth should have at least two members of staff
available at all times.
Don't:
Train the staff you take to a tradeshow. Make sure they understand what your
marketing message is. Also, have a plan in place to cover what they should do
when they run into a question they don't know the answer to.
Don't:
Be afraid to encourage people to move along if they're not interested in your
destination. Some of the people who attend tradeshows are 'tire-kickers' -- they
like to discuss everything, but buy nothing. You don't want to waste your time with
them.
Do:
Take notes. Take time before the show to create a lead-card system, in which
you'll record pertinent information to facilitate post-show follow-up.
Don't:
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Depend on your memory -- no matter how good you are, a few words scrawled on
the back of a business card won't be enough after the show is over and you've met
with literally hundreds of people.
Do:
Be polite and nice to everyone. The junior executive today can be a senior
executive tomorrow.
Don't:
Forget to read the Exhibitor's Service manual. This is the thick packet of materials
you received when you registered for the show. Inside, you'll find everything you
need to know about exhibiting at that particular show -- and discover important
deadlines for ordering services. Don't miss those deadlines or you'll pay more for
everything!
Do:
Reach out to the media. Have a press kit available in the media room. Be open to
interviews -- reporters and freelancers often walk the floor looking for stories. If
you have something truly newsworthy to announce, schedule a press conference at
the show.
Don't:
Forget to advertise your tradeshow participation. Make sure your target audience
knows they can see you at the show, where you'll be, and what they can expect
when they visit you.
Do:
Follow Up! The most important part of any tradeshow takes place after you leave
the building. You see that big pile of leads you've gathered? Send them all thank
you notes for coming to see you -- and follow up with them the most promising
prospects quickly. You'll be glad you did.
Don't:
Hesitate to include hands-on, interactive demonstrations into your exhibit whenever
possible. People love to participate. They love to try new things. Most of all, they
love to have fun. If you can integrate fun into your exhibit, you'll have more
attendees than you know what to do with.
Do:
Use giveaway items that enhance the identity of your destination. You want items
that your attendees will use regularly and reinforce their impression of your
destination.
Don't:
Get caught up in trendy giveaway items pushed by promotional salespeople. You
want to stand out from the crowd, not merge with it.
Do:
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Give your tradeshow participation a fair chance to work. Results may not be
immediate. Rome wasn't built in a day. But the business relationships you start at
tradeshows today can steadily blossom into profitable partnerships tomorrow.
Press Trips
When you have your destination in order – you have branded it, researched it,
marketed it, sold it to tour operators and are about to launch your advertising
campaign.
Is the time ready to organize a press trip?
It probably is! The Press Trip is the last stage of your destination marketing efforts.
Everything has got to be as perfect as it will ever be. Your destination is a show
case. Think of it as selling your house. In order to get the best price, you made it
look as good as you possibly can. And because you only get one chance: you
painted it, cleaned up the garden, fixed the roof, priced it competitively and put up
the For Sale sign. If your intended buyers (or journalists in this case) are
disappointed, you blew it and have to start all over again. Waste of time and
money.
What is the purpose of a press trip?
A press trip or media visit is a method for the destination to get positive publicity.
This can be, if done right, very valuable as we saw before. It's entirely a business
arrangement. The destination invests time and money to bring journalists, travel
writers and/or photographers and filmers to visit. Once back home, the participants
are expected to sell their stories and/or images about the destination.
How are press trips organized?
Press trips generally fall into two categories: 1) organized group trips and 2)
individual trips. Organized trips are comprised of anywhere from 2 to 20 people.
The itinerary, including meals, accommodations and schedules are arranged in
advance by the organization sponsoring the trip. Writers and photographers are
flown in, unless they live close enough to drive. Then the participants are escorted
around to the attractions by van or bus. There is rarely any free time included in
the itinerary. Flexibility is discouraged on group trips.
For an individual press trip, the writer/photographer must contact the destination or
its PR firm, to request \"comps,\" or complimentary arrangements. The rules for
individual trips are wide open. For example, travel companions, may or may not be
included. Getting airfare covered may be nearly impossible to most destinations.
The press person make his own way to the destination, theTourist Board or its PR
firm will assist him with media passes to attractions, maybe some meals, hotel
accommodation and press kits, etc. An individual press person usually makes
his/her own itinerary but the Tourist Board can assist and point him/her in the right
derictin for new or interesting story lines.
Who to invite on press trips?
Press from places where your destination has targets. It is no use getting media
from places where you have no representation. Press persons should preferably
have firm assignment letters and/or those who have shown a good record of
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placements from past trips. Inviting a press person is an investment; if it doesn’t
pay off in good publicity put him/her on your black list.
Is a press trip like a vacation?
Definitely not. A press group will be on the go from early morning until late in the
evening, at least on organized group trips. Time spent at each tourist spot should
be limited to a minimum or just enough in order to get a good impression, take
photographs and then back on the road to the next one. Cram as much as you can
in the available daylight hours. Travel writers will be taking notes and hitting the
highlights only. They are at the destination to work, by that I mean to collect
material, find article angles, or to interview local people.
Be very strict on \"press trip etiquette\". It refers to how press people are to conduct
themselves while on a press trip. It is good to keep in mind that the media is on an
expense account of your sponsors, be it the government or local businesses, it is
important to make sure that yours sponsors are getting their money’s worth.
Golden rules for press people to follow are:
Never be late for meeting times or you'll make the other writers and escorts
upset.
Organized trips run on rigid time schedules, so don't be the one to foul it up.
Always tip drivers, chambermaids, and others as appropriate.
Don't complain about every little problem or hitch.
Be friendly with your fellow writers.
Once the trip is over, thank-you notes (via snail mail) should be sent to the
sponsors.
Once stories are printed, send copies to the sponsors immediately.
Last but not least, when organizing the itineraries for press trips, make sure you try
them out yourself before you offer the trip to the press. Drive it, map it, spend time
on it, time it, photograph it, and make a proper expense budget of all details. If
there is one thing you want to avoid it is surprises! Even if you drove it the year
before, do it again. Something might have changed in the meantime. Better to be
prepared than to be surprised!
I find it very useful to dry-run an itinerary together with a professional
photographer. Not only will he point you to places where you might want to stop for
photo ops but he will provide you with nice stock photography to be available for
your media tab on your website. Journalists that travel without a camera (or are
just not very good photographers) love it when you have a large stock of
photographs to choose from.
Web 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0
Once there was the World Wide Web in the good old days of 15 years ago. We
didn’t have cable or ADSL, everything was slow as a snail. You had to learn BASIC
as a computer language and Microsoft had not launched Windows yet.
Websites were not common goods yet.
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Then came the golden age of Internet and everyone wanted to have a website.
There are billions of them on the net. And the website of your destination has to be
able to compete in that overcrowded market.
A website for a destination is one of the most important media and promotional
tools. However, the making of a successful website is not easy. Research is, again,
essential. I won’t say much about how to make websites and tourism portals
because there are far more knowledgeable people then myself to tell you about
that. Let it suffice that in this day and age expensive printing of brochures is a thing
of the past and interactive websites are the thing of today.
We all here a lot about Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and even Web 3.0 already.
What is the difference and why is it important to go for a Web 2.0 website?
Here are some points:
Web 1.0 was about reading, Web 2.0 is about writing
Web 1.0 was about companies, Web 2.0 is about communities
Web 1.0 was about client-server, Web 2.0 is about peer to peer
Web 1.0 was about HTML, Web 2.0 is about XML
Web 1.0 was about home pages, Web 2.0 is about blogs
Web 1.0 was about portals, Web 2.0 is about RSS
Web 1.0 was about taxonomy, Web 2.0 is about tags
Web 1.0 was about wires, Web 2.0 is about wireless
Web 1.0 was about owning, Web 2.0 is about sharing
Web 1.0 was about IPOs, Web 2.0 is about trade sales
Web 1.0 was about Netscape, Web 2.0 is about Google
Web 1.0 was about web forms, Web 2.0 is about web applications
Web 1.0 was about screen scraping, Web 2.0 is about APIs
Web 1.0 was about dialup, Web 2.0 is about broadband
Web 1.0 was about hardware costs, Web 2.0 is about bandwidth costs
Web 3.0 is a term used to describe the future of the World Wide Web. Following the
introduction of the phrase \"Web 2.0\" as a description of the recent evolution of the
Web, many technologists, journalists, and industry leaders have used the term
\"Web 3.0\" to hypothesize about a future wave of Internet innovation.
People want to communicate with other people, tell them about their experiences,
show the photo’s and post video’s they made when on holiday.
They want to be able to ask questions: How is the weather, where is good skiing,
how is the food?
Your website needs to do all that, and give loads and loads of information. You
need at least one blog on your portal or website, several RSS feeds and
interactivity.
A Web 2.0 website gets lots more visitors, that is how you spread the news about
your great destination.
A good destination website should have a Media Tab where you post storylines and
high res pictures for journalists and other media to download and use.
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Management
Manage
When nobody is responsible for managing and protecting the brand, the effort can
be patchy and efforts usually stray from the prescribed guidelines. Successful
brands, products or destinations are closely managed and protected. Responsibility
for this is sometimes not well defined. If there aren’t clear guidelines throughout all
management and operational areas, the brand will be presented in an ad hoc and
inconsistent manner. One person should be responsible for the nurturing,
promoting, managing and “policing” of the brand to direct it across all platforms.
Consistent Funding
Developing tourism requires that key organizations have sustainable funding bases
for the long term development, management and promotion of the community as
an attractive and viable destination. Consistent funding is required for not only the
tourism marketing organization, but also to develop and sustain the public services,
facilities, and attractions for visitors. The destination marketing organization
responsible for the marketing of the community needs a consistent funding base to
maintain its tourism programs. Developing a reliable funding base is one of the
challenges for community tourism organizations. For many communities the
introduction of a tax on overnight lodging, which is supplemented by grant funds
and cooperative marketing programs, has proven to be the most effective model for
them. In most cases, the lodging tax is also used to finance the improvements to
services, events and local attractions necessary to sustain growth. To generate
employment and income for the community, the commitment of local businesses,
lenders, and investors is essential for the introduction and expansion of businesses.
Planning for sustainable funding for tourism marketing and development is the
central foundation for communities serious about tourism. With funds assured, the
challenge is to use them in the most strategic and effective fashion possible.
Organize
National Tourism Organization
A dedicated, consistent, systematic and organized approach to tourism is essential
if a community is to be successful and happy with the types of tourism it develops.
A healthy tourism industry requires cooperation, partnerships and collaboration
between all sectors – public, commercial, and non profit. This can best be achieved
by forming a tourism organization dedicated to coordinating the common interests
of these public, private, and nonprofit players and focusing the application of their
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combined resources to achieve the best possible results.
Tourism Information
Timely and relevant information distribution is one of the most essential elements
for destination success. Providing appropriate and stimulating information before
and during a trip can be one of the most impactful and effective strategies for
destinations to attract and extend the length of stay of visitors. This information
can have a direct influence on the way that visitors spend their time, where they
go, the services they use, and ultimately the amount of cash they leave in the
community. So many places fail to provide web site, brochures, maps, and
information outlets that can positively influence visitor decisions and behavior.
Addendum
Ready for the International Market?
The following criteria are used to determine if a supplier is ready to work in offering
“export ready” products to international markets:
Suppliers Must:
Be in business at least one year, with a proven track record for safe and
professional operation.
Demonstrate an adequate budget and marketing plan that includes
international tour operators.
Understand the roles played by receptive tour operators (RTO’s), tour
operators/travel wholesalers, and retail travel agents. This includes an
understanding of rack or retail pricing, agent commissions and wholesale
net rates and client relationships at each level.
Be willing to include receptive tour operators in your marketing and sales
plan, and implement a regular sales call program directed toward these
operators.
Be willing to provide contracted wholesale net rates to receptive tour
operators. As a general guideline, requirements are: 15% off the retail
price for day activities and transportation and 20-30% off retail pricing for
accommodations (higher discounts are common for volume production).
Honor the contracted net rates, no price changes before the expiry of the
contracted agreement.
Provide detailed pricing and program information to tour operators and
receptive operators at least one year in advance of selling season, i.e.
May 1999 for the summer/fall 2000 season.
Be prepared to communicate and accept reservations by telephone, fax
and/or e-mail. Provide ‘same-day’ confirmation of booking arrangements.
Set up billing arrangements with the operator, agency or receptive tour
operator. Accept client vouchers as confirmation of payment for
reservations.
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Determine business priorities in terms of group or FIT business. If you
plan to pursue group business, consider access by tour buses,
parking/turnaround areas, washroom facilities etc. Determine your
maximum group size.
Carry adequate insurance (minimum $3 million liability insurance for
adventure product suppliers is recommended). Discuss this with your
receptive operator (sometimes they can add suppliers to their existing
policies at nominal cost).
Provide support (free or reduced rates) for international media and travel
trade familiarization tours.
In addition to the above, the following should be considered “next steps” for
consideration as business and market presence expands:
Consider attending travel trade shows involving international buyers.
Expand the sales call program to include international contacts as well as
locally-based receptive operators.
Be prepared to provide tour operators and media with 35mm slide, CD
ROM or standard computer format images of the product or operation, for
use in brochures, promotions and editorials.
Consider producing video footage of product or operation for promotional
and training purposes.
Consider development of a website offering information on your product.
Be prepared to adapt to uniqueness of certain foreign markets. Flexibility
may be required with regard to last minute bookings and changes.
Consider hiring frontline staff that speaks the language of the markets
you are interested in pursuing.
Business plan index
Underneath is the index of a Business Plan for Tourism which I have prepared and
can be used in multiple situations. To receive the complete business plan, please
ask me or request by email at nelleke@twestc.com.
Index ...................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1. General ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Short History ......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Company Info ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2. Business Description.............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Industry Analysis ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Mission ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Business Goals ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Project Objectives .................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Future Developments ............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Value Proposition ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
The Brand Proposition............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Business Model ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3. Market Analysis .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
26 Copyright: Nelleke Pruijs - 2008

May 16, 2008 DESTINATION MANAGEMENT 1.01
Industry Analysis ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Targets and Growth................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
1. Local Market ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2. Your market ................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3. Your Target Market .......................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
4. Target Market Research .................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
5. B2B Market – Selling your project through an Incoming Agent or a
Wholesaler ......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Competitive Analysis .............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Direct: ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Indirect: ............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Competitive Positioning:....................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Barriers to enter the market: ................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Name the barriers which may make it difficult to enter your project or your
product into the market. ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Competitive advantage: ....................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
SWOT Analyses ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
McDonald’s Hamburgers (Example) ........ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Pricing strategy ..................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Demand Forecast and Evolution of Market . Error! Bookmark not defined.
4. Product ............................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Product Outline ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
What kind of products are you selling? ...... Error! Bookmark not defined.
1. A ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
2. B ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
3. C ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
4. D................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
5. E ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
6. F ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
5. Marketing ............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Affiliation Marketing ............................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
E-Marketing .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Direct marketing .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Sales.................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
B2C Sales .......................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Selling your project or product to consumersError! Bookmark not defined.
B2B sales ........................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
6. Planning & Implementation .................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
7. Financials ............................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Assumptions & Limitations ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Projected P & L ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
PROJECTED P&L STARTUP .................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
PROJECTED P&L FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONError! Bookmark not defined.
PROJECTED P&L FOR 5 YEAR PERIOD ..... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Projected Cash flow ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
PROJECTED CASHFLOW START-UP......... Error! Bookmark not defined.
PROJECTED CASHFLOW FIRST YEAR OF OPERATIONError! Bookmark not
defined.
27 Copyright: Nelleke Pruijs - 2008

May 16, 2008 DESTINATION MANAGEMENT 1.01
8. Investment Request .............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Contact Information ............................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
About Our Business ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
What is your project/company's unique value proposition?Error! Bookmark
not defined.
Description of your product or service. ... Error! Bookmark not defined.
USP’s ................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Who are your target customers?............ Error! Bookmark not defined.
Describe your primary and secondary target marketError! Bookmark not
defined.
Business info ...................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
About your Finances ............................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
28 Copyright: Nelleke Pruijs - 2008