This document discusses various types of marketing research used in tourism. It describes marketing research as the systematic collection and analysis of information to help with decision-making. There are three main types of marketing research functions: descriptive, diagnostic, and predictive. The document also distinguishes between market research and marketing research, with market research being a subset of marketing research. Common types of marketing research used in tourism include quantitative and qualitative approaches, as well as exploratory, descriptive, and causal research methods.

1. TOURISM MARKETING RESEARCH
• Better research, better decisions.
• Marketing research: according to SAMRA, is
the systematic and objective collection,
analysis and interpretation of information for
decision-making about marketing problems of
all kinds, using recognised, scientific methods.
• Marketing research is the term used for the
whole range of information intelligence
gathering and analysis. It is applicable at every
stage of the marketing planning process.

2. TOURISM MARKETING RESEARCH…
• Research has three functions:
1. The descriptive function which involves the
process of finding out things to list, report on
and describe (“who”, “what” and “where”).
2. The diagnostic function involves the process
of explaining (“why”).
3. The predictive function combines the first
two kinds of research to suggest a course of
action (that is, how to use the research).

3. MARKETING RESEARCH VS MARKET
RESEARCH
• Market research: is the type of research into
consumer preferences, and the expectations and
patterns of behaviour of competitors and other
stakeholders.
• Marketing research: is the research type that
comprises all of the research (including
secondary research and competitor analysis) that
helps the tourism marketer in making marketing
decisions.
• Therefore, market research is a subset of the
more all-embracing term “marketing research”.

4. WHY DO MARKETING RESEARCH
• The five main reasons for doing marketing
research:
1. To help make marketing decisions and reduce
risks.
2. To plan and solve problems. READ PAGE 120.
3. To assist the marketer in forecasting.
4. To develop knowledge of past and potential
consumers.
5. To obtain information about the competitors.

5. TYPES OF MARKETING RESEARCH
USED IN TOURISM
1. Quantitative and qualitative research:
-Quantitative research includes facts and
figures, factual information on the
characteristics of the market (socio-
demographic details), the destination ( visitor
numbers & their spending patterns) and
statistics on the performance of the organisation
(sales figures and market share).

6. TYPES OF MARKETING RESEARCH
USED IN TOURISM …
-Qualitative research focuses on the interpretation
of words rather than numbers.
• It is designed to interpret data, rather than
providing data.
• Qualitative research is mainly concerned with
perceptions, attitudes and opinions of consumers
about organisations, their competitors and their
product offerings.
• QR collects, analyses and interprets data that
cannot be meaningfully quantified or
summarised in the form of numbers.

7. TYPES OF MARKETING RESEARCH
USED IN TOURISM …
• Qualitative research is more in-depth than
quantitative research.
• Quantitative and qualitative research can be
combined, is called triangulation.
• Triangulation is more complex and resource
intensive, the quantitative and qualitative
approaches can complement each other to
provide deeper insight into research problem.

8. TYPES OF MARKETING RESEARCH
USED IN TOURISM …
2. Exploratory, descriptive and causal research:
-Exploratory research: focuses on developing
initial insights and to provide direction for any
further research that is needed.
-Exploratory research is helpful for the ff.
reasons:
1. It serves to shed some light on the nature of
a vague situation ( to gather information that
will help define the research problem).

9. TYPES OF MARKETING RESEARCH
USED IN TOURISM …
2. It identifies any specific objectives or data
that need to be addressed through additional
research.
3. It facilitates the discovery of ideas that may
be potential business opportunities.
4. It can be used to describe the size and
composition of the market.

10. TYPES OF MARKETING RESEARCH
USED IN TOURISM …
3. Primary and secondary research:
-Primary research is also called field research.
-It includes techniques such as surveys,
interviews and observations.
- Primary research yields data that falls into two
categories, i.e. quantitative and qualitative
data.
- It is conducted to collect information for the
specific purpose at hand.

11. TYPES OF MARKETING RESEARCH
USED IN TOURISM …
- Secondary research sometimes is referred to as
desk research or documents-and-desk research.
- It yields information that is collected for purposes
other than solving the problem at hand.
- All published sources are classified as secondary
data.
- Secondary data is information that already exists,
having been collected for another purpose.

12. TYPES OF MARKETING RESEARCH
USED IN TOURISM …
4. Ad hoc and ongoing research
- Some marketers choose to conduct research
when they feel that they need it, this is called
ad hoc research.
- Ongoing research measures and monitors
variables over a time period on an ongoing
basis.

13. THE MARKETING RESEARCH PROCESS
• Refer to page 126