Tourism Management Literature Review

This assignment requires students to conduct a thorough literature review on the field of tourism management, focusing specifically on marketing. It asks for an analysis of recent publications (2015-2017) that explore various aspects of tourism marketing, such as experience co-creation, destination marketing measurement, sustainable tourism practices, and the impact of technology on travel behavior. Students need to synthesize the findings from these articles and present a clear overview of the current state of knowledge in tourism marketing.

MARKETING IN TRAVEL
AND TOURISM

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Core concept of marketing in travel and tourism..................................................................1
1.2 Impact of marketing environment on travel and tourism......................................................2
1.3 Factors which affect consumer motivation and demand.......................................................3
1.4 Principle of market segmentation and its uses in planning...................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Importance of strategic marketing planning.........................................................................4
2.2 Relevance of marketing research and market information in travel and tourism sector.......6
2.3 Assess the influence of marketing on society.......................................................................7
TASK 3 ...........................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Explain the issue of product, price and place element in marketing mix.............................8
3.2 Importance of service sector mix elements to travel and tourism sector..............................9
3.3 Concept of total tourism product...........................................................................................9
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................10
4.1 Integrated nature and role of promotional mix...................................................................10
4.2 Promotional campaign for THOMAS COOK. (Covered in poster)...................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................11
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is such which normally create relationship in between customer and company.
This help firm to promote their product and service to large market and help to provide
information to million of people about the goods and service. Through marketing organisation
try to attract people to buy their consuming products in effective manner. Marketing does include
its elements which help them to sell their product and services and those are (price, place,
promotion and product). The report is based on Thomas Cook, which is travel and tourism
company. Firm is having more then 21,000 employees and generate a revenue of around 7.82
billion. Company make their customer happy with their product and service and with this they
convert tourist into existing customer for them. Report will discuss about the core concept of
marketing and environment of this impact on travel and tourism. It also analyse principles of
market segmentation and affect of consumer motivation. The importance, relevance and
influence of marketing on planning, research and society. Marketing mix, concept of total
tourism and benefit of service sector. Role of promotional mix and campaign for travel and
tourism.
TASK 1
1.1 Core concept of marketing in travel and tourism.
Marketing is the important aspect for organisation as this help firm to promote their
product and service to large market and somewhere this help company to attain their goal and
objective. Marketing is a part of management process, although marketing try to create value for
customers and for such scenario they have to identify and meet their demand and needs in correct
format. THOMAS COOK is also dependent on marketing like other companies are; and for such
company also making many more strategy which they are following to get customer attracted
towards them (Truong and Hall, 2017). The core concept of marketing is based on 5 things and
those is as:
1. Needs and wants of tourist: THOMAS COOK is looking to identify the need and want of
travellers and provide them services according to that only.
2. Marketing offerings for travellers: Company has to provide various schemes and
offerings to customer so that they can attract them in great way and make them
manipulated to use their service for once.
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3. Value and satisfaction of customer: The offer and travelling should provide value to the
customer for amount they are paying and if they get satisfied they become the existing
customer for longer.
4. Relationship and exchanges in between customer and company: When customer get
satisfied with the product and service of company then it bring a deed and relation in
between traveller and firm and they try to keep this for longer period of scenario.
5. Market: Company promote their services to customer here only. Company is marketing
their services mainly for Morocco and Egypt.
Thomas cook's tourism company is based on creating various networks, which is
somewhere also able to achieve higher cooperation. Therefore, tourism marketing is having its
application for some important principles which help in promoting the tourism. This help
company to gain higher profitability of tourism sector (Xu,Buhalis and Weber, 2017). The travel
and tourism sector is such which is helping the economy of country and tourism sector is
boosting such in effective manner.
1.2 Impact of marketing environment on travel and tourism.
Marketing environment include all those factor which directly or indirectly affect the
activities of business and make them not to perform in better manner. Although the market keeps
on changing and it is required by travel companies to change their working scenario as well
according to market and it is required to monitored every thing all the time (Ponnam,2017).
Therefore, the success and failure this also affect on the environment of business.
Moreover, there are three basic type of marketing environment and those are a follows:
 Micro environment: This is that which include the internal environment of business and it
includes all the factors which affect business internally and those factors are as
(customers, suppliers and shareholders etc.)
 Macro environment: This are those factor which affect the function of company from
outside environment and those factor which affect such are as (competitors,
technological, economy and political etc.)
 Market environment: This concept is internal factor and forces; although in overall
criteria this also affect company's ability in developing, maintaining success of business.
Hence, it is required by THOMAS COOK to make a analysis of internal business
environment with the external environment as because this is that which affect the overall
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profitability of organisation. A company is in many countries and operating their business but
they are success when they work according to environment and use marketing to promote their
product and service with effective tools and technique.
1.3 Factors which affect consumer motivation and demand.
Customer and buyer are those which is a important factor for companies in earning higher
profitability in market. Thus it is required by company to satisfy the needs and wants of
travellers in proper manner then they will become the existing tourist of firm. THOMAS COOK
analyse the whole market and then make any decision and they try to gather those information as
well which affect the motivation level of people to travel to different places. Those factor which
affect the people motivation in great manner and those as follows:
Taste and preferences: Different people are from various culture and society with such
many travellers are having different taste and preferences. Therefore, THOMAS COOK also
understand the value of each and every traveller and they provide those product and service to
them which suit them according to their taste and preferences. This make them to satisfy various
customer and make them existing client for longer period (Mossaz and Coghlan, 2017). But
sometime for particular situation they does not able to satisfy the customer demand and for such
and they have to suffer the lose. Having such affect the motivation and demand for THOMAS
COOK also gets affected.
Income and salary: Many families motivation and demand to travel in different parts of
world gets affected with their income. As those family having higher income goes to travel at
various places across the boundaries of country and those family who is having a less income
looks forward to travel in their own country and at different places too. In such a way, income
and salary does affect the motivation and demand to travel at various and different places.
Economic condition: This concept also affect the motivation and demand because the
economic condition of country of THOMAS COOK is promoting will be affected as economic
condition of that country should be proper because, lower economy lead to higher prices for
everything and stable economy will be having a reasonable prices for everything in that country
so it will make them to travel in different places of various countries.
1.4 Principle of market segmentation and its uses in planning.
Market segmentation is that term in which the company divide the huge market into
different part so that they can target a particular segment, which will be attracted towards the
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company to purchase their product and service. Before organising any trip and offers for
Morocco and Egypt is required by company to make a target of their customer so that they can
focus on specific criteria and can earn higher profits as well. Different segmentation are as
follows:
Behavioural segmentation: Therefore, such segment means behaviour of person like
their characteristics, attitude and personality towards their particular work. Various choices are
there of different people to work (Lim, 2017). THOMOS COOK make different people to
purchase their services in effective manner.
Demographic segmentation: This segmentation is important aspect in analysing the age,
gender and income of different people. Although this will make them to choose among them on
basis of revenue and education. It is required by company to know various languages and culture
so that they can offer various services to client and travellers. In demographic, they target sector
and convert the product and service according to that only.
Geographic segment: Geographic location is that which create barrier in the firm.
Various regions are there which also affect the company segmentation as because it is totally
based on area and location of country. This also include in assisting and evaluating different
channels and using the different travelling into various country.
Psycho-graphs segmentation: This include those segmentation which become similar
and same with various criteria (Magno and et. al., 2017). Although the company should choice
and consider the preferences needs and wants of customer so that they can provide services
according to that only.
TASK 2
2.1 Importance of strategic marketing planning
Marketing strategic planning is a process through which managerial and operational staff
goes in order to create and application of sound and effective marketing strategies. This process
takes two aspects as promotion and marketing in to consideration (George, 2017). These aspects
gives contribution to framing strategic planning for marketing which involves defining
promotional and marketing opportunity along with researching and determining target areas
hence strategic planning of marketing are giving several benefits. The Thomas cook has their
own strategic marketing planning as they have describe plans in Six stages.
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 Analysis
 research and development
 innovative infusion
 positioning of plans
 marketing planning and development learning and evaluation
SWOT analysis of Thomas cook:
STRENGHTS: Thomas cook is an tour and travelling agency and also well known brand
over a year hence it is essential to get reviews and feedbacks for their exiting customers.
Company provide services in packages and some times trailered them according to preferences
or wants of their customers other side Thomas cook have sound base for two destinations such
as Egypt and Morocco. Through this firm tourists can visit these two places cause Thomas cook
have sound tie up there and also have their distribution channel of other different product which
are offered to their customers (Cvelbar, Grün and Dolnicar, 2017). The firm Thomas cook is best
tourism group for those who wants to travel to Egypt and Morocco.
WEAKNESS: Firm has good recognition in the market but some phase of organisation
are not working on updated technology cause they are not very technology friendly but they are
just believing in branding and quality. The main pitfall which a company are facing is uses of
mediators for travellers, firm is having and believing in a perception that the name of the
company itself enough which works between tourists.
OPPORTUNITIES: Thomas cook can use a concept which is cross selling through they
can offers new innovative services to their customers who are travelling. It can also provide
helps in order to take entrance in to new market (Lim, 2017). Other side they have chance to
make co-branding of their offered services and products or its firm too. Thomas cook have
several opportunity to grow and serve with satisfaction.
THREATS: Thomas cook having sound threats from those who are making new entrance
in same market hence they will have competition on new product or services with different firm.
Some times it may depends on tourists too as which travel and tourism firm customers are going
to choose for their holidays in Egypt ans Morocco.
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2.2 Relevance of marketing research and market information in travel and tourism sector
The marketing research is a process of collecting information for concerning market like
what kind of services are offered by other level of tourism through gathering data and idea from
serving area provides help to the firm in order to frame new opportunities for visitors and to
build new services or assistance for travellers which is better then their competitors.
The process of travel and tourism are explained as like:
Identification of Problem: Thomas cooks is a travel and tourism firm that researches on
a problem as where is located and what are the things which are making roadblocks in their
branding. Recognition of issues offers all those suspects of company for working according to
hurdle and giving some solution on that (Lim, 2017). It can be true that problems which are
defined are always leads to their solutions.
Research Objectives: every firm have their objective for research in market so
as Thomas cook have too. Well defined goals showcase right direction which leads
to appropriate research of target market place. Research objective should be in
clear image so that the team of research know or have better understanding og
what type of research are made out. It can be said that travel and tourism industry
is an biggest venture and have capacity to cover larger market place hence it is
hard for team to reduce hurdles but it is essential to have specific objective.
Planning the Research Design: it is important for research team that they should
know what type of strategy there are going to opt in order to perusing or
conducting research. It presents a out line which have plans of suitable actions for
research. The design of investigation is known as master plan that specifying the
procedure for gathering and examine required information (George, 2017).
Planning the sample: Sampling has their own procedure that can use single or small
number of product or services of the 'universe' (total of product) in order to draws suitable result
respect to the sample.
Data collection: The collection of data has relation with gathering of facts which helps in
solving issues. Travel and tourism organisation generally have secondary data that includes
history, magazines and so on other side primary data having collection of current researches.
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Data analysis and processing: the processing of data has begin from editing of
information, coding and data. Once the core data has shown then help for defined issues are
offered other side travel and tourism are facing several problems for that research has opted.
Preparing and presenting report: this is a main stage of research process where data and
conclusion has been used by Thomas cook. The research particularly gives statements on
findings but not in proper way. Nature of travel and tourism is wide hence company needs to
researching on continuous basis.
2.3 Assess the influence of marketing on society.
Marketing is commonly known for their process of promoting brand and services.
Societies are make up a group which is not based on single person. Persons of others and
different nations are always seeking out the chance in order to travel some where in their whole
life. Marketing is something which helps to make changes in mind set of the society. Marketing
can be done by travel and tourism through various ways such as advertisement, digital
promotions and launching their own hand books which can be easily carried by tourists. Other
side marketing helps in generating sound numbers of customers for tour and travel company and
for particular tourist place (Cvelbar, Grün and Dolnicar, 2017). Thomas cook majorly serving
markets for Egypt and Morocco. With the help of marketing firm can showcasing their offers
which they are giving to their customers whom are supposing to travel in such nations. Although,
firm cab also facilitates free services along with accommodation to travellers.
Thomas cook believing in offering best quality product and services to visitors cause
customers are generally spending lots of money of their travelling only hence travel and tourism
is an well known and growing organisation oversees. Marketing is essential for the organisation
itself in order to make promotion in the society and frame their mind set to visit such nations at
least once. It is true that to change the mind of the society is bit hard and for that company are
using several types of marketing strategies in which way they can attract society for having
services they are offering. Thomas cook is an organisation who are less interested in
advancement of technology, although they are believing in quality and brand value of services.
With the help of travel and tourism firm can be able to earn more profits in effective manner.
TASK 3
(Covered in PPT)
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3.1 Explain the issue of product, price and place element in marketing mix
Marketing commonly defining as placing suitable product in the appropriate place with
right price and at proper time. Marketing mix is an excellent manner which offers helps to
confirms that the strategy of marketing is properly done. Marketing mix is important tool or
method that provide better understanding as what services and product are offered and how to
frame planning successful product offering (Choe, Stienmetz and Fesenmaier ,2017). It can be
known as the mixture of such elements like price, product , place and promotion that are framed
to gain objective of target market.
Product: it is very crucial and prominent element that helps in order to offers wanted
goods and services to the customers. Thomas cook are giving best quality and unique services
which playing sound role to capturing the eyes of visitors in larger number towards the
organisation. They are facing high level of competition in market place. Two issues are present
there which are having by Thomas cook such as creation of new innovative product and
specialization in services. Here product are refers to tour packages and tickets of airline which
are sold by Thomas cooks. Hence company are offering different types of services and framing
some new goods.
Price: Thomas cook are in path of providing their services on affordable price that gives
help in order to grab the attention of customer or visitors for effective services and product.
Thomas cook are also having several types of problems or hurdles for their competitors. It can be
helpful to Thomas cook if they reframe their pricing strategy according to standard of customers.
Price or cost refer to sound amount that are charged by organisation itself. It is beneficial to
creates price in accordance with competitors rate.
Place: this is the major issue for travel and tourism venture. It is essential for the
company to choose those places and locations where economic conditions are sound and this will
provides assistance in respect to attract the eyes of larger number of customers or visitors. Place
refer to defined target visitors for having services of venture for various locations.
Promotion: it can be known as primary task as this can be used to boost up services and
commodity of an organisation.
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3.2 Importance of service sector mix elements to travel and tourism sector
Service mix refers to inclusion of three extra element of marketing which should be
added and provide assistance in service industry that have focused nature the remaining three
elements are :
people: Customer are important part of the organisation as they helps in surviving of
company (Buonincontri and et. al., 2017). Firm will providing them proper training and
development, looking out their salary, incentive and gives assistance in promotions for creating
decision in effective manner.
physical evidence: Company needs to creates changes and also making innovative
infrastructure.
Process: each and every opts various types of process that provides help in order to
maintain activities and functions in proper manner.
Service mix concept in essential for tourism industry as:
 boosting customers satisfaction.
 Enhancing the quality of product and services.
 distribution of various type of goods.
 Arrange price rate which needs to be reasonable
 framing good image in market place.
3.3 Concept of total tourism product
Total tourism product is refers to framing products that aims to facilitates quality services
to their customers and provides various services like restaurants, hotels, accommodation,
transportation and some different facilitates which involves parks, parlours and spas and so on.
Tourism products are those who are offered by organisation to their customers which are framed
in accordance with the needs and demands of visitor. The services are needs to offered in bundle
that are deliver by firm. There are some of services that are offered by organisation to their
buyers such as hotels, airlines tickets, facilities of transportations and other different services that
are divided in two segments first is 'limited' and second is 'total'. Another goods which are
limited has different features that are opted by cities only (Becker, 2016). Other side total
product offers services to their customers along with better option for available all those services
and product or facilities to tour managers that a person who are highly interested. It will helps in
framing strategies to reach out to potential buyers and offers them entire services as starting to
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the end. Thomas cook are framing packages according to needs to customers or as per the
financial statement of a person. Their holidays packages are generally affordable for buyers.
Other side Thomas cook needs to opts various types of effective strategies in order to develop
service and product in qualitative and quantitative manner.
TASK 4
4.1 Integrated nature and role of promotional mix
Promotional mix refers to that methods or techniques which can be used for reach out the
target customers that are utilises by team of marketing. It is a combination of sound and effective
marketing which use to generate promotion mix that are present in order to improve customers
base and success of product in the market. There are so many type of role and characteristic of
promotional mix that are explained as : Advertisement: it can be known as effective method or techniques that provides
assistance in order to promoting different services and goods. Through using suitable
advertisement a company can create and design different kind of promotional tour
which can easily reach out to local and residential as well as international customers
that are done through using newspapers, social sites, magazines, television and radio
etc. Public relation: it is effective and strong technique which will gives assistance in order
to creates best quality relation with customers. Public relation is a tool which helps an
organisation in respect to improve the brand image and also enhance goodwill in the
market of UK (Battour and et. al., 2017). Thomas cook will also maintain sound
relation with nation's people that helps in boosting the growth and success. They needs
to attracts those buyers who are regular make purchase form their firm also it is
important for an organisation cause it provides better quality services to customers.
 Sales promotion: this is also a effective technique through which company will be able
to grab eyes of customers in larger numbers towards particular services.
4.2 Promotional campaign for THOMAS COOK. (Covered in poster)
Marketing and advertising is such which help company to promote their product and
service to large market. Thomas Cook is that which maintain and build the strong relation with
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their customer and client. Although with this they also attract the customer to use their service
for once.
Basic principle for advertising
it is quite important for organisation to make relation with different people at the market
place. The base objective of company is to advertise their product and service so that people can
become aware of such company as well and their offers available on different product as well.
All such this make various people at one place and purchase their product and services. It is
required that campaign should be reached to large market so that they can receive their goods
and services easily. Through string relation firm easily attract many people towards their items.
Advertising is that which is helpful for various people as because with this they are able
to attract the people from different places of country. Moreover, company is using various tools
and technique in developing strategies and different plans for promoting goods and services.
Sales promotion and personal selling.
Sales promotion is such which help company to attract the large portion of people
towards them by providing them various offers and discounts which will make them to travekl
and use the services of THOMAS COOK for once and to become the existing customer of them
for longer period. The main aim is too sale their product and service to million of people and
thus to earn higher profit as well. Therefore, the personal selling also help company to attract
various customer by meeting them face to face and thus this help firm to know the expression
and feedbacks as well about the organisation.
CONCLUSION
In the above report, it is being stated that marketing is important aspect for he travel and
tourism and they are responsible for attracting large market of population. THOMAS COOK has
chose various marketing techniques which allow them to promote their product and services in
market. It has included all the part which help company to sell their product and service which
help company to attain their goal and objective.
REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Battour, M. and et. al., 2017. Islamic tourism: an empirical examination of travel motivation and
satisfaction in Malaysia. Current Issues in Tourism. 20(1). pp.50-67.
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Becker, E., 2016. Overbooked: the exploding business of travel and tourism. Simon and
Schuster.
Buonincontri, P. and et. al., 2017. Managing the experience co-creation process in tourism
destinations: Empirical findings from Naples. Tourism Management. 62. pp.264-277.
Choe, Y., Stienmetz, J. L. and Fesenmaier, D. R., 2017. Measuring Destination Marketing:
Comparing Four Models of Advertising Conversion. Journal of Travel Research. 56(2).
pp.143-157.
Cvelbar, L. K., Grün, B. and Dolnicar, S., 2017. Which hotel guest segments reuse towels?
Selling sustainable tourism services through target marketing. Journal of Sustainable
Tourism. 25(7). pp.921-934.
George, R., 2017. Responsible tourism as a strategic marketing tool for improving the negative
image of South Africa. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, (just-accepted).
pp.00-00.
Leung, R., Au, N. and Law, R., 2015. The recent Asian wave in tourism research: The case of
the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.
20(1). pp.1-28.
Lim, W. M., 2017. Restoring tourist confidence and travel intentions after disasters: some
insights from a rejoinder to a series of unfortunate events in Malaysian tourism. Current
Issues in Tourism. 20(1). pp.38-42.
Magno, F. and et. al., 2017. Adoption and impact of marketing performance assessment systems
among travel agencies. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management. 29(4). pp.1133-1147.
Mazor-Tregerman, M., Mansfeld, Y. and Elyada, O., 2017. Travel guidebooks and the
construction of tourist identity. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change. 15(1). pp.80-
98.
Mossaz, A. and Coghlan, A., 2017. The role of travel agents’ ethical concerns when brokering
information in the marketing and sale of sustainable tourism. Journal of Sustainable
Tourism. 25(7). pp.989-1006.
Ponnam, A., 2017. Investigating the process through which E-servicescape creates E-loyalty in
Travel and Tourism Websites. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing. 34(1). pp.20-39.
Truong, V. D. and Hall, C. M., 2017. Corporate social marketing in tourism: to sleep or not to
sleep with the enemy?. Journal of Sustainable Tourism. 25(7). pp.884-902.
Xu, F., Buhalis, D. and Weber, J., 2017. Serious games and the gamification of tourism. Tourism
Management. 60. pp.244-256.
Online
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