Tourism Public Relations and Social Media

This assignment delves into the crucial role of public relations (PR) and social media in shaping contemporary tourism. Students are tasked with examining how PR professionals utilize various communication channels to manage tourism destinations' image, influence traveler perceptions, and promote responsible travel practices. The analysis will encompass the impact of online reviews, word-of-mouth marketing, and interactive platforms on consumer decision-making within the tourism industry. Moreover, students will explore the challenges faced by PR practitioners in navigating the dynamic landscape of social media and ensuring ethical communication in a globalized tourism market.

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND PROMOTION IN TRAVEL AND
TOURISM
STUDENT NAME
STUDENT ID:
UNIVERSITY:

Executive Summary
This report discusses the objectives and the functions of public relation in the context of travel
and tourism business of VisitBritain. The different stakeholders for the contextual travel and
tourism business will also be identified and their roles will be precisely discussed in the following
portion of the report. A business audit will be done to recognise the performance of VisitBritain
as a travel and tourism business organisation. Moreover, environmental analysis is also carried
out to understand the external environment of the tours and travel industry. In doing the public
relation plan agenda setting theory will be used. As the research technique both qualitative and
quantitative methods will be employed. Uses of data via Google analytics will be employed as a
quantitative technique whereas content analysis by means of customer’s interview will be
carried out as a qualitative process. The different outdoor campaign will also be conducted as a
part of the public relation. A PR plan in based on the beach location of Brighton in UK is also
designed along with the evaluation of tactics and strategies used for effective communication of
the packages provided by VisitBritain.

Table of Contents:
Introduction:...................................................................................................................................4
[P 1.1] Evaluation of the role of public relations within the travel and tourism sector as a
promotional tool [M1] [Task 1A].....................................................................................................4
[P 1.2] Analysis of publics including the current and potential visitors and other stakeholders
within a travel and tourism context. [Task 1A]...............................................................................5
[P 1.3] Discussion of the importance of public relations to travel and tourism businesses [Task
1A].................................................................................................................................................5
Task 1B..........................................................................................................................................6
2.1 Background:.............................................................................................................................6
Task 2:LO3:...................................................................................................................................8
Task 2A..........................................................................................................................................8
3.1: [M2].........................................................................................................................................8
3.2: [M2, D3]..................................................................................................................................9
Task 2B........................................................................................................................................11
3.3: [M3].......................................................................................................................................11
Task 3..........................................................................................................................................12
4.1 Public Relation Plan for Brighton Bus Tour by VisitBritain....................................................12
4.2 Reviewing the effectiveness of PR campaign.......................................................................13
Conclusion:..................................................................................................................................14
Reference List:.............................................................................................................................15
Appendices:.................................................................................................................................18
Appendix 1:..................................................................................................................................18

Introduction:
In the contemporary context of BREXIT, the economic market of Britain as well as total the
European Union are in a turmoil situation which is also affected the tourism market of
VisitBritain. In this report, building value of tourism of Britain is discussed in the context of
Brighton seaside tourist destination, which is recently on the declining side due to the economic
turmoil. In the words of Petrovici (2014, p.67), public relation is that tool which enables an
organisation to maintain their communication with their target customer and their audience.
They are the person whom a person contacts in case of any grievance or feedback.
Furthermore, they act as a linking agent between the outside world and the organisation.
In the report, the roles and the importance of effectual public relation for travel and tourism
business are discussed with the appropriate paradigm. In the next portion, the report will deal
with the application public relations and promotions skills within a travel and tourism context of
Brighton. According to Lahav et al. (2013, p.291) in the modern time the roles of media is
indispensable in the case of pursuing personal relation of any organisation. Hence, the roles of
media in the context public relations and promotions skills within a travel and tourism context of
Brighton are also stated here. With the help of above element, a viable public relations plan in a
travel and tourism context of Brighton is also presented in the final portion of the report.
[P 1.1] Evaluation of the role of public relations within the travel and tourism sector as a
promotional tool [M1] [Task 1A]
Brighton is a European city hustling and bustling like a regular European city with lots of other
attraction namely an outlandish Royal Palace with the domed Indian style palace re-imagined
architect John Nash, fascinating museums, a beautiful neon-lit Brighton Pier beach with
invigorating ocean views, marvellous shopping and late-night pubs and clubs (VisitBritain,
2016).
Culbertson and Chen (2013, p.89), implies that public relations are the commutation link of an
organisation which needs to establish proper relationships with the public including consumers,
legislators and stakeholders of the company. VisitBritain can achieve this by favourable
publicity, positive corporate image and tackling unfavourable incidents as well as a rumour.
Public relations is possibly comprised of holding special events, writing press releases,
arranging and publishing consumer surveys about a service or the organisation, and labours to
put a positive turn on negative news about the organisation.

There are mainly two divisions of public relations as for example, marketing and non-marketing
public relations. In the non-marketing section, the public relation deals with the organisation’s
messages about general management issues (Ju Jin et al. 2016, p.109). Furthermore, when a
travel and tourism organisation like VisitBritain is going to change any of their dealings with a
customer or any decision-making processes, which have a great impact on the perception of the
customers they are dealing with. As for example when VisitBritain, the national tourism agency,
has decided to launch their new travel plan of the Brighton, they need PR to make their
customer aware of the plan and seek their feedback regarding their decision and tourism plan.
[P 1.2] Analysis of publics including the current and potential visitors and other
stakeholders within a travel and tourism context. [Task 1A]
Any organisation is mainly made up of different corporate stakeholders. According to Pastras
and Bramwell, (2013, p.390) a corporate stakeholder can be identified as an individual or a
group of people who is directly or indirectly affected by the actions of the contextual business
organisation. However, Papasolomou and Melanthiou, (2012, p.319) describes stakeholders as
those groups whose support is important for the very existence of the organisation. In that note
it can be said for the VisitBritain their employees, managers, shareholders, contractual
employees, suppliers, customer, society and government are an important stakeholder (Lee et
al. 2012, p.584). These stakeholders are again subdivided into external and internal
stakeholder. Employees, managers, shareholders or owners of VisitBritain come under internal
stakeholder whereas the rest of the stakeholders are classified as an external stakeholder.
External stakeholders are those individuals who are not within the organisational bodies.
However, External stakeholders of VisitBritain are concerned as well as affected by
performance of the business of the travel company (Rodríguez-Antón et al. 2013, p.25). The
local government needs the VisitBritain to perform well as they contributes to economy by
paying taxes, employing more people, following laws, and truthfully reporting its financial
conditions. On the other hand, customers of VisitBritain expect the organisation to provide high-
quality goods or services at low cost. The community wants the business to contribute positively
to its local environment and population.
[P 1.3] Discussion of the importance of public relations to travel and tourism businesses
[Task 1A]

VisitBritain uses Public relation as a promotional method for their travel and tourism business.
The primary objective of Public Relations is establishing a good image of a specific destination
in order to grab the attention of tourists. Apart from grabbing the attention of travellers, they also
create awareness in public regarding the business practices of VisitBritain. They also manage
the communication process within and outside the organisation (Lee et al. 2012, p.589). They
tend to handle different social media accounts of the organisations so as the brand image of the
organisation become enhanced. Further, if any negative publicity arises they try to resolve it or
turn it into a positive one. If that is not possible, then they opt for masking that with a positive
one. They also arrange and coordinate different sponsorship as a means to gain publicity and
credibility.
Task 1B
2.1 Background:
Being an established name in the travel and tourism industry, VisitBritain is responsible for
maintaining that the experiences of the clients choosing this company are exclusive
(VisitBritain.com, 2016). Hence, it is important for the company to conduct destination audit in
order to evaluate the scope of the destination in attracting the target customers and ensuring
steady growth of the organisation. In this audit report, Brighton as a tourist destination has been
evaluated (VisitBritain.com, 2016). The audit provides an overview, which can prompt the public
relations department to adopt effective destination management, processes which will widen the
scope of Brighton as an ideal holidaying location.
Objectives
There are specific objectives, which were defined in this audit. It is ensured that these objectives
are achieved to implement the relevant campaign to attract the prospective customers looking
forward to a relaxing holiday chooses the travel packages of Brighton extended by the
company.
● To analyse the resources available in the destination
● To identify whether the built perception is adequately fulfilled or not
● To zero-in on the most effective PR tools and media channels to attract customers and
provide them accurate information
● To evaluate whether the campaign is effectively reaching the message

Environment analysis:
It is important on the party of the public relations officers to make sure that the promotion of
chosen package of Brighton tourism is implemented only after the appropriate evaluation is
done. According to Austin and Pinkleton (2015, p.13), the environmental analysis can thus, be
considered by the managers to get a clear overview which can be helpful in selecting the most
effective methods of the campaign.
Economic Factor- Being one of the most cost-effective destinations for short trips, Brighton is a
hot favourite location for many looking for a cheap day out. With low-priced eateries and
travelling costs, the economic factors can attract the target audience. The packages extended
by VisitBritain makes it even more convenient for the audience to enjoy with the family even in
the limited budget (VisitBritain.com, 2016). However, the inflation rate is required to be taken
into consideration while trying to convince the potential visitors.
Social Factor- The social factor also plays an important part. It can be said that the packages
can be availed by people from a varied social background. Hence, the scope of their
interactions gets higher. The host communities interact with the tourists and thus, can have a
positive or negative impact.
Environmental Factor- Being situated in the coastal areas of the country, it can be one of the
most attractive places for the tourists looking for a day out. The climatic conditions of this place
remain pleasant. Thus, VisitBritain considers the environmental factors while implementing the
campaign (VisitBritain.com, 2016).
Target Audience:
Families looking forward to a quick holiday or day out in the beaches of Brighton are given main
focus by the organisation. The target is not only limited to the families in Britain. The tourists are
also targeted by the organisations, which are visiting the exotic locations of the country.
Selecting Communication Channels:
It is realised by the public relations managers of the company that in order to reach the
message to the target audience, potent communication channels are required (Dozier et al.
2013, p.45). With the increasing dependency on the digital platforms, VisitBritain utilises this
platform to aware the target clients.
Hence, the information regarding the visit in Brighton is provided in the official website of the
company. The promotion on social media is also a great way to inform the audience regarding
the Brighton sightseeing packages.

Promoting the packages in conventional and traditional ways by using the print and electronic
media are considered by the organisation as well (Pastras and Bramwell, 2013, p.395).
Outdoor campaigning is extended in order to let the audience know about the offers extended
by them in the Brighton packages.
These media channels require promoting the services through various tools like newsletters,
reports, websites and much more.
PR skills implementation:
In order to measure the effectiveness of the implemented strategies, the public relation
managers use certain skills (Hays et al. 2013, p.215). When it comes to services like tour
packages, it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented campaigning strategy
to promote the Brighton tour packages. Hence, utilisation of skills like communications, research
and so on, managing the public can be easier. With the help of skills as such, it can be easier
for the PR managers of VisitBritain to achieve the objectives of the organisation.
Task 2:LO3:
Task 2A
3.1: [M2]
VisitBritain utilises media in the promotion of tourism in Britain, for building up the economy of
the country. It manages its consumer loyalty regarding the travel and tourism packages of
Brighton, UK, by means of their Public Relations department, who address the concerns of the
customers, by applying various theories. Out of all these theories, the travel agency is Maxwell
McCombs is mainly seen to apply Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw's Agenda Setting
Theory in the assessment of the media content influencing the perception of their consumers
(McCombs, 2013, p.1). VisitBritain has been seen to use create awareness and maintain their
consumer loyalty, by means conducting quantitative and qualitative research analysis by
using content analysis and interview methods. This is then interpreted with respect to the
family holiday packages of Brighton offered by the agency - Brighton City Sightseeing Bus Tour,
Sea Life Brighton Aquarium and Royal Pavilion Brighton (Refer to Appendix 1).
From the cost, prices analysed it has been seen that most consumers opt for the family holiday
package of Brighton City Sightseeing Bus Tour. VisitBritain applies the Agenda Setting theory,
by conducting a research, where a sample each of print media, electronic media and social
media is taken and classified as per the agenda of the media content (Macnamara and Zerfass,
2012, p.287). This sampling is done on the consumers as well, where a selected number of

consumers are taken and interviewed to know their perception about the company. The content
of the media is then analysed and classified and rated as intentional or informational. The
interviews are then interpreted and analysed to see how much the media has influenced the
perception of the consumers, by using techniques such as Google Analytics as an analytical
tool for undertaking data about how far consumers have been influenced by media
(Papasolomou and Melanthiou, 2012, p.319). This interpretation is then used for addressing the
consumer concerns by use of written media, social media such as Facebook, Twitter, blogs,
SEO ratings, campaigning and using electronic media for addressing consumers by
video, telephone and interviews (Ruck and Welch, 2012, p. 294).
VisitBritain uses the theory to promote its campaign by means of print media, electronic
media, outdoor campaigning and social media. The organisation shall use print media to
creating advertisements for promoting the tourism of Brighton among the consumers. This
shall help in creating brand awareness among the consumers about the organisation and its
products, including the holiday packages to the destination (Duhé, 2015, p.153). They shall
further apply outdoor campaigning with the help of banners, posters and hoardings to
create a buzz about the holiday package among the consumers. The organisation shall use
electronic media for promoting a holiday at Brighton by working with other organisations by
conducting face-to-face interviews, telephonic conversations, keeping in touch with consumers
via electronic mails and video conferences, helping the travel agency to address the consumers
by the use of media. Last but not the least, the company has been seen to utilise social media in
increasing its SEO popularity, by maximising use of Google through its linked sites such as
YouTube, Google+, Google Alerts and Google Hotel Finder, along with social networking sites
like Facebook and Twitter, with blogs. This is done to keep up their organisational reputation by
checking their online reputation, as well as their TripAdvisor listing (Kavoura, 2014, p.490).
3.2: [M2, D3]
It has been seen that VisitBritain keeps a healthy relation with the media sources, in order to
promote and campaign tourism of Brighton for their consumers. The Public Relation
practitioners of VisitBritain are seen to use the information provided in the media sources, to
gain an insight into the demands and perception about the tourism package and the
organisational reputation, among consumers, by the application of Agenda Setting Theory in
their research method. The media sources, on the other hand, want to pass the latest juicy, eye-
catching information to create awareness among the consumers. Studies have shown that news
media has been seen to have more impact on the perception of consumers, as compared to the

blogs and social media, relating to the reliability and ethical basis of provided information
(Wilson and Supa, 2013, p.1).
Figure 1: Social Media Used in VisitBritain’s Campaigning
(Source: Created by Author)
The PR department of VisitBritain is seen to mainly use digital marketing and online booking for
the promotion of tourism in Brighton. They are seen to promote mainly three packages
regarding Brighton, an aquarium tour, a royal pavilion tour and a bus tour, of which the bus tour
is seen to be the most popular one. Hence, the key media, which shall be used in this case, is
social media, where SEO ratings, blogs, social networking sites and organisational
websites are used as a tool for the promotion of tours by the organisation (Hays et al. 2013,
p.211). This is because social media is such a tool, which goes viral in the world, reaching out
to masses of people, helping the PR department to interact with consumers, and create
awareness about the tour package. The organisation is seen to collate and analyse the media
present in the sample, to prepare and supervise the campaigning of tourism by creating e-
brochures, addressing consumers via video chatting, along with an analysis of the
content of Facebook, YouTube videos and Twitter as well as blog contents. VisitBritain is
further seen to maximise the use of Google and its links to increase its popularity in the SEO
ratings (Kelleher, 2015, p.281).
It has been noted that the exit of the UK from the European Union (EU) has created a great
economic impact, especially regarding the foreign tourists visiting Brighton. PR department of
SocialMediaUsedSocialNetworkingSitesSEOratingsBlogsCompanyWebsitesYouTubevideosPressConferences

VisitBritain uses social media to address the concerns of the tourists, inviting them to visit the
beautiful coastal city of Brighton, by using innovative means. Some of the innovative means
which can be used by VisitBritain are creating e-advertisements about tourism fairs, where
online media can be used for inviting people to travel fairs. For knowing more about the tourism
of Brighton especially the bus tours, which stops at 11 stops including the Royal Pavilion, which
lies in the heart of the city (Safer et al. 2013, p.213). Another method, which can be used, is the
sponsorship of educational programmes for foreign students, where the students can take
the tour of the city during a weekend and promote the tourism of Brighton by telling about their
lovely tour to other people. These activities shall be supported by a press conference along with
a follow-up.
Task 2B
3.3: [M3]
It has been seen that both the media as well as VisitBritain promote the tourism of the lovely
coastal city of Brighton. Since the company uses online marketing; social media has been used
along with the use of press conferences. Press conference has been seen to be an effective
tool for the tourism promotion since they are taken as the traditional, ethical and more
reliable sources of information regarding the tour packages, the destination and the
organisational status of the travel agencies. These conferences held to come up with a follow-
up, where the strategies discussed shall be put to a question and answer session, helping the
company to solve the queries of people, through the press (Sotiriadis and Van Zyl, 2013,
p.103).
The organisation shall utilise social media for the creation of e-advertisements of its travel fairs
and sponsorship programmes. It has been seen that VisitBritain utilises social media for the
campaigning of its tourism activities because it enables the organisation to reach a wide
mass of active consumers (Swarbrooke and Page, 2012, p.2). These active consumers are
seen to comment on the social networking sites, blogs and websites. Moreover, it is cost-
effective for the organisation, since the videos and advertisements only have to be made at
one go, enabling the organisation to reach a large number of people at the same time, serving
to be time-saving as well (Sparks et al. 2013, p.1).
Moreover, it has also been seen that VisitBritain shall utilise social media for creating
awareness of campaigning by means of fairs and sponsorship programmes. This enables the
travel agency to gain a wide range of consumers from various sectors – be them from the
corporate to the educational to even the family sector itself. It helps them to increase their

contacts, enabling the organisation to not only promote the tourism of Brighton but to also
building their connections with the public. Further, the absence of middlemen enables the PR
department to directly address the concerns and queries of the consumers, bringing more
and more people to visit the attractive city of Brighton (Scott, 2015, p.5). It has also been seen
that its use of social media will enable the organisation to share its case studies along with
success stories, with the social mass, creating awareness about what Brighton offers for
them, and why they should retreat to the lovely coastal city for their holiday. In addition, the
company shall use social media as a campaigning tool since it is easy to operate and enables
active conversation with the consumers, by addressing the follow-up, where the feedback,
comments and queries of the consumers are addressed for promoting their rank among the
TripAdvisor status.
Task 3
4.1 Public Relation Plan for Brighton Bus Tour by VisitBritain
It can be undeniably stated that the Public Relation Campaigns are one of the major functions
that the PR department of VisitBritain has to undertake. In order to make sure that the bus tour
of Brighton is able to satiate the consumers and provide them with an exciting experience, it is
important for the PR managers to make sure that the target audience is able to receive
adequate information regarding the offerings extended by the company for Brighton tour.
Therefore, the public relations department engages in managing the various networking
channels that are helpful in reaching the messages to the target clients.
Steps of effective PR plans
With a step-by-step process, the campaign will be able to derive positive results in favour of the
organisation (Gössling et al. 2012, p.38). The first step that is required to be taken by VisitBritain
is to set specific goals for the campaign. It is the responsibility of the public relations
employees to create awareness among the mass. Hence, the aim of the campaign is to reach
a wide range of target customers through appropriate channels.
The second step that has to be taken is to identify the target customers. Since Brighton is a
destination for short visit, the target audience will be the families looking for a day out to relax
on the beaches or other tourists visiting the various locations in the country. Corporate clients
for MICE tours, medical tourists and the students on educational trips are also targeted. It is
important to make sure that the appropriate messages are created to reach the audience.

Selecting the appropriate media is very crucial for any PR plan. As Gössling et al. (2012,
p.67) states, it is impossible for any organisation to rely on the only mouth of words method to
influence the target audience. With the help of appropriate media, it can be easier for the
organisation to achieve the target market. VisitBritain realises the same and the campaign will
incorporate media like print media, electronics media as well as the social media.
Announcements, notices and informative approaches as such are required to be extended to
the audience.
The next step is to zero-in on the budget. This step requires the public relations managers to
coordinate with the finance department. It is important to establish the amount of resources
required for the public relations activities. The budget required for the public relations processes
will range from moderate to high.
Implementation is the final step of any PR campaign. It is considered important for the media
operators to establish a healthy and professional relationship with the media personnel. This will
make sure the media is covering the information in an appropriate way. Thus, it can be ensured
that the target customers are positively influenced.
The PR activities that can be undertaken by VisitBritain is by conducting appropriate
sponsorship programs for foreign students. Using the media and advertisements can be
effective in influencing the mass without much effort. In order to draw the attention of the media,
a press conference is required to be arranged by the PRO. A follow-up process should also
be undertaken to make sure that the media are addressing the campaign in good light.
Participation in travel fairs will also be one of the key PR strategies to influence target
customers. Hence, the most cost-effective measures are required to be taken by the public
relations department of VisitBritain for their campaign.
4.2 Reviewing the effectiveness of PR campaign
It is important to monitor the effectiveness of the PR activities and events in order to derive
fruitful results. With the help of the appropriate measures, it can be said that the effectiveness of
the campaign can be measured easily. The attention from the media for the campaign will
depend on the numbers of media house personnel attending the press conference. Once the
media are informed about the campaign, it is important to ensure that the media coverage is

monitored by the professionals (Altinay et al. 2015, p.12). It will provide them with a sight
regarding the performance of the PR activity.
Apart from media coverage, the social media platform is an effective source to review the PR
influence. The scope of instant feedback can be utilised to garner the idea of the effectiveness
of PR campaign in influencing the audience.
Monitoring the change in attitudes of the target customers as well as the media is also a good
reviewing method (Imran et al. 2014, p.23). It will provide the scope to understand whether the
campaign has been positively adopted by the target clients or not.
The effect on the sales and profits can be reviewed as well to analyse the effectivity of the PR
campaign. The final review method is by evaluating whether the objectives of the campaign
have been achieved after the campaign got over or not.
Thus, with the help of proper review methods, the scope of determining the effectiveness as
well as identifying the drawbacks and eliminating them considerably can be widened.
Conclusion:
At the end of this report, this can be concluded that the roles and the importance of effectual
public relations are indispensable for a fine brand image of the contextual travel and tourism
organisation, VisitBritain. In order to make a strategy for planning public relation program a
business audit is conducted. In addition, a environmental analysis is also done to understand
the external environment of travel and tourism business. It is found that the target customer for
Brighton seaside tourism plan of VisitBritain is mainly travel enthusiast families. With a view to
the target audience, the communication channels are decided as print media, electronic media
and social media.

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Appendices:
Appendix 1:
Figure 1: Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw’s Agenda Setting Theory
(Source: McCombs, 2013, p. 1)