Marketing Essentials for Travel and Tourism: A Comparative Analysis

This report delves into the marketing essentials within the travel and tourism sector, focusing on the application of marketing principles by tourism organizations. The introduction establishes the significance of marketing in influencing consumer behavior and brand awareness, using Hilton as a case example. The report examines the key roles and responsibilities of marketing functions, current and future marketing trends like internet marketing, new media marketing tactics, relationship marketing, and ethical marketing. It also analyzes the interrelationship between marketing and other functional areas such as finance, HR, and production departments. Furthermore, the report applies the 7Ps marketing mix strategy to two tourism organizations: Hilton and Queens Park Hotel. The report concludes with an analysis of the SOSTAC model for Hilton, providing a comprehensive overview of marketing strategies within the tourism industry. The report aims to provide insights into the marketing strategies and their practical application in the travel and tourism sector.

MARKETING ESSENTIALS
FOR
TRAVEL AND TOURISM

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAINBODY...................................................................................................................................3
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of the marketing functions.....................................................3
P2 Critically analyse interrelationship between marketing and other functional areas...............5
P3 7P’S of marketing mix strategy for two tourism organizations.............................................8
P4 SOSTAC Model for Hilton..................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is a set of activities that organization undertakes to influence the purchasing
and selling of the product or service. it comprises advertising, selling and supplying products to
users or businesses. Marketing is the best channel to reach the customer. It assists to build brand
awareness and influence business sales volume. To understand role of marketing has an example
of Hilton. It is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts which offers both type services i.e.
hotel and travel to the customer. It operates worldwide and offers wide range of products and
services to the people. It is one of the larger hotel brand in the world that’s why it has good sales
revenue in the hospitality industry. The brief study provides understanding of roles and
responsibilities of the marketing function within tourism organization.
LO1
P1 Key roles and responsibilities of the marketing functions
Marketing concept is the strategy that organizations uses to understand needs of their
customers and then takes decision to meet their objectives as compared competitors (Aung,
2019). It helps to analyse current and future trends of marketing in the tourism organization so
that easy to generate high profit in each condition weather it is favourable or non-favourable.
Hilton is a tourism organization that uses marketing concept to determine risk and opportunities
in the business market.
Current trends
Internet marketing
It comprises marketing of products and it’s services through digital platform i.e.
advertising, phone app and other digital mediums. The current trends, Hilton that is already
engaged in the internet marketing. It is highly active on Facebook, Instagram that helps to direct
communicate with people and aware them about new facility of tourism industry. Moreover, it
focuses on paid sponsorship campaign on Facebook which supports increase brand image in the
business market (Chernev, 2018). Currently it requires to be active on LinkedIn and Twitter
which influences its customer reach.

New media marketing tactics
There are various new media marketing strategy that it undertakes for the promotion
perspective. The marketing media tactics comprises appoints paid bloggers as marketing
affiliates, develops effective content strategy by using selling executive officer (SEO), builds and
actively manage profile of organization on media channels to access large number of customers.
These are major tactics that helps organization to promote it’s presence through digital media
and engages wide
Future trends
Relationship marketing
The relationship marketing is good strategy that increase focus on influencing customers
satisfaction and supports to target on the customer retention as compared number of sales which
it has made. So, it is good tactic for the Hilton to work on it’s communication with users as result
build good relationship and retains them prolong time with business (Dadzie and et.al., 2017).
Ethical marketing
It is one of the most important future trends of marketing that supports organization to generate
interest of users in the context of service and products. In addition, it builds strong relationship
with customers and influence values for all stakeholders by involving social and environmental
consideration while marketing of products and services. Hilton can use this marketing trend that
helps to include healthy option in foods and reduces fatty continents in the food as result
promotes overall health and wellbeing of customers in the society. By this strategy becomes
easier to establish strong relationship with customers in the organization.
Key roles and responsibilities of customers
There are various role and receptibilities of marketing such as transportation of goods, storing
goods, gathers market information to meet customer’s needs (Gretzel, 2018). But in the wider
context it has numerous roles and responsibilities that are described as follows:
Deep research of market

It is major function of the marketing that helps to determine changing needs of
customers. it is initially focused towards customer’s needs, preferences, attitude and expectation
of customer for the product and service. This marketing function is used to understand actual
demand of customer in the market. Marketer of Hilton perform this function by collecting overall
information in the context of customers and analyse this information to understand actual
demand of users and opportunity for the company (Hasan, 2019).
Anticipating customer requirements
It is another function of marketing whereas marketing department responsible for this
function. Marketer predicts requirement of the customer for the particular products by deep
researching of market. this Anticipation supports company to fulfil the demands of the user
effectively.
Meeting customer’s needs
It is essential role of marketing function to lead high satisfaction in customers for the
products or services. It is primary role of the marketing that determine the needs and expectation
of the customer so that organization can satisfy it’s customer and give them value of their
money. Hilton apply this marketing function in the organization and offers high standard quality
products to the customer which fulfil their demands and gives values of their money as well
(Homaidan, 2019). this marketing function has proved fruitful for the organization because it
enables to give value to the customer and in return generates lifetime loyalty of them for the
brand.
Making profit
Organization uses marketing functions to generate high profit and builds brand image in
the business market. However, marketing is responsible for planning new and innovation
methods to sell it’s goods and services to the user. It includes value added packages with product
or service that gives values for money as well as influences the overall sales and profit of
company.
Hilton uses overall roles and responsibilities of marketing which supports to focus on customer’s
demands and expectation and establishes strong brand image in the business market.

P2 Critically analyse interrelationship between marketing and other functional areas
There are various department of organization that keeps close interrelationship with
marketing department to achieve common goal of the company.
Marketing and finance
Marketing and finance department works closely to achieve common goal of the company.
Marketing department gives whole information to the finance department about expenses of
promotional tools. Whereas finance department prepares budget for the marketing perspective so
that marketer can influence selling revenue of the company effectively. The finance department
of Hilton gives defined budget to the finance department so that they can execute their marketing
campaign in the predefined cost (Shukla, Verma and Baltoo, 2020). in addition, finance
department provides information to the marketing department about cost that can be comprised
for conducting the marketing activity. While marketing department of Hilton requires to be
connected with finance department to know about current financial positioning of the company
which helps to carry out all marketing activities accordingly.
This interrelationship possesses some drawbacks as well such as when marketing
department needs more funds for advertisement of brand more effectively, in that case finance
department denies to give more funds except defined budget then conflicts takes place between
them. The reason behind is that finance department has nature to save extra expenditure so that
organization can use in other business activities. While marketing department has aim to promote
brand image so they want to expend more funds to influence sales revenue of the company. To
overcome this issue has best option to make flexible budget for the marketing department that
helps both finance and marketing department to gain goal of the company.
Marketing and HR
The main function of the human resource is to recruit right candidate for the right job in
the defined salary which maintains their wellbeing and encourages them to give high
performance in the workplace. The marketing department of Hilton is closely connected with
human resource department to assure that all vacancies for the candidates are filled on time and
they recruit right applicants for the joining of marketing team. In addition, marketing department
keeps close coordination with human resource department to ensure that all candidate has been

provided better employee orientation program. It helps candidates to analyse current challenging
condition and makes them efficient to deal with complex situation effectively (McIntyre, 2016).
Human resource of Hilton coordinate with marketing department to gather feedbacks of
employee performance which helps to analyse performance of individuals and ensures that target
has been achieved or not. Human resource department ensures that staff of marketing department
works in satisfactory condition or not. Thus, both HR and marketing department keeps close
relationship and helps company to meet it’s objective.
It also has some drawbacks i.e. when HR department is not enabled to recruit talented
applicant for the specified job as result individuals unable to give performance in marketing team
which directly impacts sales promotion negatively in the organization. On the other hand, when
marketing department inefficient to analyse individual’s performance in the marketing team then
HR unable to analyse weak area of employees which needs to improve as result organization
does not get profitable outcome on it’s performance.
Marketing and production department
Production department is especially concerned with improvement of products and
associated operations. Marketing department always co-works with production department
because they ensure that development of new product will fulfil demand of customer and
improves their experience after consuming. Marketing and production department of Hilton
works together to improve taste of existing products so that organization can retain it’s customer
prolong time. Production department of the Hilton hotel keeps constant improvement in product
quality with variety’s so that customers gets more option in food to choose (Mustapha, 2017).
Whereas marketing department uses products for the marketing perspective which impacts
customer positively to choose only this hotel instead of others. Thus, both marketing and
production department helps company to attract existing and new customers towards
organization’s product and services.
It also has some drawbacks such as marketing department requires proper information
about products so that they can devise marketing strategy for targeting specified customers, in
that state if production department unable to give acquires product description to the marketer
then they unable to develop strategy for the promotion perspective. Thus, it requires both

department marketing and production department must be independent which helps to achieve
goal of the company in defined time.
LO2
P3 7P’S of marketing mix strategy for two tourism organizations
There are two tourism organizations i.e. Queens Park Hotel and Hilton which applies
7p’s marketing mix strategy to achieve it’s objectives. Strategy are described as follows
7P’s marketing mix Hilton Queens Park Hotel
Product Hilton is worldwide famous tourism
industry that has wide variety of
hospitality service that are located
across the world through hotel chains.
It offers luxury and hospitality
services to the customer as per their
demands. It offers advance amenities
and exotic food and drinks to it’s
customers. in addition, it gives
membership discounts and other
facilities i.e. Wi-Fi and rom option
etc. attracts customer towards hotel. It
also offers values added facilities like
swimming pools. Gift shop, retain
facilities and other services (Pappas,
2017).
Queens Park Hotel is a
hospitality organization that is
located in London. It does not
have wide range products but it
classifies products into three
categories and each offers as
separate product lines. All
products sell under the brand
name. It is well differentiated
it’s products into different
features so that each customer
can purchase hospitality services
accordingly their budget. It
focuses on products quality i.e.
room facility, interior of hotel
and others as compared
competitor. In addition, it offers
Q-parking facility to the guest
which is only 3-minute ways to
the Queen park hotel that

influence purchasing decision of
customer.
Price It has adopted premium pricing
policies to maintain repo of brand
with outstanding amenities. It also
follows seasonal pricing strategy and
offers discount to the customer which
makes them feel good and improves
purchasing behaviour in season or
festivals time. It offers four star and
five-star customer services with a
sense of reputation and luxury instead
of saying and dining.
On the other hand, Queen park
hotel has adopted flexible
pricing strategy that helps
company to target each class
customer and gives values of
their money by offering high
quality services (Patiland Bach,
2017). It is established in good
location that gives more benefit
to attract customer towards
hotel. It also follows seasonal
pricing strategy in festivals
whereas mainly customer’s
makes plan to select that hotel
which is quite near to visiting
place. Therefore, organization
enable to generate high profit
margin through the flexible
pricing strategy.
Place It operates in 84 countries globally
and provides luxurious services to the
customer. It has strong global
presence that causes it becomes easier
to attract premium customers towards
company. It follows distribution
strategy that has benefited
organization to attract large number
of customer and influences
purchasing behaviour of individuals
Queen park hotel is established
in more popular location of
London and quite nearby to
padding railway station that
become easier for the guest to
reach in hotel without wasting
more time. Thus, Queen park
hotel increases purchasing
behaviour of guest for the
hospitality services.

for the hospitality services.
Promotion Hilton offers exclusive membership
facility as promotional tool to the
guest. It is a method of influencing
customer engagement with brand and
retains them with company for long
time. Organization uses digital
marketing and social marketing
strategy to promote brand image and
it’s products in the market.
On the other hand, Queen Park
Hotel is three star hotel in
London but more famous due to
it’s service and location. It also
follows promotional strategy
such as digital marketing and
traditional marketing that helps
it influence customer awareness
for the brand and it’s services.
Physical evidence Hilton has attractive physical
evidence and has great reach and
appearance in the world that attracts
customers premium customers
towards hotel. To gain competitive
advantage in the hospitality sector it
has been expanded it’s business in
multiple countries across the world. it
demonstrates that Hilton has
attractive infrastructure.
As compared, it also has
attractive infrastructure and
well-organized reception area
with good interior design and
siting facility which attracts new
customers to buy services.
People To maintain quality of services in the
hotel provided training opportunity to
the staff time to time so that they
improve their delivering services and
enhance working efficiency in the
workplace (Pike, 2016). Thus, Hilton
maintains wellbeing of staff in the
workplace and gives values of guest’s
money by offering standard quality
hospitality services.
To lead effectiveness in
organization’s performance
works together by leader and
manager in the company so that
they can improve level of
delivering services. Manager
organizes training and
development class while leader
encourages staff to improve their
working skills effectively.
Process Hilton Group considers one of the On the other hand, it follows a

best management hotel because it
follows a system whereas services
direct offer to the customer in
efficient manner which improves
hospitality experience and compel
them revisit hotel again.
set of process that are classified
based on operations so that
individuals can perform their
task effectively. Therefore,
company easy to achieve it’s
objective on defined time.
Hilton Hotel follows above all marketing strategy that helps to fulfil demand of customer and
improves brand image in the business market.
Lo3
P4 SOSTAC Model for Hilton
Sostac model is the marketing model that creates marketing plan for the organization. it
directs that future action that supports to meet it’s objectives and goal over the time period. This
model follows by Hilton to create marketing plan because it has plan to increase sales revenue
through customer satisfaction and in return generate lifetime loyalty of them for the brand.
Therefore, it uses sostac model to improve customer satisfaction. It comprises six stages that are
explained below:
Situational Analysis
Organization mainly focuses on it’s product quality and services which is primary
concern for the customer. To influence customer satisfaction follows demographical
segmentation strategy that helps to understand customer’s needs and preferences for the product
and it’s services. To evaluate internal and external environment of company applies Swot
analysis model which analyse it’s weakness and opportunities in the business market. for
example, Hilton has strong brand image with good presence in the global market. So, it become
easier for the company to influence sales revenue of company (Purcărea and Purcărea, 2017).
Organization unable to target all classes customer due to premium pricing policies which is
major weakness of the company. But organization resolve this issue by offering seasonable
pricing strategy that attracts each customer towards brand. Organization has societal marketing

opportunity that deals with evaluating and working towards meeting corporate social
responsibilities of the users. Societal marketing assists to design the quality products that can
offer short and long-term benefits for the customer and leads satisfaction. Hilton can use this
marketing tactic to improve product quality and healthy foods for the user accordingly
international food standards. Campaign strategy is also another good that organization can use to
influence awareness in people about the food quality. IHG is major threat for the organization
because it is also operated in same sector like Hilton and offers similar products i.e. hospitality
services. But Hilton operates on two channels of distribution i.e. offline and online that has been
proved successful for the organization.
Objectives
 To increase sales revenue of the Hilton
 To improve customer satisfaction
 To build loyalty of customer on brand
 To influence brand image in the global market
Strategy
It uses STP model strategy to gain all objectives on time.
Market segmentation: It uses two demographical and behavioural market segmentation to target
it’s customers for generating high sales revenue.
Targeting: Organization target premium class and medium class audience through the targeting
strategy.
Positioning: Hilton has strong global presence in the hospitality sector which is major strength of
company.
Tactics
4p’s marketing mix
 Product: It has wide brand portfolio that is more efficient to attract each category
customer effectively.

 Price: Organization follows competitive pricing strategy so that can fit targeted
audience’s budget.
 Place: Organization has high availability in multiple countries so it is easier to give
service to the customer across the world.
 Promotion: It uses traditional promotional tools i.e. premium magazines based on the
different customer review website as promotional tool that attract new customers to buy
hospitality service as result increase sale revenue of company.
Email Marketing: It is another tactic of the organization that will apply to increase awareness in
the public for the brand and it’s services.
Action
Manager of the Hilton Group applied all above strategy that is enlisted in marketing plan
and delegates different tasks among the staff so that they can individually perform their duties
effectively. HR oversees all operations that perform by other functional unit on personal level so
that can achieve al objectives on time. 4p’s marketing mix strategy influences customer
satisfaction while E-marketing tactic improves sales revenue of company. Thus, marketing
department enables to accomplish all objective on time (TOMA and GRĂDINARU, 2018).
Control
To control all above activities supervises by human resource department so that quality
maintain for long time in all operations. 360 feedback strategy also follows by human resource to
analyse effectiveness of all above implemented strategies which builds sustainable business
performance in the hospitality industry.
CONCLUSION
The brief study supported to understand role of marketing such as it helped organization
to sell it’s products and services to the customer and in return generated good revenue in
company. It can be concluded key roles and responsibilities of the marketing function in the
Hilton organization. Significance of interrelationship of marketing functions with other
functional unit has been critically analysed in this report. 7P’s marketing mix strategy model that

used by two tourism organizations Queen Park Hotel and Hilton can be compared in report
effectively. SOSTAC model that used to create marketing plan has been concluded in report.

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