Marketing Essentials for Travel and Tourism: A Detailed Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of marketing essentials within the travel and tourism industry, using Topdeck as a case study. It begins by outlining the roles and responsibilities of marketing, considering both consumer satisfaction and the wider organizational context, including sales, departmental relationships, and promotion. The report then delves into the marketing environment, emphasizing strategy development, monitoring, and market research. It examines the interrelationship between marketing and other functional units, such as finance and HR, highlighting their impact on productivity and brand image. The report further analyzes key elements of the marketing function and their connection with other units. A comparative analysis of the marketing mix of different hospitality organizations, including Topdeck and STA Travel, is conducted, followed by an exploration of marketing planning processes aimed at achieving business objectives. The report culminates in the design of a basic marketing plan to meet the firm's marketing objectives.

MARKETING ESSENTIALS
FOR TRAVEL AND
TOURISM

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LO 1.................................................................................................................................................3
P1. Roles and responsibilities of marketing...........................................................................3
P2. Roles and responsibilities of marketing related to wider organization context...............4
M1. Roles and responsibilities of marketing in the marketing environment.........................5
M 2 Significance of interrelationship between various marketing and other functional unit 6
D1. key elements of the marketing function and their interrelationship with other functional
units........................................................................................................................................7
LO 2.................................................................................................................................................7
P3 Compare marketing mix of different hospitality organisation to the marketing planning
process to achieve business objectives ..................................................................................7
M3. evaluate different tactics...............................................................................................10
D2. design a marketing plan.................................................................................................10
LO 3...............................................................................................................................................11
P 4 Produce the marketing plan to meet marketing objective of firm .................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Marketing is very important part of business and its growth. This help to promote product
and services at market place. Marketing essential is includes the advertising, selling and
delivering of products to customers or other business. The present study is based on the
“Topdeck” which is tour and travel industry (Pike, 2015). It is providing trips for peoples and
give best experience of holidays. Study lays emphasis on the key role and responsibilities of the
marketing function in organisation and it is related to marketing environment. It will covers by
the roles and responsibility of marketing related to the wider organisational context. The
significance of interrelationship between marketing and other functional department of
organisation. Report will compare by marketing mix to the marketing planning process to
achieve business objectives. It is also highlighted by basic market plan for the organisation.
LO 1
P1. Roles and responsibilities of marketing
Satisfying consumers- If any person wants to enjoy his tour than TOPDECK is one of
the best company with which one can book his journey. They provide an excellent travel
experiences to the people by providing various types of trips such as sailing trips, city breaks etc.
with a great quality services, their motto is to provide a great experience to the customer, and to
provide them freedom and an experience to travel alone with the like minded people.
And they also provide the travellers with food made by their own chef, an expertise guidance as
TOPDECK is in the same industry for last 40 years and has a well organised, knowledgeable and
motivated staff and provide unique experiences to the travellers by having the trip full of various
interesting activities (Vellas, 2016).
They also provide Wi- Fi services to all the travellers travelling with the TOPDECK.
A passenger can fully rely on the TOPDECK and can enjoy their journey. As the company take
full responsibility of one's accommodation, food, transport etc. They include all the charges and
then provide you all the details related to your tour so that accordingly you can plan your other
expenses.
Marketing Techniques which TOPDECK involve are
 It targets to those customer who want to travel alone and want to experience new things
and meet new and like minded people.

 The company focusses on providing a good Travelling experience to the passengers.
 They provide lots of free time to the passengers in order to spent their time to explore on
their own and spend time with new friends.
 TOPDECK provides best travel guides as they give more local knowledge and share
their experiences which a site or a history book can hardly give.
 They focus on the youngsters with the age limit between 18-30 preferably for travellers
who want to travel alone as youngsters have more curiosity they want to travel and
explore the world to relax and enjoy.
 They pay more focus on the quality of service so the passenger doesn't have to face any
kind of inconvenience (Camilleri, Camilleri and Acocella, 2018).
 They do all the necessary arrangements related to the needs of the passenger in
travelling such as accommodation, food, transportation etc.
 To avoid any type of misunderstanding they give details about the charges they have to
pay in detail so they can accordingly plan their other expenses.
 The company has its own website which give speed access and also provide online
booking and a person can generate his/her ID so that a passenger can easily track his
order.
 It also provides a mobile app known as “Topdeck Travel App.”
 The company does the campaign in which it takes pictures of real travellers and show
case them on various social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, and also
on Bus Megasides, cross track panels on railway station etc.
P2. Roles and responsibilities of marketing related to wider organization context.
Sales- Marketing helps the Top Deck Travel company in increasing the sales. They too
are focused on sales. After all, marketing exists to support sales. But they must keep their eyes
on so much more, including the brand, products, services, and various marketing campaigns and
initiatives, which may run the gamut from traditional methods such as newspapers, magazines,
TV, radio and direct mail to the more contemporary means of digital marketing, particularly
social media. Marketing can support the Top-Deck travel (Robinson and et.al., 2016).
Departments- Marketing has the relationship with the various departments. They have
the role and responsibility to increase the sales and profitability. The marketing department will
need to work closely with the production department to ensure that: Adequate research and

development is planned to satisfy current and future customer needs. The item can be
manufactured to the quality and design specifications laid down by the consumer. The volume of
orders generated by marketing can be met within the time schedule required for delivery.
Consumers- Marketing of Top Deck travel also makes consumers aware about the
products and services designed by the company. This can support firm in increasing their
profitability and market share. It can also support them in attracting more customers. This can
support firm in growing and expanding their market share in the international market. Marketing
also helps firm in analysing the needs and demands of firm. It can assist firm in growing and
increasing marketing share and profit (Lumsdon, 2016).
Finance department provides a proper framework of their services to their customer
according to their budget. They have to maintain the accounts of the organisation and prepare
the profit and loss account to distribute the salary and wages to their customer. Topdesk maintain
the relation with their customer and try to solve their problem. The knowledgable staff take care
of all the stuff and entertain the travellers. It provides local guide to the travellers. The HR
department recruit agents to interact with clients and offer adventurous travel package to them.
These agents book flights, buses, cruises, accommodation, car on rents and train for their
customer. HR department has to maintain the safe environment. They provides proper training to
their agents. They have to maintain the employer - employee relation in the organisation.
The research and development department find new places and hotels which are in the budget of
the travellers. They develop new services for their clients. They find the new places and hotels
which are in the budget of their customer (Singh, 2017).
Promotion and branding: Topdeck travel use the online advertisement strategy to
promote their company. The brouchers and advertisement helps to create the image in consumer
mind. These topdesk app also helps to compare the prices of different hotels and their services.
It gives an overview about the firm. The main focus of the travel agency is young youth. To
capture the attention of the youth they show the different adventurous activities in their ads.
M1. Roles and responsibilities of marketing in the marketing environment
Marketing plays an important role in marketing environment through planning and
execution of the various different concept of the marketing. It includes various elements such as
pricing, promotion, distribution and sales of the company.

Marketing strategy: The main role of the marketing in its marketing environment is to
develop the marketing strategy and planning for the organisation. In this he manager of the
organisation needs to identified the needs and wants of the target customers and provides the
product and services to customers accordingly. It maintains the balance between organisational
objective and opportunities of the market through developing marketing strategy in the
marketing environment(Rogers and Davidson, 2015).
Monitoring of the marketing environment: marketing process plays an significant role
in the identification of new development in the marketing environment and these development
provides the constructive response for the development of the product and services of the firm.
New developments such as socio-economic forces, changing market trends and other internal &
external changes of the firm.
Market research: Marketing research recognised as the Major role of marketing in the
its environment which includes various information or knowledge about the product, price and
consumer in order to communicate the better quality goods and services of the enterprise in the
market.
M 2 Significance of interrelationship between various marketing and other functional unit
The interrelationship between marketing and other functions of the Top-deck travel
company plays an important role in increasing the productivity as well as profitability of the
firm. The brand image of the company can be increased through the promoting the services of
the Top-deck travel company which can possible only through marketing function but it also
require the support of the finance department of the Top-deck travel company because creating
the effective marketing plan they need a huge capital investment which provided by the finance
department(Hill, 2017). On the other hand human resource department provides the employees
with high skill and knowledge which helps the marketing function in terms of developing the
effective marketing team which provides the information about the socio-economic changes and
changing market trend information to the Top-deck travel company for producing product and
services according to the changing segment which results in improving the brand image of the
company at the market place. The marketing department also provides the estimate budget to the
finance department for maintaining its financial system as well as the profitability of the Top-
deck travel company.

D1. key elements of the marketing function and their interrelationship with other functional units
The functions of the marketing functions are closely linked with the other functional unit
of the Top-deck travel company. For example finance department are connected with marketing
department. The functions of the marketing requires economic resources for the implementation,
planning, research and evaluation of the marketing strategy which is provides by the finance
department of Top-deck travel company. The marketing function such as market research and
planning requires the accurate information from the production department regarding the product
and services of the of Top-deck travel company in terms of providing the appropriate marketing
plan(Mu, 2015).
LO 2
P3 Compare marketing mix of different hospitality organisation to the marketing planning
process to achieve business objectives
Marketing mix Topdeck travel company STA Travel
Product Topdeck's products and
services include international
In STA travel product category
includes student travel, youth
Illustration 1: Marketing mix
Source:

holiday packages with special
service such as one night stay
free and morning breakfast
free etc, domestic holiday
package as well as weekend
holiday, discounted prices with
all facilities packages for
senior citizen holiday and
deals in more than 20
currencies(Xiang, Magnini and
Fesenmaier, 2015).
travel and adventure travel.
Price The Topdeck travel company
follow discounting pricing
strategy for attracting new
customers and maintain
existing customers. Their
pricing are affordable for
middle and high class people.
Their standards and high
packages service are also
available for the customers
who willing to spend money
for best travelling experience.
STA travel company uses
competitive based pricing
strategy because with the help
of this strategy company can
easily analysis the market
demands and trends as well as
people needs and wants
because their competitors
already analysis about the
market that can helps to the
company for their pricing
strategy. It mainly charges
high prices because of their
qualitative services and
providing online booking
facilities to their customers.
Place It provides 330 different tours
in 65 countries with form of
physical as well as online
It uses direct distribution
strategy by providing online
services through their website

stores. But being a travel and
tourism company most of the
people like to deal face to face.
But the availability in the
internet is made easy process
to connect with customer at
long distance.
and also provide indirect
distribution services by selling
their tour packages through
sales person and intermediator.
Promotion The Topdeck travel company
promotes its business services
by showcasing and hoarding
related to their special tour
with discounted prices such as
holiday packages with full
family.
They promotes their products
by creating monthly email
newsletter, post on social
media as well as through
starting referral programmes.
Process its process is effective with
very less barrier because of
they using direct distributing
strategy they do not need of
any intermediator. One more
process that is followed by
Topdeck travel company that
is Customer acquisition. it is
done by lead generation
through ads. That makes their
process easy.
Their process includes the
company. Intermediators and
customers. In indirect
distribution every product go
through this process. In direct
distribution they directly deals
with the customers without the
interferences of the
intermediator(Vellas, 2016).
Physical evidence The infrastructure of Topdeck
travel company is so attractive
that helps to grab the attention
of the clients. It has number of
travelling agencies in more
It has a good and attractive
infrastructure of their branches
that differentiate from their
competitors. And its online
website which is also support

than 20 countries. All the
branches are the biggest
strength of the company that
makes easy meeting with
customers.
environmental sustainability
development by showing adds
on their website that also helps
to attract their customers.
People To manage the queries of their
customers as well as
employees that have customer
care numbers where the
customers can complain about
their services. The company
provides training to their
employee in every month that
makes able to their employees
to guide and provide safety to
their customers at the time of
injury and tour(Xu and
et.al.,2016).
It has more than 2200
employees over 200 branches
in 12 different countries.
M3. evaluate different tactics.
Different types of tactics are applied by the company to successfully meet with objectives
and goals of company. Topdeck company is follows the various tool and techniques to build their
growth in this sector and also help to attract customers towards it. Marketing strategies are help
to make the effective and valuable growth of company. The pricing strategy are help to
customers for purchase product and services like company is provide the discount to their
customers. By this customers are highly attract towards the product and services. Company is
provide the best holiday package to customers on discount in the season. This help to build
loyalty of customers towards the company. Pricing tactics is the best and effective for attract
customers. They are provide the best experience to customers in their holidays.

D2. design a marketing plan
Marketing plan and strategies are help to make effective and valuable for the growth and
strategies. Company is provide the best products to customers like holiday package, best
customers experience. Promotional strategy is include the social media and best customers
relations. Best customers relations are help to build the effective and valuable goodwill and
growth of company (7 P's of marketing, 2017). The pricing strategies are help to attract
customers toward it. Promotional strategies are supportive for promote business at market place
and also in customers mind.
LO 3
P 4 Produce the marketing plan to meet marketing objective of firm
Executive Summary
In marketing plan, manager identify the marketing objectives and achieving them. It covers
marketing objectives and situational analysis through PESTLE of the selected country. It covers
SWOT analysis, 7 P's marketing mix, estimate budget, monitor evaluation within the marketing
plan of Top deck.
Marketing objective
 To increase sales of 30% of business.
 To raise consumer attraction and their expectation.
Situational analysis
Top deck is offered services different countries, so that they are faced many challenges
like government, regulation., consumers taste and preferences, environmental issues which has
influenced positively and negatively on business. Therefore, selected company needs to
determine the factors for expanding the business within the particular country.
Segmentation, target and positioning
Top deck is the travel and tourism company which offering trip in age group 18 to 39
throughout Europe, North America and other nations. Company target age group which is
involved in the demographic segment for increasing the consumers attractions towards products
and services. Firm needs to create position, so that they are offered goods and services on social
media for attracting the more consumers.
SWOT Analysis