Marketing in Travel and Tourism: Thomson, Spain Analysis Report

This report delves into the core concepts, principles, and roles of marketing within the travel and tourism sector, with a specific focus on Thomson's operations in Spain. The assignment explores the significance of marketing as a management tool, examining the impacts of the marketing envi...Read More

MARKETING IN
TRAVEL AND
TOURISM

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Core concepts of Marketing for travel and tourism sector....................................................1
1.2 Impact of marketing environment on individual travel and tourism businesses...................3
1.3 Factors affecting the motivation and demand of consumer..................................................5
1.4 Principles and importance of market segmentation in marketing planning..........................6
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................7
2.1 Importance of strategic marketing in travel and tourism business and tourist destination.. .7
2.2 Relevance of marketing research and market information to managers...............................9
2.3 Impact of marketing on society...........................................................................................10
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................11
3.1 Issues in the product, price and place elements of marketing mix......................................11
3.2 Importance of service sector mix elements to the travel and tourism sector......................12
3.3 Concept of total tourism product........................................................................................14
4.1 Integrated nature and role of promotional mix...................................................................15
4.2 Planning and Justification of an integrated promotional campaign....................................17
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................18
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................22

INTRODUCTION
Travel and tourism has become a leading sector in global context. The international
market share of this industry is major and cannot be neglected. People of present era love to
wander around in the world and that is the most beneficial element for the travelling
organisations and nations with attractive tourist destinations. It may however be recognised that
both these bodies are required to plan the strategies effectively. Further, every entity desires to
earn maximum profit to improve the economy and so does a country. In this order, marketing is
essential to increase the market sales (Hollensen, 2015). It is necessary to plan trenchant
activities of promoting and selling products and services. This action will help in drawing
attention of large customer figure that will consequently enhance the profitability. In addition to
this, these tasks involve advertising of the services. The complete procedure will be segregated in
comparatively smaller tasks which are readily attainable. The aim of undertaking this report is to
enable the understanding of the concepts, principles and roles of marketing. The skills that will
be developed from this report will assists in making appropriate use of promotional mix in travel
and tourism. In this assignment, the core concepts of the marking will be discussed. Further, the
significance of using marketing as a management tool will be discussed. In addition to this, the
role of the marketing mix and promotional mix in the travel and tourism sector will be assessed
and applied in this project.
The travel and tourism entity for which the above-mentioned tasks will be achieved is
Thomson. The company started in 1965 with the aim of making foreign travel accessible to all
(About Thomson, 2017). The tourist location selected for the present undertaking is Spain, which
is famous for its dynamic places and the thrilling adventures. Thus, emphasise on the
understanding of marketing and promotional strategies for Thomson, Spain will be carried out in
this report.
TASK 1
1.1 Core concepts of Marketing for travel and tourism sector.
Marketing is the most vital ingredient that is required to increase the sales of an
organisation. Consequent to this, it directly impacts upon the profitability of the firm. In context
to the travel and tourism sector, this tool keeps a special position. Many people travel to various
places each year for leisure and businesses, contributing to the industry. There are basically three
1

type of tourisms demands with which any country is concerned namely, inbound, outbound and
domestic. five major component sectors of travel and tourism industry involves the following: Transport Sector: This sector governs transportation means in travelling. It impacts
marketing activities by concentrating on both the design of the products and the
management of the services. This aspect includes the airlines, shipping lines, railways,
bus/coach, etc. (Armstrong and et. al., 2015). In context to present case study, Thomson
majorly needs to focus on airlines marketing by addition of new services and increasing
fleet size to ensure a large range of consumers to avail the rides. Accommodation Sector: This component is the major source of income and thus, requires
effective strategies. It covers hotels, guest houses, farmhouses, marinas, etc. In context to
Thomson, things that are required to bring effectiveness in marketing strategies includes
demand management, product development according to market research, supply chain
administration, etc. Attraction Sector: This fragment is beneficial for a nation in increasing the GDP, it
involves the attractive tourist spots such as theme parks, amusement parks, Museums,
National galleries, adventures, etc. These are governed by the local authorities or
government of a country (Siguaw and Simpson, 2015). Thus, Spain is here required to
develop marketing plan by concentrating on the development of tourist’s destinations to
increase the economy of the country. Travel Organisers' Sector: This is the element that actually operates the tour and thus,
have good understanding of the needs and demands of varied people. Hence, Thomson
can take help from local tour organisers of Spain and investigate where to spend more or
less (Whalen and Boush, 2014). Besides this, the travel agents here have an opportunity
to increase the economy of the nation.
 Destination Organisation Sector: They includes the National tourist officers and
destination marketing organisations which look after this component of travel and
tourism industry. They can attain in the marketing planning by rendering good services to
the visitors (Hollensen, 2015.
All these elements directly or indirectly influence the marketing procedure. Thus, it is
required to focus all these components to achieve the desired outcomes. Further, the core
concepts of marketing also emphasise on following:
2

 Market: According to this, the customers are interested to invest in the places that are
having the most attractive destinations to wander. Spain being first choice of the visitors,
Thomson group has made some effective holiday packages for this location. Further, a
brochure is also present on the official website that contain all the details of various
packages (Entezari, Karimi, and Kianfar, 2014). Also, one can book a holiday plan from
site too. Further, the attractive locations are enough for Spain to achieve a tag of
favourable market.
 Products: They should be according to the needs and demand of the customers to satisfy
them. Considering this, the organisation has planned the package for the people of
different age group, psychological groups, etc. For instance: For youngsters, attractive
adventures are included in the plan and Museum visits, art galleries are involved for
middle age group (Tamura and et. al., 2013). Also, visits to holy places for old aged
people. In context to Spain, a country that has famous cathedral churches, art galleries,
amusement parks, thrilling adventures such as bull race, village hike, sea caving,
horseback riding, rafting, etc. Thus, the range of product in Spain is recommendable.
For the selected organisation Thomson Group marketing will be done for three different
groups of people. They are divided on the basis of their age. It has been considered that interest
of people is highly dependant of age factor. Further, choice of people differs when they are
travelling alone or with family. Hence, considering this, the groups are youngsters, families and
old age.
Group Needs Destination Travel Hotel Transport
Teenagers Adventures,
beaches, etc.
Pyrenees
Mountains,
Montserrat
Monastery and
natural park
hiking,
Barcelona
Natural Park
10 days Marriott's
Marbella
Beach Resort
Ferry
3

Family Amusement
parks, theme
parks, etc.
PortAventura,
Tibidabo
Amusement
Park,
Ferrai Land.,
Terra Mitica
7 days Thomson
Barcelona
Flights
Old-age Pilgrimages,
Churches,
National
Galleries,
Museums etc.
St. George
Church
Barcelona,
International
church of
Barcelona,
Artevistas
Gallery,
Galeria
Sabrina
Amrani
7 days Thomson
Barcelona
Flights
Holiday package for Teenagers:
Days Activity
Day 1 Departure from London from sea route on Tuesday at 17:00
Day 2 Reaching at Wednesday 18:00. Checked in to hotel.
Day 3 Biking in morning at 7:00 and then Mountain hiking.
Day 4 Visit to Barcelona natural park for horseback riding.
Day 5 Visit to beaches in Barcelona: Nova Icaria and evening in ferry dance
show.
Day 6 Visit to beaches in Barcelona: Barceloneta followed with hiking.
4

Day 7 Visit to beaches in Barcelona: Palmito. Evening in hotel with activities
Day 8 Visit to old city for shopping. Evening with pool and dance arrangement in
hotel.
Day 9 Visit to Spain bull fight game followed with shopping in evening.
Day 10 Return to London, UK
Holiday package for Family:
Days Activity
Day 1 Departed from UK at 1:00 and reached Spain at 4:00. Checked in to Thomson
Barcelona.
Day 2 Visit to PortAventura followed by cultural show.
Day 3 Visit to Tibidabo Amusement Park. Evening with ferry ride.
Day 4 Visit to Ferrai Land. Followed with hotel activities.
Day 5 Visit to Barcelona beaches and churches.
Day 6 Visit to Terra Mitica followed with shopping.
Day Return to London, UK
Holiday package for Old-age:
Days Activity
Day 1 Departed from UK at 1:00 and reached Spain at 4:00. Checked in to
Thomson Barcelona.
Day 2 Visit to Cathedral of Barcelona followed with visit to Galeria Sabrina
Amrani
Day 3 Visit to La Sagrada Barcelona followed with visit to Artevistas Gallery
5

Day 4 Visit to National Gallery followed with activities in hotel.
Day 5 Visit to Museu Picasso and then shopping from local street.
Day 6 Hiking and biking activities at Natural Park, Barcelona.
Day 7 Return to London, UK
1.2 Impact of marketing environment on individual travel and tourism businesses.
Impacts of marketing environment on Thomson:
Micro Environment Factors Customers: This is the most powerful tool that highly effects the marketing. It is thus to
develop the services and products according to the needs and demands of the customers.
For this, effective market research is needed (Entezari, Karimi, and Kianfar, 2014). This
element has the calibre to either made or fade any business.
 Suppliers: The major suppliers of the entity include the components that renders
accommodation, transportation, and food facilities. The satisfaction of customers is
totally in their hands (Siguaw and Simpson, 2015). They can gain or lose the trust with
the service and quality of the products.
Macro Environment Factors: Political Factors: The instability in the political conditions of the country affects the
overall marketing procedure (Whalen and Boush, 2014). For instance: If a plan will be
designed according to the policies of the present government then the changes in the
political party will bring some new policies. Consequent to this, the entire strategies will
have to be changed. Further, the political status of the country highly impacts the travel
and tourism business. Economic Factors: This factor puts the biggest impact on the marketing environment of
Thomson. The interest rates, bank rates, growth rates, etc., varies from country to
country. Also, the variance in these data will make the entity to alter the entire plan. This
alteration will result to additional investments. In addition to this, designing of plan
depending upon the specific statistics of the nation is a bit challenging and required
highly skilled employee (Tan and et. al., 2017). The country has the highest economy in
the Europe zone and thus, it is not applicable in the present scenario, However, financial
condition of the travel and tourism company can impact the marketing practices.
6

 Social Factors: The severity of this factors is higher in context to the Thomson. The
organisation is rooted in some other country and maximum employees are recruited only
from UK. Thus, it will limit its' understanding of the social and cultural factors of Spain
which will directly upon the marketing. However, engaging local tour operators will be
beneficial to encounter this issue. The culture of Spain supports the tourism and the local
people like to welcoming the travellers. Technological Factors: Technology become the most crucial need for present days' life.
It is a boon to have technologies in assistance as it simplifies the work. Also, time
consumption can be reduced by engaging recent systems in the functioning of the (About
Thomson, 2017). It may however be recognised that it may bring some additional cost
losses. The advanced equipment will require more skilled labours to manage the
functions. Ecological Factors: While developing the products and services, it is essentially required
to abide all the laws present to save the environment. However, this factor may limit the
services and thus, profitability. For instance: The CO2 emission from aircraft is now
restricted to some quantity which will influence the entity to cut down the number of
flights (Becker, 2016)
 Legal Factors: The rules and regulations set by the government and other authorities of
the country should be essentially maintained to avoid any problem in the future. For
instance: Some policies of restricting any action done by the company will impact its
operation. The laws of Spain are favourable for the Thomson as it just takes 13 days and
six procedures to start a business in the country.
7

1.3 Factors affecting the motivation and demand of consumer.
Customers are the key elements of the travel and tourism industry. Thus, the entities are
required to attain their satisfaction. It may however be recognised that there are some factors that
impacts upon the consumer motivation and demand. They are as follows: Demographic factors: There are numerous demographic factors such as race, marital
status, gender, age, geographical background, ethnicity, etc. (Becker, 2016). However the
major among them that impacts upon the customer motivation and demand associated
with travel and tourism industries are as follows:
1. Age: People of different age group demands antithetic needs from a tourist location and
tourism industries. If the country will be having those demands of them then the
consumers will get motivated. Also, if the services provided by the entity will fulfil the
expectations of the customers then it will help in gaining their satisfaction (Becker,
2016). For instance: If the country will have amusement parks for children, adventures
8
Illustration 1: PESTLE analysis
Source: (Becker, 2016)

for youngsters, art galleries & museums for middle aged and religious structures for old
aged people then it will motivate the customers of varied age group to visit the country. Geographical factors: The elements covered in this factor includes cities, regions, size,
climate, etc. This component highly influence on a consumer motivation and demand
from a travel and tourism industry (Entezari, Karimi, and Kianfar, 2014).. For instance: If
the climatic condition of the place are not favourable for a person then it will directly
impact upon the decision of travelling. Psychological factors: The consumer behaviour is highly dependent on their attitudes
and beliefs. The may be positive, negative or neutral. They can also be based on some
opinions and facts (Vila, Darcy and González, 2015). These factors highly influence their
motivation and thus, on their buying behaviour. Thus, the marketers of organisations of
Spain and Thomson's should understand the impact of beliefs on consumer behaviour and
decision-making. Personal factors: They are the customers' personnel issues that affects their motivation
and demand of travelling. These may be businesses, economical condition, holiday
problems, lifestyle, education, etc. For instance: If there is any business-related work in
Spain then it will influence them to go there.
 Sociocultural Factors: Customs, lifestyles, values, religion, family, etc. accounts in the
socio-cultural factors that impacts upon the motivation and demand of travelling. For
instance: The Christianity will impact upon the visit to Spain, where there are so many
churches.
1.4 Principles and importance of market segmentation in marketing planning.
An effective marketing plan should include "something for anyone". In order to achieve
this, appropriate segmentation of market is required. In this activity, the broad market size is
segregated into smaller units depending upon the different interests of these groups. There are
procedures required in accomplishing this activity such as situation analysis, objectives setting,
development of strategies, implementation of tactics and control. Some basic market
segmentation types that Thomson and Spain tourism can abide with are as follows: Demographic segmentation: Spain should focus on the development of the tourist spots
by considering the age, family, etc. Further, Thomson is required to develop the services
by concentrating on the demographic factors (Armstrong and et. al., 2015). There are so
9

many demographic factors that impact upon the buying behaviour of the customers. Out
of them the major is: Age- The choices of customer highly varies with the age group,.
Thus Spain tourism and Thomson group should design there services by considering the
different age-group of the people. For instance: The children like amusement and fun
parks, whereas the preference of a youngster will always be some thrilling and
adventurous place. In case of middle age people, the choice will be national parks,
museums, etc. In contrary to this, the old age customers will like pilgrimages. Psycho-graphic segmentation: This will ensure the development of the products and
services according to the lifestyle and interest of the customers (Armstrong and et. al.,
2015). The creation of varied price-structured schemes will allow the customers of each
group to buy them. Psycho-graphic factors highly influence the people in travelling. Geographic Segmentation: In this segmentation, the marketing plan will be prepared
according to the people of different region, countries, etc. by considering their needs and
demands from the entity(Vila, Darcy, and González, 2015). This is an effective method
of dividing the customer figure as it should be considered that the people of same areas
majorly shares same beliefs because of their culture, religion, climate, etc.
 Behavioural Segmentation: This segregation type is based on the usage, behaviour and
decision-making process of consumers (Hollensen, 2015). This is the most unpredictable
factor and thus, this segmentation is challenging to perform. The behaviour of the
customer varies from person to person. Also, this segregation will cause so many losses
to the entity such as cost-investment with personalised services, time-consumption, etc.
TASK 2
2.1 Importance of strategic marketing in travel and tourism business and tourist destination.
Strategic marketing allows an organisation to differentiate itself from the key business
competitors. A strategic marketing encompasses the following components:
 Situation Analysis: In this the current situation of the organisation is analysed. In order to
perform this, Thomson is required to apply PESTLE and SWOT techniques. With the
help of these tools, both internal and external environmental situation can be identified.
In context to Spain, the country is required to perform the evaluation of the all the tourist
attractions. Also, all the elements that relates to the travel and tourism business are
analysed.
10

 Objective Setting: After identifying the internal and external environmental factors, Spain
and Thomson should develop an effective objective. The aims should be smart,
measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based so that desired outcomes can be gained.
 Strategy Development: In this phase, after analysing all the factors that can impact upon
the business and goal setting, the development of the strategy takes place (Vila, Darcy,
and González, 2015).
 Strategy Implementation: After developing effective strategies, the travel and tourism
organisations of Spain are required to implement it in their operation. Also, Thomson is
needed to perform the same.
 Monitoring: This is the last phase of the marketing plan. In this the implemented strategy
is observed so that its performance can be evaluated.
If all these factors will be considered while planning the marketing strategy then
Thomson and Spain can achieve the following things: Provide guidance: This strategic plan acts as a guide to the entire business procedures.
The analysis that has been performed in the planning helps in identifying the factors that
can impact upon the system (Vila, Darcy and González, 2015). Integrates Business: For planning effective marketing strategies, all the departments are
needed to collect relevant information. Applying this strategic plan, the organisation can
integrate. Customer Satisfaction: The analysis on the external factors helps in developing the
services as per the needs and demands of the customers that helps in increasing their
satisfaction (Tan and et. al., 2017).
 Coordination: This planning ensures co-ordination and communication between
departments that is required for attaining the business objectives.
11

2.2 Relevance of marketing research and market information to managers.
Market research helps in the proper development of the products and services. In context
to the travel and tourism sector, effective research is required to develop the services and
products according to the needs and demands of the customers. Presently, the research and
market information activity is being performed for the Holiday package to Spain that the entity is
willing to prepare. Thomson should plan following tasks for effective outcomes:
 Defining the research problems: It is necessary to identify the issues that can be occurred
while conducting market research. This understanding will help in preparing the
strategies that can deal with these challenges (Siguaw and Simpson, 2015).
 Goal setting: Before designing any plan, it is necessary to clearly state the desired
objectives. So that the work can be proceeded in right direction.
 Design the research plan: Foe attaining the market knowledge, it is essential to design an
effective research plan. This plan should ensure the participation of large range of people
so that the development can be performed accordingly.
 Collect the research data: There are various methods that Thomson can use to collect the
data. Both internal and external methods can be used for gathering the information. The
12
Illustration 2: Market planning strategy
Source: Tan and et. al., 2017

organisation can check the old records of the services itself to evaluate the most liked
product by the consumers. Feedback and questionnaire can also be taken to gain the
needs and demands of different people from the travel and tourism services (Tamura, and
et. al., 2013).
 Analyse the research data: The collected data is then analysed to develop the products
and services accordingly.
 Reporting of the findings: The analysed data is the finding of the overall plan which is
then reported to the different departments of the organisation to ensure the work is being
done in right direction.
2.3 Impact of marketing on society.
There are both positive and negative impacts of marketing on the society. The positive
ones include the following: Information of product: The marketing of the services increases the information of the
people regarding the products. This understanding includes the decided tour operators of
Spain, flight times, number of stay days, etc. (Entezari, Karimi, and Kianfar, 2014).This
information helps the consumer in deciding that either they should avail the services or
not. Positive Environment: With the help of the attractive advertisements of the exotic
locations of Spain, Thomson spreads the positivity in the environment. This helps in
evacuating the stress of people and motivates them to enjoy their life.
 Improvised living standard: The high level of marketing done by Thomson helps in
increasing the living standard of the society. The filming of the recent trends and
development helps in improvising the living standards. Besides this, in encourages the
people to take the services that helps in their development.
Negative impacts of the marketing includes: Misrepresentation: Sometimes for attracting the large number of customer figure, the
advertisement of the Thomson includes the factors that makes the people to expect more
from their services. This involvement of non-existing features emphasise people to buy
their services and when they are not present in the services then it decreases the customer
satisfaction. Further, the promotional activities should not include any content, picture,
13

etc. that spreads any racism, discrimination in the society (Whalen and Boush, 2014).
This creates bad impact on the people against whom the biasing is done.
 Unrealistic Expectations: The misrepresentation of the marketing leads to unrealistic
expectations among the customers regarding the quality and services (Whalen and Boush,
2014). If these elements are later observed to not match the expectation then it will cause
customer dissatisfaction. This discontentment will affect the business by decreasing the
market shares.
TASK 3
3.1 Issues in the product, price and place elements of marketing mix.
Marketing mix is a concept that is highly used by the owners of the organisation and
plays a major role in understanding the different elements that can impact upon a business plan.
There are 4P's of marketing in a traditional model, however it should be recognised that the
revised model has three additional elements that are required in the marketing strategy (Reyes,
2010). The four marketing mix elements includes, product, price, place and promotion, these
factors needs high attention while selecting. A brief description of the marketing mix
components are as follows: Product: It is the firstly element of the marketing mix. It is designed to satisfy the needs
and demands of customers. They may or may not be intangible depending upon the type
of business. In context to the travel and tourism sector, the services are presented in place
of the products and thus, they are intangible (Petrova and Mason, 2004). In order to
develop any service, it is necessary to perform some actions such as market research,
planning, product designing,development, etc. Place: This element of the marketing mix is also known as distribution. According to this
element, it is necessary that the products should be available to the customers easily.
However, it should be consider that in context to a hospitality entity the services can be
availed at the locating places.
 Price: This is the second element of the marketing mix which plays a major role in
impacting the customers. The pricing structure should be prepared effectively. It should
not be too much high else, customers will not take the services. Also, much lower pricing
structure will impact upon the brand value and profitability of the entity.
14

However, there are some issues in front of Thomson and Spain Tourism in performing
the activities according to these elements of the marketing (Moutinho, 2011). In context to the
product, both the organisations produce intangible services and thus, the data can not be
evaluated. Some of the services are one time thing and can not be personalised as per the
changing demands. However they can be modified with the rising needs of the customers.
Besides this, the designing of the services requires so many steps to carry on. Spain can also not
change the tourisms services often. In context to the place, there are some major limitations in
front of both the Thomson group and Spain. The organisation required high amount of
investment in opening a branch and thus, it can not open at so many places to fulfil the needs of
the customers. Similarly, Spain tourism can not provide their services outside the country. Now,
price is also a big factor that creates issue in the the marketing plan of Thomson and Spain. The
quality of the service provided at the Thomson is way higher than the other competitors and that
is why the low pricing structure is challenging for the entity to keep. Also, Spain is a nation
whose economy highly depends upon the travel and tourism sector and thus, any reduction in
this industry will impact upon the overall GDP of the country.
3.2 Importance of service sector mix elements to the travel and tourism sector.
Travel and tourism business is highly service associated and thus, it is required for the
relevant industries to comply with the service sector mix elements to increase the business value.
It is covered under the extended marketing mix model with 7P's. The added components along
with the traditional theory are as follows:
1. Product: In the travel and tourism sector industries there are services which are
intangible and can not be measured. They are reliable on the look, feel, and other
parameters. It may however be recognised that these services can be customised
according to the needs and demands of the customers (Middleton, Fyall, Morgan, and
Ranchhod, 2009). However, there are some limitation in this personalisation. The
services of the Thomson are created on the aim "something for everyone". They have a
varied range of products that can meet up with the needs and demands of a large group
of people. Place: The clear strategy behind including this element in the marketing plan is to make
the services available to the large range of people. This can be done by opening several
branch in the country. However, it may be recognised that it is a costlier project and thus,
15

Thomson should more focus on the ways of registering people by making the services
easier to be availed. For this, the organisations also done bookings on the websites and
official site. Price: This element helps in setting down the prices according to the lifestyle of different
group of people. In context to Thomson, the entity ahas created a range of services for
making them affordable to the very class people. However, Spain tourism should also
involves such type of divisions in its' marketing structure (Matz, 2008). This element
plays an essential role in any business strategy as pricing structure is the basis thing that
can influence over the key sources of the profit, "customers" In present case scenario, that
is holiday package for three different group of people, the price will also vary. As these
plans are covering different activities that are requiring antithetic resources and hence,
the pricing structure will differ. Promotion: In order to promote the services, The Thomson group and Spain are making
so many efforts. There are various means of promotion that are being used by both of
them. In context to the Thomson, the organisation is focusing on investing in the local
tour operators so that they can have better control on the religion and cultural
understanding of the Spain. In contrary to this, Spain tourism sector is focusing more on
the advertisement of the attractions places in the national channels of TV. People: The human resources of an entity plays a major role in the business
enhancement. It is so obvious that a rude waiter will not be liked by any customer and in
contrary top this, a waiter who will greet the guests nicely will be recommended by the
Thomson. The internal sources of the organisation are required to be effective to design
the plan effectively and to gain the business objectives (Marvell, 2006). Also, in context
to Spain tourism, the officials of the various departments should work in appropriate
order and present correct data to the authority so that further operations can be
accomplished effectively. Process: For getting the desired and effective outcomes of the marketing plan, it is
necessary for the travel and tourism organisations to follow an impelling process. This
procedure will break the main objective in the smaller tasks that can be attained easily.
Also, the time will be saved in this.
16

 Physical Evidence: These are the amenities that are provided by the entities. In this
context, Thomson is superiors that any other travel and tourism group. The facilities, the
quality of the services rendered to the customers are recommendable (Horner, 2012).
The importance of marketing mix elements in the travel and tourism sector is as follows: Offering- It allows the organisations to convey the details of the product that are being
offered. this tool also helps in stating the difference between their product and that of the
major competitors.
 Target- The targets of the Thomson group are based on the SMART technique. The
customers are further segregated on the various factors that will ensure the entity to easily
target the are group of customers.
Some advantages of Services sector mix:
 It covers all the factors associated with the business and states the forces that can exert
pressure on the entity.
 It is best way to choose and implement the appropriate possible course of action to
achieve organisational goals and objectives.
 Service sector mix elements helps an entity in analysing all the factors that are required in
effective functioning of business.
 These analysation is further important for planning other strategies of the organisation.
These service sector mix elements are really significant for the selected organisation and
its tour to Spain. This will help in analysing all the factors that should be consider while
preparing a holiday package. The organisation can make use of effective market research and
development to produce effective services that will be liked by customers. Further, the activities
that will be involved in different plans will required employees with relevant skills and abilities,
here comes the significance of people element. Further, as total three plans are developed that are
having different structure, visit, transportation, etc. and thus, the price will play a major role in
this. Besides this, the complete process is essential to develop an effective plan. Thus, in this
way, elements of service sector mix play a significant role in the holiday packages prepared by
Thomson Group to the Spain.
17

3.3 Concept of total tourism product.
Travel and tourism industries have different types of products. It can be attraction,
accessibility, accommodation, amenities, food and pricing. It is the integration of hotel-
industries, travel-agencies, trekking-agencies and many more. In order to make memorable trip
for the customer they provide different offers, product and services. Basically, tourism products
of Thomson group are intangible, inhomogeneous, attractive-services, earthy and unlimited
supply of food, etc. which enhances to their customer and increases their satisfaction level. It is a
product that people is based on the ethics, culture, traditional, ecotourism and spiritual. The
product was to provide the tourism in the Spain which is famous for many things. The country
has friendly-inhabitants, relaxed-lifestyle, its cuisine, vibrant-nightlife, and world-famous
folklore-and-festivities (Boniface, 2012).
They have offered various products which are extraordinary and are higher then the
normal-services, accommodation and facilities. Based on total tourism product, person
perspective decides whether their tour was good or not or the experience they have gained is
remarkable or for the future learning. This final result form to decide whether they have to prefer
the same firm or to decide that other companies are better for the service . These products
protected by the local passengers so that visit to these places can be made by the people at the
time of festivals, special program and for various other things like specific time. Tourist or
customers gets quality of indulging-experience and memories from such tourism products which
makes them feel different from their daily work. The quality of tourism products represents the
image of the Thomson among the individuals which includes style, attraction, nature, etc. The
products cost that is offered by the Thomson is role purpose of facilities provided to the traveller
based on their demands, desires and services. In addition to this, the selected organisation
Thomson is developing the holiday packages to the Spain by considering needs and demands of
different age grouped people. In this, for youngsters all adventures such as hiking, biking, etc.
are added. In addition to this, family packages are having visits to various amusements parks,
shopping centres, etc. to fulfil the demands of family members. On the other hand, holiday
packages for old age people are covering visits to various churches and museums. Further, from
transportation to accommodation everything is provided by the organisation itself. It should be
further recognised that the company is also conducting various activities at the time of stay.
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Thus, in this way, the holiday package of Thomson for youngsters, families and old age people
to the Spain is a total tourism product.
4.1 Integrated nature and role of promotional mix.
Like marketing mix, promotional mix is also an important tool in a business. It is the
blend of variables that marketers choose for the marketing. There are so many roles that are
performed by this method, such as pushing and pulling they channel policies, cost and
availability of methods, characteristics of the target market, product features, etc. In this mix,
different type of promotional methods are present and the combination of these ingredients helps
in promoting a product or a family of product. The major elements of this technique involves the
following: Advertising: In this the ideas, products and services are presented through any mass
medium to the public. It is the biggest promotional platform that Thomson and Spain
Tourism can make use of. The mass medium in it includes the TV, radios, newspapers,
Brochures, social media, etc. (Ruhanen, 2012). Thomson can advertise the Holiday
Packages to the Spain on the national televisions channels so that maximum number of
people can avail these. Further, the international marketing can be performed by paying
to the local channels for the advertisement. Spain tourism sector can also work on the
internet websites for the advertisement. Public Relations: In this the services and products of an organisation are sold by the third
party. This involves the publicity stunt that bring the anime of the group in limelights
which influence the customers to avail the services. Thomson can perform the
environmental related initiative in the Spain to draw the attention of the news channels.
Further, this action will encourage the customers to take the services from the
organisation. Personal Selling: In this method oral presentation and communication tools are used for
selling the services. This is generally carried by the various tour agents that roam around
in the various areas and sell the services (Morosan, 2013). Thomson should hire the good
number of local tour operators that can enhance the promotional activities of the
company. Consequent to this, the sales of the entity will be boost up.
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 Sales Promotion: It is a media and non-media marketing communication method. It
helps in generating immediate traffic, revenue or cash flow. The common ways of this
type of promotion includes the contests, free product/service samples, tie-ins, etc.
Thomson is effective in doing this type of promotion. There are various techniques to
which the organisation makes good use in increasing the company sales. The offers are
provided to the winner of the contests includes off in holiday packages, etc.
There are also some other sources of promotion that Thomson Group and Spain tourism
sector select, they are as follows: Direct Marketing: In this method, the businesses and non-profits directly communicate
with the customers. The methods that are used in this type of promotion are messages,
calls, websites,promotional letters, etc. Event and Sponsorship Marketing: There are various events that are been incorporated
in daily life in which number of people gathers. Thus, these platforms are a good
platform of promotion. In this marketing methods, the sponsorship is taken of the various
events. A large group of people can be covered with this tool. Internet Marketing: In the present era of the technologies and advancements, internet is
the platform that is accessed by millions of users hence, organisations can make good use
of this platform to promote the services and products Jackson, 2008.
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Illustration 3: Elements of promotional mix
Source: Gilbert, 2008..

Hence, these are the different promotional methods that Thomson and Spain Tourism can
apply in the marketing plan to gain the desired objectives.
4.2 Planning and Justification of an integrated promotional campaign.
In order to develop an effective promotional strategy it is necessary to undergo proper
planning in which all the points should be considered that may impact upon the promotional
activities. Below is a stepwise plan that Thomson can implement in the Holiday Package of
Spain.
 Context Analysis: This is the first step of the plan. In this, the research of the market is
done to analyse the present situation of the outer needs and demands. This is the basis on
which the further processes are carried on. The outcomes are taken in consideration
before designing any promotional strategy.
 Promotional Goals: Depending upon the results of the situational analysis, the goal is
setted. This aim is then further divided into the smaller objective that are realistic,
achievable and time-framed Jackson, 2006.
 Promotional Strategy: In order to attain the promotional goals, the strategies are
developed. This is the most important phase of the plan which takes the maximum time.
In this, the designing method, implementation method, budgeting, etc. are performed.
 Co-ordinated Communication: After designing the promotional strategies, they are
required to be communicated with the different departments of the organisation so that
effectiveness in the plan can be brought.
 Implementation: The strategies after approved and evaluated by all h departments,
implemented in the organisation.
 Control and Evaluation: After implementing any business plan, it is very necessary to
monitor it so that the effectiveness can be evaluated. If the outcomes are obtained to be
effective then they remained same and if not, then modifications and alterations are done
Gilbert, 2008.
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The present campaign is effective if implemented by Thomson in the organisational
procedure. This will ensure the development of the promotional strategy on the basis of the needs
and demands of the customs. This factor will influence the people to avail the services. Further,
discussion with all the departments will evacuate the internal errors by maintaining the
appropriate clarity and transparency of the tasks. Besides this, the evaluation of the plan will
state the effectiveness of the promotional strategies. On behalf of the results, the modifications
and the alterations in the plan can be made.
CONCLUSION
The present report is based on the marketing efforts made by Thomson for its new
summer holiday package in Spain. The report is made by focusing on different tools of
promotion like on-line-and-offline medium to make better approach in market and fight the
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Illustration 4: The promotional campaign
Source: Gilbert, 2008.

competition. Besides this, the company has made efforts so that the customers can be attracted to
accept the package of tour to Egypt and Morocco. Further, with the help of marketing mix
elements, the company has tried to establish the product in well manner. The marketing and
promotional mix are studied in this report which will help in understanding the external factors
that can impact upon the business. Also, a plan for promotional campaign is developed which
can be implemented by Thomson in the marketing procedure. Moreover, the entity has also
focused on various micro-and-macro factors due to which they have to face various challenges.
The company has better marketing that assist them in establishing the product successfully.
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About Thomson. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.thomson.co.uk/destinations/content/about-thomson>. [Accessed on 4th
October, 2017]
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