Marketing Essentials for Travel and Tourism: A Comprehensive Report

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MARKETING ESSENTIALS FOR TRAVEL AND
TOURISM

Executive Summary
This report aims to highlight marketing essentials of tourism and travel industry. This report has
thoroughly shown role and responsibility of marketing functions. It has also discussed the roles
and responsibilities of marketing functions in wider context of marketing environment. This
report has also highlighted the key elements of marketing functions in order to achieve
organisational success. This report has also made a compare and contrast between different ways
of applying marketing mix by different organisations. This report has also provided a basic
structure of marketing plan and evaluated different tactics in order to achieve organisational
success. This report has also discussed the policy of 7 Ps as essential marketing mix. It has
further provided evidence based marketing plan in order to achieve marketing objectives.

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
L.O 1: Marketing functions along with roles and responsibilities...............................................4
P1.................................................................................................................................................4
P2.................................................................................................................................................6
M1................................................................................................................................................7
D1.................................................................................................................................................8
LO: 2 Compare ways in which hospitality organization apply marketing mix.............................10
P3...............................................................................................................................................10
M2..............................................................................................................................................11
D2...............................................................................................................................................11
LO 3: Development of basic marketing plan.................................................................................14
P4...............................................................................................................................................14
M3..............................................................................................................................................14
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
Reference List................................................................................................................................15

Introduction
Marketing functions plays a major role in success of any business
organisation. This report aims to highlight role and responsibility of
marketing function in the context of marketing environment. This report will
also throw light on contribution of marketing function in ensuring
organisational success. This report will further highlight key elements of
marketing function as well as the inter-relationship between them. It will also
analyse and evaluate ways of applying various tactics of marketing mix. It
will also show how these tactics are important in order to achieve business
objectives. It will also highlight the significances of interrelationship between
various marketing functions in a business organisation.
L.O 1: Marketing functions along with roles and responsibilities
P1
Element of Marketing Function
Marketing functions of an organisation are segmented into five major groups
that depicts marketing core. These five marketing concepts function
however not only involve current trends of marketing planning, but also
successfully incorporate the future trends along with it. As opined by
Moorman and Day (2016, p. 25), these five concepts are crucial in order to
run a business organisation with sustained growth and inherent excellence.

Figure 1: Key concepts of Marketing Function
(Source: Järvinen and Taiminen, 2016, p. 170)
Production concept
As per the views of Blythe and Martin (2019, p. 25), production concept is a
crucial element of marketing that is based on the perception of the target
consumer, In terms of travel and tourism company, Thomas Cook UK,
production concept depicts that the service users are inclined towards the
services that are easily available as well as cost effective and rich in
qualities. Thus the operational management team must focus on enriching
the service rate.
Product Concept
The consumers compare and contrast the services provided by the various
service providers and makes the final choice of service on the basis of which
have value for money, retain standard quality as well as is innovative in
approach. In terms of Thomas Cook, UK, they have to provide quality as well
as innovative services in order to retain huge customer satisfaction.
Selling concept
This is the era of widespread modernisation and globalisation. In order to
achieve organisational success, understanding of the mindset of customers
is of utmost necessity. As opined by Järvinen and Taiminen (2016, p. 170),
selling concept of marketing include create attraction of modern customers

through promotion. Consumers tend to grab the services or products, those
are vastly promoted.
Marketing concept
The marketing concept focuses over to attract the target consumers by
highest possible means. In the market overflowed with competition, business
organisation need to deliver better services in order to build sound
reputation and goodwill for the organisation. As per the views of Eteokleous
et al. 2016), in order to get highest grasp of consumers, concerned business
organisation has to provide better services. In terms of the Thomas Cook UK,
the company has to take care of the brand value of the services to reach to
the wide range of consumers.
Societal Marketing Concepts
These element of marketing functions focus over needs and requirements of
the target customers and provide quality service to them, so that the
promotion of the company be widespread with active participation of the
current clients.
P2
As opined by Cacciolatti and Lee (2016, p. 5599), marketing function for any
organisation may be defined as roles of business organisation which helps to
identify and source potentially successful service products for entire market
which will eventually help in business promotion and success. In terms of
Thomas Cook UK, these functions work as the basic of concerned
organization and involve several important procedures including marketing
research, planning of the service product, product development process, as
well as promotion and sales. Marketing function in broader perspective also
include finance management and customer service. Marketing function of a
business organisation incorporates various major responsibilities of the

business organization, which are essential for sustained growth of the
company.
Figure 2: Various Roles and Responsibilities of Marketing Functions
(Source: Moorman and Day, 2016, p. 30)
Marketing Function plays different role to promote the growth of business
organisation. In terms of Thomas Cookok, UK, Marketing function consists of
research analysis, strategy management, sales and support to the
customers. In order to ensure organizational success, marketing function
team also organise events, seminars as well as exhibitions for successful
promotion of travel and tourism. Marketing Function team also provide
various materials like displays, presentations as well as handouts for
successful promotional which eventually bring organisational success.
In addition to this, marketing departments revises and devices various plan
as well as call for campaigns and develop communications with the
stakeholders for successful business growth. As stated by McDONALD (2016,
p. 110), depending on the availability of funds and budgets, marketing
department plan various marketing strategies for successful business
growth. In terms of Thomas Cookok Company, when they aim to open a new
sector or a new channel of distribution to reach wider geographical market,
the marketing team builds up strategies with senior management team.

M1
In the prior context of business environment, Marketing Department plays a
very crucial role. It serves as the face of the organisation by promoting its
mission and vision. It incorporates and produces all materials that represent
the business organisation as a whole. Marketing department creates an
overreaching image of the company in positive light by reaching out to the
customers, investors as well as the community as a whole. In terms of
Thomas Cook Company UK, function of marketing department include
Evaluate customer needs
In order to achieve organisational success and establish successful
marketing strategy paying attention to the needs and feedbacks of the
customer is of utmost importance. In terms of Thomas Cook, Uk, marketing
department creates surveys in order to create internal channels to gather
feedbacks from the customers. As per the views of Van Lancker et al. (2016,
p. 45), marketing team further uses these feedbacks and reports to enrich
and redirect marketing strategies in future. However, other than internal
channels, marketing team also creates channels outside the company to
perform searches and generate actions to understand the needs of general
users and convert them into customers (thomas.cook. 2019).
Track changing trends and monitor competition
As opined by Lee et al. (2015, p.88), marketing team also take care of the
pulse of the current market in order to pace up with the changing trends and
demands of the market. In terms of Thomas Cookok, the marketing team
monitors the competition prevailing in the market, revises and devises the
marketing strategies of other organisation with aim of betterment and
proceeding further with excellence.
Calculate the Return Of Investment
Marketing activities are investment of effort, time as well as money. For
successful investment of these, every action should be measured and
checked to judge if they are meeting intended objectives. For making

successful investments, marketing team devises various strategies and plan
accordingly.
Marketing research: Research and development of service or product is
considered as a crucial role of marketing. The research involves better
knowledge of service product, in order to provide better services to the
consumers. Research is very important function of marketing, for it paves
the way for further excellence and enriched service. In case of Thomas Cook
Travel Company, the organisation needs to make broad based research in
order to provide the consumers better as well as updated service with far
reaching excellence (As influenced by Guesalaga, 2016, p. 88).
D1
Marketing function is considered as multifaceted phenomenon and therefore
encloses various different functions within it. These functions are intertwined
and work in perfect coherence with each other. However the key elements
of marketing functions include some major parts, which include Research,
Setting of Strategy as well as successful planning and business tactics.
Figure 3: Key Elements of Marketing

(Source: Eteokleous et al. 2016, p. 590)
Research
For far reaching success of any business organisation, research plays a
crucial role. Research provides the necessary information about the current
trend of market as well as it also provide ample of information about
consumers changing needs and choices. As opined by Wickert et al. 2016, p.
1188), research helps an organisation to collect all valuable information for
the successful and sustainable growth of the business. In terms of Thomas
Cook travel company, with the help of fruitful and reliable research, the
organisation become able to collect valuable information about logistics,
finance, raw materials as well as resources. Research is considered crucial
component of marketing because only through positive research, business
objectives can be achieved thoroughly.
Setting of strategy
After collecting and collating various valuable data through research,
strategies are planned accordingly. In the process of setting suitable strategy
all the pros and cons of it are judged and evaluated thoroughly. As per the
views of Linen and Wang (2017, p. 130), the thorough analysis and
evaluation help to revise and devise the strategic plan and formulate it
accordingly. The set of strategies provide valuable guidance to establish a
strong image in the market of competition. The strategies are built over by
considering various marketing possibilities of realistic outcomes and desired
results. In terms of Thomas Cook, research is based on changing tourism
trends and choices of the consumers in present marketing conditions.
Planning: After successful completion of research process and strategy
development, the further element of marketing includes planning process. In
this crucial step, budget as well as sales figures are planned thoroughly to
set an achievable goal. In this planning process, communication strategies,
risk as well as conflict management programme are planned thoroughly with

the major aim of organisational success. The planning department utilises a
specific timeline for successful implementation of the whole work. In case of
Thomas Cook company, planning involve forecasting of marketing strategies,
ways to attract more consumers and ways of providing service with
excellence (As influenced by Camilleri, 2016, p. 225).
Tactics
The fourth element of marketing is tactics, small and short term plans are
set to target large group of customers. In terms of Thomas Cook, tactics
include providing lucrative offers to the consumers so that they are easily
attracted to the travel policies of Thomas Cook and invest money. Tactics
also include making of various marketing plans which will eventually help to
attract large scale of customers and therefore ensure organizational success
(As influenced by Liu, 2017, p. 419).
LO: 2 Compare ways in which hospitality organization apply
marketing mix
P3
The marketing mix is applied by the organisation in order to achieve
business goals and objectives. As opined by Lovelock and Patterson (2015,
p.230), several business organisation uses different processes and methods
of applying marketing mix. The process varies depending on the market
demographics, products and services of each concerned company. The
marketing mix provides the tools to the marketers to understand the
product. The common application of marketing mix involve 4Ps of marketing,
however later this approach was developed into 7 Ps of marketing by adding
more 3 Ps to it.
Thomas Cook is a renowned travel company in UK, whose sole focus is
customer satisfaction and excellence in services. As opined by Golgeci and

Gligor,(2017, p.480), the reason behind the success of the company include
their extensive use of marketing tools in order to ensure organisational
success. The employment of marketing mix in marketing planning have its
sole focus on the product dimensions as well as place of selling the product
including pricing structure and promotional activities of the company. As per
the views of Chernev (2018, p.320), the extended marketing mix of 7Ps puts
stress on delivery processes as well as providing physical evidence to the
consumers and keeps its birds eye on people.
Different organisations set different types of marketing mix based on the
work culture and strategies of the concerned company. While Thomas Cook
uses 7 Ps of marketing, other organisation take market segment as their
marketing policy. Marshfield ice creams of UK use marketing segmentation
process to achieve their organisational goals. However marketing
segmentation uses several processes to achieve their organisational goals.
This includes, identification of target market, thereafter target market is
segmented into various groups. As per the views of Ho and Law (2017, p.
30), attractiveness of segmented market are thoroughly evaluated and
analysed. Positional strategy organisational development is therefore
developed and implemented; ultimately feedbacks are collected for the
segmentation process which helps to achieve organisational success in
predetermined way.
M2
However these key marketing functions possess strong inter relation
between them. A loophole in one functional element therefore hinders the
success of other element and affects the overall process of organisational
success. As per the views of Vellas (2016, p. 120), the interrelation of
marketing functions can be analysed with the help of an powerful example of
connection of finance department with marketing department. The
marketing department cannot carry on their work properly without getting