Travel and Tourism Marketing: Strategies and Case Study Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive overview of marketing essentials within the travel and tourism industry, focusing on the roles and responsibilities of marketing functions, the interrelationship between marketing and other functional areas, and the identification of business and marketing objectives. It examines the elements of the marketing mix (7Ps) and how a marketing plan can effectively achieve marketing objectives, using Thomas Cook Group PLC as a primary example. The report includes a comparative analysis of the marketing mixes of Thomas Cook and Titan Travel, highlighting differences in pricing strategies, product offerings, promotional tactics, and distribution channels. Budget allocation for marketing activities and methods for monitoring and evaluation are also discussed, concluding with the significance of marketing in achieving organizational success. Desklib offers a variety of solved assignments and past papers for students.

Marketing Essentials for Travel and
Tourism

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
ACTIVITY 1 ...................................................................................................................................1
Roles and responsibilities of marketing function ........................................................................1
Roles and responsibilities of marketing and interrelationship between functional areas of the
organization..................................................................................................................................1
ACTIVITY 2 ...................................................................................................................................1
Identifying business and marketing objectives............................................................................1
Elements of the Marketing Mix...................................................................................................2
Marketing plan help in achieving marketing objectives .............................................................3
Comparison between two organization .......................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Thomas Cook Group PLC is travel Group Company which was founded in year 1841. It
is working under the travel & tourism along with that hospitality industry as a leading company.
The company's headquarters is in London, England, United Kingdom (Mele and Cantoni, 2017).
It provides their customers travel agencies services, booking services, package holidaying
services and accommodation services at the global. Its key people are Frank Meysman who is
Non-Executive Chairman and Peter Fankhauser who is chief executive officer (Smith, Rees and
Murray, 2016).
It will identify the business as well as marketing objectives, marketing mix (7P's),
achievement of marketing objectives through marketing plan and comparison between the
marketing mixes of the two organizations.
ACTIVITY 1
Roles and responsibilities of marketing function
Covered in ppt
Roles and responsibilities of marketing and interrelationship between functional areas of the
organization
Covered in ppt
ACTIVITY 2
Identifying business and marketing objectives.
Thomas Cook is one of the leading best travel and tourism industry group which is
providing leisure travelling related services to its customers. Business objective of every
business organisation should be specific and clear so that strategies and plans can be made
accordingly for its successful attainment and profit maximization. With proper allocation and
planning these objectives can be achieved by making use of best marketing as well as
promotional activities.
Business objectives of Thomas cook includes:
 Providing substantial benefit economically to all its customers with proper and
sustainable use of natural as well as environmental resources (Festa and et.al., 2016).
 To give a seance of relax and make the client or the guest feel relax at the time of
availing the traveling service being provided at reasonable cost.
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 Also Thomas Cook is aiming to provide the best quality of the service to the customer in
the market so that they feel more relax and feel satisfied.
 Another objective of the business is to make the memory of the customer more
satisfactory and satisfying the different issue of the customer in the organization with
respect to cultural, economical and social issue.
Marketing objective are the different norms on which the different action are taken by the
organization with the sole motive of achieving the goals. Also on the basis of the same the
organization used to promote the product of the company in the market. Marketing objective also
used to bring the variety of the benefit for the organization. As Marketing objective help the
company in improving the brand image in the eye of the customer. It help the customer in
attracting the eye of the customer toward the product of the organization.
Elements of the Marketing Mix
Marketing mix is the tool which includes the combination of the different factor which
can be used by the organization to influences the purchasing power or the preference of the
consumer in the market.
1. Product – Product is the offering of the organization for the consumer in the market.
Product can be the physical good or the services which is offered by the company to
attract the eye of the customer. In the hospitality industry product can be the different
package holidays, travel, food and beverages and car hiring related services which is
provided by the hotel. Thomas cook also used to provide the same product in the market
but with the taste of the good quality in it.
2. Price – Price is the element on which the product of the organization is offered in the
market. This is the element on the basis of which different strategy are developed in the
organization (Rajavi, Kushwaha and Steenkamp, 2019). Thomas cook always look to
offer the product of the company at the lowest price in the market which help the
company in attracting the customer toward the company product.
3. Promotion – This is the element in which the organization look for the platform from
where the awareness of the product can be promoted in the market. Generally all the
organization uses the combination of the promotional tool to promote the product of the
company in the market. Thomas cook generally uses the social media and the
advertisement in the paper as the two primary promotional tool in the market.
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4. Place – Place is the market or the location at which the product of the company is sold.
Thomas Cook used to operate in the UK and also recently has started there services
online also.
5. People – Are those employees who represent the company and its products, services to
its customers. It is very important to have the proper information about all the employee
in the organization as they are the one who will carry out all the operation in the business.
6. Physical Evidence – Thomas cook has launched the forex mobile application, which has
resulted in improving the international traveller need. Thomas cook logo and name is
covered under the trademark act.(Stead and Hastings, 2018).
7. Process – As Thomas cook will be providing the different type of the services in the
market, that's the reason the company will be selling the product or service of the
company in the market with the help of the direct distribution channel.
Marketing plan help in achieving marketing objectives
Marketing plan is the document that contains business objectives, strength and weakness
of a business and budget that is planned for the future. Proper marketing plans provide an insight
to Thomas cook and facilitate different aspect in business. It provides the helps in managing the
business activity (Lee and et. al., 2018). As these different activities help in providing different
strategies that is followed by marketer in Thomas Cook. If proper planning is being done by
marketer, then it will help in gaining future market perspective. This will help in increasing
growth and sales of Thomas Cook. With the help of providing different aspect that cover various
segments in utilizing various strategies that is useful for the company.
A strategic marketing objective is helpful in achieving growth and opportunities in the
marketplace. Proper planning is being done then there is smooth working of operation that helps
in increasing profit. Making objectives help in gaining gaining future market perspective..
different segments that are more helpful for Thomas cook in achieving objectives of it. If
objectives cannot be achieved then it is not helpful for the company to provide different
segments as it is impossible in gaining growth in the future (Smolčić Jurdana and Soldić Frleta,
2017). Brand loyalty is also a part of marketing as it is important in achieving various aspect that
lead to bring effectiveness in business. If consumer is loyal to particular brand, then it helps
business to grow as there are more chances of earning profit. As it is important in achieving
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various perspective that is carried out business operations in the future. If objectives will be
achieved, then it provides different aspect that lay down by marketer.
There are various concepts that help in achieving objective of the company. There is
various perspective that is used in providing different concept in Thomas Cook. It is important in
achieving objective that lead to create different perspective. various concepts that involved
different techniques that bring effectiveness and efficiency in business. For the purpose of
retaining existing customer in Thomas Cook by analysing their needs and demands in the
company. Marketing plan plays an important concept that provides various perspective in the
future (Folinas and Fotiadis, 2017). It is essential for the companies to utilize various aspects that
provide different segments in market. Marketing plan helps in targeting new customer by firstly
segmenting market based on same interest group of consumer and then in last product
positioning is done for introducing new product in the market.
Comparison between two organization
Thomas Cook Titan Travel
Price mix In this price of product is high and
selling product at higher price to
consumers. This is using premium
pricing which means that price of its
products are always high
It is selling its product in cheaper price and
providing best quality to consumers that
help in achieving objectives of the
company (Keller and et. al., 2016). The
company is using penetration pricing
strategy which means that they keep lower
price towards starting of any new product
and they higher its price as soon as product
become popular.
Product It uses product mix as it is providing
tour services to its consumers for
longer term in the market. Services
that are provided by it are food and
accommodation, transportation
facilities etc. Thomas cook is using
length element of product mix which
In this product mix is used in different
perspective that helps in achieving
objective of the company. Titan travel is
using consistency element of product mix
which refer to connection between product
into the product line and way they reach to
customer.
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means that they are having number of
products into given product line.
Place This means ways in which company
is providing access to its customers
through providing convenience for
customers. So Thomas Cook is
having many of its franchises across
the world with largest market
coverage in travel and tourism
industry
While on other hand Titan Travel is not
having much outlets than Thomas Cook in
world. As it is form of escorted tour agency
of UK which is prominently having outlets
in UK only.
Promotion They are promoting their products
and service through all forms of
media including mass media, print
media and social media.
While they are promoting their products
and services only through social media
channels and not able to gain more
customers as compared to Thomas Cook.
Comparison between two companies in the context of Tactics
Tactics Thomas Cook Titan Travel
Social Media Tactics Thomas Cook uses social
media tactics for the purpose
of communicating with
customers. In these tactics,
company posts with happy
customers and tag them in
their posts.
Titan Travel uses social media
tactics for the purpose of
informing about the clients
about the offers, discounts etc.
They mainly use it for the
promotion of their restaurant.
Membership Offers Thomas Cook uses
membership offers for the
purpose of making their
customers loyal towards the
company. For that they do
Titan Travel doesn't use
membership offer tactics.
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email to their customers about
it. They do mobile and social
media marketing to make their
customers about the
membership offers.
Budget-
Particular Amount (£)
Recruitment 100
Promotion and advertising expense 120
Selling and distributing expense 150
Other expense 180
Total 550
Monitoring and Evaluation
For the monitoring and evaluation, Thomas Cook use Sale Analysis method the following
method company collect the sales data, analysis of the data and prepare the report. For the
analysis of the sales data, Thomas Cook uses various metrics such as sales force and period
comparison. On the basis of the above metrics, Thomas Cook sees that their sales volume
increases or decreases. Like that Thomas Cook analyse their marketing strategies and tactics by
using sales analysis methods.
CONCLUSION
From the above study, it has been summarized that marketing is one of the most
significant function and department for any of the organization. It plays an important role in the
success of the organization. Like every business have their own objectives, same goes with the
very departments of the organization. For the achievement of such departmental objectives,
departments are required to make proper plan, strategies and tactics. Marketing mix is considered
to be the foundation of marketing. Without marketing mix, company as well as marketing
department won't be able to achieve their objectives. Marketing plan is an important document
which includes various strategies and tactics to achieve the marketing objectives and goals.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Cardona, J.R., Álvarez Bassi, D. and Sánchez-Fernández, M.D., 2019. Residents’ attitudes
towards different tourist offers: Maldonado-Punta del Este conurbation
(Uruguay). European Journal of Government and Economics.8(1).pp.30-47.
Festa, G. and et.al., 2016. The (r) evolution of wine marketing mix: From the 4Ps to the
4Es. Journal of Business Research. 69(5). pp.1550-1555.
Folinas, D. and Fotiadis, T., 2017. Marketing and Supply Chain Management: A Systemic
Approach. Routledge.
Gardiner, S. and Scott, N., 2018. Destination Innovation Matrix: A framework for new tourism
experience and market development. Journal of Destination Marketing &
Management. 10. pp.122-131.
Ioncică, D., Ioncică, M. and Petrescu, E.C., 2016. The environment, tourist transport and the
sustainable development of tourism. Amfiteatru Economic Journal.18(Special Issue No.
10), pp.898-912.
Keller, B. and et. al., 2016, July. Data-centered platforms in tourism: advantages and challenges
for digital enterprise architecture. In International conference on business information
systems (pp. 299-310). Springer, Cham.
Lee, H. and et. al., 2018. Tourists’ happiness: are there smart tourism technology effects?. Asia
Pacific Journal of Tourism Research.23(5). pp.486-501.
Mele, E. and Cantoni, L., 2017. Localization of national tourism organizations websites: the case
of ETC members. In Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2017(pp.
59-71). Springer, Cham.
Rajavi, K., Kushwaha, T. and Steenkamp, J. B. E., 2019. In Brands We Trust? A Multi-
Category, Multi-Country Investigation of Sensitivity of Consumers’ Trust in Brands to
Marketing-Mix Activities. Journal of Consumer Research.
Smolčić Jurdana, D. and Soldić Frleta, D., 2017. Satisfaction as a determinant of tourist
expenditure. Current Issues in Tourism.20(7). pp.691-704.
Stead, M. and Hastings, G., 2018. Advertising in the social marketing mix: getting the balance
right. In Social Marketing (pp. 29-43). Psychology Press.
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