Lecture responsible tourism unit 3 responsible tourism marketing and communications

Unit outlineObjectives By the end of this unit, participants will be able to: channels for interaction with visitors communicating about Responsible Tourism in marketing Responsible Tour

UNIT 3 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/41894171246@N01/2824822534

Unit outline

Objectives

By the end of this unit, participants will be able to:

channels for interaction with visitors

communicating about Responsible Tourism

in marketing Responsible Tourism

messages that can be delivered to tourists

disseminating Responsible Tourism provisions

Topics

1 Importance of responsible marketing and communications in tourism

2 Communicating authentic and accurate messages

3 Marketing and communicating sustainable practices

4 Maintaining data privacy in marketing

5 Collecting visitor feedback

TOPIC 1 IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBLE

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS IN TOURISM

UNIT 3 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

The role and function of marketing and

communications

Management process

Engages audiences

Presents messages

Aims for attitudinal or behavioural response

The marketing and communications mix

Personal selling

Promotions

The “4P” marketing mix

• Methods of distribution

Products in tourism marketing

Pricing in tourism marketing

• Refers to the amount charged for a

tourism product

• Cost of end product as well as at

points along distribution chain

• May be adjusted for different

circumstances

• Regulated through conditions

• Amount should consider operating

costs, profit margin and distribution

network costs

• Other influences include demand,

seasonality, target market, and

competitors

Place in tourism marketing

the consumer

consumer may make a purchase

Promotion in tourism marketing

• Aims to influence, inform, and / or persuade

• Usually a mix of:

The 5 th P - Packaging

• Combines two or more products and /or services to:

1 Make them easier to buy (convenience)

2 Provide consumers with well priced,

attractive and convenient holiday options (price advantage)

• Other consumer benefits include ease of payment and planning and less stress

• Used to target specific markets and

explore new ones

• Fosters partnerships building of tourism operators for mutual benefit

Applying principles of responsibility to

marketing and communication

• Respects law and good

practice

• Decent and honest

• Respects fair competition

• Has sense of social

responsibility

• Respects user privacy

3 key components of responsibility in tourism

marketing and communications

SELL PRODUCTS FAIRLY

INFORM ABOUT DESTINATIONS TRUTHFULLY

RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY

Benefits of responsible tourism marketing and

communication

Creates competitive advantage Increases value and demand Increases customer loyalty Increases customer satisfaction Facilitates more respectful interaction in

destinations

TOPIC 2 COMMUNICATING

AUTHENTIC AND ACCURATE MESSAGES

UNIT 3 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Tourism experiences involve…

TOURIST EXPERIENCE

Services

Interpretation Others?

Demand

Motivation

Types of tourists

Authenticity INFLUENCES:

Authenticity in tourism experiences

• Travel to experience something unique or original

• Integrity can relate to a place, an

object or an activity

• While authenticity is perceived

it remains highly connected to

marketing tourism experiences

• Services nature of tourism and

component parts make marketing susceptible to

inaccurate messages

Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Water_Puppet_Theatre_Vietnam(1).jpg

Examples of inauthentic advertising from

around the world

Picture sources: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2128151/France-tourism-advertising-campaign-left-red-faced-allegations-using-false-photos.html

Testing the ethics of proposed marketing actions

TEST QUESTION

Legal Test Does the contemplated action violate the law?

Duties Test Is this action contrary to widely accepted moral obligations?

Utilitarian Test Is there a satisfactory alternative action that produces equal or greater benefits to the

parties affected than the proposed action?

Rights Test Does the contemplated action infringe on property rights, privacy rights, or the inalienable

rights of the consumer?

Justice Test Does the proposed action leave another person or group less well off? Is this person or

group already a member of a relatively underprivileged class?

Source: Laczniak, G.R & Murphy , P.E 1993, Ethical Marketing Decisions: The Higher Road, Allyn and Bacon, Needham Heights, MA, USA in Dunfee, T.W., Craig Smith, N and Ross, W.T 1999, ‘Social contracts and marketing ethics’, Journal of Marketing, 63(3): 14-32)

Commodification of culture

• The manufacturing and selling

of culture for profit

• Response to fulfilling demand

for perceived authenticity

• May result in the loss of

4 examples of cultural commodification in

http://blog.mailasail.com/kanaloa/104

• Knowingly misleading consumers about a product or service’s environmental practices or benefits for own gain

CAUSES

• Sector’s intensity in resource use

• Largely unregulated nature of the sector

• Sector composition and competition

• Consumer demand

CAUSES

• Sector’s intensity in resource use

• Largely unregulated nature of the sector

• Sector composition and competition

Greenwashing is all around us

but can be hard to spot

Example 1

• A hotel chain claims to be

environmentally friendly because

they allow guests to choose

whether to sleep on the same

sheets and use the same towels

for continuous days While the

idea is good it is not making a

significant difference More

impact can be made by installing

for example, motion-sensor

lighting, more efficient insulation

and heating, or purchasing

non-toxic carpeting and bedding.

Example 2

• A well-known international fast food restaurant chain tried to paint itself as ‘green’ just because

it had begun to use biofuel made from leftover grease in its fleet of trucks as well as using recycled paper in its takeaway bags

However the company still uses beef grazed on deforested land in South America, and bases its

entire concept around disposable packaging.

Source: Marie C 2013, ‘Misleading Marketing: Beware the Greenwash!’, Elux Magazine, Feb 12, 2013

The “7 Sins” of tourism promotion

Source: Kuehnel J 2011, ‘Greenwashing in the Travel and Tourism Industry’, Toronto

Sustainability Series, Available [online]: http://ecoopportunity.net/2011/05/greenwashing-in-the-travel-and-tourism-

industry/2/, Accessed: 21/01/2014

The key benefits of marketing products and experiences accurately and authentically

• More satisfied visitors; fewer complaints

• Enhanced reputation

• Increased sales and income

• Fewer negative social, economic and environmental impacts

Steps to identifying and communicating

of the local culture and environment

Identify the ideal or set

of ideals you want to be known for

Market and promote according to those ideals

TOPIC 3 MARKETING AND

COMMUNICATING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

UNIT 3 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_fishery

FOR BUSINESS & DESTINATIONS FOR TOURISTS

The function and purpose of marketing and

communicating sustainable practices

Inform about

sustainability

activities

Gain support in sustainability efforts

Feel good

Key steps for communicating sustainability:

The “Keep it Real” approach

Understand the market

Identify objectives of sustainability communications

Develop appropriate messages and communication channels

Communicate messages at the right time

Source: VisitEngland 2010, Keep it real – market and communicate your credentials,

London: VisitEngland and England’s Regional Sustainable Tourism Leads Group

Step 1 Understand the markets and customise

sustainability messages

does not mean they will act

differently

else is equal, sustainability

values and actions

differentiate a product

key market segments and

tailor sustainability messages

accordingly

“Ethical seekers”:

Seek out green holidays as a continuation of their lifestyle

“Just want to switch off”: Want a

simple, uncomplicated break from daily life

“Feel good factor”:

Take an interest in sustainable tourism through travel press

Key market segments

Characteristics of key market segments

Feelgood

Switch off

Ethical seakers

• Ethical seekers: Rational,

International, Interrogative, Willing to Pay

• Feel good factors:

Emotional, Local, Simplified, Unlikely to Pay

• Switch off: Irrelevant,

Local or International, Cynical, Won’t Pay

Source: VisitEngland 2010, Keep it real – market and communicate your credentials,

London: VisitEngland and England’s Regional Sustainable Tourism Leads Group

Symbolic representation of market

segment size

Step 2 Identify objectives of sustainability

thing

3 To increase visitation and/or sales

Picture sources: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/images/London-1874- 1885_i1314084682.php?type=tax_images&taxon=7&sort_order=asc&sort_key=year http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilovegreenland/10134146143/sizes/m/in/photostream/

http://www.vietnamspirittravel.com/guide/vietnam_bank_notes.htm

Objective 1: Communicating sustainability to

raise awareness and change behaviour

• Give return benefits for

changing behaviour

• Keep messages

motivational and positive

• Ensure communications are:

– Specific

– Demonstrate clear positive impacts of actions

– Explain customer benefits

– Present only sustainable options

Picture sources: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/images/London-1874- 1885_i1314084682.php?type=tax_images&taxon=7&sort_order=asc&sort_key=year

Objective 2: Communicating sustainability to

let consumers feel good

• Consumers appreciate efforts regardless

of motivation for travel

• Show consumers how you have “taken

care of” sustainable issues which then

allows them to relax and enjoy the

benefits

• Promote easy sustainability options such

as:

– Easy methods to make charitable donations

– Promoting sustainable holiday options (e.g

public transport options, where to recycle etc.)

• Ensure sustainability options are ‘good’

choices with positive impacts

Picture sources: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilovegreenland/10134146143/sizes/m/in/photostream/

Objective 3: Communicating sustainability to

increase visitation and / or sales

• Sustainability credentials create

differentiation and help you get noticed

• Sustainability can attract more

customers and sales than through raising

prices

• Providing discounts or additional

benefits for behaving sustainably can

gain loyalty and sales

• Design sustainable packages for low

season and new services for high season

• Provide sustainable options to

encourage customers to stay longer or

come back during the low season

Picture sources: http://www.vietnamspirittravel.com/guide/vietnam_bank_notes.htm

Step 3 Develop appropriate messages and

– Being overly apologetic

• Key: Communicate messages

carefully to get the desired

response from the consumer

Picture source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hmong_minority_children_in_Sa_Pa.JPG

Key methods in effectively communicating

Show empathy

• Turn sustainability requests into positive

experiences

• Look at the benefits of sustainability

Make it special

Key communication channels for sustainability

messages

• Thread messages throughout the current

communication channel & examine new

opportunities

• In particular, the following channels should be

considered:

BEFORE BOOKING

• Pre-departure info

BETWEEN BOOKING &

ARRIVAL

• Tourism product sustainability areas

DURING THE

VISIT

• Physically show

sustainability practices

AFTER THE

VISIT

• Updates on

sustainability activities

Step 4 Communicating messages

at the right time

TOPIC 4 MAINTAINING

DATA PRIVACY IN MARKETING

UNIT 3 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Picture source: http://www.proskauer.com/practices/privacy-data-security/

The role and importance of good data

management

and regulate business

maintenance of privacy in the

collection, storage and use of

personal data

– To enhance and build on relationships

with customers

– To reduce the likelihood of financial,

commercial and reputational challenges

due to bad practice

Picture source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BIEK_1814_Notebook.jpg

What type of data in tourism needs protection?

DATA REQUIRING PROTECTION

Email

Phone number Fax

number

Passport number

Date of

birth

Visa number

Bank

account

details

Ensuring data is collected in the right way

collected if:

– It relates to the type of

business the organisation

is in

– The purpose for collecting

the information can be

2 Include a privacy policy

and explain the purpose

of collecting data and its usage in application

forms / contracts

3 Obtain legal advice on

how to collect bank or credit card details

Picture source: http://databaseicons.wordpress.com/

Ensuring data is managed in the

right way in marketing

• Keep personal information secure

• Ensure data is up-to-date

• Ensure data is stored according

Vietnamese Law on Protection of Consumers’

Rights & Decree No 99/2011/ND-CP

OBLIGATIONS OF TRADERS

• Explain purpose of use

• Ensure safety, accuracy and completeness of information

• Not transferring information without consent

PROHIBITED ACTS OF TRADERS

• Cheating or misleading consumers

• Regularly marketing against consumers’ wishes

• Coercion through threatening behaviour or profiteering

• Requiring payment of goods and services that weren’t ordered

Sending marketing information

• OK to send marketing information if an individual or company has requested it

• OK to send marketing information if an individual or company has requested it

• No consent required to send marketing information by post or telephone unless customer has stated otherwise

• No consent required to send marketing information by post or telephone unless customer has stated otherwise

• Explicit consent of individuals is needed for sending marketing information by SMS, fax or e-mail but this is not required of business

• Explicit consent of individuals is needed for sending marketing information by SMS, fax or e-mail but this is not required of business

• Seek legal advice first if external databases are purchased to send marketing information

• Seek legal advice first if external databases are purchased to send marketing information

?

TOPIC 5 COLLECTING VISITOR FEEDBACK

UNIT 3 RESPONSIBLE TOURISM MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurgenappelo/5201223017/

The role and importance of obtaining regular

visitor feedback

the tourism industry as a whole

– Know who their visitors are, why they come and what they

value about the experience

• For business it is also helps prevent issues that can lead

to complaints

Picture source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jurgenappelo/5201223017/

Methods for collecting visitor feedback

A Surveys B Focus groups C Feedback forms and

comment cards

D Social media E On the spot verbal

feedback and observation

A Collecting visitor feedback through surveys

• Set of predetermined questions about

specific topics

• Often used to gauge customer satisfaction

after the use of a product or service

• Good for benchmarking performance

• Enable businesses to align their services to

the expectations and needs of visitors

• Can be online, by phone, mail or face to

face

• Best to repeat visitor satisfaction surveys at

least every 3-4 years (minimum)