EFFECTIVENESS OF MARKETING TO ATTRACT TOURISTS

Rank Based on 141 countries (Tourism and Travel Competitiveness WEF)

1. Austria: 3
2. Ireland: 5
3. Iceland: 7
4. Switzerland: 9
5. Cyprus: 15
6. United Kingdom: 16
7. Malta: 17
8. Spain: 27
9. Montenegro: 30
10. Portugal: 37
11. Netherlands: 38
12. Macedonia: 44
13. Croatia: 45
14. France: 46
15. Germany: 48
16. Estonia: 49
17. Sweden: 55
18. Luxembourg: 60
19. Greece: 62
20. Belgium: 64
21. Latvia: 66
22. Norway: 69
23. Finland: 77
24. Hungary: 87
25. Denmark: 89
26. Slovenia: 96
27. Albania: 97
28. Czech Republic: 101
29. Russian Federation: 103
30. Bulgaria: 106
31. Poland: 108
32. Lithuania: 113
33. Serbia: 119
34. Romania: 120
35. Italy: 123
36. Slovakia: 135
37. Moldova: 136

 Suffices to say many countries do not fare well in their marketing activities to attract tourists

 Improving marketing effectiveness  

• Marketing is essentially the task of those directly involved in the tourist industry. However, it is not enough for the key players simply to market their individual products. An entire destination needs to be promoted if visitors are to be attracted. Destination marketing, in particular marketing of a whole country, is a public asset. It falls to the government to conduct destination marketing to encourage tourists to visit their country. As there is potential for synergies between marketing a country as a tourist destination and as a business location, coordination and cooperation between the government instruments involved is very important.
• Many countries finds themselves  in an increasingly competitive environment, in which many new countries are concentrating on promoting tourism to boost their economy, pouring considerable sums of public money into the industry.

 Key Tasks to be Performed

• Defining and packaging country as destination- Using tourism to support economic development
• Positioning and branding the event- Providing unique experiences valued by younger tourists
• Product analysis- Analysis of physical product (attractions, sports, entertainment)- Analysis of aesthetic product (culture, scenery, history)- Analysis of tourist services (hotels, dining, tours)
• Branding the country- Using branding to gain recognition- Finding an event that conveys the correct image- Developing the message for each tourist segment
• Targeting the Visitor- Defining the tourist segments- Targeting by event activity- Researching new target markets
• Packaging the Product- Shaping the appropriate country image- Packaging itineraries of product and experience- Packaging activities as events
• Partnering with the Community- Finding resources using economic development funds- Government programs available to develop the tourism product- Using tourism to attract new businesses
• Developing the Image and Message- Creating the promotion message- Planning the event place and image- Using the promotion mix components
• Planning the Promotion- Communicating using advertising and public relations- Visitor centers, familiarization tours and personal selling- Direct marketing to target tourist segments
• Evaluating the Impact- Understanding the tourist experience- Evaluating economic impacts- Researching local resident opinions

Executing the strategy demands creativity, agility and the application of entrepreneurial instincts to every aspect of the business: identifying ways to do more with less; shortening the path from planning to action; and capturing the imaginations and spending decisions of travellers looking for more than just a destination to visit.

While in the past travellers may have consulted with a travel agent and whittled down a list of potential destinations, today they follow a non-linear decision-making process, informed by newsfeed articles, friends’ Facebook posts and YouTube videos.

 Abroad, it may be wise to adopt a general sales agent model that utilizes strategic partners to handle functions such as travel trade sales development and media relations to further reduce expenses. Marketing and sales team may provide expert knowledge and support to members of the local travel trade, conducting media relations and promotional activities, running consumer advertising and promotional campaigns, and ensuring a strong presence at consumer and trade shows.