Tourism Marketing Portfolio

Executive summary This portfolio will be concentrating on the tourism marketing and communication tools used by Dubai at both national and international level. To be attractive and remain competitive in the international marketplace, the Dubai tourism board must develop and promote innovative tourist products.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Marketing Portfolio- Dubai specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, it is essential that factors that influence both internal and external environment of this tourist destination be looked at. A succinct analysis of Dubai indicate that despite the economic, political and social upheavals recently experienced in the Arab world as well as the impending competition from closer tourist destinations, Dubai has managed to keep its image as the safest tourist destination. As a result, Dubai has managed to attract large numbers of tourists. The major concern is the sustain ability of this trend. The responsibilities of the Department of Tourism Commerce and Marketing Board (DTCM) as the principal marketing authority of Dubai will clearly be illustrated in this portfolio. A close look at the various marketing and communication tools used by DTCM will substantiate the role they have played in successfully driving their marketing strategies. A brief summary of the strengths and weaknesses, future recommendations for marketing communication strategy in connection to micro and macro environment will be suggested before the conclusions are drawn. Introduction As the awareness of tourist destination and accessibility increases tourists have wide variety of destinations to choose from. Therefore, for any particular country or city to remain the destination of choice, they must create a unique products and identity that distinguishes them from other destinations. (Kotler et al. 2005, p.89). While some destinations have restricted their branding efforts exclusi vely on logo designs, others have broadened their branding efforts to include social and emotional values. These values are perceived to boost the quality of the destination (McCabe 2009, p.69). This is essential as the selection of the holiday destination has become a lifestyle for travelers who are leaned towards spending their income on precious holiday time. Therefore, countries are embracing marketing and communication tools as well as developing appropriate branding strategies that will enable them remain competitive within the international marketplace (Laws 1991, p.31).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This portfolio will be centering on Dubai. Dubai is one of the emirates that are leading the transformation of the unions’ tourism. The success of any destination is not determined by not only the more controllable micro-environmental factors but also the uncon trollable macro-environmental factors (Kotler et al. 2002, p.57). The portfolio will begin by the analysis of the SWOT and PESTEL to provide a general idea of the Dubai global positioning. Besides, the portfolio will examine the diverse marketing communication tools used by DTCM in developing their destination brand as well as evaluating their destination weaknesses and strengths. Based on the grounded findings, suggestions for future marketing strategy will be recommended before drawing the conclusions. The portfolio information will be obtained through secondary research through the use of applicable articles, books, international journals, websites as well as press releases. Dubai as the tourist destination Dubai is positioned in the center of Middle East. Historically, Dubai is the cradle of the major world religion and ancient Arab cultures. Geographically, Dubai was the major center for onward travels (Kozak Andreu 2006, p.89). Over the last three decades, trade, tourism and shopping business has been encouraged. In particular, tourism has transformed Dubai into a modern city. Dubai together with Abu Dhabi is the major economic contributor of the UAE. Regardless of the global economic crises as well as the current situation in the Middle East, Dubai has remained to be the most popular tourist destination and has continued to grow steadily (Long Robinson 2004, p.41). Therefore, it is essential that factors having direct impact on the macro-environment of the destination and influences its strategic direction is determined. The analysis of the immediate micro-environment is vital in the understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of Dubai (McCabe 2009, p.69). SWOT analysis is used by the portfolio to identify the weaknesses, strengths, opportunities as well as threats that will be used to evaluate the competing environment. PESTEL is used to assess the external environmental factors. Micro-environment Strengths The strategic position of Dubai as an int ercontinental rout has been instrumental in attracting and retaining the global business as well as travelers (Middleton et al 2009, p.36). Besides, this has also helped in giving the city a cosmopolitan culture. The authoritarian nature of the UAE has brought about stability which has benefited the Dubai in terms of economic development.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Marketing Portfolio- Dubai specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With efficiency and pro-active characteristics, the UAE ruling authorities has fortified economic diversification which has minimized the focus on oil as the major booster of economic growth. In addition, the economic diversification has enabled the development of other sectors of the economy such as intra-regional trade and tourism as additional major sources of revenue. With realization of the significance of the tourism sector, the state authorities put a lot of emphasis in th e development of infrastructure such as airways, airports, cruise-terminals, hotels, conventional centers, buildings, attraction, logistics and communication facilities will help fast track the development of tourism (Morgan Pritchard 2001, p.59). The aim of DTCM is to make Dubai the most innovative tourist destination in the world. This has enabled the body to ambitiously encourage diverse innovative tourism products. The body has also ensured quality of all tourism related activities through certifications and licensing that has ensured high level of tourist experience. Weaknesses Dubai over the decades has achieved a highly diversified portfolio that targets only the high-end travelers. Given the fact that Dubai is an international hub and dominantly expatriate, Dubai has become extremely expensive destination (Morgan et al. 2004, p.119). Moreover, the locals feel that authorities have increasingly encouraged the continuous recruitment of foreigners in tourism sector. In additio n, the image of Dubai has been tarnished by the increasing number of drug and sex related crimes. Further, serious environmental degradation as well as other impacts has also been seen in the recent past. In comparison to other Middle Eastern destinations such as Egypt, Oman and Jordan, Dubai lacks its own cultural heritage (Morrison 2002, p.57). Opportunities The rising oil prices has not only boosted the economy but also encouraged the Middle Eastern tourists to visit Dubai (Ritchie Crouch 2003, 316). Dubai remains attractive to most of the Arab countries tourists because of its liberal laws especially on alcoholic drinks. With political turmoil everywhere in the region, Dubai is regarded as the safest haven (Pearce 2005, p.76). Another important factor is the growing demand for hotels, amusement parks and theme parks which has boosted tourism investments more than its immediate competitors such as Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia (Pike 2008, p.192).Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Further, the growth in leisure tourism will also boost the development of Dubai tourism business. Diversification has also enable Dubai to develop sustainable tourist destination. The preference of local hiring’s in the private sector through Emiratization policy has also reduced the local resentment towards tourism development. Threats The cultural heritage, resort development and increased infrastructural development in the immediate competitors such as Oman will dilute the flow of tourists in Dubai (Kolb 2006, p.77). In addition, cities that includes Doha, Kuwait City and Istanbul which are cost effective and have rich cultural heritage offers attractive modern facilities (Gulick 1963, p180.). The region is also suffering from the constant threat of terrorism as well as rising political unrest from the Arab spring. Moreover, the region is suffering from continuous travel advisories from Foreign Commonwealth offices concerning high level terrorist threats. Dubai is also fa cing the threat of limited power production and water desalination which may has disastrous impact on desert environment (Rose 2007, p.118). The unfavorable working conditions for immigrant workers and lack of labor unions to speak on their behalf could lead to labor unrest causing delays in the completion of projects aimed at boosting tourism (Kolb 2006, p.77). The financial and political power of Dubai blackmails the state of market realities. The impact is the oversupply of tourism facilities beyond achievable target numbers. Moreover, problems may arise when financing for major projects are sought within already weak international market. The reputation of Dubai as an expensive destination prevents repeat tourism and encourages short-stay or stop-over tourism (Rose 2007, p.118). This is vulnerable to the challenges of long-haul travels due to technological advances. Macro-environment Political UAE is politically stable and has low crimes records. Besides, UAE have succeeded in a ttracting foreign investments through its policy of low custom duties, non-existing income and corporate tax as well as its strategic location. Dubai is well known for its visionary political leadership (Creighton 2007, p341.). The ambitions of its leaders has enable them negotiate the trade issues such as free trade zones as well as sound management of tourism developments. Critically speaking emirates are principally owned by the royal family either directly, through Dubai holdings or ports authority. Economical UAE has centralized monetary policy and is under the control of the country central bank. However, the country currency is pegged on the US dollar. The fixed exchange rate has helped reduce the volatilities in export revenues. The country has managed to keep its inflation rate at low levels despite the economic and financial problems being experienced in major economies (Greene O’Loughlin 1999, p.71). Dubai exhausted its financial resources in 2009 leading to the t ermination of its major projects. Initially, Dubai depended majorly on oil. However the country current main revenue earner is the real estate, tourism and the service sector. Dubai 2015 strategic plan has identified these sectors as the key drivers of its economic growth. aggressive marketing campaigns as well as promotions of niche-tourism such as medical and spa, close corporation among DTCM, private sector, destination management company (DCM) have resulted into increased tourist numbers. The increasing oil prices within the states of Middle East have a positive effect on the real income of the people in these states (Pearce 2005, p.76). This has boosted the visitor’s arrivals from the neighboring states. Additionally Middle Eastern travelers have avoided Europe and the US due to negative economic conditions. Social Ninety percent of Dubai residents are expatriates. A legal condition that allows the ownership of property as well as the free residency visa has contributed to the increased population (Henderson 2003, p.449). Most of the Dubai nationals are illiterate which has led to high employment rates. With the introduction of Emiratization, job opportunities have increased considerably for the locals. This policy has also enhanced job training that has enabled them stay in the labor market. The policy has also enhanced the development of human capital and nationalism. The presence of multinational workforce has led to the development of cosmopolitan together with its lifestyle where people have freedom of conscience and follow any religion (Kelly1998, p.906). However, these foreign nationals have maintained their respect for the Arabian traditions as well as Islamic values. Technological The UAE governments have spent huge investments in innovative and high-technological projects. This could be seen in the development of the virtual banking system, high speed internet facilities and excellent telecom systems (Johns Mattsson 2005, p.609). The wor ld trade center in Dubai is fitted with high technological facilities to enable the international meeting standards. The NOL cards provided by the road and transport authority have increased the efficiency in passenger payment as well as payment for the parking vehicles. The Dubai internet city which is the biggest it infrastructure in the Middle East has supported business developments and has attracted the global major ICT companies (Kelly1998, p.906). Environmental Generally, UAE is the largest carbon trail per capita. The air consumption in Dubai during the extreme hot summer is almost seventy percent of the total power usage in UAE. Desalination due to excessive water usage also has huge impact on the marine life and the surrounding desert (Laws 1995, p.133). In the meantime, the Dubai government is encouraging coral reef growth through various measures to revitalize the growth of the marine life. The tourism focus has been diverted to echo-tourism instead of shopping and beach holidays. However, there is fear that this could lead to the destruction of marine flora and fauna. The government has put in place several measures to ensure that the environment has been taken care of. Moreover through various agencies, the government of Dubai has implemented various strategies that would improve the air quality (Sharpley 2002, p.223). Legal The open skies policy has opened the Dubai air for competition between various airlines (Hudson 2007, p.243). In addition, the country openness to foreign investments, diversification, availability of visas and secular policies regarding the alcoholic drinks has enhanced tourism development. The Shariah law which is being applied in the country is seen as the crime deterrent. The result is low crime rates (Goodwin 2003, p.231). Differences in cultural affiliations may lead to serious legal problems such as during the holy month of Ramadan when public eating is prohibited Destination marketing communication tools In order to b e the major tourist destination, Dubai utilizes the vertical integrated marketing strategy between the government authorities and the sector players such as the airports and the airlines (Hallett Kaplan-Weinger 2010, p.43). According to Holloway (2004, p.23), the right balance between the product and the market is essential for the precise delivery to the correct consumer at the exact time. The general market information must be seen to be true to the values of the brand as well as maximizing the strong message within every marketing tool (Poirier 1997, p.678). Various factors like costs, characteristics will influence the choice of the marketing communication tools. The marketing tools such as personal selling; advertising sales promotion, public relations and direct marketing have been used (Fyall Garrod 2005, p.36). Mixed communication strategy for hospitality and tourism industry has enabled the information flow through various media means. The integrating marketing strategy h as enabled the consistency in message with off and online marketing Advertising The main aim advertising is to stimulate the desired brand image in the consumer minds. This may lead to the action of the consumers (Buhalis 2000, p.105). Various selections of the various media channels for advertising such as the television, radio, newspapers, magazines and internet or deciding on their compatibility is crucial for their effectiveness in targeting the customers (De Moragas et al. n.d, p.3). Dubai will reach out by all means to advertise itself as the best tourist destination. Dubai has used online advertising, television and newspapers to advertise itself. DTCM has created online advertising through the creation of online banners. The popularity of the internet has played significant role in creating pricing, transparency as well as disintermediation (Drummond Ensor 2005, p.415). Personal selling Personal selling is the most effective tool in creating a meaningful dialogue with the c ustomer (Douglas Derret 2001, p.232). DTCM has successfully participated in various international events to increase their brand awareness. The international exhibition and shows, workshops as well as other travel trade projects has enhanced the brand awareness. In order to improve the trade travel relationships, DTCM provides partnership events, themed Fam-trips as well as training for selected travel agents. Sales promotion The aim of the sales promotion is to increase the sales demand, in most cases, within a specific period through incentives such as prices or through the added value (Crouch et al. 2005, p.35). All these activities are carried out concurrently with the brand building awareness. The DTCM has successfully been offering their summer promotions with the objective of presenting Dubai as a more affordable destination and as well as encouraging repeat business. Public relations Public relation offers a more a holistic approach than what advertising and personal sellin g offers. Public relations comprises of the proactive relationships building as well as fast reactive handling of negative events (Davidson Rogers 2006, p.123). The result is the believability as it offers real news as compared to sales directed communication. On monthly basis, DTCM produces a fact sheet for trade travels with variety of selected topics such as golf, spas or sometimes a calendar of events that offers the opportunity for customer inclusion. In order to communicate up-to-date product developments DTCM produces relevant and targeted press releases on topics such as hotel developments as well as family holidays. Moreover, the race to Dubai has been a greater marketing tool since it was launched in 2009 (Copley 2004, p.135) Events and exhibitions Building exhibitions and events into the portfolio is becoming increasingly important for any destination. Normally, events are used to enhance, alter, and strengthen certain specific aspects of the brand image (Cooper Fletche r 2008, p.45). Dubai Events and Promotion Establishment (DEPE) have been tasked with promoting Dubai throughout the year as destination of events as well as reasons to visit. The establishment support and promote events such as the Dubai shopping festival, Dubai summer surprises, Eid in Dubai and Ramadan in Dubai. The establishment developed the calendar of events to provide an overview of the vibrant activities. For the mean time, dubai conventional bureau has the mission of strengthening the economy by positioning dubai as the commercial hub, boosting its industry partnerships with bidding and planning assistances and sustainable tourism (Cooper Fletcher 2008, p.45). Event sponsoring has been aggressively supported by the government especially emirates is embracing it into its marketing strategy with sponsorship for many sports events. Direct marketing Various forms of marketing do exist. However, the expansion of IT has increased the level of direct marketing through the use of internet with tractable benefit. The main reason for direct marketing is to establish non-public and immediate customized as well as interactive relationship with the clients (Buhalis 2000, p.110). DTCM is using display ads and floating units to find more detailed information on their web page. Online channels have opened new opportunities for innovative marketing; however, bronchus and printed materials are still widely used (Chon 1990, p.6). DTCM is proud of its high aspirations and diverse products. The body is committed to engineer even more partnerships through joint marketing. This will open avenues for cross selling as well as enhancing the customer perception. Recommendation and future strategies Assessing micro and macro environment and identifying the marketing communication tools, Dubai has various issues that inhibits its future competitiveness. The attributes such as higher, taller, newest and most expensive market, Dubai is being seen as high-end tourist destination (B aloglu mccleary 1999, p.869). To be able to attract new tourists, Dubai needs to level its tourism investments with the demand and consider handing public entities to the private sector for profitable management. Instant customer feedback on experiences and perception could help in upgrading the branding strategy (Baker Cameron 2008, p.79). Moreover, constant web customer interaction should be encouraged. Instead of building new hotels, the existing ones could be repurposed to be affordable throughout the year. In addition, packages such as free ride to Dubai could be used to attract more tourists. Involving the private sector in all the promotional campaigns would be beneficial to all the stakeholders. Conclusion The evaluation of Dubai illustrates the significant growth of its tourism industry due to aggressive marketing campaigns. The success has been attributed to the availability of financial resources, variety of marketing and communication tools as well as ambitious leaders hip. However, the image of expensive shopping and beach destinations and limited cultural heritage has become a major challenge. Moreover, neighboring countries that enjoys rich cultural heritage are beginning to tap on the tourism market with stronger financial investments and sustainable measurements. DTCM has been and still hold the marketing portfolio; therefore, as a body charged with this great responsibility, it should rise to the occasion, face reality and accordingly adjust their strategies. References Baker, MJ Cameron, E 2008, â€Å"Critical success factors in destination marketing†, Tourism and Hospitality Research Journal, vol.8 no.2, pp. 79–95. Baloglu, S mccleary, KW 1999, â€Å"A model of destination image formation†, Annals of Tourism Research, vol.26, pp.868 – 897. Buhalis, D 2000, â€Å"Marketing the competitive destination of the future†, Tourism Management, vol.21, pp. 97–116. Chon, KS 1990, â€Å"The role of destinat ion image in tourism†, Tourist Review, vol.45, pp.2–9. Cooper, C Fletcher, J 2008, Tourism: Principles and practice, Pearson Education, Harlow. Copley, P 2004, Marketing communications management, Elsevier, London. Creighton, O 2007, â€Å"Contested townscapes: The walled city as world heritage†, World Architecture-Routledge, vol.39 no.3, pp.339-354. Crouch, D, Jackson, R Thompson, F 2005, The media and the tourist imagination: Convergent cultures, Routledge, London and New York. Davidson, R Rogers, T 2006, Marketing destinations and venues for conferences, conventions and business events, Elsevier, London. De Moragas, M, Rivenburgh, N Garcia, M n.d, Television and the construction of identity: Barcelona Olympic host, John Libbey, London. Douglas, N Derret, D 2001, Special interest tourism: context and cases, John Wiley, Brisbane. Drummond, G Ensor, J 2005, An introduction to marketing concepts, Elsevier, Oxford. Fyall, A Garrod, B 2005, Tourism marketing: a collaborative approach, Channel View Publications, Clevedon. Goodwin, J 2003, Price of honor: Muslim women lift the veil of silence on the Islamic world, Plume: New York. Greene, G O’Loughlin S 1999, â€Å"Hotels in the Middle East: trends and opportunities†, Travel and Tourism Analyst, vol.4, pp.65–88. Gulick, J 1963, â€Å"Images of an Arab City†, Journal of the American Planning Association, vol.29 no.3, pp.179-198. Hallett, RW Kaplan-Weinger, J 2010, Official tourism websites: A discourse analysis perspective, Channel View Publications, Bristol. Henderson, JC 2003 â€Å"Managing tourism and Islam in Peninsular Malaysia†, Tourism Management, vol.24 no.4, pp.447–456. Holloway, CJ 2004, Marketing for tourism, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow. Hudson, S 2007, Tourism and hospitality marketing: A global perspective, Sage, London. Johns, N Mattsson J 2005, â€Å"Destination development through entrepreneurship: a comparison of two case s†, Tourism Management, vol. 26, pp.605–616. Kelly, M 1998, â€Å"Jordan’s potential tourism development†, Annals of Tourism Research, vol.25 no.4, pp.904–918. Kolb, BM 2006, Tourism marketing for cities and towns: Using branding and events to attract tourists, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Kotler, P, Bowen, JT Mackens, JC 2005, Marketing for hospitality and tourism, Pearson Education Limited, Harlow. Kotler, P, Haider, DH Rein, I 2002, Marketing places: Attracting investment, industry, and tourism to cities, states and nations, Simon Schuster, UK. Kozak, M Andreu, L 2006, Progress in tourism marketing, Elsevier, Oxford. Laws, E 1991, Tourism marketing: Service and quality management perspectives, Stanley Thornes, Cheltenham. Laws, E 1995, Tourism destination management: issues, analysis and policies, Routledge: London. Long, P Robinson, M 2004, Festivals and tourism: marketing, management and evaluation, Business Education Publishers Limited, Sunderland. McCabe, S 2009, Marketing communications in tourism and hospitality: Concepts, strategies and cases, Butterworth-Heinemann, London. Middleton, C, Fyall, A, Morgan, M Ranchod, A 2009, Marketing in travel and tourism, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Morgan, N Pritchard, A 2001, Advertising in tourism and leisure, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Morgan, N, Pritchard, A Pride, R 2004, Destination branding: Creating the unique destination proposition, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Morrison, AM 2002, Hospitality and travel marketing, Cengage Learning, New York. Pearce, PL 2005, Tourist behavior: Themes and conceptual schemes, Channel View Publications, London. Pike, S 2008, Destination marketing: An integrated marketing communication approach, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford. Poirier, R 1997, â€Å"Political risk analysis and tourism†, Annals of Tourism Research, vol.21 no.3, pp.675–686. Ritchie, JR Crouch, GI 2003, The competitive destination: A sustainable to urism perspective, Cabi Publishing, Oxon, UK. Rose, G 2007, Visual methodologies: An introduction to the interpretation of visual materials, Sage, London. Sharpley, R 2002, â€Å"The challenges of economic diversification through tourism: the case of Abu Dhabi†, International Journal of Tourism Research, vol.4, pp.221–235. Appendices Appendix 1: Dubai as the destination Appendix 2: Geographical milieu of Dubai Appendix 3: The Palm Island in Dubai Appendix 4: Dubai’s Night skyline Appendix 5: Dubai’s 20 towers Appendix 6: Dubai’s wild Wadi This essay on Tourism Marketing Portfolio- Dubai was written and submitted by user Tomas Carlson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. Tourism Marketing Portfolio Executive Summary This paper explores Barcelona as a host destination in tourism. The portfolio is divided into six parts. The introduction section gives a general overview of Barcelona as a host destination. It briefly introduces the subject as well as marketing communication tools. The introduction further introduces a methodology used in the portfolio by briefly describing the micro and macro environment as well as future marketing strategy. The introduction concludes by describing the type research used in the portfolio.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Marketing Portfolio-Barcelona specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the second section of the paper of the paper is a background of history of tourism in Barcelona as well as Barcelona Tourist Board. The third section describes the destination environment- micro and macro environment with SWOT and PESTEL analysis respectively. The fourth section gives a d escription of the marketing communication tools, different types of channel used by Barcelona Tourism Board as well as their strengths and weaknesses. The fifth section gives the future marketing strategy and remedies to these weaknesses while the sixth section concludes the portfolio. Introduction Tourism in Barcelona dates back in 1992. Earlier, the city was hardly known in spite of its rich culture, location and architecture. The Barcelona Olympic Games spearheaded this transformation. Hence a Barcelona has been held up globally as a major example of how a host destination can make use of Olympic Games to make a change in its tourism industry. There is need to be unique and distinguish oneself from other host destinations. With the increase in tourist destinations there is an extreme need to develop the appropriate marketing communication tools and the best branding approaches. A winning branding creates distinctiveness which heightens the distinguished desirability of a destinat ion (Hallett Kaplan-Weinger, 2010). This portfolio describes destination image and branding in Barcelona. It gives a clear description of the microenvironment and macro environment that define the success of a destination. There is a clear SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis. An assessment of marketing communication tools used to develop the branding of destinations has been provided. A future marketing strategy has been proposed followed by a conclusion. The portfolio has gathered information from secondary sources. The data used has been collected from already existing materials. These include; journal content, magazines, statistical data, newspapers, periodicals, books and internet.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Barcelona Tourism Destination Background Tourism in Barcelona Barcelona has distinguished itself as a major tourism destination in Europe. Being the leading Sp anish city in respect of sales to tourist overseas, 22% of Spain’s credit card transactions are carried out in Barcelona. An important feature that Barcelona showcases is Europe’s largest shopping centre-Barcelona Shopping Line which is a 5 Km fare stretching from the harbor to Diagonal district. Holiday makers account for 50% of Barcelona’s visitors. Overnight stays have had a considerable growth rising from 14.0 million in 2010 to 15.5 million in 2011. Barcelona recorded an approximately 7.4 million tourists in 2011. Tourism accounts for 10% of Barcelona’s GDP (Barcelona Turisme, n.d) (http://publicprivatedialogue.org/workshop%202011/Ramon%20Masia%20Barcelona%20Turisme.pdf) Barcelona Tourist Board Commonly referred to as Turisme De Barcelona, Barcelona Tourist Board was formed in 1993 after the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. This ideally followed a consortium between Barcelona City Council, Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Barcelona Promotion Foundat ion. Its major aim was to promote tourism in Barcelona. The Board’s core roles and functions include; coordinating tourism industry and marketing the board, carries out promotional communication and marketing campaigns targeting different world market segments, providing an arena for the tourism industry to showcase its products and services globally. Barcelona Tourism Board has a mandate to carry out market research in regards to tourism. Turisme De Barcelona has created several department s one of them being a tour operator department that has ensured Barcelona appears in many brochures tour operator (See Appendix 1). Its press department has ensured journalists continue to flow in the city. This has led to an increased publication of Barcelona’s tourism in magazines (PEMB 2010, p.12). Destination Environment Micro Environment for Barcelona Microenvironment refers to the factors in an Organization’s immediate operation area affecting its freedom in decision ma king and performance. It refers to all those controllable elements a marketing firm has (Laws, 1991, p.67). Competition Identifying competitors is of high importance as well as the level in which the destination is competing (Blythe 2005). Being a competitive tourist destination, Barcelona is compared with such tourist destinations as Madrid, Rome, London and Paris. All these are state capitals with long established tourist destinations (See Appendix 2). There are several segmentations of different kinds of tourism where Barcelona can compete in (Morgan Pritchard, 2001). These include city breaks, cultural, fairs and business (See Appendix 3)Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Tourism Marketing Portfolio-Barcelona specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Customers According to Ritchie and Crouch (2003) customers are the driving thrust of competition. Consumption in the perspective of tourism is divided into two levels. Th ese are literal and symbolic. Literal consumption includes accommodations, purchase of entrance tickets to attraction sites, souvenirs and purchase of travel tickets. Conversely symbolic consumption refers to the sense attached to. Symbolic consumption level includes scenes enjoyed, holiday type, and accommodation type. Barcelona experienced a total of 7,133,524 of tourist visits in 2010 (See Appendix 4). Usually 27.7 % of these tourists are Spanish while the rest are from United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany and U.S.A. (See Appendix 5). There are more male visitors than females. (See Appendix 6). Suppliers and Intermediaries Suppliers complete the tourism chain by providing necessary factors such as toiletries, facilities, human capital and equipment that are used in the manufacture of the consumer’s end product. Intermediaries contrariwise, complete the chain by bridging the gap between tourists and the service providers. A tour consultant is an example of intermediary (M cCabe 2009, p.71). Publics Blythe (2005) defines publics as groups that affect and have influence on a company. In Barcelona, publics include; Turisme De Barcelona, The Barcelona Shopping Line and Barceloneta Cuina SWOT Analysis Strengths With its strategic location at the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona receives an advantage over other destinations. The sea connects Barcelona to other cities in Spain as well as other nations in Europe and all over the globe. With its sportive ports, Barcelona receives more attention than its competing tourists’ destinations (Drummond Ensor, 2005). Its major port- Port of Barcelona is situated at the heart of the city. Barcelona has unique features such as† The nine World Heritage sites†. Weaknesses The major weakness of Barcelona as a tourist destination is the long shifting times from one airport to another. This is due to long distances between the ports. Increased cost in short-pull air travel makes it difficult for those travel ling for a short time. Barcelona’s water resources are irregularly distributed making transport by sea difficult (Pearce, 2005, p.22). The rate of unemployment in Barcelona is 17.8%. This brings risks associated with unemployment such as crime. Opportunities Improved transportation in Barcelona brought about by availability of cabs, buses, and tram. This has led to flexibility as tourists don’t have to stay in the heart of the city. The entry of new swift trains plying between Paris and Barcelona will also improve the transport links.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Gastronomy has had a high impact on tourism in Barcelona (Chon, 1990). Most chefs such as Ferran Adria have been brought up in the city. The strategic plan of tourism of Barcelona will provide a kick off point to enable the reflection process of the tourism model of the city. The triumph of FC Barcelona in football leagues is likely to place Barcelona’s tourism on a higher arena (Baker Cameron 2008, p.80). Threats Due to the high influx of journalists in Barcelona every single detail of news is gathered. This includes bad coverage such as that of crime in the city. Economic crisis in Spain has affected Barcelona’s tourism industry causing dormancy in its economy (Pike, 2008). This has seen Barcelona suffer relocation problems. Water shortage is a common phenomenon during summer; this may send away tourists. Macro Environment for BARCELONA This term is used to denote the elements we are in control of but affect the operation of an organization. Macroenvironment is usua lly evaluated by the acronym PESTEL (Kotler, Haider Rein, 2002). Political Firms involved in global operations are faced by developments in politics. Tourism in Barcelona is one of the industries affected by these developments due to the high influx of consumers (tourists). Hence tourism companies operating in the region have to keep an eye on the situation of politics throughout (Catalonia Tours, n.d, par.7) http://www.cataloniatours.com/Portals/0/Turisme. The political factors that impact on the stability of an industry are state and regulations that define a firm’s formal and informal operating rules. Some of these political factors include; A tax policy: In Barcelona, a large number of shops have signed up for a Tax Free Shopping Policy. This attracts more tourists to the city since they can claim back the BAT tax on the items they’ve already bought. Political stability: This has a great impact on the tourism industry of Barcelona. Wars, conflicts and upheavals ma y lead to lower number of visitors coming to the city due to security reasons. Economic factors These affect customers’ purchasing power as well as an organization’s capital cost (Rose, 2007). Economic factors include: Economic growth: Basically, higher economic growth corresponds to higher purchasing power of consumers. Barcelona records a high economic growth rate due to the high rate of tourism growth. The rate of immigration has risen from 1.9% to 7.6% of its total population. 39.7% of all the homes have internet connection. (http://geographyfieldwork.com/BarcelonaXRay.htm) Interest rates: Spain is heavily dependent upon borrowing (Hudson, 2007). As a result it is paying high interest rates, a factor that impacts the economy negatively and scares away investors. Social factors These are factors that impact on the needs of a customer and the range of prospective markets. They include the cultural and the population aspects of the macro environment. Social factors in clude; rate of population growth, distribution of age and attitudes on career. Technological factors Technological factors tend to affect outsourcing decisions, reduce barriers to entry and the least competent production levels (Copley, 2004). These factors include automation, technological incentives and rate of change in technology. Barcelona’s technology has advanced. Hostels have been fitted with websites and systems to enable online reservations. A great technology is that of an mp3 player with multiple languages. The Mp3 player works by keying in any code on an exhibit for an explanation of the item in any language as selected (http://www.mattmckeon.com/fh/?p=36). Environmental factors These are natural factors that affect the tourism in a region. They include the type of weather, season of the year and climate of an area. For example during summer there is a high flow of tourists in Barcelona as compared to winter season. October is usually sunny with some few overcast days and average temperatures at 240C making it the best month to travel as it is also an off peak season (Douglas Derret, 2001). Legal factors These are rules and regulations that affect a firm’s behavior in its location (Kozak Andreu, 2006). They include such laws as consumer laws which protect the consumer from misleading product descriptions, competition laws that protect small tour companies from being intimidated by bigger firms and employment laws that protect workers from abusive employers. The law affects the number of employees and type of contract in the hiring process (Baloglu mccleary, 1999). Firms operating in the tourism industry have to consider this element to understand when and how to hire. Some of the employment norms in Barcelona include forty working hours a week, 21 business days off from work for every complete year worked. However, there are no sick off days, instead a sick employee is supposed to see a doctor who signs a verifying they canâ€℠¢t work (De Moragas et al., n.d, p.45). Marketing communication tools This refers to all the marketing promotional elements that entail interaction between an establishment and the audience it targets on all matters that impact marketing performance (Kotler, Bowen Mackens, 2005). Marketing communication channels include; advertising, Television, Video, internet, magazines and newspapers. Brand and image logo Branding has three steps, these include; identifying the brand identity, its Mission, Values and culture and the desired brand image. The second step involves positioning the brand while the third step involves imaging the brand (Morrison, 2002). Advertising Advertisements stimulate aspired images of brands in consumers’ minds leading to an action. Hence various factors should be considered before selecting the media. Barcelona Tourism Board ensures this is possible by adhering to the six stage process (Middleton et al., 2009). These stages are: Creation of awareness: En sures the clientele knows the product existence in the market Comprehension: The board ensures the clientele understands the benefits of the tourism package Acceptance: The board ensures that tourists find what they expected in their destination Preference: The board ensures tourists desire their products Purchase: The board ensures tourists obtain the package it offers Reinforcement: The board ensures clients are contented with what they purchased Most advertisements are made in color making them more appealing to a wider clientele including children. However, high advertisement costs associated with advertising make it a less preferred marketing communication tool (Cooper Fletcher, 2008). Advertising channels used by the Board include: Television TV plays a great role in advertising as it airs the adverts in audio-visual. It reaches a wider target group as compared to other channels such as newspaper. The audio-visual element makes it more effective as it is easy to comprehend. T he adverts keep on repeating making it more imprinted on a customer’s mind (Crouch, Jackson Thompson, 2005). Radio Unlike TV, radio has only the audio effect. However, it is a less costly channel of advertisement. Secondly, it reaches a wider clientele than TV as almost every home has a radio. Outdoor This involves erection of billboards, posters and banners in the streets and strategic locations (Kolb, 2006). It serves a wider clientele as the number of people who walk, drive or ride past the channel is unlimited. Magazines These advertisements are made in print form and serve the least number of clientele. This is because only the people who read a certain magazine will have the chance to see the advert. It is also limited to those who can read and write (Morgan, Pritchard, Pride, 2004). Public Relations Public Relations refer to the arranged and continued endeavor to start and maintain benevolence and common understanding between a firm and the public. It simply involves remaining in the public eye and minds throughout (Long Robinson, 2004). The Tourism Board does this by creating press releases with media houses in regard to tourist destination in Barcelona. Strength It reaches a global clientele is was anticipated Weakness It is commonly confused for advertising or marketing Personal Selling This involves a one-on one interaction between a seller and a buyer. It occurs mostly where a tourist visits a site and pays entrance fee or buys a cultural artifact. Turisme De Barcelona links the customers with its members by holding workshops and seminars. Strength It involves eye contact hence the two (buyer and seller) will be at a mutual understanding Weakness There may be wastage of time due to haggling Events and exhibitions An event is a significant incidence. An exhibition alternatively, is a display of drawings, art work, bead work, photos and other artifacts during an event. Turisme De Barcelona arranges events for its members to showcase their p roducts. Strengths A customer will have a look and even a touch of the real product. Weaknesses Members of the Tourism Board are charged an entrance fee to participate in an event. The fee may sometimes be too high for small firms. Sales Promotion Sales promotion refers to any scheme adopted by a seller to increase product usage, trials or sales. This includes merchandising and issuance of free gifts. In Barcelona, Tourism De Barcelona is using a strategy known as segmented promotion. The campaign centers on activity subdivisions subject to numerous tourism typologies. Segmented campaign similarly works on such arrangements as errands, extravagance travel summits and symposia sightseeing as well as Epicureanism. Segmented promotion focuses on the precedence given to each international tourism market (Kabul Youthostel, n.d, par.5). Thus the countries are more likely to send additional tourists to the city. Strategic promotion has also adopted an initiative that focuses on its end use rs- this is done by using interest groups formed by these consumers. A major strength of this strategy is its diversity. This is because it segments promotional events according to the various market niches as well as by nation. The use of interest groups is likely to work to the advantage of the Board as it will be easier to bring together different groups of consumers. However, the method has swallowed up all the board’s attention and it seems to forget other tools such as advertising (Davidson Rogers, 2006). Direct Marketing In this channel the seller of product deals with the consumer directly. This includes the promotion of the product. The producer develops the product, advertises, request for orders and issues out directly to the customers. The tourism Board helps its members locate these customers. Strength It is a quick marketing communication tool as no intermediaries are involved. Besides, it creates harmony between the buyer and the seller. Weakness The seller se ts the price independently; this may be a disadvantage to the buyer as some sellers have a tendency to over-price (Fyall Garrod, 2005) Corporate sponsorship This refers to an advertising form in which corporations or organizations pay to be incorporated in certain events, such as sporting activities, park clean ups and charity events. This improves a company’s visibility in the public eye. Corporate sponsorship enables an organization to; showcase the items it offers, create better links with its clientele, distinguish the organization from its competitors and improve company representation. The strategy also helps an organization achieve better community relations. Turisme de Barcelona therefore works to achieve equilibrium between the general life and holiday actions in the city (BBC, 2011). It also provides valuable information to tourists regarding the landmarks in Barcelona. A major strength of this strategy is that Turisme de Barcelona improves the global image of Barc elona’s tourism. However, the strategy suffers a weakness in that Turisme De Barcelona lacks autonomy. This is due to its affiliations to the Barcelona Municipal Council which controls its social responsibility (Holloway, 2004). Recommendations Marketing communication tools are important elements of tourism. However, they may be ineffective if not properly chosen. Thorough planning ought to be considered before selecting a communication marketing tool. The Barcelona Tourism Board ought to take into consideration several factors, including availability, cost, and the target clientele before embarking on the use of a marketing communication tool. The board should carry out its Corporate Social Responsibility independently without interference from the Municipal Council (CNN Travel, 2011). The Board should also balance on the use of the communication marketing tools, by ensuring it makes use of all the available tools such as advertisements, T.V, corporate sponsorship, direct ma rketing and public relations. This will improve its image as well as ensure all its customers are aware of all the products being offered by its members. The customers will also be aware of changes and improvements in the products. The Board should arrange free events and exhibitions for its members so as even the small companies can afford to showcase their products. The board should assist its members and the public to differentiate Public Relations from other communication marketing tools such as advertising and marketing this will enhance the effectiveness of public relations of public relations as a marketing communication tool. This will enhance the effectiveness of public relations as communication marketing tool. The Board should invest highly in advertisements in order to showcase its members’ products. The Board should also filter what goes into the media. The Board should have watchdogs in all the media houses interested in airing their stories and adverts. Journal ists and media houses which give lies and portray a bad image of Barcelona as a tourist destination should be denied visas to the country. A journalist whether local or expatriate found covering a bad image of Barcelona as a host destination should be accused of a criminal offence in a court of law. The Board should work hand in hand with the government in regards to minimum charges of such an offense. The Board should price regulatory measures to ensure all the tourists visiting the city are not overcharged in any of the products they are interested in. This will further improve its image. Finally the Board should make its magazines more attractive by giving it more color and including a wider variety of products being offered in its market. This will increase the number of people it serves. Conclusion Barcelona is a privileged assortment of culture, structural design, harmony and climate. With the 1992 Olympic Games Barcelona was placed on the arena for viewing by the whole world (Beatthebrochure.com, n.d.). The event enabled Barcelona to showcase it s personality made up of multiple dimensions as well as bring about modernization. The Olympic Games catalyzed Barcelona’s leadership in tourism. 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Appendices Appendix 1 Appendix 2 Adapted from the Barcelona Turisme Convention Bureau Appendix 3 Source http://publicprivatedialogue.org/workshop%202011/Ramon%20Masia%20Barcelona%20Turisme.pdf Appendix 4 Tourists in Barcelona Tourists 1990 1,732,902 1991 1,751,000 1992 1,978,755 1993 2,455,249 1994 2,663,887 1995 3,089,974 1996 3,061,994 1997 2,823,390 1998 2,969,490 1999 3,123,476 2000 3,141,162 2001 3,378,636 2002 3,580,986 2003 3,848,187 2004 4,549,587 2005 5,656,848 2006 6,709,173 2007 7,108,393 2008 6,659,075 2009 6,476,033 2010 7,133,524 Source: Barcelona Turisme, 2012 [Online] Available at: http://professiona2.barcelonaturisme.com/files/8848-10-pdf_CAT/S%C3%ADntesi%2010.pdf Appendix 5 Tourists by origin (%) Spain Europe Others 2008 29.20 51.00 19.80 2009 31.10 48.70 20.20 2010 27.70 49.50 22.80 Source: Barcelona Turisme, 2012 [Online] Available at: http://professiona2.barcelonaturisme.com/files/8848-10-pdf_CAT/S%C3%ADntesi%2010.pdf Appendix 6 Tourists by Sex (%) Male Female 1990 80.0 20.0 1995 63.8 36.2 2000 59.5 40.5 2005 55.3 44.7 2010 60.4 39.6 Source: Barcelona Turisme, 2012 [Online] Available at: http://professiona2.barcelonaturisme.c om/files/8848-10-pdf_CAT/S%C3%ADntesi%2010.pdf Links Events and exhibitions link: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/imgfiles/adg/dossierang.pdf Magazine links: http://www.idealspain.com/Pages/Places/SantaPola.htm Outdoor link: http://madrid.angloinfo.com/af/18/madrid-travel-and-tourism.html Press release link: http://newpressrelease.com/travel/40969-barcelona-city-tours-launches-travel-blog-for-tourists Public Relations link: http://sustainable-spain.com/2012/06/15/rv-edipress-public-relations-agency-specialized-in-tourism-and-lousy-jobs-in-spain/ Radio voice over link: http://www.locutortv.es/index_voiceoversspanish.htm TV Link/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxLZWfelrfA This essay on Tourism Marketing Portfolio-Barcelona was written and submitted by user D0ct0rSpectrum to help you with your own studies. 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