International Tourism

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International Tourism

Introduction

Over the years, different countries have recorded a significant increase in the number of tourists. In many cases countries, especially those in the same region, find that they have the same products and services to offer the tourists. This has increased the competition among all the countries. Although the tourism industry has grown over the years, only ten countries hold the majority share of the tourism market. It is estimated that 70% of international tourists visit ten countries (Lee et al., 2011). This means that the remaining countries have to fight for the other 30% of the visitors. Competition is therefore stiff and countries aim to diversify their markets and attract more people. In order to maintain a large market share, various destinations are now using some marketing techniques, which are often used in the marketing of commercial products. They are viewing and treating destinations as commercial brands. This means that they have to look for ways through which they can position their brands in the international markets so that they can get more tourists. Although many countries have diverse products and services on offer, they often have a distinguishing factor, which makes them stand out from the rest. Some tourists associate the country with the specific brand. Some countries have chosen to specialize on a specific brand, and ascribe to a specific personality. They ascribe human personalities such as spirited and creative to the destinations. The destinations with such descriptions strive and work hard to maintain their personalities. Brand positioning and brand personality are important elements and techniques that are used in tourism planning and development, because they give a country a competitive edge when they are applied well.

Brand Positioning

Brand positioning and destination branding are interrelated. Destination branding is one of the strategic elements of brand positioning. Positioning involves finding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and the threats facing the destination. A positioning statement should be honest and emotive. A provider should be honest about the destination, and present the real image to the tourists (Carter, 2009). It contains the attributes of the destination, emotive expression, and the brand personality. The tourism suppliers or provides have to find out what makes their destination attractive to the tourists. They should then enhance and improve these strengths. Identifying the weaknesses involves finding out what contributes to the dissatisfaction of the tourists. The providers need to find out what makes the tourists not to choose them as a destination of choice. Having a clear idea of the weaknesses is essential, as it will enable the tourists to know how they can get rid of the weaknesses. Providers need to take advantage of the opportunities since they could be a potential for growth. There are numerous threats in the tourism industry because of the uncertain nature of the industry. They range from natural threats such as the weather and climatic conditions, to the political instabilities of countries. Threats decrease the tourism potential of a destination and should be avoided where possible or dealt with once they appear.

Providers can use the Porter’s positioning strategies, which include the variety-based positioning, needs-based positioning, or access-based positioning. Variety-based positioning includes focusing on promoting the services and products, which helps in differentiating a destination from the competitors. Needs-based positioning includes satisfying the needs of the different market segments. Access-based positioning enables the target from the same market to access their needs (Kozak & Baloglu, 2010). Threats, opportunities, weaknesses and opportunities are essential elements that should be considered when positioning a brand. Tourism suppliers have to position the destination in a way that the consumers will first think about it when they are choosing their preferred destinations. Good brand positioning has the essential elements of image creation, presentation of the benefits, differentiation and delivery (Vanhove, 2010).

Image creation is an important element of brand positioning. The creation of an image involves the cooperation of both the tourism providers and the community. An effective image must be used often so that it can stick to people’s minds. It should be simple and believable, appealing, distinctive and valid (Last, 2008). The providers should not enforce an image on the community, which does not reflect who they are. Before settling on the image to use, the tourism providers should seek to find out the kind of image that the tourists have of their destination (Murphy & Beckendorff, 2007). They can enhance the existing image, if it is positive and reflects the true aspects of the destination. If the tourists do not have a positive image of the destination, the people charged with creating the image can change it. They then need to do a lot of marketing in terms of promotions and advertisements so that they can present the new image to the consumers. Just like the products and services offered by the tourism providers, the image created should be unique. This adds to the differentiation and ensures a competitive advantage. A strong image is an asset to the community and the tourism providers. It creates a lasting image and sticks to the minds of the consumers, in this case the tourist, and this achieves the goal of brand positioning.

Suppliers have to position their destinations in such a way that they are able to beat the competition. They should consider the market requirements, which include making sure that they have the right cost. Tourists should get value for their money. Sometimes, high costs can create low volumes and low costs can create high volumes. This is not a guarantee, and most of the times, it depends on the quality being offered. Suppliers must be conscious and responsive of the market trends and consumer preferences. The suppliers must identify ways through which their consumers will benefit the most. One of the key elements in brand positioning is differentiation. This is enhanced and emphasized by branding and advertising. Effective positioning enables suppliers to differentiate their products and set it on the minds of their target markets. Suppliers should ensure that they offer unique products, which cannot be substituted easily. The suppliers must identify their competitors, and learn about the products and services they offer. This will assist them in identifying how they can make their products unique from those of the competitors.

A brand’s position is built on its domain, heritage, values, assets, personality and reflection (Lee, et al., 2011). These elements help in enhancing the differential advantage and therefore create a competitive advantage. The target market is important when determining the brand’s position. Suppliers should ensure that they target the right market for their products. Suppliers can use independent or national surveys to determine their market segments. Surveys reveal the trends and interests of various markets. Awareness is important in ensuring that the tourism market has been positioned well. The culture and history of a brand can affect the way it is positioned in the market. When deciding on the positioning, it is imperative that the supplier should consider the core values and the characteristics of the brand. Positioning is relevant and useful when creating the brand personality. The suppliers have to decide on the most relevant and suitable image to use for their brand when they are implementing the position they want.

Consumers are devoted to the brand when they recognize its position. Suppliers looking for the best way to position their markets should be aware that their decision will affect many people. They should consult with the communities that will be affected by their decision. The process of positioning can be time consuming, costly and involving. Before repositioning, the stakeholders should first assess their current positions so that they can know what needs to change. They should then select their desired position. They should design the strategy to use so that they can achieve the desired position. This step is especially important because it involves the community. The process is time consuming and can take a long time before the position is achieved. It is costly because there are many people involved, and there is much work to be done. The final step is the implementation of the strategy (Last, 2008).

Brand positioning has several challenges, and these challenges should be dealt with before settling on the position. There are many uncertainties in the tourism market, and the suppliers should be aware and ready to deal with any issues that may arise. Many stakeholders are affected by the decision to position the brand in a specific place. They may not always agree and this can cause conflict. The affected community might feel that they are being pressurized to do something they had not anticipated. They may want to use their resources for other things and they might not be interested in the tourism industry. They may feel that the tourism suppliers are there to exploit their resources and reap from them. For the brand positioning to work, the community and the tourism providers should work together. The providers should involve the community in all the phases of the brand positioning. They should consul them and ask their opinion before making any decision.

Destination Personalities

Destination personalities refer to the views and perceptions that people have about a place that is reflected in the minds of the tourists. Some suppliers tend to rely too much on trademark such as a logo or symbol, that they forget that destination personality is more than that. Suppliers should strive to ensure that the consumer has a lasting image of the destination because of the experience that he or she will have. Various destinations advertise their brands using the positive and favorable components of the destination Tourism is different from other products in the sense that it is not tangible. Providers should aim to create a destination that has an emotional appeal to the tourists (Kozak & Baloglu, 2010). Tourists seek to maximize their experience when they travel to various destinations. Destination personality refers to the feelings that people have about a place, and the image they have when they think or hear about it. Destination personalities are more than the image of the destination (Hosany et al., 2007).

Tourists ascribe certain personalities such as spirited or stylish to different destinations. Destination personalities are important because they enhance the understanding of a destination, they help in differentiating a brand especially where the destinations are substituted easily, and they are a communicative tool (Kozan & Baloglu, 2010). Many countries, which earn a high income from tourism, are keen on identifying a specific personality that will best suit their country. They promote this brand, just as they would do for any other product (Pitt et al., 2007). The destination brand personality has to deliver what it promises. It should embody the core values of that destination. These values are the essential elements that are communicated to the consumers. Suppliers have to be careful concerning and honest about the brand’s values. Some people support the view that destination brand personality affects the consumers’ behavior. Although research has advanced this concept, the evidence obtained from different research suggests that visitors do not associate destinations with brand personality (Sirakaya-Turk, et al., 2011).

Creating a successful brand requires the proper selection of the right selection strategies. Promoters of the brand need to advertise and promote the brand constantly. They need to embed it on people’s minds. Jennifer Aaker developed the framework for the brand personalities and came up with the brand personality scale, which has five dimensions. The dimensions include sincerity, excitement, competence, sophistication, and ruggedness. Each of the dimensions has specific facets. A destination that is described as sincere can be described as down to earth, honest, wholesome or cheerful. A destination that is full of excitement has different attributes including daring, spirited, imaginative and up to date. A competent destination is reliable, intelligent, secure, and successful. Attributes of a sophisticated destination are glamorous, good looking, charming and upper class. A rugged destination is tough and outdoorsy. Other than the brand personality scale, the best-worst scale can also be used to measure brand personality. It uses dimensions such as trendy, sophisticated, likeable, lively, genuine and peaceful (Lee et al., 2011).

Destination branding has several challenges, some of which can be costly for the suppliers. Sometimes the concept fails when the involved parties fail to agree on the type of personality to ascribe to a particular brand. Brands that may seem favorable to the suppliers may backfire once they are presented to the intended audience. Thus, the suppliers should be careful before settling on a brand. Tourism suppliers cannot maintain their brand without the cooperation of the people. The inhabitants of the branded destination will be affected by the personality ascribed to it. . Inhabitants are sometimes angered or displeased by the suppliers’ idea to use a specific brand personality on their destination. This is especially the case when they have not been consulted. They feel that the brand they are associated with do not actually represent who they truly are as a people. In some cases, they might feel pressured to maintain the branded personality. Suppliers are faced with budget limitations (Last, 2008). They spend a lot of money and time, before they come up with the ideal personality. Destinations advertise their brand personalities in channels with a global presence such as international television channels, their tourism websites and other electronic sites. They then spend more resources trying to manage and maintain the brand personality.

Destination positioning and brand personalities are interrelated and similar in different ways. They require the providers and suppliers to understand the various perceptions that tourists have about their destinations. Image creation is the core factor of creating the required brand personality and it is a core value of positioning. Tourists form their image from different sources. This includes word of mouth from people who have visited the destination, the internet, news channels and other media. The issue has become more sensitive with the advancement of the internet. The internet has made it easier for anybody to learn more about a destination. People have more knowledge about a destination even before they visit. This has made it more challenging for providers to maintain a positive image of the destination. Any bad news such as war or natural disasters is quickly spread on the internet, and this affects the image of the destination. Television programs, movies, and other forms of electronic entertainment act as a source of information. They create awareness, and they enable potential tourists to know more about the image of the country and the culture of the people. The created image has to be in line with the true aspect of the destination. It has to present the destination in its real form.

Positioning and destination personality have to be communicated to the local and the international market. This will involve a lot of marketing through promotions and advertising. The community is a crucial factor in tourism development and management. The tourism providers should involve the community in making marketing strategies decisions. Cooperation is important in ensuring that brand succeeds in the market. Tourism providers can change their image after a review and feedback of its effectiveness. Tourism trends and consumer preferences change often. This requires the providers to change their image. They should re-evaluate their brand position. Some tourism destinations have changed over time, and this has changed their personalities.

The creation and development of brands is not only important for conventional products. It is clear that the tourism industry has benefited from applying positioning and redefining their brands. Many countries have realized the potential of tourism. In the past, some countries have benefited from the tourism industry without putting in much effort on marketing. The information age, which has advanced because of the internet, has increased people’s awareness. Tourists now realize that there are many markets offering the same products. They are now more willing to explore their options. This has changed the way tourism providers develop and use their marketing strategies. The concept of positioning in the tourism is not new to the tourism industry. Some countries have however not advanced the concept, and they have failed to reap the benefits it offers. Countries that are still developing their tourism destinations can benefit if they position the destinations effectively. Some tourists are looking for new destinations, which will provide something new. Positioning destinations in the right way will ensure that the tourism providers in these destinations attract potential tourists (Gertner, 2011).

Destination personality branding is a relatively new strategy that is being used in the tourism industry. Tourism suppliers and the inhabitants of various tourist destinations have different perspectives concerning destination personalities. People have tended to associate a destination with certain human personalities for a long time, but the concept of brand personalities in the tourism industry is relatively new. Suppliers and tourism managers have begun to enhance the concept of brand personalities to attract more people. The concept of brand marketing is important, and it should be taken seriously since it can heavily influence the tourism industry in the country. Some people are opposed to personality branding because the brands do not represent the destination as it really is. Destinations have to deliver what they brand Attributing a human personality to a destination takes a long time. Some cities have used branding for a long time. For instance, people have regarded Paris as the city of romance for a long time. Destination personalities develop after observing the characteristics of the people, the physical attributes of the destination, such as the architecture, and the culture of the people (Cerovic & Batic, 2008).

Conclusion

Destination positioning and personalities are important elements of brand marketing strategies in tourism. One of the most important elements used in both strategies is the concept of image creation. Image is important in tourism, and it can determine the views that the tourists have about a particular destination. Information access has made it easy for people to learn more about a destination. Visitors do not have to depend on what the tourism providers say about a place. They can research the information on the internet. Credibility is important in the tourism industry and providers should provide honest information about their destinations. This enhances their credibility, and they will be able to attract more people. Positioning and creating personalities for different destinations cannot succeed without the full cooperation of all the stakeholders involved. Involving the community is therefore fundamental. Providers can change their positioning after reevaluation. They have to consider whether the position they have decided on is relevant, and whether it is achieving the results intended. It is not easy for the providers to change the personality of the destination. They should therefore be careful before settling on a destination. The providers have to communicate the brand position so that it can be embedded on people’s minds. Although providers can promote the destination personalities, most tourists have a preset idea of the personality they ascribe to a place. If this idea is negative, the providers have to work hard to change the tourists’ minds. The tourism industry has changed and the competition has become stiff, and therefore the providers have to change their marketing strategies.

 

 

References:

Carter, C. (2009). Positioning for tourism marketing. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/cooksoncarter/positioning-for-tourism-marketing

Cerovic, S., & Batic, S. (2008). Competitiveness and positioning in tourism. Economics and Organizations, 5 (2), 133-141

Gertner, K. R. (2011). Nation brand personality: Student’s perceptions of tourism and study abroad destinations. International Review of Business Research Papers, 7 (6), 115-127

Hosany, S., Ekinci, Y., & Uysal, M. (2007). Destination image and destination personality. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 1 (1), 62-81

Kozak, M., & Baloglu, S. (2010). Managing and marketing tourist destinations: Strategies to gain a competitive edge. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis

Last, N. (2008). Destination positioning, branding & image development. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/Annie05/destination-positioning-branding-and-image-management-presentation

Lee, J., Soutar, G., & Quitall, V. (2011). Destination personality: Cross country comparisons. Retrieved from anzmac2010.org/proceedings/pdf/anzmac10Final00497.pdf

Murphy, L., Moscardo, G., & Benckendorff, P. (2007). Using brand personality to differentiate regional tourism destinations. Journal of Travel Research, 46 (1), 5-14

Pitt, F. L., Opuku, R., Hultman, M., Abratt, R., & Spyropoulou, S. (2007). What I say about myself: communication of brand personality by African countries. Tourism Management, 28 (3), 835-844

Sirakaya_Turk, E. (2011). Research methods for leisure, recreation and tourism. United Kingdom, CABI

Vanhove, N. (2010). The economics of tourism destinations. New York, NY: Routledge

 

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