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COURSE TITLE FOUNDATION COURSE IN
TOURISM
COURSE CODE TS-01
ASSIGNMENT CODE TS-01/AST/TMA/2018
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TS-1: FOUNDATION COURSE IN TOURISM
Course Code: TS-1
Total Mark: 100
Assignment Code: TS-1/TMA/2018
Note: This TMA consists of ten questions, out of which you have to
attempt any five. The question carries 20 marks each and should be
answered in about 500 words. Send your TMA to the Coordinator of your
Study Centre.
Q1: - Discuss the various types of tourist accommodations. Elaborate
supplementary accommodations in India with suitable examples.
INTRODUCTION
Accommodation is one of the basic needs for any tourism activity. Travelers and
tourists need lodging for rest, while they are on a tour. Accommodation in the
form of low budget lodges/hotels to world class luxury hotels is available at all
the major tourist destinations to provide the tourist a home away from home.
These are establishments that provide a place for the tourist to stay i.e. lodging
facilities which are paid for the duration of the stay by the tourist.
CONCEPT
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There are various types of accommodation which are being used by tourists
regularly. Travel agents and tour operators generally include one of the following
types of accommodation in the itinerary.
Hotel: -Hotels are a vital and essential part of the tourism industry. Today, hotels
not only provide accommodation and meals but also offer a variety of other
services as per the needs of the tourist/guest. For example, many hotels offer a
health club, crèche, etc. as per the changing needs of the customer.
International or Star Category Hotel: -They are the modern western style
hotels, found mostly in metro cities and at major tourist destinations and that are
located at prime locations in the city. These hotels are classified on the
internationally accepted star grading which ranges from five stars to one star.
The grading is given to the hotel depending on the facilities and services which
the hotel provides. The facilities which are provided by the five star are an
information desk, conference centre, travel desk, multi cuisine restaurants,
banquet halls, room service, swimming pool, gymnasium, health clubs, shopping
arcades, beauty parlours, entertainment or cultural programmes, etc.
Motels: -T hey are located on highways and expressways. The tourists who are
on transient mode and cost conscious prefer to stay in these kinds of
accommodation. These motels not only provide parking space but also certain
amenities such as television, restaurants swimming pool, etc.
Non-Star or commercial Hotels: -T hese hotels are located mostly near the
business or commercial centres and mainly serve the business tourists, middle
income tourists and their repeat customers. Most of these hotels are equipped
with parking space, restaurants, and facilities for their business clients/guests
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such as convention centers and meeting rooms. Picture: (of Courtyard
Marriott,Hinjewadi, Pune)(Source: Google)
Floating Hotels:-T hese types of hotels are located on the surface of the water
which may be the sea, river, or lake water. These hotels have facilities which are
similar to a regular hotel. Examples: House boats of Kashmir and Kerala or old
cruise liners which have been converted into a hotel. Picture: Houseboats of
Kashmir, A houseboat on Lake Union in Seattle, Washington, USA ,Houseboat in
Alleppey, Kerala located on the backwaters
Capsule Hotels:-These were first opened in Osaka, Japan in 1979. These hotels
serve mostly the business tourists. The rooms in the capsule are lined similar to
that of a ‘double-decker’, or sleeping compartment of a AC 2 tier train. Common
washrooms, vending machines, and a lounge area are located on each floor.
Facilities such as a bed, a television, flexible lighting, a box for valuables, etc. are
provided in each capsule rooms.
Heritage Hotels: -T hese are the old properties like castles, forts, palaces, and
havelis belonging to royalty which have been renovated and converted into
hotels. Here, tourists enjoy the majestic grandeur and splendor of the olden days.
Some examples of heritage hotels are UmaidBhavan Palace at Jodhpur and
Shalini Palace at Kolhapur
Resorts: -T hese cater to the tourists who look for rest, relaxation and recreation.
They are located mostly at the sea side, hill stations, wild life sanctuaries, etc.
Apart from facilities provided by hotels, resorts provide additional facilities to
guest for recreation and relaxation which includes indoor and out door games,
gambling, spa, etc.
Supplementary accommodations in India
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Supplementary accommodation plays a very important role in the total
available tourist accommodation in a country. This type of accommodation can
cater to both international as well as domestic tourist traffic.
In fact, in some countries more tourists utilize this type of accommodation than
hotels. In France and Italy, as also in some other countries in Europe and
elsewhere, there are more campers than hotel clients.
Some of the principal forms of supplementary accommodation are:
(i) Motel,
(ii) Youth hostel,
(iii) Camping sites,
(iv) Pension,
(v) Bed and breakfast establishments
(vi) Tourist holiday villages, and
(vii) Time-share and resort condominiums.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Hotels, motels and resorts are an important part of the tourism
industry. There are various grades of hotels which are classified as one star to
five stars, on the basis of facilities available at the hotels. Tourist can select
accommodation as per their need and budget.
REFERENCES
1. “Introduction To Tourism” By N. Jayapalan
2. “Tourism Management” By Stephen Page
Q2: - What are the various modes of tourism promotion? Discuss role of
social media in tourism promotion.
INTRODUCTION
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Tourism promotion means stimulating sales through the dissemination of
information. It means trying to encourage actual and potential customers to
travel. According to Salah Wahab, the objectives of promotion are: 1. To make the
tourist product widely known. 2. To make it very attractive in order to encourage
many people to try it. 3. To make the message attractive without being dishonest
CONCEPT
Tourism promotion means trying to encourage the actual and potential customers
to travel a destination through the spreading of information. Promotion is one of
the most effective marketing mix elements used in marketing a tourist product.
The objectives of promotion those are consistent with the general marketing plan
is to identify the target group to which the promotion is conducted, to find out the
effective advertising, sales support and public relations programs to be planned,
and to select the best methods to be used to control and assess the promotion
operation.
According to Mill and Morrison (2009), the following three types of promotion
help to modify the consumer’s behavior in the stages of buying process. Firstly,
informative promotions are most effective at the earlier buying process stages like
attention and comprehension. Secondly, persuasive promotions work well at
intermediate buying process stages which assist with attitude, intention, and
purchase. Finally, after the first visit or usage the services, reminder promotions
are effective to use. It is quite clear from this statement that promotion plays a
vital role to advertise any destination and can help to modify the tourist behavior
by ensuring the repeat visitor continue to purchase the same product instead of
switch to another destination. Promotion in tourism helps to draw the attention of
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the potential tourists, modify the behavior of the existing buyers and influence
them to visit a destination.
Every destination country should extend its efforts to discover the needs
and follows necessary promotional strategies to raise interest among the potential
tourists. It is very important for the decision makers to understand how
customers acquire information especially for tourism related services and
products. Research has proven that tourist information is an important element to
have a positive image about the destination and the decision-making process of
tourists. The information about a specific destination which is mostly demanded
by tourists is considered as an important means of promotion for tourism
industry. (Academic Journals 2010, 722-723.) Destination marketing is
identifying what tourists would like to see which means product and the variety
methods are used to attract tourist which means promotion.
social media in tourism promotion
Over the years tourism have relied heavily on the power of word of mouth
marketing; it used to be our friends and family who inspired and helped in
planning our travels often guided by tourism guides, magazines, and travel
agencies. However, today with the emergence of the digital technologies, the
word of mouth information has extended beyond a limited group to the entire
world. Social Mediaas a part of the digital technology revolution now connects
travellers to the opinions and recommendations of millions of people, including
friends in their social network and likeminded travellers they have never even
met. Tourism organizations have taken advantage of this amazing technology by
increasing their promotions of destinations and products on Social Media with the
sole aim of reaching out to the masses. Certain tourism organizations such as
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Yelp, TripAdvisor, Trip Hobo, Travel Triangle, and many more provide extensive
information starting from small boutiques, restaurants, and shops to major
sightseeing attractions for all tourism destinations through various Social Media
tools. With more than 200 million reviews and opinions posted on TripAdvisor till
date, and more than 800 million active users on Facebook posting updates and
sharing images of their travel destinations, Social Mediacanbe seen as
dominating the tourism marketing scenario. Today travellers develop an image
about a tourism destination and set their expectations based on previous
experience, word of mouth, press reports, advertising, and common beliefs, before
actually visiting a destination, as quoted by Baloglu&Brinberg and Chon (1997
and 1992). Further,Social Media has also made tourism companies accountable
for what they promote and promise through its various channels. Travellers and
tourists today are more prompt and often voice their opinions actively through
Social Media tools like Facebook, Twitter, etc. and websites such as Yelp,
TripAdvisor, etc.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Promotion plays an important role in achieving a marketing
strategy as it is one of the vital elements of the marketing mix. On account of,
tourists like to know about the product, offers and facilities in advance. Active
marketers always try to provide all the required information through different
promotional activities to attract tourists towards the destination.
REFERENCES
1. Agresta, S. & Bough, B.B. 2010. Perspective on Social Media Marketing.
2. Baldemoro, J. 2013. Tourism promotion.
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Q3: - What are different forms of tourism? Discuss the impact of tourism
on culture and environment of a destination.
INTRODUCTION
Tourism is one of the world’s fastest growing industries as income is generated
by the spending of goods and services required by tourists. The tourism industry
is therefore very important to the well-being of many countries.
CONCEPT
“Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling to, and staying in places
outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for
leisure, business and other purposes.”
Types of Tourism
Tourism can be classified into the following types:
● Inbound International tourism: Non-residents traveling in the given country.
● Outbound International tourism: Residents traveling in another country.
● Domestic tourism: Residents of the given country traveling only within this
country.
The Tourism industry has developed through the years and presently is one of
the most diversified, customized and specialized industries. We would like to
introduce some of the most popular types of tourism worldwide where tourists are
categorized by the purpose of their visit.
Leisure Tourism
Leisure time can be defined as “free time”, not doing any work. It is that time to
do things that you normally have no time for in your daily life. Leisure tourism
includes a holiday with the following:
● Leisure activities
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● Relaxation: Sleep, relax, reading, walk on the beach, taking a scenic drive
● Sport activities: hiking, swimming, surfing, running
● Visit places of interest and local attractions
● Visiting friends and relatives
● Shopping for goods that will be used by the tourist.
Business Tourism
Business tourism can be defined as “travel for the purpose of business”.
Business Tourism can be divided into three sections:
● Trading for goods to be resold on a wholesale basis
● Conduct business transactions e.g. visiting a client, contract negotiations
● Attending a conference, exhibition or event associated with their business.
Medical Tourism
Medical Tourism involves people who travel to a different place to receive
treatment for a disease, health condition, or a surgical procedure, and who are
seeking lower cost of healthcare and higher quality of care. Favorite procedures in
medical tourism include Cardiology, Cardiothoracic, Cosmetic Surgery, Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery, Weight Loss, Neuron, Eye, Orthopedic Surgery, as
well as Organ Transplants (kidney).
Medical Tourism services include medical facilitation, travel arrangements,
accommodation, transportation and tour packages.
Cultural Tourism
Cultural tourism or sometimes referred to as heritage tourism is the division of
tourism concerned with the region’s culture, specifically the lifestyle and history
of the people, their art, architecture, religion and other elements. Cultural tourism
includes cultural facilities such as museums, theatres and festivals. This is one of
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the most popular types of tourism and attracts tourists from different parts of the
world.
Adventure Tourism
Adventure tourism is an outdoor activity that generally takes place in an unusual,
remote or a wilderness area. This adventurous activity can take place in the sea,
in rivers, in the air, in mountains and is associated with low or high levels of
physical activity. There are many types of products and services that fall within
the Adventure Tourism category such as: bungee jumping, mountaineering
expeditions, rafting, rock climbing, diving, wind surfing, paragliding and many
more.
Wellness Tourism
Wellness tourism is one of the fastest growing forms of international and
domestic tourism. This form of tourism involves people who travel to a different
place to pursue activities that maintain or enhance their personal health and
wellness, and who are seeking unique, authentic or location-based
experiences. Wellness tourism include massages, body treatments, facial
treatments, exercise facilities & programs, weight loss programs, nutrition
programs, pre- and post-operative Spa treatments and mind/body programs.
Eco Tourism
Ecotourism is “Responsible travel to natural (unspoilt) areas that conserves the
environment and improves the well-being of local people.” The purpose of
ecotourism is to educate the traveler about natural destinations, to provide
ecological conservation and awareness, to benefit economic development, the
political empowerment of local communities and respect for the local culture. Here
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the traveler can experience the natural way of life surrounded by natural
circumstances.
Sports Tourism
Sports tourism refers to international travel either for viewing or participating in a
sporting event. Examples include international sporting events such as the
Olympics, world cup (soccer, rugby, and cricket), tennis, golf and Formula 1
Grand Prix.
Religious Tourism
Religious Tourism or faith tourism are people of faith who travel on their own or in
groups to holy cities or holy sites for pilgrimages, crusades, conventions,
retreats, religious tourist attractions or missionary work.
Wildlife Tourism
Wildlife tourism is the observation of wild (non-domestic) animals in their natural
environment or in captivity. It includes activities such as photography, viewing
and feeding of animals. This form of tourism offer tourists customized tour
packages and safaris and is closely associated with eco-tourism and
sustainable-tourism.
Socio Cultural Impacts of Tourism
The effect that the tourists and the industry have on the society and culture of
local communities is called socio cultural impact. Tourism has severely affected
indigenous customs and ways of life. Tourists often travel in an 'environment
bubble'. Tourist encounter results in promoting stereotypes with both hosts and
tourists. With the increased number of tourist demand for participation in
traditional events as a right, staged cultural shows increase, which has no
cultural meaning. This is known as 'staged authenticity'.
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A mindset of the locals to emulate tourists in T-shirts, jeans and an
earphone generates tension and restlessness and increases the propensity to
consume for the locals. This is known as demonstration effect of tourism. The
inability of the local community to keep up with the standards of the tourists lead
to social tensions like increased begging, prostitution, cheating, mugging of
tourists and drug peddling. At times certain preconceived images are linked with
the tourists that they take drugs, indulge in gambling, prostitution etc.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TOURISM
The quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to
tourism. However, tourism's relationship with the environment is complex. It
involves many activities that can have adverse environmental effects. Many of
these impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as
roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, includingresorts, hotels,restaurants,
shops, golf courses and marinas. The negative impacts of tourism development
can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends.
On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on
the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation. It
is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to
finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance.
CONCLUSION
The different types of tourism include domestic, heritage, medical tourism and
education tourism. Others are adventure tourism, ecotourism, geotourism, luxury
tourism, LGBT tourism, cultural tourism and niche tourism, pilgrimage tourism,
health tourism, winter tourism, mass tourism and event tourism. Tourism is travel
that is done for recreational, business or leisure purposes.
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REFERENCES
● Theobald, William F. (1998). Global Tourism.
● Korstanje, M. 2007 The Origin and meaning of Tourism: Etymological study.E Review of Tourism
Research. Vol 5 (5): 100-108.
Q5: - What do you understand by travel writing? Discuss the skills
needed for writing in tourism.
INTRODUCTION
A travel writer explores new destinations and shares observations with others
using the written word and photos. One of the most important requirements for
this type of work is a desire to travel and experience new environments and
cultures. Physical stamina, an observant mind and a talent for descriptive
language are just a few of the qualities necessary for becoming a travel writer.
CONCEPT
The development of organised tourism and its becoming a major economic activity
has made travel writing an increasingly specialised area. Hence, we use the term
Writing for Tourism. The emphasis is more and more on providing information.
The readers want it not only for the sake of knowledge or interesting reading but
also for utilising it during their own tourist activities. The market in this
specialised area is constantly increasing as more and more of media (print as
well as electronic) incorporates travel and tourism as a part of its presentation.
The basic requirements of travel writing are:
lucidity,
capability for description, and
a keen sense of observation-especially of the environment.
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A travel writer should always bear in mind that the write up would influence the
reader to:
❖ undertake a journey to a particular destination,
❖ decide on the mode of travel,
❖ look for sources of entertainment,
❖ taste the cuisine, and
❖ spend money on shopping, etc.
Hence, it is not only the image of the writer at stake but also an individual's
entire holiday and savings kept for this purpose. This makes the task of the
writer more responsible.
Writing on tourism and travel has several objectives. Some of them are listed
below:
❖ motivating travel to a destination,
❖ describing a destination,
❖ cautioning the traveller,
❖ analysing government policies,
❖ detailing the impacts, asking for improvements,
❖ making future predictions,
❖ sharing experiences.
❖ marketing and promotion,
❖ recreating the past, and providing information, etc.
The writer is both an information gatherer as well as provider. The
information gathered through keen observation, personal experience, collection of
data and reading of already published sources, etc. is communicated to the
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reader through the application of creativity, imagination and the capacity to
communicate. In relation to this the following tips could be useful: -
The writer should not be prejudiced. One should have an open mind while
approaching the subject. Even if there are any pre-conceived ideas they have to
be tested on the basis of ground realities. For example, a foreign writer may start
with the assumption that drinking water is not easily available. But today the
ground reality is that bottled mineral water or portable water is available at
practically every destination.
A writer has to be observant even about what are generally left as minute
matters. At times useful information emerges out of keen observation. Take the
example of ethnic crafts. It is only keen observation that will disclose which ones
are really ethnic and which ones are fake or replicas.
Not everyone can write on everything. Hence, one should attempt to discover
one’s own skills and interests keeping in view the limitations and abilities. The
personal style of writing also has to be taken account of. For example, hyperbole
should be avoided, sentences should be short, simple words should be used and
write up should be lively.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Communication is the life of any service-oriented industry. This
maxim holds good of tourism too. There are several means of communicating with
an itinerant tourist, but writing is certainly the most commonly used mode.
REFERENCES
1. “Travel Writing” by Carl Thompson
2. “Perspectives on Travel Writing” G
lenn Hooper
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Q6: - What do you understand by rural tourism? Elaborate the
socio-economic impact of tourism.
INTRODUCTION
Rural tourism is located in agricultural landscapes and is characterized by
enjoyment of a tamed – nature or highly modified landscape. It is about the land
uses and human cultures that the interaction between humans and the land have
created. It positions agriculture and farms as the foundation upon which the
attraction is built.
CONCEPT
Rural t ourism focuses on actively participating in a rural lifestyle. It can be a
variant of ecotourism. Many rural villages can facilitate tourism because many
villagers are hospitable and eager to welcome (and sometime even host) visitors.
Agriculture is becoming highly mechanized and therefore, requires less manual
labor. This trend is causing economic pressure on some villages, which in turn
causes young people to move to urban areas. There is however, a segment of the
urban population that is interested in visiting the rural areas and understanding
the lifestyle.
Defining rural tourism is important in policy terms and for individual regions
and businesses that seek funding, market positioning and effective promotion
(Lane, 2009). However, for many rural tourists and for people living in the
countryside official definitions relating to features such as population density,
land use and social structures have little relevance to their experiences of rural
tourism. As Argent (2011: 184) points out, there are “many different rurals” and
different people imagine and experience rural spaces in different ways. The
‘countryside’ has frequently been idealised and represented through a nostalgic
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lens as a timeless space in which life is somehow simpler, purer and easier than
the hectic lifestyles of most people in modern urban settings (Bunce, 1994; Butler
and Hall, 1998; Sharpley and Jepson, 2011). This idealistic, mythical
representation of the rural has proven effective in terms of rural tourism
marketing (see Durcos, this volume). However, users of the countryside are
constantly redefining what constitutes ‘rurality’ and the diversity of rural
landscapes, and tourism and recreation activities that take place in rural spaces,
require a more nuanced understanding of the countryside beyond the ‘rural idyll’
as an escape from urban sprawl (Roberts and Hall, 2004).
Contributions to this collection reflect the contested nature of both ‘rural’ and
‘rural tourism’. As well as being places of natural beauty, rural spaces can also
often be understood as masculinised spaces, characterised by poverty and
inequality, features which tourism can exacerbate (Saugeres, 2002; Scheyvens,
2007). Rural places are not always characterised by the peace and tranquillity of
western idealistic myths of the countryside, and also include noisy, dirty and
even ugly spaces, as argued by Magi and Ndimande in relation to rural tourism in
South Africa (this volume), highlighting the importance of an international
perspective in helping to avoid hegemonic western ideas being taken and
represented as normal and universal. Rural tourism can thus be usefully
understood as a social construction, continually being (re)defined by a variety of
stakeholders and showing vast variation between different localities, cultures
and practices.
socio-economic impact of tourism
Tourism alters the economic structure of a destination. The economic impact of
tourism is the subject of analysis at two ways. One is generally positive about
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industry prospects while other is negative. Tourism is a major element of sources
of capital and income to the local people. The economic significance of tourism
activity is taking place, but also by the type and nature of economy being
considered.
Tourists spend their money on a wide variety of goods and services and
related tourism products. The economic impacts of tourism more is known about
the economic benefits of tourism than the associated costs. Tourism can create
employment opportunities, earn foreign exchange, produce return on investment
for emerging economics, bring technology and improve standard of living. Tourism
can also help to generate jobs and increase revenue to local people and shopping
facilities. Tourism can cause major effect on economics of destination area for
price of land to rise rapidly.
Tourism development has often received support from the government and
local residents. Therefore, for the sustainable development of tourism one should
take balanced view towards the economic impacts of tourism which assess both
the benefits and cost of tourism development.
Economic Impact Indicators of Tourism Development 1. Increase in the
income of residents 2. Opportunity for shopping 3. Opportunity for jobs 4.
Demand for female labour 5. Increased cost of land and housing 6. Increase in
general prices of goods and services 7. Rental houses as a source of income 8.
Scarcity of essential goods during season 9. Degradation of cultural and
commercial goods 10. Increased the number of hotels / resorts 11. Commercial
view point of local people.
CONCLUSION
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Understanding the terms of rural tourism and a gritourism is quite difficult
because there is no uniform and established definition. It is indisputable that
rural tourism is related to rural area – it is realized within. However, it does not
mean that all tourism in rural areas fulfils the ideas of rural tourism. Rural
tourism can thus be understood as a specific form of tourism in rural areas,
considerate to the nature and the community.
REFERENCES
1. R. K. Pruthi : Rural Tourism
2. Yogesh Kumar Sharma: Rural Tourism Development.
Q9: - Write a detailed note on seasonality in tourism.
INTRODUCTION
Tourism is one of the biggest and fasted growing industries in the world, but it is
characterised by seasonality. Tourism as an integral part of global business is
highly dependent on seasonal changes in climatic conditions, economic activities
as well as human behaviour and the society in general.
CONCEPT
Seasonality presents a number of issues that require special attention and
strategies. In particular, seasonality affects the number of tourists to a region and
therefore can threaten the viability of businesses in a region. For example,
seasonality can place great pressure on tourism enterprises to staff their
business with available and appropriate staff, far more so than for enterprises
located in more populated areas.
Seasonality has been studied in a number of ways; however, the concept
relating to tourism activities is largely a temporal and spatial issue. In the context
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of tourism, it is usually expressed in both monetary terms (social and capital
costs) and visitor (or customer) numbers (Jang 2004). One of the most
comprehensive studies of the factors influencing seasonality in tourism is the
work of Butler and Mao (1997). Their work is supported by other researchers who
identify a number of similar dimensions of seasonality and present a variety of
prescriptions for alleviating the negative impacts of seasonality. According to
Butler and Mao (1997), seasonality has two dimensions: natural (physical) and
institutional (social and cultural), involving both the origin and destination
regions. These are shown in Figure 2 below. Natural seasonality relates to
temporal variations in natural phenomena (for example, rainfall, sunlight,
temperature, snowfall) of which the implications for certain forms of tourism
demand are easily understood. For example, water-orientated tourism activities
require a warm temperature whilst snow skiing requires low temperatures and
an abundance of snow (Butler & Mao 1997). Institutionalised seasonality is more
complex as it is based on human behaviour and consumer decisionmaking (e.g.
deciding on the timing of holidays). With regard to the spatial issue, the
generating area (i.e. place of visitor origin and market demand), various changes
in natural phenomena influence visitors’ travel decisions. For instance, most
people choose to travel in warm, dry seasons, hence the popularity of summer
vacations. Religious, cultural and social factors also dictate when people travel,
with one or more of these dimensions often determining the timing of holidays.
Temporal variations in natural phenomena also affect destinations (or receiving
areas). The receiving area is the location of the suppliers of tourism activity.
Climate, for example, can determine the types of tourist attractions within a
destination. On the other hand, the cultural, religious, ethnic and social activities
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in a destination influence the type and number of visitors. Examples of this are
visits by religious followers to sacred sites such as Mecca and Lourdes, as well
as visits by sports fans to major sporting events around the world. In America, for
instance, the Superbowl draws baseball fans from across the continent; while in
Europe and South America, the (soccer) World Cup attracts thousands of
supporters, and in Australia cricket, rugby league and Australian Rules football
are enthusiastically supported.
This category refers to variations in natural phenomena such as the climate,
weather and seasons of the year. Variables include cycles or differences in
temperature, hours of sunlight, levels of rainfall and snowfall. These variations
mean that tourist regions have different seasonal potential and resources and
thus are perceived to have particular seasonal qualities (Hartmann 1986).
Although natural factors can make a destination unattractive to particular
markets, they are not the sole reason for variations in tourism demand (Baum &
Hagen 1997).
Other causes of seasonality in tourism demand are institutional.
Institutional seasonality is primarily linked to the following three factors: holidays
(school/university and public/religious) and the availability of leisure time; travel
habits and motivations (which are affected by changing tastes, social pressure
and fashion), and the hosting and timing of events. These events may be leisure
or business focused and either major or minor.
CONCLUSION
Seasonality is a concept that is well studied and documented in the tourism
literature. Being ubiquitous, all tourism enterprises and regions are impacted by
seasonality whether severely or mildly. Seasonality causes the fluctuation in
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tourists and visitor numbers to a destination. Therefore, some destinations at
certain times have more tourists and visitors than they are able to accommodate,
while at other times, there are too few tourists and visitors to the region.
Although, seasonality is widely perceived in a negative light because its effects
are linked with a reduction of tourist dollars, not all effects of tourism are
negative.
REFERENCES
1. Hartmann, R. (1986) ‘Tourism, Seasonality and Social Change’,
2. Phelps, A. (1988) ‘Seasonality in Tourism and Recreation: The Study of Visitor Patterns.
Q10: - Define marketing. Discuss the 4 Ps of marketing.
INTRODUCTION
Marketing and promotional strategies are closely tied together. Marketing
includes all aspects of developing, promoting and selling products or services to
customers. Promoting is a key element in communicating the benefits of products
once they are researched and developed. Effective marketing and promotion
strategies drive the long-term success, customer development and profitability for
companies.
CONCEPT
Marketing begins and ends with the customer. The job of the marketing is not
only to satisfy the consumer but even to delight him or her. All the activities of an
organization must be directed and focused towards the consumer. Marketer must
allow their customer to dictate product specifications and standards regarding
quality. This job can only be performed if consumer’s needs are continuously
monitored.
The term marketing is very comprehensive one.
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⎫ Marketing starts well before production commences & ends only after rendering
after sales satisfaction.
⎫ It is the set of those activities necessary incidental to bring about exchange
relationships.
⎫ It is skill of selecting & fulfilling consumer desires in such a way that a dose of
money put in bring back maximum return. “Marketing is the process of planning
& executing the conception, pricing promotion and distribution of ideas, goods
and services to create exchanges that satisfy individuals & organizational
objectives.”
⎫ In general marketing activities are those associated with identifying the
particular wants & needs of target market of customer better than the
competition. This involves doing market research on consumers, analyzing their
needs & behavior taking marketing strategic decision about product design,
pricing, promotion & distribution of the ideas, goods & services
Importance of marketing
← Marketing generates revenue for the business firm.
← Marketing is an important activity, particularly in the competitive economy.
← Marketing generates revenue for the business enterprise. No firm can survive
in the long run unless it is able to market its products better than the competitors.
← It has become the nerve center of all business activities. ← Marketing is the
beatings hear of the business organization
4 Ps of marketing
The four Ps of Marketing (Product, Price, Place & Promotion) are also known as
the ‘Product Mix’. The product mix is a crucial tool in determining a product’s
offering to the customer. Let us look at each P one by one:
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Product: The Product can either be tangible, which have independent physical
existence (from needle to motor parts) or Intangible service (like in IT and tourism
industry). Launching the right kind of product with appropriate number of
variants is one of the critical decisions for marketing managers.
Price: The price of a product determines the offering which the customers are
willing to give to buy that product. The price can neither be too low that the seller
incurs losses, nor be too high that the consumers cannot afford the product. The
price of a product or a service depends on its demand, which is determined
by demand elasticity. A product is said to be e lastic if raising its price
reduces the demand considerably (example: coffee, people will switch to tea) and
the product/service is inelastic if its demand is not affected even after raising
the price. (Example: petrol)
Place: The market where the product is sold is known as place. The markets
should be convenient for the consumers to access. Distribution network for a
product determines its availability in shops/outlets
Promotion: The method of communication by which the marketer provides
information about the product is known as promotion. It included advertisements,
personal selling, word of mouth publicity etc.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Marketing is a process in business which helps to generate,
communicate and transfer value about a product or service to customers, partners
and the potential market. Marketing involves processes like market research,
advertising, marketing communication, branding etc which showcases the
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customers the value proposition offered by companies. Marketing helps create
brand awareness among the potential market and drives the business.
REFERENCE
McCarthy, Jerome E. (1964). Basic Marketing.
