Crucial Role of Marketing Plays in Travel and Tourism Sector-Morocco and Egypt

TASK 1

1.1 Discussing core concepts of marketing for travel and tourism sector

The core concept in relation to the marketing is to enhance level of satisfaction of the customers and analyse their needs so that sales can be increased up to a high extent (Edmunds.2017). The tour packages to be organised by Thomas Cook are Morocco and Egypt. The firm may be able to earn profits by getting effective marketing environment to promote packages. The concepts are as follows-

Needs of customers- The tour package need to be prioritised by organisation such as family trip customers or business trips. Moreover, marketing strategies will be implemented to provide satisfaction.

Services- The services to be offered should be of new trend and proper planning should be done to achieve stated goals. Furthermore, facilities such as luxury rooms, affordable or low prices would be helpful in inducing customers to buy package.

Exchange process- It is termed as a process where customer pays for services rendered to him by the Thomas Cook in effective manner (Camilleri, 2018).

Place- The strategy is to effectively satisfy customers by providing them quality services. Organisation has to make its foot in the domestic and international market and thus, require implementing well-structured strategies.

1.2 Assessing impact of marketing environment on travel and tourism organisation and tourist destinations

The marketing environment can be bifurcated as micro and macro. Micro environment means occurring in organisation whereas macro environment are factors occurred outside business and it has no control over it.

Micro Environment

Intermediaries- The facilities that are provided by Thomson Cook to their passengers. These facilities are transport, imparting luxurious hotels, variety of rooms, dining and clubbing facility which will be helpful as their role is of intermediaries attracting buyers.

Competitors or rivals- The strategies implemented by the rivals have direct impact on organisation. If the same destination to Morocco and Egypt is provided at low cost, then Thomson Cook has to cut down its prices to lure customers (Moutinho and Vargas-Sanchez, 2018).

Macro Environment

Demographic factor- The demographic elements such as location has the impact on customers up to a high extent. It is required that preferences of customers should be accounted for the proposed tour and market research should be conducted whether passengers will prefer or not.

Technological factor- The technology is important macro factor affecting company. The information is not accessed by public published on the internet and detail of tourism is made available on official website of company affecting business.

1.3 Factors affecting customer motivation and demand in travel and tourism sector

Marketing is identified as the most important aspect of the organization where requirements of the segmented groups are assessed. The organization try to fulfil those evaluated needs which can help in earning maximum amount of profits. There are various factors that lead to affect the motivation and demand in travel and tourism sector. These are:

Global economy: Travel is a luxurious option which is not adopted by people every time unless and until they have enough finances to sustain. Due to increasing inflation, people try to concentrate on savings (Becker, 2016). However, an increase in their personal disposable income helps in ensuring that they will be spending on tourism.

Presence of internet and social media: Internet has changed the overall trend of customers where people get motivated to travel at different locations.

1.4 Principles of market segmentation and its uses in marketing planning at Thomas Cook

The main aspect that is considered while initiating market segmentation is to understand the nature of target market. Another aspect is basis on which market has actually being segmented by the company. Certain specific principles of market segmentation are as follows:

Accessibility: All the people living around the world may not have access to each and every location. Hence, segmentation must be performed based on their accessibility (Fernández-Morales, Cisneros-Martínez and McCabe, 2016).

Distinguishable features: It is important that the particular segment, Thomas Cook is planning to choose, it able to understand features of the company. It can affect organizational profitability.

Adequate number of features: It is important that the features of chosen group is able to match overall requirements of the company. Otherwise, the marketing strategy of Thomas Cook may fail (Mossaz and Coghlan, 2017).

Affordability: The product or service offered to a particular segment must be affordable enough so that it can be used by the customers.

TASK 2

2.1 Importance of strategic marketing planning for Thomas Cook

There are various advantages that are attached to strategic marketing planning which helps in aiming for growth and success of the firm. It helps in identification of direction of the business which can help in achievement of particular set of goals and objectives. It plays a substantial role in eliminating those activities that are unproductive for the organization and is not generating any type of revenue for it. It helps in developing a careful framework that can as a dictionary for the other people who are working in the organization (Schroeder and et. al., 2016).

Strategic planning plays an important role in gathering deeper knowledge and understanding of target market in such a manner that customers can be served in best possible manner. All the information acts a foundation for the management which thereby assist in achieving long term goals.

2.2 Relevance of Market research and information for the managers of Thomas Cook

Market research plays an important role in ascertaining taste and preferences of the customers in such a manner that best possible products and services can be offered to them. It also helps in understanding needs and wants of the customers based on which offerings can be prepared accordingly.

Before Thomas Cook indulge in any type of new investment aspects, it is important to understand that whether the particular set of products and services are actually required by the customers or not. It helps in understanding long term profitability aspects of the organization (Tsaur and Teng, 2017). Since, Thomas Cook belongs to hospitality industry, it is important to prepare an assessment of emerging trends and ensure that management is clear regarding what should be offered to the customers. Information collected through market research can be compared, analysed and interpret, so that it can help in better decision-making aspects of Thomas Cook.

2.3 Assessment of influence of marketing on society

Marketing strategies can not be initiated unless and until adequate help has been extended by the society. Marketing management requires various actions in the form of forecasting and identification of the methods that can help in satisfying the requirements of customers (Daymon and Holloway, 2010). There are various types of marketing advertisement tools that can be utilised by Thomas Cook. These are, sales promotion, direct marketing, advertising and public relations. Assessment of demand is the inseparable part of marketing strategy and hence it can only be assessed through the society. Marketing efforts require back from the society so that effective objectives can ultimately be framed. A planned activity of market research can enhance the overall output to maximum possible extent.

TASK 3

3.1 Issue in product, price and place element of marketing mix with the reference to Thomas Cook's Summer 2018 holidays

As Thomas Cook plan summer holidays in Egypt and Morocco but he may face some problem related to its marketing mix which are discuss below:

Product: Thomas Cook plan summer vacation and offer many products to the people such as proper transportation facility with good accommodation but there may be many issues related to the offered product like people dislike the plan as it is not adventurous and in Egypt there is no proper accommodation because it is the hottest place and generally people dislike visiting there (Chen and Chen, 2017).

Price: Thomas plans to enjoy this summer vacations in Morocco and Egypt and the price which he offered to the visitors are not affordable as this both places are quite costly and accommodation is not as good as the agency provide in other destination plans. He also not offering any discounts to those on choosing both cities, so people generally avoid and did not take any type of interest to visit there (Tan and et.al 2017). Both accommodation and dinner- lunch will be costlier and generally people did not afford to take such type of destination plan and that is why Thomas Cook avoid planning summer vacations in this area.

Place: There are many issue related to place as well. Both these places are quite costlier and the people did not afford because their budget is low and Morocco is noisy place, there is no privacy and even the food zone is also costlier that is why people may be avoid. On the other hand Egypt, it is costlier place then Morocco and the is the hottest place in the world and may be this is the reason to avoid plan in summer vacations. Travelling in large group make it more difficult to meet local people other than those who try to sell something.

3.2 Importance of marketing mix in travel and tourism sector

Marketing mix is the strategies which is used to attract more and more people in order to attain Thomas Cook agency's long term objectives and gain competitive edge. It's all 7 P's which are place, product, promotion, people, physical evidence, price and process are help to satisfy the need of people. In travel and tourism, the product should be used are in well condition which help to attract customers (Tussyadiah and Sigala, 2018). The price strategies are also affordable because generally visitors have low budget and they did not afford costly place. Through advertisement, makes people attract more towards a product and through marketing mix, product gain more attention by every individual and the chances of customer's attraction will be more. Marketing mix also help in creates good image of travel and tourism agency and also establish good relation with public. If face to face conversation done with public related to offers and discount then immediate response and feedback will be received and it will help to know the positive and negative impact of plan towards the customers.

3.3 Applying the concept of tourism product to Thomas Cook

Tourism product is a group of components or elements that are brought together in a form of bundle in order to satisfy the need of customers. A tourism product that can be offered for attraction or consumption. It may include physical objects, services, personalities, place and ideas. Tourism product are generally designs for the benefit of traveller receives or experience in obtaining the formal product. People do not buy product but buy experience of benefits. It is total experience of visitors and Thomas Cook is also planning some tourism product to attract more customers (Moutinho and Vargas-Sanchez, eds., 2018). This agency always include all the necessary elements of product including luxury and status. So basically it is an experience of place at a particular time. Thomas Cook always add more entertainment in their services and transportation so that people take advantages of their tour and create positive environment and good experience. The agency also promotes its tourism product with different and creative way just to make more attraction towards their product and people enjoy the travelling with Thomas Cook. Therefore, tourist product is a combination of what a traveller does and experience during a tour.

TASK 4

4.1 Integrated nature and role of promotional mix

There are five important aspects that are related to promotional mix which must be considered by Thomas Cook as well. Some of them are mentioned below:

Advertising: Presentation and promotion of goods and services who can help in instigating actions of the customers is called as advertisements. It can be in the form of articles in newspaper and magazine, inclusion of social media or any other internet marketing aspect etc. It generally focusses on broader population.

Public relations: This method is basically executed on personal level, where, an individual persuade potential customers to buy products and services from Thomas Cook. The area of focus is narrow but is helps in developing personal connection with the customers (Boone and Kurtz, 2013).

Direct marketing: It gives the opportunity to the management to initiate interaction, directly with the customers which can ultimately affect purchase and sales of business. Common methods are, messaging, emails and through social media as well.

Sales promotion: It can be media or non-media method of marketing communication where message is required to be transferred in limited period of time and which remains to be short lived as well. Discount deals and seasonal offers can be examples for the same.

Corporate image: It is the overall image of Thomas Cook based on which various products and services that are being offered by it are actually displayed to the customers. It increases their chances of trying product and services of the company (Kotler, 2012). Get dissertation writing services at the cheapest cost by Experts of Australian writers.

4.2 Planning and Justifying promotional campaign for Thomas Cook for Summers 2018 holidays

Also Read: Effects of Employees Behaviour on Business-TESCO

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded from the above report that appropriate method of marketing adopted by Thomas Cook can help in ensuring that adequate amount of profits is generated by it. There are various methods adopted by Thomas Cook. These are, sales promotion, direct promotion, through social media set up, public relations, advertising and homework help. It has also been stated that overall environment and society plays an important role in ascertaining that whether adequate amount of profits will be generated by the company or not.

REFERENCES

• Becker, E., 2016. Overbooked: the exploding business of travel and tourism. Simon and Schuster.
• Boone, L.E. and Kurtz, D.L., 2013.Contemporary marketing. Cengage learning
• Camilleri, M.A., 2018. Integrated Marketing Communications. InTravel Marketing, Tourism Economics and the Airline Product(pp. 85-103). Springer, Cham.
• Chen, J. L. and Chen, A., 2017. Travel, astronomy tourism, and getting old. InAstronomy for Older Eyes(pp. 111-122). Springer, Cham.
• Daymon, C. and Holloway, I., 2010.Qualitative research methods in public relations and marketing communications. Routledge.