The Meaning of Marketing in Travel and Tourism Introducing Travel and Tourism

Travel and Tourism Demand Basically, there are three different categories of visitor demand, each representing a different sector of the total market: Incoming visitors or international visitors who are traveling to a country but residents of other countries. This type of travel may be called inbound tourism. Outgoing visitors, residents of a country, who are traveling as visitors to other countries. May be called outbound tourism. Domestic visitors, residents visiting destinations within their own country’s boundaries. May be called domestic tourism.

In all definitions of tourism made by the World Tourism Organization (WTO), we come across with the following principle terms which are very important to know. Visitors to describe all travelers who fall within agreed definitions of tourism. Tourists or staying visitors to describe visitors who stay overnight at a destination. Same-day visitors, or excursionists, to describe visitors who arrive and depart on the same day.

International Tourism People who travel to and stay in countries other than their country of residence for less than a year are classified as international tourists. International tourism market is more important than the domestic because international tourists; spend more stay longer at the destination use more expensive transport and accommodation bring in foreign currency

UNWTO Tourism Highlights http://mkt.unwto.org/sites/all/files/docpdf/unwtohighlights11enlr_1.pdf

Domestic Tourism People who travel and stay overnight within the boundaries of their own country are classified as domestic tourists. Unfortunately, estimates of this market is not adequately measured at present in Turkey. In the USA, where good measurement does exist, Americans take only one trip abroad for every 100 domestic trips reflecting the size of the USA and the large distances . For the British, where the statistics are also good, there are approximately four domestic trips for every visit abroad. Statistics in the early 1990s indicates that in Europe and North America between a half and three quarters of the adult population took holidays away from home every year. Besides, over nine out of ten people take same-day visits in most economically developed countries.

Definition of Travel and Tourism An acceptable definition of tourism should cover all aspects of travel. Note that tourism is synonymous with travel. There are no conceptual differences between the two expressions. So tourism is used alone covers travel at the same time. The WTO defines tourism in 1991 as; 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.

This definition pulls together the three basic elements of tourism which are as follows; Visitor activity Travel Destination/facilities Note that the definition includes; same-day visits travel for several purposes such as business, social, religious, educational, sports etc. There is no restriction about the market for travel whether it is for pleasure or business. all tourism includes an element of travel, but all travel is not tourism. The definition excludes all routine commuter travel, in other words local travel to, for example, neighborhood shops, schools or hospitals. tourism includes individual leisure time and many recreational activities, but it is not synonymous with them. all travel and tourism trips are temporary movements.

The Component Sectors of the Tourism Industry The “industry” consists of the products of several different industry sectors. The five main component sectors of the industry are as follows; accommodation: hotels/motels, guest houses/bed&breakfast, apartments/villas, time share resorts, holiday villages, conference/exhibition centers, camping sites, marinas etc. attractions: theme parks, museums, national parks, wildlife parks, gardens, heritage sites, sports/activity centers etc. transport: airlines, shipping lines/ferries, railways, bus/coach operators, car rental operators etc. travel organizers: tour operators, tour wholesalers, retail travel agents, conference organizers, booking agencies, incentive travel organizers etc. destination organization: national tourist offices (NTOs), regional tourist offices, local tourist offices, tourist associations etc.

As can be seen, each of them is composed of several sub-sectors which are concerned with marketing activities both in the design of the products and the management of demand. Some of the sub-sectors are fully commercial, operated for profit (e.g. hotels); some are operated commercially for objects other than profit (attractions such as safari parks and heritage sites); and some are in the public sector and operated mainly on a non-commercial basis (state-owned national museums, national parks, and most of the operations undertaken by tourist offices).

The Role of Marketing - Links between Demand and Supply The central activity of marketing managers is to create and supply the product that best fits the needs and wants of the customers which is known as the consumer (marketing) orientation concept.