ABSTRACT
The study examined the Influence
of market communication in promoting tourism destination in abia state. The specific objectives
of the study include to; identify the standard marketing communication tools
use in tourism industries in Abia; examine the application of the identified
standard marketing communication tools use in tourism industry in Abia,
ascertain the influence on the level of patronage of marketing communication of
tourism destination in Abia state; To ascertain downstream ripple effects on
its economy and revenue on hospitality and tourism industry in Abia State; To ascertain
the role of the applied marketing communication tools in the level of patronage
on tourism destination in Abia state and
determine the most effective marketing communication channels and tools
on tourism destination in Abia state. The researcher adopted primary data in
getting the required information through the use of structured questionnaire.
The population of the study has 119. The sample size of the study has 92 after
adopting Taro Yamane’s formula. In analysis the data, simple descriptive
statistics such as frequencies, percentage, mean and standard deviation were
used. The findings revealed that (i) marketing communication has a significant
influence to promote tourism destination. (ii) application of the marketing
communication tools use in tourism industry has a significant influence on
tourism destination. (iii) marketing communication tools has a significant
influence in the level of patronage on tourism destination. (iv) effective
marketing communication channels and tools has a significant influence on
tourism destination.. The study recommends that tourism destinations should
re-direct their investment plan to awake and develop some of the silent notable
tourist center in the destinations. This driven can assist the destinations to
increase their internal generated revenue, There is need for tourism
destinations to employ the service of marketing expert to position all the
notable centre in the state in the mind of both indigenous and foreign tourists
to increase their level of patronage, Tourism destinations should create a
viable Marketing Department for continuous scanning of business environment
which will assist in application of appropriate Marketing Communications tools
to be relevant in the competitive environment, Tourism destinations should
extend their level of awareness in respect to tourism and cultural festival
beyond local television, radio and magazine to attract both indigenous and
foreign tourist, Digital (social) media such as facebook, twitter, instagram
you tube and so on should be committed tourism destinations to inform, persuade
and remind both indigenous and foreign tourist to visit its destination,
Necessary infrastructure should be put in place to reflect and commensurate
with the messages given by tourism destination. This research work should be
taken into account not only at international level to promote international
research programs aiming market communication in promoting
tourism destination but, Further
research is needed to explore the various market
communication in promoting tourism destination.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
page i
Title Page ii
Approval Page iii
Certification iv
Dedication v
Acknowledgement vi
Table of Contents viii
List of tables ix
List of figures x
Abstract xi
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to
the Study 1
1.2 Statement of
the Problem 5
1.3 Objectives of
the Study 7
1.4 Research
Questions 7
1.5 Research
Hypotheses 8
1.6 Significance
of the Study 8
1.7 Scope of the
Study 9
CHAPTER
2
REVIEW
OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual
Framework 10
2.1.1 The Tourism
Industry 10
2.1.2
Attractiveness and Competitiveness 11
2.1.3 Tourism
Destinations Trends 12
2.1.4 Tourism as a
System 13
2.1.4 Nature of
Tourism and Its Importance 14
2.1.5 Tourist as a
target audience 16
2.1.6 Major
Tourist Attractions in Abia 17
2.1.6 1 Isiukwuato
Water Fall 17
2.1.6.2 Azumini
Blue River 18
2.1.6 3 The Long
Juju of Arochukwu 18
2.1.6.4 National
War Museum 18
2.1.6 5 Amakama
Cave 19
2.1.6 6 Other
Caves 19
2.1.7 Marketing
and its Impact in Tourism Development 19
2.1.7 Marketing
Communications 20
2.1.8 Tourism Development 21
2.1.8 Marketing
communications Elements 22
2.1.8.1
Advertising 24
2.1.8.2 Direct
Marketing 25
2.1.8.3 Personal
Selling 26
2.1.8.4 Public
Relations 27
2.1.8.5 Sales
Promotion 29
2.1.9 The
Marketing Mix 31
2.1.10 Promotion
through Public Relations Part of a Good Marketing Plan 32
2.2 Theoretical
Framework 34
2.2.1 Systems
theory 34
2.2.2 Punctuated
Equilibrium 35
2.2.3 Chaos Theory
36
2.3 Empirical
Literatures 37
2.4 Summary of
Related Literature 41
CHAPTER
3
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research
Design 43
3.2 Area of the
Study 43
3.3 Population for
the Study 43
3.4 Sampling and
Sampling Technique 44
3.4.1 Sample size
determination 44
3.4.2. Sampling
Technique 45
3.5 Instrument for
Data Collection 45
3.6 Validation of
the Instrument 45
3.8 Method of Data
Collection 46
3.9 Method of Data
Analysis 46
CHAPTER
4
RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION
4.0 Results 50
4.1 Analysis of
Research Questions 50
4.4 Major Findings 55
4.5 Discussion of
findings 55
CHAPTER
5
SUMMARY,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary 57
5.1.1 Restatement
of the Problem 58
5.1.2 Description of Methods Used 59
5.2 Conclusion 59
5.3 Recommendations 61
5.4 Contribution
To Knowledge 61
5.5 Suggestion For
Further Studies 62
REFERENCE
Appendix
I
Appendix
II
Appendix
III
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Distribution of questionnaire 50
Table
4.3 Gender distribution 50
Table
4.5 Distribution of respondents based on their educational qualification 52
Table
4.6 Mean responses of respondents on the standard marketing communication
tools uses in tourism industries 52
Table
4.7 Mean responses of respondents on the application of the identified
standard marketing communication tools use in tourism
industry 53
Table
4.9: Mean responses of respondents on the influence applied marketing
communication tools in the level of patronage on
tourism destination 54
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Tourism
destinations are places that have constructed an amalgam of tourist products
and services whose consumption is under the brand name of the destination. The
destinations are well defined geographically and understood by the tourists as
unique entities and exhibit several core provisions (Zygmunt 2013). These
provisions are accessibility, attractions, package activities, and auxiliary
services. According to World Tourism Organization (WTO 2010), a destination is
a unique place where a visitor spends at least one night and exhibit tourism
products such as attractions, support services, and tourism resources complete
with defined management, physical and administrative boundaries, and a well-known
image. Tourism destinations compete for tourists at tourism market leading to a
sharp competitive struggle (Zygmunt 2013). The main objective of regional,
government and the tourism industry stakeholders is to succeed by enhancing the
market communication of their destination. The tourism industry is, in most
countries, the largest player in the economic sectors, therefore, it is an
important factor in the development of any region, and more so, in Europe. By
its nature, it contributes to the stability of both regional and local
economies because of its multiplier effect which helps create business
opportunities in the activities that go into making the tourist comfortable as
well as influencing the creation of employment in the region (Vengesayi 2013).
Tourists
are drawn to a certain tourism destination because of its attractiveness that
reflects the feelings of the tourists regarding the destination perceived
ability to meet their needs. Thus, the more a certain destination meets the
tourist’s needs, the more it is seen to be attractive, and consequently its
popularity grows through effective marketing communication. The ability to meet
the tourist needs include the attributes of the destination or the components
that make the given destination (Biganoa et al 2016). The attractiveness of a
destination is the main factor in getting the tourist to visit and spend time
at a given destination. Consequently, the value of a destination is the pulling
it has on visitors. If a destination does not have the attractiveness value it
cannot attract tourist, and, therefore, there is no need putting up tourist
facilities and services. It is accepted that marketing communication is now a
critical factor in determining the success of industries, organizations, and
even countries. A destination is competitive if it has a growing market share
when measured by the numbers of visitors and the financial returns (Vengesayi
2013). Thus, marketing communication is associated with high visitor’s numbers
and increasing revenue. However, it is important to look at the tourism sector
through the multifaceted nature of the industry since there are diverse players
in industry who are involved in making the destination attractive and
competitive.
Marketing
communications refers to the use of different marketing channels and tools in
combination. Marketing communication channels focus on any way a business
communicates a message to its desired market, or the market in general. Tourism
destinations engage with a variety of tourist in order to pursue their
marketing and business objectives (Kim and Tommy 2013). Engagement refers to
the form of communication and to whether the nature of the messages and media
is essentially intellectual or emotional. Invariably tourism destinations use a
mixture of these two elements in order that they are heard, understood and
engage their audiences in dialogue and mutually beneficial relationships.
Tourism destinations operate across a number of sectors, markets and countries
and use a variety of marketing communications tools to engage with their
various audiences. These audiences consist not only of tourist who visit the
destination but also of people and organizations who might be able to influence
them, who might help and support them by providing, for example, labour,
finance, manufacturing facilities, distribution outlets and legal advice, or
who are interested because of their impact on parts of society or the business
sector in particular (Hollensen S. 2011). There are hundreds of thousands of smaller
organizations that also need and use marketing communications to convey the
essence of their products and services and to engage their audiences. Each of
these organizations, large and small, is part of a network of companies,
suppliers, retailers, wholesalers, value-added resellers, distributors and
other retailers, which join together, often freely, so that each can achieve
its own goals. Effective communication is critically important to tourism
destinations, which is why they use a variety of promotional tools.
Advertising, sales promotion, public relations, direct marketing, personal
selling and added-value approaches such as sponsorship are the most used
(Gilliland and Johnston 2016). In other to get their messages through they use
traditional media such as print and broadcast, cinema and radio; but
increasingly digital media, and the internet in particular, are used to ‘talk’
to and with their customers, potential customers, suppliers, financiers,
distributors, communities and employees, among others.
The
components of the marketing communication include the following, advertising,
direct marketing, personal selling, public relations and sales promotion.
Advertising plays a significant role in promoting tourism destination. This is
a mass media method of marketing communication mediums like television, radio
and even online advertising. Other traditional forms of advertising tourism
destination include newspapers and magazines, the Yellow Pages, billboards,
signs and posters as well, advertising on buses, benches, gas pumps and even
public restrooms are in vogue today.
Direct marketing as means of marketing communication enables tourism
destination to reach out directly to consumers without intermediary channels
such as those required for advertising. Direct marketing communication process
is achieved through direct mail, catalogs, coupons and inserts, telemarketing,
online marketing and television infomercials of tourism destination facilities
and product, direct marketing is the marketing communication method that
enables tourism destination to interact with a relatively large number of
tourist and encourage a “call to action” or “most wanted response” which is
usually a visit to experience the tourism destination (Feng, Prajogo, Tan and
Sohal, 2016). Personal selling occurs when a tourism destination sales
representative meets with a potential tourist for the purpose of transacting a
sale of tourism destination experience and its product. Personal Selling is the
most dreaded as well as the most expensive of all methods in the marketing
communication process of promoting tourism destination, it can be one of the
most rewarding aspects of the marketing process, both personally and
professionally. The whole objective is to ascertain needs and create the best
solution for tourist. Public Relations play a significant role in marketing
communication of tourism destination by carefully handling the business
relationships and the flow of information with the tourist and the general
“publics” or the people who have a stake in or are affected by your business.
According Stern and El-Ansary (2015) Public relations tools include press and
media releases, lobbying, charitable and public events, advertorials, financial
reports, promotional collateral, facility tours, sponsorships, interviews and
any other method for the promotion of a positive image to tourist. Sales
Promotion as component of marketing communication of tourism destination
improves the image of the tourism destination. This is the last traditional component
of the marketing communication mix that is discussed here as part of the
marketing communication process. Sales promotion simply refers to purchase
incentives that you provide your tourist with. These can assume a number of
forms including offering free goods or services, coupons and vouchers, gifts
and prizes, discounts, samples, financial incentives, charitable promotions and
any other value add over and above your standard product or services of the
tourism destination.
McCabe
(2012) Stated that Marketing communications provides the means by which tourism
destinations are presented to their audiences. The goal is to stimulate a
dialogue that will, ideally, lead to a succession of tourism visit and complete
engagement. This interaction represents an exchange between each tourism
destinations and each tourist; according to the quality and satisfaction of the
tourism experience, it will or will not be repeated. It follows, therefore,
that communication is a very important integral part of the tourism
destinations, and it is the skill and judgment of management that determine, in
most cases, success or failure. Marketing communication is an audience centered
activity.
The
world of marketing communications in tourism destination is bright, exciting,
sometimes unpredictable, yet always challenging and evolving (Timothy and Suchi
2014). Managers are now required not only to find new ways to communicate but
also to do so and reduce budgets, and they must account for their
communications spend. Tourist retention is crucial today, and various devices,
such as loyalty schemes, are used to shape long-term customer behavior (Kotler
and Bowen 2016). Organizations now accept that the tools of the promotional mix
are not the only way in which brands communicate (Nedelea 2010). All parts of
the marketing mix communicate. The behaviour of employees and the performance
of products, the actions of competitors, all serve to influence the way in
which each customer perceives a brand. Corporate branding is now recognized as
an integral part of the overall communication effort. Corporate reputation and
the actions undertaken by organizations are perceived not only in terms of
brand values and profits but also in terms of their ethics, and the impact that
organizations have on the environment. Marketing communication agencies are
trying to adjust the way they can best serve the interests of their clients.
One of the results is structural realignment (mergers and takeovers), which can
lead to consolidation. Clients themselves are fighting to generate superior
value for their customers and to find new ways of establishing competitive
advantage. It is against this background the study tends to examine the
Influence of marketing communication in promoting tourism destination.
1.2 Statement of the
Problem
Marketing
communication helps the company to build a strong relationship between the
consumers and the products as it provides information to customers about the
products, making sense of judgement to compare the products with other
companies’ products and facilitate them in buying the products (Ikupolati,
2008). Marketing communication takes into consideration the overall marketing
program of a company rather focusing on one aspect of it. Marketing
communication activities are used by organization for creating and building up
positive image of the product and attainment of long term objectives through
informing and persuading the target audience.
In
the area of marketing, the aspect that has affected tourism development is lack
of application of sales promotion. Since customers are major determinants of
tourism development, their satisfaction on the products and services cannot be
overemphasized. We are living in a competitive business environment where there
are so many businesses as well tourist centers trying to attract customers.
Therefore, sales promotion is necessary if not indispensable in this
competitive business environment. Unfortunately, most tourism destination do
not take this matter very serious. Most tourist centers in Nigeria do not
engage or adopt sales promotion, they believe sales promotion is for
manufacturing or marketing companies that sales products and as such it is not
necessarily important in tourist centers. This belief has affected the growth
and survival of tourist centers in Nigeria. For this reason, most tourist
centers perform well during their first five years of commencement and
eventually decline gradually (Berg, 2001). Consequently, it has been observed
that tourism destinations businesses in Abia have been having problems of
retaining their tourist. The industry has experienced several challenges in the
past which includes price instability, lack of innovation, competitive
advertisement and loss of guest. These
have greatly affected the tourism destinations in terms of their market share,
profitability, market growth and competitive positions. It has therefore become
important to build and maintain long-term base of committed tourist who are
profitable for these tourism destinations through marketing communication.
Though various studies have been conducted in the sector, the available theory
is not sufficient enough in explaining the impact sales promotion have on
tourism destination. There have been numerous studies on sales promotion and
organizational performance but very few studies have anchored it to tourist
destination instead they focused on other business firms. It is against this
backdrop that this study aims to examine the influence of marketing
communication in promoting tourism destination in Abia state.
1.3 Objectives of the
Study
The
main objective of the study is to examine Influence of marketing communication
in promoting tourism destination in Abia state
The specific objectives
of the study are:
·
To identify the standard
marketing communication tools use in tourism industries in Abia.
·
To examine the
application of the identified standard marketing communication tools use in
tourism industry in Abia.
·
To ascertain the
influence on the level of patronage of marketing communication of tourism
destination in Abia state.
·
To ascertain the role of
the applied marketing communication tools in the level of patronage on tourism
destination in Abia state.
·
To determine the most
effective marketing communication channels and tools on tourism destination in
Abia state.
1.4 Research Questions
The
following questions guided the study
·
What are the standard
marketing communication tools uses in tourism industries in Abia?
·
What are the applications
of the identified standard marketing communication tools use in tourism
industry in Abia?
·
What are the influence on
the level of patronage of marketing communication on tourism destination in
Abia state?
·
What is the role of the
applied marketing communication tools in the level of patronage on tourism
destination in Abia state?
·
What are the most
effective marketing communication channels and tools on tourism destination in
Abia state?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
For
the purpose of the study, the following hypotheses is stated in null form
H01: Marketing
communication has no significant influence to promote tourism in the study
area.
H02:
Application of the marketing communication tools used in tourism industry has
no significant influence on tourism destination in the study area.
H03: Marketing
communication tools has no significant influence in the level of patronage on
tourism destination in the study area.
H04:
Effective marketing communication channels and tools has no significant
influence on tourism destination in the study area.
1.6 Significance of the
Study
The
study will be significant to tourism destination, marketers and scholars.
The
findings of the study will educate tourism destination on the Influence of
market communication in promoting tourism destination. Having access to this
work when published will enable tourism destination to know importance of
traditional mass media in tourism destination. The study will also enlighten
tourism destination on the extent digital media influence tourist to patronize
tourism destination. Consequently, the findings of this study will enable
tourism destination to know the challenges facing marketing communication in
promoting tourism destination as well as the possible solution.
Tourists
are the reason for tourism destination establishment and as such their
satisfaction is a priority to tourism destination. The findings of this work
will enhance tourist perception of memory experience in tourism destination.
The study will also enable tourist know the both educative benefits and
religious benefits of tourism destination products and services
The
study will educate marketers on the benefits of marketing communication in
promoting tourism destination on both tourist visits to tourism destination.
The findings of the study will also educate marketers on tourism destination
marketing practices and its influence on tourism destination.
Finally,
the study will educate students of these noble institutions and other
institutions on the Influence of marketing communication in promoting tourism
destination. The study will also serve as a reference material to researchers
who would wish to research on a similar topic in future.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The
study centered on the influence of marketing communication in promoting tourism
destination in selected tourism destination in Abia State. The geographical
scope is Umuahia Metropolis while the unit scope is managers and staff of some
selected tourism destination in Umuahia Metropolis.
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