TOURISM MARKETING

TOURISM MARKETING

In tourism the customer (tourist) experiences the product and the total environment surrounding that product is integral to the experience.Take for example agra as destination.The attractions there include the famous Taj Mahal, Fort sikandra and fatehpursikri,etc. The tourists come to see these attractions but they also experience the condition of roads,pollution,garbage,beggars,touts and shopping malpractices.On the other hand,those in the informal and small scales sector often have negative perceptions about tourists. The result is that an excellent tourism attraction becomes a bad experience. Thus,in the marketing terminology the tourism product has to be designed, developed and maintained taking into account all the factors.

In all countries the primary role of local bodies in facilitating tourism, recreation and leisure is well documented. For example in England individual towns, cities and districts have established their local tourism offices for promoting tourism to thier areas and this has the backing of the local body and authority .They organise special events, undertake promotional activites, and establish Tourist Information centres, These information centres provide tourists with information like bus or flight timings, accomodation, eating joints, festivities, entertaiment, sightseeing etc.

Once the local bodies become equal players in tourism they can take care of a variety of things such as:

• Asses local responses,
• Give technical advise to the locals,
• Create touirsm awareness in the area,
• Organise special events,
• Patronise artisans and artists,
• Help in forming cooperatives of the providers of tourism services at the destination,
• Provide the tourists as well as the outside intermediaries information about the available accomodation, etc. and
• Provide assistance for market research through compiling or making available the data related to the destination and visitors, etc .

The local bodies have to take care of the resource attraction problem also which is often a major hurdles in their work. They need people , volunteers, audiences and funds. Their funding is largely through tax collection and government grants. They must go for fund raising campaigns among the local beneficiaries of tourism, tourism industry and also the tourists. However this needs a planned and organised approach.

The local bodies must also evaluate the infrastructure and determine the carrying capacity of the destination.