Marketing to Travel Agents Unit 9

Introduction of Travel Agents

Travel agents can be excellent sources of additional bookings and repeat business for hotels that provide good service to them and their clients.

Marketing to Travel Agents

Travel agents in  India are mostly involved in :

v  A small percentage of these agents were involved in meeting planning

v  The majority concentrated on making airline, cruise, and hotel reservations for business and leisure travelers.

v  Serving niche markets and focused on special interests and activities for their clients.

v  E-ticketing and direct airline booking sites on the Internet impact on the downturn in the travel industry.

v  Travel management companies (also called mega-travel agencies) are giant chains that own and control all aspects of their operations

v  Because of their extensive buying power, they can negotiate special rates for their clients

v  Travel management companies provide complete travel services, including arranging and booking transportation, accommodations, and trips and tours

Statistics

v  22 percent of hotel room nights tentatively

v  Resort hotel receive 50 to 60 percent of their bookings through travel agents depending on situations.

Travel Agencies

Travel plans

v  First Travel assistance: Thomas Cook in 1841.

Began as Mom-and-pop establishments

v  Tours were often guided by the owners of the travel agencies, based on personal experiences at the destinations

Today’s travel agencies

v  Travel management companies

v  Consortiums

v  Independent agencies

Travel management companies, meta-travel agencies

v  Theirs size and scope are giant chains that own and control all aspects of their operations

v  Have extensive buying power to negotiate special rates for their clients

v  Provide complete travel services, including arranging and booking transportation, accommodations, and trips and tours.

v  American Express, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, SITA, Rosenbluth International, World Travel BTI, Sato Travel, Maritz Travel, World Travel Partners, Omega World Travel, Travel and Transport, and Travel One.

Consortiums

v  Groups of travel agent that have partnered to maximize their buying power and share the high cost of today’s computer technology.

v  Make My Trip , Easy Trip, NORTHSTAR Travel Media LLC, Hickory Travel System, Travel Savers, GIANTS, and ABC Corporate Services

Independent Agencies

v  May serve areas not covered by major agencies or may specialize in corporate travel services or in meeting specialized travel needs.

Travelers Served

Business travelers

v  One-half of all business generated by travel agents.

v  More and more travel agencies are serving business groups.

v  In-plant agencies: Many companies like INFOSYS ,TCS are now setting up their own in-house corporate travel agency or contracting with an established agency to setup and run an in-house agency for them

Leisure travelers

v  80 percent of all individual visitors to resort destinations use a travel agent to help plan or book their vacations tentatively.

International travelers

v  Business or leisure travelers.

v  The number of foreign traveling is increasing.

Meeting the Needs of Travel Agents

v  The needs of travel agents can be broken down into two general areas: information about the property, and good service to both travel agents and their clients

Property Information

Global Distribution Systems (GDSs)

v  Hotels can provide basic reservation and rate information to travel agents through the computerized reservation systems developed by the airlines.

v  Four major GDSs: Amadeus, Galileo International, SABRE, and WORLDSPAN.

v  Hotel reservation systems: Pegasus and Wizcom

Internet Distribution Systems

v  A number of consumer-oriented systems have become available.

v  Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline, and Travlocity

v  Internet-savvy individuals to research travel options and book reservations

v  24-hour access and often offering more affordable rooms .

v  Offer great exposure and better deals than the hotel’s own Web site.Like Taj, ITC hotels etc.

Web sites

Faxes and E-mails

v  Property promotions and special rates

Hotel Directories

v  Compare one property’s costs, location, amenities, facilities, and activities with another’s, and make recommendations to clients based on more extensive information than that found in airline reservation systems .

Information packages

v  Property information sheet, photographs of the property, a description of property amenities, and information about booking procedures, commission payments, and special agent programs.

Brochures

v  Video brochures and social media videos

Familiarization (Fam) Tours

v  Offer fam tours to travel agents.

v  Conducted during slack periods and are an effective way to promote the property.

Service

Introduction

v  Travel agents are often blamed for bungled reservations, specific requests that are not met, and any number of details not handled to the guest’s satisfaction at the property.

Toll-free numbers

Travel Agent Clubs Like Club Mahindra etc.

v  Are informed of property events and special programs and discounts through direct mail or a club newsletter.

Commission Payment Plans

v  Preferred travel agents

Serving Travel Agent’s Clients

v  Providing good service to travel agents means providing good service to their clients as well.

Finding Travel Agents

v  The Official Airline Guide (OAG)

v  The World Travel Directory

v  In-house records

v  Industry mailing lists

v  Travel industry trade shows

v  Reaching Travel Agents

v  Hotel Directories

v  Trade Magazines

v  Pertinent location information

v  Rate information

v  Booking information

v  Commission information

v  Direct Mail

v  Trade Shows

v  Membership in Travel Agent Associations

v  Personal Sales

v  Public Relations

The Future of Travel Agents

Cutting further into travel agent business marketing

v  Consumer GDSs

v  Internet travel sites like MMT.

v  Hotels Web sites

v  Small hotels still look to travel agents to fill rooms.

v  Provide additional, personalized service is by attending “destination specialists” programs.

Q&A Outdoor Advertisement

What is Outdoor advertisement ?

Outdoor advertisement, quite simply, is marketing conducted outdoors. Outdoor advertising is any form of promotion of your products or services done outdoors. It is also referred to as out-of-home advertising as it reaches the customers when they are outside their homes.

Billboards—whether print or digital—comprise about 65 percent of all Outdoor advertisement, while signs on buses and public benches are also popular locations. There are almost as many venues for Outdoor advertisement as there are physical locations, but as the above example illustrates, even the sky isn’t immune from Outdoor advertisement. 

Although not restricted to this goal, outdoor advertising works particularly well in attracting local customers—or often, in the case of billboards, visitors to a certain city or resort area. While some people find billboards distracting, four out of five people still consider billboards to be useful and informative.

What are different types of Outdoor Advertising ?

The most commonly known type of outdoor advertising is the billboard. Common forms of outdoor advertising today fall into three categories:

1.  Billboard Advertising

Billboards are most effective when located close to the business advertised. Most people are familiar with billboard advertising, regardless of where they live or travel. Billboards are placed next to high-traffic highways as well as along less-travelled roads in non-urban areas. Drivers see them almost anywhere because they are an efficient and cost-effective means of communicating information that is geographically important – the location of the closest chain fast food restaurant on the route, the nearest motel, or campgrounds at the next exit.

2.  Street Furniture

Street furniture is another popular means of outdoor advertising. These types of advertising includes bench advertising and bus ​ shelter advertising. These are typically found in highly traffic regions ​ such as waiting areas, or slow, busy pedestrian area, “street furniture” applies not just to bus or park benches but also to bus shelters, news racks, and telephone kiosks, among others.   

 3.  Transit

Ads on the sides of busses are the most common form of transit outdoor advertising, but outdoor advertising is common in subway stations and within subway cars, in taxis, along airport walkways, and wrapped around vehicles – one of the newer trends. Transit advertising on buses and taxicabs reaches lots of people, especially commuters. Bus-bench advertising is an excellent medium because it's highly visible, like a billboard. Essentially, bus-bench advertisers have a huge audience, held captive at red lights or in slow-moving traffic.

4. Lamp post advertising

Lamp post advertising is one of the most cheapest and efficient ways of promoting your brand among masses of people.  These are the most traditional forms of outdoor advertising and helps advertisers to specifically target their desired geographical area. Lamp post banners are ideal for city centres and retail parks. For e.g. Manyavaar advertisement in Delhi street

5. Digital Outdoor Advertising

Digital Outdoor Advertising makes use of electronic technology to change what is displayed on the screen. It usually switches from one ad to another within six to eight seconds. These ads could be from different advertisers; the ads would keep rotating.

Why is Outdoor Advertising Important?

Outdoor advertising is important because it’s accessible, it’s measurable, it’s effective and it’s less intrusive than many other forms of advertising. The importance of outdoor advertising is that it allows advertisers to find you when you are occupied outside the home, and often at a time when you are receptive to advertising. Outdoor ads often have a lower CPM (cost per thousand) than other forms of media. Company can use outdoor ads for a variety of purposes, ranging from branding to promoting a certain event .One can target the sort of mass audience one cannot reach with other forms of media.

Outdoor Advertising has the following benefits:

• Getting 24 hours a day attention • Cost effective • These designs capture reader's attention and it has a high reach • These ads are flexible and can be located at any areas where it will most likely to be effective • Builds b

IMC 22414 Question paper

MARKETING TO LEISURE TRAVELERS Unit 8

WHO ARE LEISURE TRAVELERS?.

Those who Travel for pleasure, as opposed to business travel are called as leisure travellers. Often used to indicate a trip of seven days or longer, regardless of its purpose

The leisure travellers market can be divided into two segments, they are,

1 Individual Traveller

2. Group Traveller

INDIVIDUAL LEISURE TRAVELERS

It can be define as non-business guests who are traveling independently rather than with a group on prearranged tour. They can be classified in to following group

-  Families

-  Seniors

-  Baby boomers

-  Generation x

-  Others

FAMILIES

Married couples, couples with children, single parents and grand parents and other family members traveling with children comes under this category. They expect following characteristics from the hotel, such as

·         Rooms with more space

·         Reasonable rates or no rates for children

·         Low cost recreational facilities

·         Rooms with kitchen facilities

·         Kiddies menus

·         Colourful interior rooms

·         In house doctors

·         Babysitting facilities

·         All-inclusive packages

SENIORS

An elderly person above 55 years old comes under this. There four types of seniors by age limit, they are

·         Pre-retirement (50 years -65 years)

·         Young old (65 years -75 years)

·         Old- old (75 years -85 years)

·         85 plus (above 85 years)

What do they expect from a hotel?

·         Quality service

·         Clean and comfortable room

·         Clean and comfortable lounge areas and public areas

·         Rooms with two separate beds

·         High safety and security measures

·         Easy access rooms closer to elevators

·         Elderly care facilities

·         Large well-lit rooms

·         Non slippery floors

How to reach the senior market?

·         Introducing religious tour packages

·         Conducting promotion in various social organization

·         Advertise to older travelers in travel guides

·         Advertise in elders magazines

·         Advertise in news papers

BABY BOOMERS

Baby boomers market consists of the 77 milion people born in the United States between 1946 and 1964 and covers a wide spectrum. Baby boomers include single adults, two income couples without children, couple with children. This is segment wealthier and healthier than seniors.

What do they expect from a hotel?

·         Willing to buy god quality products

·         More recreation facilities

·         variety of foods and beverages

·         Fresh and healthy foods

  

How to reach the baby boomers market?

·         Advertising in Newspapers and Magazines

·         Combination of radio spots and outdoor advertising

GENERATION X

People those who born in between 1965 and 1976.this segment has become a

variable

economic force.

What do they expect from a hotel?

·         Exciting experience

·         Latest entertainment

·         More seafood and vegetarian dishes

·         Prefer for adventure activities

·         Av advertising in computer, travel ,environment magazines

·         Through travel agents

OTHERS

Other individual leisure travellers include businesses travellers who are taking a leisure trip either before or after doing business, affluent leisure travellers, active leisure travellers, and single leisure travellers who may be traveling alone or with a group of other singles.

Business leisure travellers

People those who travel for both purpose will comes under this

• Affluent leisure travellers

This segment consists with those who have wealth and those who have mindset of affluence. Each different person has different needs and interests.

• Active leisure travellers

Active leisure travellers are actively participating with different type of activities in order to spend their leisure time. They really concern such activities like sport, adventure etc.

Single leisure travellers

Here only one member is representing alone for his holiday. Many single leisure travellers look for personal enrichment while on vacatio

GROUP LEISURE TRAVELERS

People those who travel with formulated groups comes under this segmented. Services in group tour packages range from transportation, accommodation, and baggage handling to more extensive arrangements such as meals ,sight seeing ,entertainment, and admission to attractions.

Tour intermediaries

Travel professionals who arrange tours are known as tour intermediaries or travel intermediaries. They include tour brokers, tour wholesalers, and retail travel agents.

Tour brokers

They are also known as tour operators. They do bulk purchasing of hotel products and and other transportation products. Many tour operators operate their own travel agencies through which tours are sold. Most of the times they own charter flights also.

Tour wholesalers

Like tour brokers put tour packages together, but typically work with airlines rather than ground transportation. Most of tour wholesalers contact with hotels, air lines and other travel and lodging suppliers.

TYPES OF TOUR

There are three types of tours commonly taken by group leisure travelers .they are

1.   Motor coach tours

2.   Airline tours

3.   Property package tours

1.   Motor coach tours

Motor coach tours fall in to two general categories. They are,

Over night or Non destination tours

They only one night at a destination expect following this from the hotel side

·   Quick service in baggage handling and meals

·   Wide verity of food choices

·   Fair room service operation
       Express check-outs

               
Destination tours
These guests will be staying a minimum of two nights at a place. They are mainly interest on area sight seen and attraction.