Tourism marketers must keep up with current issues and developments to successfully market to travelers.
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) notes that, despite downturns in the world economy, the tourism industry continues to grow and expand. Marketing tourism requires a specialized knowledge of the tourism industry, including tourism options and the clientele. By relating to the unique issues that play out in the tourist industry, a marketer can create a campaign that will successfully attract people to the sites, products and services he wishes to promote.
Populations
Marketers who work in the tourism industry must learn to create marketing campaigns that will reach the population they wish to target. People tend to travel in groups or to destinations that match their age group and family situation. Marketers who promote an adventure park or a family travel packages will want to reach tourists who will travel with children. Marketers who want to advertise a singles tour will search for ways to target the singles market, and depending on the tour package, will look for the correct singles age-range population to whom to market the package. Tour marketing companies who intend to fill a Christian trip to the Holy Land, for example, will advertise the tour among Christian groups, since the trip’s purpose of Christian spiritual exploration will appeal to individuals who want a Christian experience.
Current Events
Marketers who work in the tourism industry must stay abreast of developments that may affect the tourism industry. Security and political events throughout the world affect the industry in many countries and tourism marketers should build marketing campaigns that consider the geopolitical climate of any area before trying to present it to tourists. This often presents challenges to marketers who must help tourists find safe ways to travel to seemingly dangerous areas. On the other hand, this can also become a tourist market in itself, as a tour marketer can market "fact-finding" tours to encourage people who have an interest in a certain geographic location to travel to the area and learn more about the issues that cause the present climate of unrest.
Specialty Tourism
Tourism marketers must stay on the cutting edge of the industry, noting the different options for tourism that travelers want. Many tourists do not want to simply walk around and see sites. They want to participate in trips that will allow them to challenge themselves through their travels. A tourism marketer can creatively market trips to appeal to individuals who want to find adventure, perform community service, study, participate in ecological activism, join an ecotourism or genealogical heritage tour or otherwise involve themselves in a unique form of travel. Marketing to travelers who search for such specialty tourism can spell success for a tourism marketer.
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