Public Relations in Travel and Tourism - Essay Example

Introduction In today’s world borders between countries have started to disappear as a result of globalization. Transportation and communication havebecome easier as compared to the past century. Furthermore, after the foundation and establishment of the European Union there has been free flow of people between member countries (Ellul and Council of Europe, 2000). This has resulted in growth and development of the tourism and travel sector. In the contemporary world there are many forms of tourism including historical, business and conference, cultural, health tourism and adventure tourism. In order to attract tourists in the highly competitive market, the management uses marketing and management tools that should be taken into consideration (Mill and Morrisson, 2002). The most important marketing tool is Public Relations (PR) as it plays a key role in advertising the locations, activities and identities. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role and importance of PR in the tourism and travel industry. Role of PR to travel and tourism PR in travel and tourism has a very important role to play as it is used in strategic marketing activities and is integrated with marketing communications. The tourism industry is divided into many sectors including travel, tourist destinations, establishments, hotels lodgings and restaurants. The different sectors have their specific audience, public relation tools and convey different messages. The important role of PR is to create favourable perceptions about the tourist destination because success of the industry relies on the different sectors as explained by Deuschl (2006). The sectors need effective PR to gain popularity among the tourists. The PR department creates a positive impression in all the sectors in the travel and tourism industry. The role of PR involves attracting customers and keeping them entertained after they arrive at the destination to their time of departure. The primary purpose of PR is to effectively support other marketing and sales activities attempting to build a positive image of a company, its services and products (Deuschl, 2006). PR help the organization to save money by enhancing relations with the public that constrain or enhance the ability of the entity to meet its obligations. PR is different from other marketing tools, most importantly advertising since it creates the launch of a brand and it has greater credibility. PR promotes improved understanding between the operators and customers. There has been increased competition in the tourism sector among the operators to create awareness of the existing products and new facilities to customers. The media is the major mode of advertising e.g. through print media, word of mouth and electronic media. In the present world the press is taking the tourism industry with the magnitude it deserves (Reddi, n. d.). This is because the parties in the sector have managed to convince the media that travel and tourism have an important role to play in the local and national economies (Gillian, 2007). Many tourist companies are making a foundation of their image by advertisements and travel and image brochures. Recent trends on the television programming display windows of travel agencies and people are exposed to images of numerous exotic tourist destinations. Importance of PR to travel and tourism to the tourist organization PR is important in travel and tourism since it reflects every aspect of an organization involving the stakeholders; the media, the shareholders, the employees and most importantly, the customers. PR can be described as an important management tool and an integral aspect in the integration of the organization and its publics (Cooper et al., 2008). PR is a component of destination marketing and plays an important role globally and nationally. Tourism related organizations should find appropriate and reliable strategic marketing support precisely in PR (Rodgers, 2001). PR is important to the travel and tourism industry since it helps the organizations to achieve their objectives by controlling and influencing the perceptions of the customers. The primary objective is to create, change and reinforce the opinion of the customer through persuasion. Corporate communication is an important PR activity since it covers internal and external communication and enhances cohesion within the organization. PR can be defined as the function of communication within the tourism and travel organization. It evaluates public attitudes in correspondence with planning and executing programs of actions that create public understanding and acceptance (McCabe, 2009). It entails internal communication within the organization, public affairs, customer relations, community relations and all media events. This can all be summed up as creation of a good public image that is necessary for these organizations. PR helps a company to establish a market base and reach a wider scope of customers. Range of publics within a travel and tourism context PR is seen as being complementary to media advertising in the travel and tourism industry. In this industry, PR is viewed as being a positive and important aspect in the sector. Efficient PR starts by establishing credibility across the organization before venturing into the media and other methods (Middleton et al., 2009). The tourism related organizations are encouraged to exploit a wide range of creative subjects as the industry is inherently interesting. The industry is cyclical and the role of public relation is necessary in every aspect (McCabe, 2009). PR skills The tourism industry is highly competitive and companies need to apply proper PR skills to stand out and to make their services noticeable to the public through the media (Reddi, n. d.). Most organizations are using technology as the major tool in targeting their customers worldwide. This includes company websites, social networks and blogs in PR and they are able to relay their messages to their target audiences (Cass, 2007). Strategies are the ways used to get the attention of the target audience by using the information collected concerning them and directing the intended message to them by using technology and other social mediums. There are various tools and skills that can be applied by organizations in the practice of PR (Cooper, et al., 2008). Traditional press releases and media kits are used to generate messages to the public. Companies are using interactive media such as facebook, twitter, blogs and relation campaigns. There are specific tools that are applied by individuals including good organization skills, an extrovert personality and good interaction skills. For the written form of PR the skills should include proper writing skills, high command of different languages and use of attractive language. PR calls for flexibility, ability to travel and interact with people from different backgrounds and culture and be able to relate well with them. Range of use of the media in public relations PR demands a proper communication channel to be used in order for it to be successful. Unlike the old days, PR is no longer about meeting people face to face. Instead, it is about using the internet as an important tool. This way the PR personnel does little work because once a viral buzz is created, they can sit back and watch other people do their work for them. Social networking sites especially Twitter and Facebook are powerful tools that come in handy when dealing with PR using the online medium (Cass, 2007). In a nut shell, using the online medium is more convenient as it is faster, cheaper and reaches a greater number of people in as shorter period of time. Relationship between PR and the media The relationship between the media and the PR industry is increasingly symbiotic and complex (Corporate Watch, 2010). The media is considered to be the backbone of most of the messages in the PR industry. The PR department in any organization needs to place its information in the news and other publications. This helps the companies to establish the most important avenue for communication with the public. The media in return is dependent on PR to supply content and material to publish and air information. The principal point of contact between organizations, the media and the PR departments can control the information which the journalists want. One of the most important tools for supplying content to the media is the press release. The largest supplier of information and content is the UK Press association (Corporate Watch, 2010). The Press association supplies information concerning all the commercial organizations and customers can subscribe to its information and news. Most of the Press Association content is produced by its network of staff including journalists and photographers and this boasts impartiality that helps to establish its reputation. The independence of the Press Association is compromised by its relationship with the PR industry. The appropriateness of media used with different PR techniques in tourism and travel contexts It is appropriate for the Public relation officers to figure out the best media to utilize in order to come up with the best results (Reddi, n. d.). For instance, some stories are better suited for newspapers as opposed to the television when they come out into the public and PR needs to determine which ones are more convenient. Usually what appears on one news channel is bound to appear in all major mediums if the story is worth airing. However, the difference comes in when it comes to the delivery of the story. For instance, TV delivers news with emotion excellently while radio gives people a chance to debate over a matter but sometimes it kills a story by taking all the juiciness out of it. Other mediums also vary and it is upon the PR to decide which is most suitable. A PR plan and key publics The PR plan should be combined with the overall marketing plan of the organization. This is mandatory as it is important to consider how PR fits into other marketing initiatives in order to maximize the collective impact (Deuschl, 2006). When it comes to formulating the plan, clear objectives should be set to help the organization achieve optimum benefits from the media. PR requires flexibility and the department should acknowledge that things may change overtime. The PR plan should incorporate the following aspects: Assess and plan The PR department should review the previous year’s activities and analyze the media attention generated by the organization. They consider the areas that resulted to positive coverage by the media. They should review the overall coverage received and assess the results of the subscribed media service and compare this against the major competitors. This is followed by the development of the key messages in sync with the overall business objectives. Media outreach This should be in the form of vigilant reporters, placing articles in the essence of PR and they should understand the basis of a solid media plan (Reddi, n.d.). Before involving any PR activities, the department should take time and develop a database of key reporters that pertain to the tourist and travel industry and organize them on the basis of how they assist to reach their target audience. Blogs and social media The above communication tools have gained popularity in the tourism sector as they offer a platform to have an active discussion with a motivated audience. The organization should research on the blogs that relate to the industry and choose the appropriate one (Cass, 2007). This is an appropriate method since it helps the company to publish all materials to a wide range of audience and can initiate a series of discussions. Speaking opportunities These offer an opportunity for generating exposure to the target audience. The plan should include seminars, trade shows, web seminars and research conferences. Such engagements have a tremendous impact for a fast growing industry. However, they also require cautious planning as most opportunities should be finalized a few months in advance. In conclusion, formulation of a PR plan helps the department with the generation of new ideas and opportunities in the achievement of the objectives and smooth running of the daily operations. PR strategies are always subject to change and planning enables the achievement of the goals while maintaining focus. The appropriate media to reach the intended audience The research plan should identify the target audience and decide on the intended message using the appropriate media. The figure below shows the segments of visitors holidaying in the United Kingdom. UK domestic visitor segments (Tourism business toolkit, 2004) According to the above chart, the highest number of visitors is the high street group. Aged between 26-35 years and have an average income of 2,150 Euros (Tourism business toolkit, 2004). They are interested in arts and culture, sceptical and pay for quality if it is proven and take long holidays and are mainly attracted to the bargain for short breaks. They care about the opinions of others and they follow the trends in the market, though they are always willing to try out a new experience. The appropriate media to reach the target audience includes: Blogs and social media Media outreach Social sites The popularity of social sites is catching up with all age groups without leaving out people between the ages of 26-35 years. According to Marvist (2009), worldwide users increased by 25% between June 2008 and June 2009. Linkedln is particularly dominated by ages 26-35 while Twitter is used by 24-33 year olds. This particular age group uses these sites less for social activity and a great deal more for business and formal matters. This is a fast and cheap way of reaching to this target group. Statistics on the current trends in tourism and travel in the UK The tourism sector in the UK has intensified in the recent past as higher numbers of visits have been recorded. Statistics show that visits abroad by the residents increased by 4% while visits to the UK increased by 6% (Office for National Statistics, 2010). The increase in visits abroad by the residents follows a lengthy period of decreases, the visits in the recent times are still held back as compared to the previous years. The non-seasonally regulated 18.8 million visits is lower as compared to the previous year. In the past 3 months there has been an increase in the number of seasonally regulated visits by the overseas residents which increased by 6% which translated to 7.6 million. The spending on overseas residents increased to 4.4 billion Euros which translates to a 7% increase. There was an increase in the number of visits abroad by UK residents over the same period that increased by 4% to approximately 14 million. The associated government spending also increased by 2%. Visits for holidays decreased by 8%, business trips decreased by 15% and visitation from friends and family decreased by 7%. The graph below shows the rise in visits to and from the UK (Office for National Statistics, 2010). Tourism and travel trends in the United Kingdom (Office for National Statistics, 2010). Online travel sales in the European market increased by 17% in the year 2008 which translated to 58.4 billion Euros. The UK accounted for 30% of the European online travel market in 2008 with Germany in second place at 18% (Office for National Statistics, 2010). Trends in European internet distribution (Marcussen, 2009) Recommendations and conclusion As with all other sectors of the economy, the travel and tourism is hugely affected by poor performing economy. The United Kingdom has an advantage as compared to other destinations due to the weakening value of its currency. The country should capitalize on this and apply proper public relation tools to target some audience. The media and PR share a mutual relationship and the travel and tourism industry should use this as the main mode of advertisement. Tourism and travel organizations should formulate a flexible PR plan to market their services and products. The tourism and travel industry is dynamic and public relation is the best mode of advertising for the industry since it reaches a higher number of the target audience. References Cass, J 2007, Strategies and tools for corporate blogging, Butterworth-Heinemann. Cooper, C, Fletcher, J, Fyall, A, Gilbert, D & Wanhill, S 2008, Tourism: Principles and practice, 4th edn, Prentice Hall. Corporate Watch 2010, PR and lobbying industry, viewed 26 October, 2010, . 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Reddi, n. d., Effective PR and media strategy, PHI Learning Pvt. Rodgers, J 2001, Travel and tourism, Heinemann. Tourism business toolkit, 2004, North East England domestic customer profiles, viewed on 26 October, 2010, . Read More