Background Information on the Travel Agency - Essay Example

?TRAVEL PLANS Executive summary The report looks at two a holiday plan for two separate but related couples covering duration of one week. The paper undertakes a background check of the two set of couples with consideration to their respective value segments. Background information on the travel agency preparing the plan is also included with information of contact, history and strategic partnerships well highlighted. As an organization in the hospitality industry, the agency has entered into profitable pacts with major hotels in Venice and serves the purpose of bringing new business to such hotels at a fee. The agency also makes its money from coming up with plans like what is contained in this paper. History of Venice is covered extensively and reasons that make it a tourist destination of choice well documented. A day to day analysis of the two set of couples’ itinerary is provided with distinct activities that make each couple’s experience unique clearly highlighted. A justification for each activity undertaken by the two couples is equally provided to give explanation as to why the chosen activities are of value to the couples. A conclusion of the plan has been drawn and proper references cited in line with the Harvard referencing style. Introduction and purpose of the report The report covers a plan for two related by distinct couples, one that is newly wedded and the parents of the bride. The two clients of are from distinct value segment with newlyweds focusing on romance while the older couple have interest in luxury tourism. This report shows how the 7 P’s of marketing apply in both scenarios with main focus on Price, Promotion and place. Justification for location and activity choices for the two set of clients brings into focus the underlying marketing principles that must be met to achieve value addition to customers. Background General information of the couples 1st client- couple A This is a young newly married couple of between 20-30 years in age who are planning to enjoy their honeymoon in Venice, Italy, for a period of one week. They are scheduled to arrive in Venice on Thursday 30th August 2012 and shall depart on 6th September 2012 having spent one week in Venice as planned. During their stay, they seek to have romance and enjoy each other’s company as is the norm with young newlywed couples, they also desire to be taken in and around Venice and Italy at large to view the serenity and magnificent sights of the country but have to meet the wife’s parents if such need may arise, probably during meals and. They contemplate taking some excursions together. 2nd client- Couple B This set of second client includes are persons aged between 50-60 years and are the parents of the wife to the first client who are newly married. They, like their daughter and son-in-law are having a visit to Vince city in Italy and are scheduled to arrive on Thursday the 30th of August 2012 and depart on 6th September 2012, having spent one week of vacation. They are healthy physically and thus can undertake any physical activity on the excursion, unlike the first client, they seek to have luxury holiday while visiting the sights and beautiful places in and around Venice and Italy at large. And just like their son-in-law and daughter, they too would like at some point in their visit, to meet each other if need may be. Value segments (VALS) Value segment is fundamental to marketing and company’s profitability entirely depend on it for they inform the organization on the aspirations, thinking, self images and behaviors of individuals. They include; basic needs, fairer deal, traditional family life, conventional family life, look at me, something better, real conservatism, young optimism, visible achievement and socially aware (Roy Morgan Research 2012, p1). Couple A In this category of clientele, considering their ages and professionalism, they are still a young couple with ambition and competitiveness in life, seeking to improve their career lives by getting better jobs and thus can travel widely to achieve their dreams in order to have the sense of fulfillment and freedom to enjoy social life. They seek respect from the society, embrace technology by surfing the internet and watching international programmes leading to the never ending desire to travel abroad for work and studies. They are equally conscious of their image and think about the future about their families, careers and friends (Levine & Benjamin, C.1995, pg, 55) therefore young optimism segment shall apply and their entire travelling plan should put these factors into consideration. Couple B This category involves the elderly of 50-60 years of age and has seemingly been successful in the social ladder of the society in whatever they do and need not to prove this or show off their successes. They however still have and hold dearly their notion of family, society and work values and traditions; they look for quality and value for their finances and are good in negotiations. They do read magazines and newspapers a lot; this couple is practical, always striving to get things done (Levine & Benjamin, C. 1995, pg, 61) Therefore they belong to the segment of visible achievement and their traveling plan should be tailored towards these considerations for their complete satisfaction. Plaza Travelers Agency Plaza Travelers is a tour company based in Venice town, but has operations in the entire Italy. It was started in 1988 in order to assist tourists with traveling plans and such for our clients on holiday in Italy. We have wide range of clients drawn from all over the world with the majority from USA, UK and Russia. We offer tour packages for both single and group travelers and provide hotels and villas reservations, bus travels in Italy and visit to cultural sites. We are endowed with 50 dedicated staff members working at various levels and our tour leaders are specialized in different languages for easier communication. We equally have bike, walk and adventure tours and our guides are well acquainted with all areas of attraction around Italy. In order for a one-stop shop, we partner with various hotels and camping parks such as Hotel Roma-$36 for one night, Hotel Emma-$35 for a night, Hotel Spagana that charges $40 for a night, Hotel Indicatore- $ 37 for a night and Al Gambero-$37 for a night, plus many others that are based in Rome while others in Venice and other towns in Italy that offer good accommodation at fair prices (LateRooms.com (1999, pg 38) Contact us at: Tel: +802 454-58931333 Fax: +802 11 789 1723 Mobile: +802 84 897 1618 Email: info@plazatravelersagency.com Plaza Travel Head Office: (802) 454-58931333 16799 Quaker St Lincoln, VT 058746 Correspondence To: P. O. Box 7890, Venice 2146, Italy. Brief History of Venice This is an Italian town in Firenze province surrounded by landscape of Tuscan Hills that have vineyards and olive groves. Among its main sites are Museo Leonardiano that shows historical artifacts, Casa di Leonardo- the birth place of Leonardo da Vinci and church of Santa Croce (Bakerjian, 2012, pg 4). It is known for its ancient water ways and historical background that dares centuries ago. Its architecture is one of a kind with replica in Las Vegas and other Asian highlands where magnificent hotels showcasing Venice architectural heritage have been constructed (Okumus, & Yasin, 2008 P 21). Itinerary Itinerary for Couple A Price: AUD1899 per person Day 1: Arrival The couple to be picked at the airport and welcomed to Venice by a local English-speaking tour guide. They will then be transferred using a private car to Ca’ Arco Antico Guesthouse located at Rialto Market, which is in the centre of Venice (Davis & Marvin 2004, P251). The first day is for relaxing after a very long flight. However, the couple can feel free to navigate the nearby areas. Day 2: Exploring Venice and the Gondola Grand Canal Cruise After the 8 o’clock breakfast, the couple will meet the rest of the group at the Rialto Market for a walking tour around Venice which will culminate at Piazza San Marco. They will first visit the Bridge of Sighs (one of the charming places in Venice) and then head towards the Gondola Grand Canal Cruise. The meeting point for the cruise is the Gondola park of Santa Maria Del Giglio. The cruise will take approximately one hour and will feature passing through the Peggy Guggenheim. The final stop for the day will be at San Marco at a place called Piazza San Marco. The couple will either choose to stay for a little exploration or follow the rest of the group to the hotel. Day 3: Exploring the Venice Islands The couple will meet the rest of the group at the usual place immediately after the 9 am breakfast. The tour will involve exploring the three islands (Burano, Murano and Torcello) in Venice. Each island has its unique features such a museum, great buildings, and a beautiful landscape. The tour will be done using boats. Day 4: Venetian Cuisine Tour The meeting place for the tour remains the same. Afternoon is the time to begin the tour. The journey will start by discovering Venetian food with cicchetti, which must be consumed with a glass (ombra) of wine (Davis & Marvin 2004, P92). The tour will begin at San Marco’s and end at the Rialto Bridge. Some of the foods to be sampled include pasta (the risottos), fish courses (scampi alla busara) among other foods. After the tour, the couple is free to enjoy the rest of the day as they wish. Day 5: Meet-up with Couple B The couple will meet Couple B at the city square for a photo tour around Venice. The tour will begin at 11 am in the morning. They will then meet for lunch at the Rialto Market and in the evening for coffee at Piazza San Marco. Day 6: Free Day The couple is free to explore Venice as much as they want. Day 7: Departure The couple will check out immediately after breakfast (8.30am) and leave for the airport. Options For Day 4, the couple can opt to visit the hill towns of Veneto in the morning before they begin their afternoon tour. They will meet at the usual place with other groups who are interested in the tour. Inclusions Ca’ Arco Antico Guesthouse Breakfast is offered at the hotel on a daily basis Local emergency contact numbers Museum entrance fees Gondola Grand Canal Cruise All transportation for the various tours is catered for Fees for food and wine tasting in the Venice Cuisine Tour Justification Marketing mix is a variety of tools that an industry segment or individual companies use to improve target client experience (Wenderoth 2009, P18). In the case of Couple A, the itinerary prepared reflects their financial capability. Stated below are justifications given for choosing the above hotels and tourist spots; this is done based on the 3Ps of marketing mix used by these service providers to appeal to their young and low spending clients. Place Venice is an expansive place with well developed water transport system. In analysing the concept of place, emphasis is laid on location which should be easily accessed by the target market (Hackley 2010, P115). These low cost hotels are positioned within the market centres and have many outlets to provide Couple A with a variety of choices. Couple A will take a walk around Venice streets; this makes them avoid relatively high costs associated with other means of transport. In another sense, as they take joint trips, they share bills which reduce on overall tour costs. These hotels are also close to each other within the streets and hence in cases of, for instance full bookings, you are referred to another place not so far away. They avoid first day spending to relax at the affordable guest house located at Rialto Market. Ca’ Arco Antico Guesthouse is chosen for its affordability compared to other guest houses of its class in the area, and richness in entertainment. The place is a preferred destination for young couples during their honeymoon. This gives them time to bond with each other and with their new environment. They also share their romantic moments as they are newly-weds. Price In terms of pricing, these low cost facilities especially hotels offer flexible terms on products offered in order to appeal to segmented clients (Barrows, Powers & Powers 2009, P 283). For instance, there are special lower cost packages for couples at Ca’ Arco Antico Guesthouse. On arrival at the airport, Couple A is picked by a low cost tour guide using just a private car to move them to Ca’ Arco Antico Guesthouse. Boats are a cheap means of transport around Venice. On the third day, they use this means of transport to check out the 3 islands. This is an informal trip which is taken by Couple A after having breakfast at their rooms to avoid expensive restaurants dotting Venice; breakfast costs is included in the overall room rates. However, they can have a taste of local delicacies prepared along the streets. On the fourth day, the couple gets time to savour local dishes while at the same time spending much time together. To avoid high overhead costs, Couple A spends morning hours updating their journals are having a little bit of time in their room. The places chosen for the meals are within Venice’s markets and are low cost restaurants to have fish and pasta. Promotion Information on tourist sites available within Venice are available in brochures available in major information centres, for instance, visitor’s desk at a number of hotel receptions. There offer additional promotional services to their clients including catering for their museum entrance fees, Gondola Grand Canal Cruise and providing transportation for a number of tours. In order to reach a global audience, the guesthouse and its services are promoted through the Internet, newspapers, leisure magazines, radio, and billboards. These facilities have local emergency contact numbers that help tourists get first hand information or help on matters pertaining to their stay in Venice. Using this toll free medium, the couple is able to get information on the available tourist spots and other relevant information (Woods, King & Woods 2010, P181). Couple B Itinerary for Couple B Price: AUD3899 per person Day 1: Arrival They are picked from the airport in a limousine and driven to Casa Nicolo Priuli Guest House; supper will be delivered in the hotel room. Apart from a pleasant welcome, the company provides personnel that take care of the communication needs of the couple, implying that English speaking guides and servants will be deployed. Day 2: Ca’ d’Oro in Cannaregio and Italian coffee The first activity takes place after breakfast, which is usually delivered at the hotel room, and you will be picked at 9.00 am for a visit of the city center with historic Ca’ d’Oro in Cannaregio, being the main visitation destination for the day. The historic site has several art and Italian design heritage to be learnt and a considerable amount of time for the entre morning implies that the afternoon session will not be long. The afternoon session will include tasking of Italian coffee and refreshments in a Venice restaurant of choice before being driven back to the hotel room. Alternatively, a visit to Torcello Island for an exciting boat ride and a feel of the sea breeze while watching the sunset. The day ends with supper served in the hotel room. Day 3: Rialto Market and San Polo Church You will have an option of visiting the famous Rialto Market in San Polo after breakfast, with the other option involving visiting the ancient San Polo Church reminding you of the rich Christian heritage of the city. It is an important section of the City of Venice with a rich attachment to Christian history and such a visit may open up desire to visit other options such as the San Marco Church. Afternoon session will include having a visit to the ongoing Venice Film Festival before heading back to the hotel room for supper and retire for the day. Day 4: Correr Museum and Regata Storica Museum visitation is the theme of the day’s attractions, an activity that will kick off after breakfast in Day 4 of their stay. Visiting the Correr Museum, which possesses some of the most decorated artwork not only in Italy but also in Europe, will be offered through a drive from 9.30 am. A different location of a similar nature could also be on the offer if the customer so chooses at the Museum of Oriental Art. Afternoon attraction for the day’s activity involves attending the antiquated Regata Storica that offers a rich heritage of the best of Italian traditional cultural festivals. Transport back to the hotel will be offered after the attendance from 7.00 pm. A different activity would be a coffee hour outing to sample and taste Italian traditional foods offered at the Regata Storica restaurant that opens only during the festival. Day 5 Meet-up with Couple A The couple will meet Couple A at the city square for a photo tour around Venice. The tour will begin at 11 am in the morning. They will then meet for lunch at the Rialto Market and in the evening for coffee at Piazza San Marco. Day 6: Lido Island and Brenta Riviera The morning hours from 9.00 am will involve a walk into the city which will be led by a tour guide for various locations as the customer proposes, with episodic stops in the public parks around the city to have a better view of the city. Alternatively, a visit to the breathtaking Lido Island with historic importance to the City of Venice will be proposed in place of the walk. Fishing and boat riding experiences of the island visit depict its attractive scenes for the elderly segment of its tourists. A drive to the hotel for a resting afternoon would be offered or a visit to the nearby Brenta Riviera historic location be provided. Day 7: Departure Day 7 will include departure beginning at 9.0 am, checking out through our assistance and transport to the airport. Inclusions: Casa Nicolo Priuli Guest House Supper and Breakfast served at the hotel room Museum Pass Transport around Venice and to any event Private tour guide Local emergency contact numbers Coffee and refreshments at evening outings Justification The same marketing mix items applied for Couple A is used to assess Couple B. These are two entities coming to Venice with different spending patterns and expected experience. Couple B is more formally oriented, having the financial might to get accommodation and food at high-end facilities (Michman & Mazze 2006, P49). Place The high-end hotels have effective communication channels which ensure customers have first hand information on the various views or level of opulence in the hotels. This ensures there is ease of access. Casa Nicolo Priuli Guest House is chosen for its wide range of luxurious services and strategic location within the city. The place has a lot of extra features including plush furnishings and HD TVs in each of the hotel rooms which spells good executive entertainment and convenience. There are standby employees to give the couple full attention and guide when need be. A visit to San Polo Church will be appropriate as it will remind them of the rich Christian heritage of the city and the community at large. This is a couple having enough time to tour and interested in having a feel of the local traditions. Price Couple B is picked by a limousine from the airport to their room which signifies luxury; this market segment must be provided with their requirements for them to achieve full satisfaction. Couples B are formal tourists; this means that they spend a considerable amount of their time accessing historic sites. They will take a trip to Ca’ d’Oro in Cannaregio on their second day; this is a site full of historical designs and artifacts. They take their time to study and get collectables when they so need. On the third day, they visit the prestigious Venice Film Festival; this is a place where they get to interact with the high and mighty in the film industry across the world. They also attend the well revered Regata Storica which is a display of Italy’s rich heritage. A visit to the famous Brenta Riviera is also an expensive affair for the financially capable. Promotion Their promotional mix has a number of initiatives aimed at rewarding customers. They pay for client’s museum fees, offer transport around Venice and to any event, offer private tour guide services and lastly, provide coffee and refreshments in the evenings. The guesthouse and its services are promoted through leisure magazines, newspapers, radio, and billboards and on the internet (Hackley 2010, P119). Conclusion Planning for a tourist visitation to a tourist destination city such as Venice is a high-end hospitality and service industry with unique demands as illustrated above. Despite the fact that there are more complex and highly customized services than in the tourism and hospitality industry, the impact generated by modern day travel packages to business and social life is vital to the business fraternity. Continued commercialization in service industry illustrates its maturity into a business component worth the revenue generation capacity demonstrated over the years. In order for business benefits that the service industry presents to the investment fraternity to make real transformations into the sector, several changes have taken place. Integration of mainstream business tenets and theoretical contribution into the service industry has paid off in many ways in the development of the industry as a stable functionality in the market. Service industry in the modern setting must uphold certain business tenets in order for sustainable productivity to be realized. Among the most important considerations in the service sector understands the customer and the market attributes from characterization of customer behavior. As illustrated above in the criteria used for the identification of the customer categories in the above report, understanding the exact customer needs facilitates delivery of quality services at a more efficient level of effort. More accurate service delivery reduces costs and enhances of chances of customer loyalty that is important in their retention for the sustainability of the business. Communication of the appropriate information to the customers is vital for purposes of creating loyalty and brand presence in the market geared towards competitive advantage (Lovelock and Wirtz 2007, p186). References Bakerjian, M. (2012, August 4). Vinci Italy - Home Town and Museum of Leonardo da Vinci. Italy Travel - Italy Vacations and Travel Guide . Retrieved August 24, 2012, from http://goitaly.about.com/od/tuscany/a/Vinci-town-of-leonardo-da-vinci.htm Barrows, C. W., Powers, T. F., & Powers, T. F. (2009). Introduction to management in the hospitality industry. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons. Davis, R. C., & Marvin, G. R. (2004). Venice, the tourist maze: a cultural critique of the world's most touristed city. Berkeley, Calif. [u.a.], Univ. of California Press. Hackley, C. (2010). Advertising and promotion: an integrated marketing communications approach. Los Angeles [u.a.], SAGE Publ. LateRooms.com. (1999, June 3). Hotels in Italy. Find Discount Italy Hotels at LateRooms.com. Late Rooms-Cheap Hotels, Discount Hotels & Last Minute Hotels Deals. Make Hotel Reservations & Book Hotels with Hotel Offers.. Retrieved August 24, 2012, from http://www.laterooms.com/en/r7_hotels-in-italy.aspx#nrsqez Levine & Benjamin, C. (1995, December 6). [Roy Morgan Research] Values Segments. [Roy Morgan Research] Market Research. Retrieved August 24, 2012, from http://www.roymorgan.com/products/values-segments/values-segments.cfm Lovelock, C. H., & Wirtz, J. (2009) Services Marketing: People, Technology, Strategy (7th edn) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Michman, R. D., & Mazze, E. M. (2006). The affluent consumer: marketing and selling the luxury lifestyle. Westport, Conn, Praeger Publishers. Okumus, A., & Yasin, B. (2008) Examining the Image of Italy, France and Morocco as a tourist destination, 4th World conference for Graduate Research in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure, 22-27 April 2008, pp.12-24. Roy Morgan Research. (2012) Values segments [online], Roy Morgan Research. Available from: [accessed 13 Aug. 2012]. Wenderoth, M. (2009). Particularities in the Marketing Mix for Service Operations. Mu?nchen, GRIN Verlag GmbH. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:101:1-2010090216524. Woods, R. H., King, J. Z., & Woods, R. H. (2010). Leadership and management in the hospitality industry. Lansing, Educational Institute, American Hotel & Lodging Association. Read More