Tourism and Travel Distribution in a Changed World - Case Study Example

National Parks Name Institution Course Professor Date Executive Summary This paper provides a report that analyses national parks as tourist attractions. The report is governed by the objective “to analyze the distribution strategy adopted by national parks.” National parks are preservatives of national heritage of countries and areas of attractions to tourists from different geographical locations. The report finds that national parks have embarked on using various marketing and communication strategies to attain success. These include direct and indirect marketing, offline and online channels, and promotional tools like advertisements, sales promotions, and public relations. The report also establishes that intermediaries play a significant role in the distribution channels of national parks. As such, the report recommends that national parks develop online channels of communication and marketing tool as a means of attracting more customers. This should include keen focus on revenue management. Finally, the report concludes that national parks are adopting online tourism communication channels, and national parks have to ensure that customers obtain credible information. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 Attraction 5 Distribution and Marketing Communication Strategies 6 Recommendations 11 Conclusion 13 References 14 Introduction Marketing and communication strategies are the key determiners of the success of various attraction sites. This occurs since marketing tools and strategies determine the share of an attraction in terms of customer base within the available market segment. On the other hand, communication strategies determine the ability of an attraction to have delivered concrete information to its potential customers and users within the market segment (Fodness, and Murray, 1997). As such, attraction sites within the tourism industry have to focus on embracing effective marketing and communication channels, which will ensure that they have the ability and potential to acquire their desired market share, as well as attract more tourists. However, given the nature of business for attractions, there is a need for the various attractions to focus excessively on people. National parks are examples of attractions, which aim at attracting tourists from different geographical locations. As such, national parks have to develop effective marketing, distribution, and communication channels, which will ensure that these potential tourists have the ability of obtaining credible information on national parks from their countries. The objective of this report is to analyze the distribution strategy adopted by national parks. This objective of the report has been achieved by first comprehending what are national parks and assessing the parties, which are involved in the national parks. This includes consideration of intermediaries, tourists, and national parks. The role of these three parties in national parks has been assessed with reference to distribution strategy, which has to be adopted by national parks in order to attain success. The analysis discusses the overlap of integrated distribution and marketing communication, as well as the theories of distribution and integrated marketing communication. The impact of the three parties on distribution strategies of national parks has also been assessed effectively. Attraction The selected attraction for discussion is the national park. A national park is regarded as one of the habitats of flora and fauna characterized of developed, semi-natural, or natural land, which the sovereign state owns or declares. However, different states have different methods of designating their national parks. National parks are protected because they preserve cultural and wildlife heritage, as well as the beauty of a country (Vasavada-Oza et al., 2012). People work and others live in national parks in order to ensure that these places have the ability of preserving the heritage of a country. Further, national parks have the power of welcoming visitors from different geographical locations to learn, enjoy, and experience qualities and heritage of the country hosting the national park. Some individuals have identified the business opportunities with national parks and this makes them to establish their own national parks in areas where the state or federal governments allow. Most countries pride in having national parks since they act as sources of revenue and foreign exchange. As visitors are welcome to national parks, they have to respect both flora and fauna, which is inhibited by the national parks. Tourists are expected to view and interact with animals, plants, and various landforms, but not destroy or tamper with their natural settings. The beauty of national parks originates from the ability of ensuring that the land is kept clean and animals have adequate space, which they require. However, national parks have restrictions of areas, which are open to public. This is a precautionary measure, which is taken in order to ensure that national parks are protected effectively. Tourists obtain information on national parks from print and social media. This is the main tool, which national parks use to convey information to potential tourists from different geographical locations. Distribution and Marketing Communication Strategies Distribution of national parks to tourists occurs via several routes, which comprise of direct and indirect channels or a combination of both (Reast et al., 2011). This includes both offline and online communication. However, online channels of communications, which include social media and networks, have taken a significant share of the tourist market. This is based on the convenience and accessibility of these channels. Nevertheless, offline channels take significant share of the market. Furthermore, the demand for online channels is anticipated to supersede the demand of offline channels. This expectation is based on the fact the technology level has developed and people are using the internet as a means of accessing crucial information that they need. On the same note, increased broadband penetration and demographic changes have contributed significantly towards the expansion of online distribution channels. Aside from the fact that offline channels (business-to-business) are being used, national park operators have embarked on excessive investment within the area of online technology. This has contributed towards weakening of the offline distribution channels. Examples of offline channels include national parks →incoming tour operators’ →tourists, national parks →retail travel agencies – tourists, and national parks →phone calls or walk-in →tourists. Examples of online channels include national parks → internet → tourists, national parks → social media → tourists, national parks → internet → tour operators or agencies → tourists, and national parks → mobile → tourists (Kracht, & Wang, 2010). Tourists have a tendency of using tour operators or travel agents while visiting various national parks (CHL, 2010). As such, tour operators and travel agencies with public offices are normally sought by tourists who would like to obtain more information regarding available national parks. This acts as strength for the offline distribution channel. However, this has being overtaken by the current advancement in technology level, which has enabled online travel agents to secure a larger market share within the tourists market. Online travel agents are preferred since it is assumed that their prices are comparatively low and interaction between tourists and travel agents occurs directly. A survey conducted by Sung in (2004) revealed that most tourists (54%) would prefer trips, which are organized by intermediaries while 28% of the sample population indicated that they would prefer trips, which they organize themselves. However, information on national parks was obtained from relatives and friends (26%), magazines and others (29%), internet (22%), and operator and agent services (23%) (Schott, 2007). This indicates that the significance and role of intermediaries in the distribution channels of national parks cannot be ignored. On the same note, it is evident that national parks have not yet developed internet as the main distribution strategies. This is associated to lack of adequate resources, which are needed for the adoption and implementation of effective online distribution strategies for the national parks. Furthermore, tourists’ satisfaction is an essential element, which aids in distribution channels of national parks. This is because tourists who have visited a national park tend to refer their friends to the same national parks, so that they can have a similar experience and interaction with flora and fauna. This indicates that national parks have to allocate adequate resources, which will ensure that satisfaction of their tourists they receive is beyond the visitors’ expectations. Such a measure will ensure that national parks have the potential of improving and strengthening their distribution channels. This is very essential since the main target market for the national parks is the potential tourists from different geographical locations (Halliburton, & Ziegfeld, 2009). National parks have embraced marketing channels, which include billboards, direct marketing, magazine advertising, tourism information centers, and newspaper advertising as a means of providing information to tourists about their availability. Consumer-booking is a key strategy, which national parks uses to communicate with tourists. This is because national parks adopt local booking desk, which creates an opportunity for interaction with the tourists. However, some tourists may adopt different booking methods depending on their preferences and costs comparisons of various booking methods. These bookings could be operator based on travel agents based. Direct distribution channels provide an opportunity for interaction between tourists and national parks (Schott, $ Pearce, 2005). This aids in creating confidence among tourists and compelling them to invite their friends to national parks. This occurs since tourists are able to obtain first-hand information, which is related to the products, which are offered by the national parks. On the same note, direct distribution channels ensures that tourists are able to share their ideas with national parks since they are key stakeholders in the success of national parks in terms of performance. In contrast, indirect distribution channels involve the use of intermediaries. This indicates that national parks have to provide constantly credible information to intermediaries with regard to the product they offer. This is essential in order to ensure that intermediaries are versed with information, which is related to the national parks and their products. Moreover, providing credible information to intermediaries ensures that intermediaries become reliable sources of information on available national parks and their products to tourists. Nevertheless, national parks have to be sensitive and realize that they share common intermediaries. As such, they have to formulate measures, which will keep track of the information, which intermediaries provide to tourists. Such a move is essential in order to overcome instances of intermediaries providing information, which is irrelevant with regard to national parks. Integrated communication is a crucial element for the national parks. This is because national parks use communication channels as the means of delivering information to their customers and clients from different geographical locations (Macdonald et al., 2012). In order to ensure that tourists obtain sufficient information on national parks, national parks use promotional tools to deliver such information. Direct marketing is one of the promotional tools, which national parks have adopted in order to deliver their messages clearly to tourists. This is aimed at ensuring that long lasting relationships are established between tourists and national parks. On the same note, direct marketing contributes significantly towards obtaining responses from tourists on how the national parks should be established, so that they have the potential to attract more tourists. Further, these responses include satisfactions and dissatisfactions areas from national parks. Such responses are essential to the management team of national parks since this team identifies areas, which need improvement in order to increase the performance of national parks and satisfy customers. National parks have also embarked on public relations building. This is a promotional tool, which ensured that national parks have the power and ability to attain their desired publicity for their products and services they offer in the market (Rowley, 2012). Public relations also contribute towards corporate reputation building for the national parks. Advertising is one of the widely used promotional tools by the national parks. This tool is used to provide information on availability of national parks and their products. Various channels are used for advertising, which include print media and social media among others. Advertising enables national parks to promote their products and become competitive in the tourism industry. Finally, national parks have embraced the concept of sales promotion. This concept is focused on ensuring that tourists obtain incentives, which encourage them to visit the national parks and pay for the various services and products. These incentives include provision of discounts and branded items from national parks among others. Such measures create confidence and permanent relationships between national parks and tourists. Consequently, tourists remain focused on visiting national parks, so that they can enjoy previous services. This includes sharing of information on national parks with friends. Integrated marketing communication is a concept that focuses on ensuring that messages and communications are linked together effectively (Johnston et al., 2012). As such, all the promotional tools have to be linked together so that the anticipated benefits of integrated marketing are obtained. National parks have adopted the theory of integrated marketing, which has enabled them to ensure that they provide similar information and messages across all the promotional tools, which they use for their products and availability. The promotional tools of national parks also work in harmony such that tourists are able to access information from different promotional tools. National parks have adopted vertical integration, which ensures that the objectives of communication and marketing seek to support corporate missions and objectives of the national parks. This has created an opportunity for the national parks to focus on attainment of success. Adoption of integrated marketing communications has enabled national parks to reap profits from the sale of their products. Further, national parks have being in a position of minimizing their costs and creating competitive advantage for their businesses. This has occurred since national parks have being able to create effective and long-lasting relationships with tourists, which consolidates their image and aids in boosting their sales performance. This occurs since tourists are able to develop an element of loyalty to the national parks, which has enabled them to enjoy the various services provided by national parks without any form of limitation. In communication theory, the sender and receiver of the message are the two main parties involved (Moise, 2011). Therefore, emotions, needs, and interests of the audience of a message have to be comprehended so that the message achieves its desired impact. National parks have focused on assessing the needs of tourists in order to ensure that they have the ability of satisfying tourists by providing crucial information, which tourists may be seeking. This has contributed significantly towards improvement in the confidence level of tourists on the national parks. National parks have also embarked on ensuring that they address the issue of cultural difference and language barrier. In this, national parks provide same information in different national languages. This is aimed at ensuring that there is no seclusion of a group of people in terms of who should receive and comprehend information provided by the national parks. This occurs since national parks treat all individuals equal. Recommendations The internet is a successful marketing tool for the national parks. As such, national parks should embrace online distribution channels as the means of reaching their intended large customer base. This should involve creation and development of efficient and effective websites, which are user friendly such that tourists have the potential and ability to access information on national parks effectively. This includes uploading of product reviews (national parks), online videos, and photographs, which are aimed at ensuring that the intended impact of distribution has being attained effectively. Moreover, national parks have to create websites, which allow the feature of referrals. This creates an opportunity for the national parks to use tourists as campaigners of their products and services. National parks also need to focus on revenue management as they establish the various online distribution channels (Madhavaram et al., 2005). This is aimed at ensuring that success is obtained in the market segment. Further, national parks have to prioritize on marketing their own websites. This will ensure that adequate resources are allocated on online distribution channels such that these channels may never collapse. However, online distribution channels may never attain success if the target distribution area is not researched effectively. This is because different market segments have different demands. As such, focusing on satisfaction of demands of various market segments is essential in order to ensure that the anticipated customer base is captured. Nevertheless, as national parks focus on online distribution strategies, they have to ensure that they incorporate traditional channels within their business (Sarin et al., 2012). This is crucial in order to ensure that national parks do not lose any customer base. Furthermore, the adopted distribution channels should be comprised of pricing strategies, which are able to meet the demands of each channel. This can be achieved when national parks exploit market opportunities, which are provided by travel agents and tour operators from different geographical locations. National parks provide an attraction that has an increased demand and that is developing rapidly. As such, there is a need for having well-established and systematic distribution channels, which will enhance effective delivery of the message, which is communicated by various national parks. This includes provision of real time customer services, which will enhance answering of the various questions, which customers may have regarding the tourism sector. This ensures that the products of national parks are available to tourists from different sectors (Rowley, 2012). Such a measure is vital since distribution is associated with the desire and ability of ensuring that customers are able to access the products they desire. Despite the fact that national parks have embraced integrated market communications, national barriers are experiencing difficulties in the success of integrated marketing communications. Resistance towards change is one of these challenges where several people tend to stick to former or traditional communication strategies. As such, national parks have to formulate effective strategies, which will ensure that they have the ability and potential to address change effectively. This should include strategies on how to deal with the problem of communication with a large target audience. Conclusion The way tourists conduct their searches, plan, and purchases of personal or group trips has changed significantly due to the adoption of internet in the tourism industry. This has compelled national parks to adopt the internet as an essential tool for distributing its information. This involves formulation and implementation of strategies, which are based on attainment of success within the use of internet for communication purposes. This indicates that the internet has become a strong marketing tool for national parks, which should not be underestimated or ignored by all national parks. Online distribution strategies are effective for the national parks. However, national parks have to deal with the challenge of ensuring that the developed online distribution channel has the ability and potential to reach the desired target market. This includes taking into consideration the impact of technological changes or shifts. Moreover, national parks have embraced the concepts and theories of integrated communication and marketing strategies, which have enabled them to reach tourists from different geographical locations. This has contributed towards building strong relationships with tourists and improving their satisfaction levels. 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