Meaning and Strategies of Tourism Marketing for SS 3

Class: SS 3
Term: First Term
Week: 3
Age: 17 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Tourism
Curriculum Theme: Tourism Marketing
Previous Lesson: Superstructure, Rural Development and National Integration
Topic: Meaning and Strategies of Tourism Marketing
Subject Matter: Meaning of tourism marketing; Tourism marketing strategies; Segmentation; Mass marketing; Niche marketing

Specific Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:

Cognitive Domain

• Define tourism marketing.
• Identify various tourism marketing strategies.
• Explain the concept of market segmentation in tourism.
• Describe the characteristics of mass marketing in tourism.
• Explain the concept of niche marketing in tourism.

Affective Domain

• Appreciate the importance of effective marketing in the tourism industry.
• Participate actively in discussions about tourism marketing tools.

Psychomotor Domain

• Relate sample adverts to different tourism marketing tools and strategies.
• Categorise various tourism products based on their target markets.

Social Domain

• Collaborate with peers to discuss and analyse tourism marketing examples.

Reference Materials

The following resources were used in planning this lesson:

• 2014 Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
• Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
• A suitable textbook for Senior Secondary Tourism
• FCT ERC/NAPPS Scheme of work

Instructional Materials

The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:

• Magazines and journals
• Pictorials of tourism products
• Brochures
• CDs (for multimedia presentations if available)
• Posters
• Stickers
• Postcards
• Branded T-shirts and face caps (as examples of promotional items)
• Whiteboard/Blackboard and markers/chalk

Rationale for the Lesson

This lesson is important for students to understand how tourism businesses attract customers and promote their services. It provides foundational knowledge of marketing principles specifically applied to the tourism sector, which is essential for anyone considering a career in the industry. Understanding these strategies helps students appreciate the competitive nature of tourism and the need for targeted approaches.

Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge

Students should have a basic understanding of what tourism is, its various types, and the general concept of marketing from their previous studies or general knowledge.

Lesson Content/Board Summary

Meaning and Strategies of Tourism Marketing

Meaning of Tourism Marketing

Tourism marketing refers to the systematic and coordinated efforts of tourism organisations to satisfy the needs and wants of tourists through the creation, promotion, and distribution of tourism products and services. It involves understanding the target market, developing suitable offerings, pricing them appropriately, and making them accessible through effective communication channels.

Tourism Marketing Strategies

Tourism marketing strategies are the plans and actions undertaken by tourism businesses to attract and retain customers. These strategies aim to differentiate a tourism product or destination, communicate its value, and persuade potential tourists to choose it over competitors. Common strategies include:

1. Product Strategy: Developing and enhancing tourism products (e.g., unique tour packages, improved facilities, new attractions).
2. Price Strategy: Setting appropriate prices for tourism products and services, considering factors like demand, competition, and perceived value.
3. Place (Distribution) Strategy: Making tourism products available to target customers through various channels (e.g., travel agencies, online booking platforms, direct sales).
4. Promotion Strategy: Communicating the value of tourism products to potential customers through advertising, public relations, sales promotions, and personal selling.
5. People Strategy: Ensuring high-quality customer service through well-trained and motivated staff.
6. Process Strategy: Streamlining the customer experience from booking to departure to ensure efficiency and satisfaction.
7. Physical Evidence Strategy: Managing the tangible aspects of the tourism experience, such as the appearance of facilities, brochures, and websites, to create a positive impression.

Segmentation

Market segmentation in tourism is the process of dividing a broad tourism market into smaller, distinct groups of consumers who have similar needs, characteristics, or behaviours. This allows tourism businesses to tailor their marketing efforts more effectively to specific groups. Common bases for segmentation include:

1. Geographic Segmentation: Dividing the market based on location (e.g., tourists from specific countries, regions, or cities).
2. Demographic Segmentation: Dividing the market based on demographic variables such as age, gender, income, education, family size, and occupation.
3. Psychographic Segmentation: Dividing the market based on lifestyle, personality traits, values, interests, and opinions (e.g., adventure seekers, luxury travellers, eco-tourists).
4. Behavioural Segmentation: Dividing the market based on consumer behaviour, such as travel frequency, loyalty to a brand, benefits sought, or occasion of travel.

Mass Marketing

Mass marketing in tourism involves targeting the entire market with a single marketing message and product, without differentiating between various segments. The goal is to reach the largest possible audience, assuming that most consumers have similar needs and will respond positively to a general appeal. This strategy is often used for products with broad appeal or when a company wants to achieve economies of scale in production and promotion.

Characteristics of Mass Marketing:

1. Broad Appeal: Aims to attract a large, undifferentiated market.
2. Standardised Product: Offers a generic tourism product or service.
3. General Message: Uses a single marketing message for all potential customers.
4. Wide Distribution: Utilises mass media channels like national television, radio, and large billboards.
5. Lower Cost per Reach: Can be cost-effective in reaching a large audience, but may have lower conversion rates.
6. Examples: Large-scale advertising campaigns for popular destinations, national airlines, or major hotel chains that target a general travelling public.

Niche Marketing

Niche marketing in tourism focuses on a very specific, well-defined segment of the market that has unique needs or interests. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, niche marketers concentrate their efforts on serving a smaller, specialised group of tourists. This strategy allows businesses to become experts in a particular area, build strong customer loyalty, and often command premium prices.

Characteristics of Niche Marketing:

1. Specific Target: Focuses on a small, distinct group of consumers.
2. Specialised Product: Offers unique tourism products or services tailored to the niche’s specific needs.
3. Tailored Message: Uses highly targeted marketing messages and channels relevant to the niche.
4. Stronger Loyalty: Often leads to higher customer loyalty due to specialised offerings.
5. Less Competition: May face less direct competition than mass market offerings.
6. Higher Profit Margins: Can often charge higher prices due to the unique value offered.
7. Examples: Eco-tourism packages, adventure tourism (e.g., mountain climbing, safaris), cultural heritage tours, medical tourism, culinary tours, bird-watching holidays.

Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques

Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Guided Practice, Visual Aids, Group Work

Instructional Procedures

Step 1: Introduction

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Activating Prior Knowledge

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them to recall what they understand by “tourism” and “marketing” generally. The teacher then links these concepts to introduce the topic of tourism marketing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond to the questions and share their understanding of tourism and marketing.

Learning Point: Introduction to topic

Step 2: Meaning of Tourism Marketing

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the meaning of tourism marketing, highlighting its purpose and key components. The teacher writes the definition on the board.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively, ask questions for clarification, and note down the definition.

Learning Point: Tourism marketing definition

Step 3: Tourism Marketing Strategies

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Demonstration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the various tourism marketing strategies (Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Physical Evidence) using examples. The teacher uses brochures and pictorials to indicate types of tourism marketing strategies.

Pupils’ Activity: Students listen, observe the brochures and pictorials, and discuss how different strategies are applied.

Learning Point: Types of marketing strategies

Step 4: Segmentation in Tourism Marketing

Time: 8 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Discussion

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the concept of market segmentation in tourism, discussing the different bases for segmentation (geographic, demographic, psychographic, behavioural). The teacher asks students to suggest examples of segmented tourist groups.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the discussion, offer examples of segmented groups, and take notes.

Learning Point: Market segmentation concept

Step 5: Mass Marketing

Time: 7 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Illustration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains mass marketing, its characteristics, and provides examples using sample adverts from magazines or posters that target a broad audience.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, observe the adverts, and relate them to the concept of mass marketing.

Learning Point: Mass marketing features

Step 6: Niche Marketing

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Explanation/Illustration

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains niche marketing, its characteristics, and provides examples using adverts for specialised tourism products (e.g., adventure tours, eco-tourism). The teacher guides students to differentiate between mass and niche marketing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, relate the adverts to niche marketing, and participate in differentiating the two concepts.

Learning Point: Niche marketing characteristics

Step 7: Evaluation/Review

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:

1. What is tourism marketing?
2. Mention three tourism marketing strategies.
3. Explain the term “market segmentation.”
4. Differentiate between mass marketing and niche marketing.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.

Learning Point: Understanding of concepts

Step 8: Note-Taking

Time: 10 minutes

Teaching Skill: Guided Writing

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes on the meaning of tourism marketing, its strategies, segmentation, mass marketing, and niche marketing into their notebooks.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.

Learning Point: Recording lesson notes

Step 9: Conclusion

Time: 5 minutes

Teaching Skill: Consolidation

Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the key points of the lesson, reinforcing the importance of understanding different marketing approaches in the dynamic tourism industry. The teacher encourages students to observe tourism marketing in their daily lives.

Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and ask any final questions.

Learning Point: Lesson summary and reinforcement

Continuous Assessment/Further Study

Type: Homework/Project

Instruction: In groups of 3-4, students should:

1. Collect three different tourism advertisements (from magazines, newspapers, or online sources).
2. For each advertisement, identify:
   1. The tourism product or destination being marketed.
   2. The target market segment (e.g., families, adventure seekers, business travellers).
   3. Whether it uses a mass marketing or niche marketing approach, and explain why.
   4. At least two marketing strategies (from the 7Ps) evident in the advert.
3. Present your findings to the class in the next Tourism lesson.

Lesson Keywords

• Tourism Marketing – Coordinated efforts to satisfy tourist needs through product creation, promotion, and distribution.
• Marketing Strategies – Plans and actions to attract and retain customers.
• Segmentation – Dividing a market into distinct groups with similar needs.
• Mass Marketing – Targeting the entire market with a single, undifferentiated message.
• Niche Marketing – Focusing on a specific, specialised segment of the market.
• 7Ps of Marketing – Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Physical Evidence.

Differentiation

For students who grasp concepts quickly, encourage them to research and present examples of successful Nigerian tourism marketing campaigns. For students needing more support, provide simplified examples of marketing strategies and guide them through identifying elements in brochures during class activities.

Suggested Lesson Videos

Search YouTube for: “Tourism marketing strategies explained SS3” or “What is tourism marketing segmentation”