Marketing the destination Kühlungsborn in Switzerland: A marketing concept

University of Applied Sciences Stralsund
Faculty of Business

Diploma Thesis

For the achievement of the diploma degree
Diplom-Betriebswirtin (FH)
At the course of study “Baltic Management Studies“

MARKETING THE DESTINATION KÜHLUNGSBORN
 IN SWITZERLAND

A Marketing concept
Submitted on: 26th of August 2004

By:

 Simone Weinert

"If the wave runs out quite gradually on the shore,
it puts off sea spray.
If it returns again,
the sea spray stays.
Suddenly, one hears a quiet crackling.
This crackling, this is the vacation."

Vacation definition of a spa director
in Lower Saxony

Acknowledgement

[in Downloaddatei enthalten]

List of content

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...  I
LIST OF CONTENT  ...  II
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS  ...  VI
LIST OF TABLES  ...  VII
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS  ...  VIII

1. INTRODUCTION  ...  1
1.1 PROBLEM DEFINITION  ...  1
1.2 TARGETS OF THE PAPER  ...  1
1.3 APPROACH  ...  2

2 DEFINITION OF CENTRAL TERMS ...  3
2.1 THE DESTINATION  ...  3
2.2 MARKETING OF DESTINATIONS  ...  4
2.3 MARKETING CONCEPTS IN TOURISM  ...  5

3. ANALYSIS OF THE TOURISTIC SERVICES SUPPLY – THE DESTINATION KÜHLUNGSBORN  ...  7
3.1 THE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN KÜHLUNGSBORN  ...  7
3.1.1 The history of tourism in Kühlungsborn  ...  7
3.1.2 Current development and situation of the tourism in Kühlungsborn  ...  8
3.2 ANALYSIS OF THE TOURISTIC SERVICES SUPPLY  ...  11
3.2.1 The natural services supply  ...  12
3.2.1.1 The location and natural environment  ...  12
3.2.1.2 The climate and weather  ...  13
3.2.1.3 The landscape  ...  13
3.2.1.4 The Socio-cultural conditions  ...  14
3.2.2 The derived services supply  ...  16
3.2.2.1 The touristic infrastructure  ...  16
3.2.2.2 The touristic suprastructure  ...  17
3.3 SUMMARIZED ASSESSMENT OF THE DESTINATION KÜHLUNGSBORN  ...  19

4. ANALYSIS OF THE TOURISTIC SERVICES DEMAND – THE SWISS TRAVELLERS  ...  20
4.1 ANALYSIS OF THE DEMAND SIDE  ...  20
4.2 ANALYSIS OF THE SWISS SOURCE MARKET ...  20
4.2.1 The purpose of journeys for all trips abroad  ...  21
4.2.2 Travel intensity and travel frequency  ...  21
4.2.3 Duration of trips  ...  24
4.2.4 Time of travel  ...  25
4.2.5 Organization forms of the trips and means of transportation  ...  26
4.2.6 Travel motives  ...  27
4.2.7 Choice of destinations  ...  28
4.2.8 The Swiss journeys to Germany  ...  29
4.2.9 The booking behaviour of the Swiss population  ...  31
4.2.10 Particularities of the Swiss market  ...  37
4.3 FORECAST OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SWISS MARKET AND SUMMARIZED FINDINGS ...  41

5. THE MARKETING CONCEPT  ...  43
5.1 ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION ...   43
5.1.1 Analysis of the enterprise performance ...  43
5.1.2 Analysis of the competition performance (competition analysis)  ...  45
5.1.2.1 Heringsdorf and Usedom  ...  47
5.1.2.2 Binz and Rügen  ...  50
5.1.2.3 Poland and other foreign countries  ...  52
5.1.2.4 Measures Kühlungsborn must take ...  52
5.1.3 Market analysis  ...  53
5.1.3.1 The guest structure  ...  53
5.1.3.2 The course of the season  ...  55
5.1.4 Analysis of the macro-environment  ...  55
5.1.5 SWOT Analysis  ...  58
5.2 DEVELOPMENT OF A MARKETING STRATEGY  ...  60
5.2.1 Aims and guiding theme  ...  60
5.2.2 Forms of strategies  ...  62
5.2.2.1 Market field strategy ...   63
5.2.2.2 Market stimulation strategy  ...  65
5.2.2.3 Market parcellation strategy  ...  67
5.2.2.4 Market area strategy  ...  8
5.3.3 Strategy draft  ...  69
5.3 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY  ...  70
5.3.1 Bases of the Implementation  ...  70
5.3.2 Marketing-Mix  ...  71
5.3.2.1 Product policy  ...  72
5.3.2.2 Price policy  ...  75
5.3.2.3 Distribution policy  ...  76
5.3.2.4 Communication policy  ...  79
5.4 SUMMARISED ASSESSMENT OF THE MARKETING CONCEPT  ...  88

6. THE FAIR APPEARANCE OF THE TSK ON THE FESPO IN ZURICH  ...  91
6.1 THE MEDIUM TRADE FAIRS IN TOURISM  ...  91
6.1.1 The Touristik-Service Kühlungsborn GmbH on fairs  ...  92
6.1.2 The Swiss fair market, especially the FESPO in Zurich  ...  92
6.2 MESSAGE AND OBJECTIVE OF BOOTHS  ...  94
6.2.1 Presentation of the enterprise  ...  94
6.2.2 Presentation of products and services  ...  94
6.2.3 Communication with the customer  ...  96
6.3 BOOTH ARCHITECTURE  ...  97
6.4 SUMMARIZED ASSESSMENT OF THE FAIR APPEARANCE OF THE TSK ON THE FESPO IN ZURICH  ...  98

7. CONCLUSION  ...  100

8. LIST OF LITERATURE  ...  IX
8.1 BIBLIOGRAPHY  ...  IX
8.2 MAGAZINES AND PUBLICATIONS  ...  XIII
8.3 INTERNET SOURCES  ...  XVI
8.4 E-MAIL  ...  XVII
8.5 EXPERT INTERVIEWS  ...  XVIII

APPENDIX  ...  XIX
APPENDIX 1: THE LOGOS OF THE SEASIDE RESORTS  ...  XX
APPENDIX 2: FAIR VISITS OF THE TOURISTIK-SERVICE-KÜHLUNGSBORN GMBH  ...  XXI
APPENDIX 3: FAIRS IN SWITZERLAND  ...  XXIII

List of illustrations
Illustration 1: The concept pyramid as terms of reference  ...  6
Illustration 2: Development of the commercial overnight stays in Kühlungsborn (without camping)  ...  9
Illustration 3: Gross travel intensity according to size of the community (in conurbations)  ...  23
Illustration 4: Duration of trips of the Swiss population  ...  25
Illustration 5: Months of departure  ...  26
Illustration 6: Number of holidays per year 32
Illustration 7: Where do you generally book your holidays?  ...  33
Illustration 8: Bookings at the travel agency per year  ...  34
Illustration 9: Time of booking  ...  35
Illustration 10: Model of life phases  ...  38
Illustration 11: Product/market matrix  ...  63
Illustration 12: Success factors of the marketing implementation ...   71
Illustration 13: Distribution systems in tourism  ...  77

List of tables
Table 1: Key data for travels with at least 1 overnight stay ...   24
Table 2: Development of the Swiss arrivals and overnight stays in Germany 1995-2002  ...  29
Table 3: How frequently are you making excursions and journeys with at least three overnight stays per annum?  ...  31
Table 4: Where do you book your journey, your excursion, your vacation, as a rule?  ...  32
Table 5: How often (per year) do you use the services of a travel agency?  ...  33
Table 6: How early do you book your holiday trip/vacation?  ...  35
Table 7: Comparison of the arrivals and overnight stays in Kühlungsborn, Binz and Heringsdorf 2003  ...  46
Table 8: SWOT-analysis  ...  59
Table 9: Characteristics of classical advertising media  ...  84
Table 10: National fairs the Touristik-Service-Kühlungsborn GmbH is visitsing in 2004  ...  XXI
Table 11: International fairs the Touristik-Service-Kühlungsborn GmbH is visiting in 2004  ...  XXII
Table 12: Consumer fairs in Switzerland 2004  ...  XXIII

List of abbreviations
approx. approximately
AUMA Ausstellungs- und Messeausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft e.V.
BfS Bundesamt für Statistik
cf. confer
DZT Deutsche Zentrale für Tourismus (German National Tourist Board)
ed. editor
e.g. exampli gratia (for example)
et al. et alii, et alia (more authors)
etc. et cetera
GDR German Democratic Republic
GmbH Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (private limited company)
GNTB German National Tourist Board
ibid. ibidem (in the same place)
IDT-HSG Institut für Öffentliche Dienstleistungen und Tourismus der Universität St. Gallen
i.e. id est (that means)
ITB Internationale Tourismusbörse (international tourism fair)
n.d. no date
NN nomen nescio (no name)
p. page
pp. pages
PR Public Relation
StaLA MV Statistisches Landesamt Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
TMV Tourismusverband Mecklenburg Vorpommern e.V.
USP Unique Selling Proposition
VMO Verband Mecklenburger Ostseebäder
www world wide web

1. Introduction

1.1 Problem definition

Tourism has been a growth market, with chances and risks, for a long time. Due to growing travel experiences tourists are becoming more a more critical and demanding. Thinking of this and the merging Europe, tourism destinations have to offer touristic services supplies, that can make them – also internationally – competitive.¹ Destinations² have to react to these new expectations, because only satisfied guests are happy visitors, who are willingly to come back or to speak positively about their experiences.

Considering the dynamics of market trends it becomes more and more important for the service branch tourism to stand up against the needs and desires of the guests. Only with corresponding offers it will be possible to reach the demanding customers. 

In consideration of the growing visitor numbers from Switzerland the destination Kühlungsborn aims at preparing itself to enter this market. To do so, in the long-run, it is necessary to follow a strategic planning, that shows which ways have to be gone to accomplish the striven aims.

1.2 Targets of the paper

In today’s times of globalisation and intensifying competition, in which the competitors are hardly to distinguish, it is essential to offer quality in order to overcome hurdles to the market in the long-run. To stand one’s ground on the Swiss market, a variety of criteria has to be taken into account.

Arising from these facts the “Touristik-Service-Kühlungsborn GmbH” (TSK) has given the author of this thesis the opportunity to develop a strategic marketing concept forthe upcoming market entrance in Switzerland. The subject of the analysis, which is imperative for a successful appearance, will be the analyses of the touristic services offers and demands, as well as the superficial development of a marketing concept.

1.3 Approach

This thesis is subdivided into several parts. After the introduction to the theme and targets of the paper chapter two deals with a definition of the terms tourism destination, marketing of a tourism destination and marketing concept.

In the third chapter the analysis of the touristic service supplies of Kühlungsborn is conducted, to evaluate the potential of the destination. This part is kept proportionally short, since the TSK knows its own touristic services supplies.

Chapter four highlights the potential source market Switzerland. Special focus is put on the travel and booking behaviour of the Swiss population. Based on these findings the special features of the Swiss travel market are summed up.

Chapter five aims at developing a marketing concept to enter the Swiss market. Based on assumptions, which have been concluded in chapter three and four, indepth analysis of the situation, marketing strategies and the implementation of the concept are carried out. The results are leading into suggestions how to enter the Swiss market.

The „Touristik-Service-Kühlungsborn GmbH“ intends to take part at the travel fair “FESPO” in Zurich in January 2005. Chapter six gives tips and advices how to handle this appearance.

Derived from the preceding analysis chapter seven gives recommendations and a short summary of how to promote the destination Kühlungsborn in Switzerland. Last but not least further approaches are given.

2 Definition of central terms

First of all the central terms of the thesis are explained.

2.1 The destination

Tourists are always consuming a bundle of performances, which is offered in a certain space, i.e. a place or region. Doing so the tourist compares the different regions and their special offers with each other. The decision is then made on the room/area which fulfills the needs the best way.³

[....]

1 cf. Kirchhoff, M., Möller, A. (2000) Servicequalität in Tourismusinformationsstellen in ausgewählten Destinationen, in: Haas, H.-D., Meyer, A. (ed.) (2000) Jahrbuch für Fremdenverkehr 1999, p. 40

2 Definition see chapter 2.1

3 cf. Bieger, Th. (2002) Management von Destinationen, p. 55