Tourism is often considered a welcome source of economic development providing employment opportunities, producing means of earning foreign exchange, and stimulating the local economy. The tourism sector is more complex than economic activity alone, since the social, political, technical and ecological environments also have a strong influence on it and vice versa. “Conventional” mass tourism is associated with numerous negative effects, such as environmental destruction and loss of cultural heritage. For this reason, some of the terms that have surfaced over the last decade are “sustainable” tourism and “alternative” tourism. The increasing awareness of consumers about Corporate Social Responsibility and environmental issues has brought forward a new target group named the “morally conscious tourist". Destinations and especially international corporations alike advertise with these terms as a means to differentiate themselves, reaching out for this new, emerging customer segment.
However, sustainability should not merely be a marketing ploy to reach new customers or to perform “greenwashing” in order to appear more environmentally friendly. In fact, it is a complex and difficult task to achieve the implementation of sustainable business practices and to develop sustainable tourism products. It is exactly this challenge the research paper will focus on by analyzing how to incorporate the principles of sustainability into the marketing system of tourism businesses or destinations. An exploratory as well as descriptive research design based on external and internal secondary data is used in order to obtain information that can answer the research question.
The first aspect to be studied in this research paper is the development of tourism and the tourism industry with regards to the emergence of mass tourism, as well as the criticisms of tourism that have arisen throughout the past and started the ongoing discussion about sustainable tourism. Further, the principles of sustainability and sustainable tourism will be explained and considered critically. Secondly, the aspects that need to be integrated into the marketing concept will be identified on the basis of the strategic marketing system developed by Lewis and Chambers (1989). The findings will provide the basis for analyzing the marketing strategy of Tourism Queensland in the subsequent section. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn on the findings.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
2 THE TOURISM INDUSTRY
2.1 THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM AND GLOBAL TOURISM TODAY
2.2 STRUCTURE OF THE TOURISM INDUSTRY
2.3 THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF TOURISM
2.3.1 ECONOMIC IMPACTS
2.3.2 SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACTS
2.3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
2.4 THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
2.5 TOURISM IN TRANSITION – EMERGENCE OF THE “NEW TOURIST”
2.6 SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT – DEWY-EYED OPTIMISM?
3 MARKETING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
3.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURISM PRODUCTS AND MARKETING
3.2 INCORPORATING SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE STRATEGIC MARKETING SYSTEM
3.2.1 MISSION STATEMENT
3.2.2 THE MARKETING AUDIT – UNDERSTANDING THE EXISTING SITUATION
3.2.3 GOAL FORMULATION
3.3 OPERATIONAL STRATEGY FORMULATION
3.3.1 TARGET MARKET STRATEGY
3.3.2 PRODUCT STRATEGY
3.3.3 COMPETITIVE STRATEGY
3.3.4 MARKET STRATEGY
3.3.5 POSITIONING STRATEGY
3.3.6 MARKETING MIX
3.4 MONITORING AND EVALUATION
3.5 CHALLENGES OF MARKETING DESTINATIONS
4 ANALYSIS OF THE QUEENSLAND TOURISM STRATEGY
4.1 WHERE ELSE BUT QUEENSLAND…
4.2 THE QUEENSLAND TOURISM STRATEGY
4.2.1 MISSION, AUDIT, GOALS AND TARGETS
4.2.2 OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES
4.2.2.1 Targeting the experience seeker
4.2.2.2 The unique Queensland style experience
4.2.2.3 Reaching the market
4.2.2.4 Coordination, partnerships and community engagement
4.2.3 MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING
4.3 EVALUATION OF THE STRATEGY
5 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the practical integration of sustainable development principles into the strategic marketing systems of tourism businesses and destinations. The central research question focuses on how these principles can be incorporated to facilitate the development of sustainable tourism products while ensuring long-term industry viability.
- Evolution of mass tourism and the emergence of negative socio-economic and environmental impacts.
- Theoretical frameworks for integrating sustainability into strategic marketing management.
- Characteristics of the "new tourist" and shifts in consumer behavior towards responsible tourism.
- Practical evaluation of the Queensland Tourism Strategy (QTS) as a case study.
- Challenges regarding indicator development and performance monitoring in sustainable tourism.
Extract from the Book
3.1 Characteristics of tourism products and marketing
As the tourism industry is a service industry, the nature of services and their differences to goods concerning their marketing needs have to be understood. Services are commonly distinguished by four main factors, namely intangibility, heterogeneity, perishability, and inseparability (Holloway, 2004). First, services are intangible. Unlike goods, they are invisible and cannot be inspected, touched, tasted or sampled in advance of their purchase. Thus, services are evaluated in terms of expected results and experiences. Even though most tourism products have tangible elements such as the hotel or the aircraft, the tourism offer itself still includes the characteristics of a service. This involves an element of risk on the part of the purchaser and forms a critical aspect of the transaction (Kotler et al., 1996).
Second, services are heterogeneous. Although mass tourism and the packaged tour might impose an idea of mass production, there is no such thing as “true” standardization in the tourism offer as it is impossible to produce two identical tourist experiences (Holloway, 2004). Services are delivered by individuals to individuals. Hence, the perceived quality may differ from person to person. External influences out of the control of the service provider, such as bad weather or the mood of the customer who is an active part in producing the tourist experience, also have a great impact on the overall perception of the offer (Vellas and Bécherel, 1999).
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides an overview of the global tourism industry's growth and outlines the research focus on integrating sustainability into marketing systems.
2 THE TOURISM INDUSTRY: This section reviews historical developments, identifies the structure of the tourism industry, and assesses the negative impacts of mass tourism, alongside the principles of sustainable development.
3 MARKETING SUSTAINABLE TOURISM: This chapter defines the characteristics of tourism products and outlines how the strategic marketing system can be adapted to incorporate sustainability through planning, goal formulation, and monitoring.
4 ANALYSIS OF THE QUEENSLAND TOURISM STRATEGY: This section provides a practical evaluation of the Queensland Tourism Strategy to assess how sustainable principles are applied at a destination management level.
5 CONCLUSION: The final chapter summarizes the findings, reiterating that achieving sustainable tourism is a continuous, long-term process rather than an ad-hoc objective.
Keywords
Sustainable Tourism, Strategic Marketing, Queensland Tourism Strategy, Destination Management, Tourism Impacts, Triple Bottom Line, Mass Tourism, Alternative Tourism, Experience Seekers, Tourist Satisfaction, Indicator Development, Service Marketing, Stakeholder Engagement, Environmental Protection, Corporate Social Responsibility
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines how sustainable development principles can be integrated into the strategic marketing systems of tourism businesses and destinations to ensure long-term, viable product development.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the negative impacts of mass tourism, the shift in consumer values towards responsible travel, and the application of strategic marketing frameworks to sustainable tourism objectives.
What is the primary research question?
The study asks: How are the principles of sustainability to be integrated into the strategic marketing system to ensure the development of sustainable tourism products?
What methodology is employed in this paper?
The work utilizes an exploratory and descriptive research design based on secondary data, including academic literature, industry reports, and strategic documents from Tourism Queensland.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the theoretical background of the tourism industry, the specific challenges of marketing sustainable tourism, and a detailed analysis of the Queensland Tourism Strategy's operational themes.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is best defined by terms such as Sustainable Tourism, Strategic Marketing, Destination Management, Triple Bottom Line, and the Queensland Tourism Strategy.
How does the author define the "new tourist"?
The "new tourist" is identified as more intelligent, open-minded, and critical, shifting away from mass tourism towards unique, authentic, and environmentally sensitive experiences.
Why is the Queensland Tourism Strategy considered a relevant case study?
It is analyzed because it demonstrates a clear mission focused on sustainable development and utilizes a triple bottom line approach to manage destination growth in partnership with local stakeholders.
- Quote paper
- Martina Dirschl (Author), 2008, Incorporating the Principles of Sustainable Tourism into the Strategic Marketing System, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/536680
