BY 30403 TOURISM MARKETING

FACULTY OF BUSINESS, ECONOMICS AND ACCOUNTANCY

SEMESTER 2, 2020/2021

Individual Case Study  

(20%)

LECTURER:

DR. TINI MAIZURA MOHTAR

NAME MATRIC NUMBER

ABDUL KARIM BIN JULKARIM BB19110582
1. How can the tourism industry players use data from social media to better understand
their customers?

Data from social media is one of the most vital things to grasp in the tourism
industry, because most other organisations are already doing so and reaping the benefits.
The capacity to make more educated decisions, learn more about consumers and
competition, improve the customer experience, and enhance revenue are among the
benefits.

Revenue management is one of the most successful uses of data in the tourist
industry. To maximise financial success, hotels and other tourism businesses must be able
to sell the right product to the right customer at the right time, for the right price, and
through the appropriate channel, and big data can help. Internal data like as past occupancy
rates, room income, and current bookings can be linked with external data such as
information about local events, flights, and school vacations to better predict and anticipate
demand. As a result, hotels are better able to manage their prices and room rates,
increasing them during periods of high demand in order to maximise revenue.

Customers engage with hotels and other businesses in the travel and tourism
industry in a variety of ways and each of these encounters can give useful data that can be
utilised to improve the overall customer experience. This information might range from
social media chats and online reviews to information about how people use services. When
properly analysed, this data can show which services customers use the most, which they
don't use at all, and which they are most likely to request or talk. Companies can use this
information to make better data-driven decisions about the services they currently provide,
the services they no longer need to provide, the services they want to launch, and the new
technology they want to invest in.

Because potential customers are so diverse in terms of who they are, where they
come from, and what they are seeking for, marketing in the tourism industry may be
challenging. Data from social media can assist tourism organisations in taking a more
strategic approach to their marketing efforts, allowing them to target the right consumers in
the right way. From data they provide, it’s may assist organisations in identifying the
primary trends that exist among their customers, as well as where the connections exist and
what the best marketing opportunities are. It can also help companies in determining where
those people are and when marketing is most effective for them.
2. What type of information is accessible to a destination through its Marketing Information
Systems?

There are three primary types of information is accessible to a destination through

its Marketing Information Systems which are internal data, competitive intelligence, and
marketing research.

Internal data is information gathered from within a corporation in order to make

operational choices. This data is crucial for determining if the company's existing plans are
effective or if changes should be made. Internal data can be gathered from four different
sources: sales, finance, marketing, and human resources. Each area provides a unique
perspective, yet the data connects the departments. For example, someone planning a
vacation would use the internet to get more information about flights, activities to do in the
destination, and accommodation. All of the information from these sources can be used to
help companies in the aviation, hotel, and tourist industries find new customers and
advertise their services. It can also assist tourism companies in visualising and predicting
current and future trends.

Competitive intelligence is the capacity to obtain, evaluate, and apply data on

competitors, consumers, and other market elements to help a company gain a competitive
advantage. Competitive intelligence is significant because it helps businesses in
understanding their competitive environment, as well as the opportunities and problems that
it presents. Businesses analyse information in order to determine efficient and productive
business operations. Competitive intelligence collects relevant data from a variety of
published and unpublished sources in a timely and ethical manner. In an ideal world, an
organization would use competitive intelligence to develop a clear enough overview of the
market to understand and respond to challenges and problems before they occur. Some
countries have researched the application of Competitive Intelligence to the tourism sector,
for example that of Cruz and Gadotti dos Anjos (2011) in Brazil, in other highly-popular
destinations there are no publications to be found.
 The goal of marketing research is to gather vital information from customers.
Tourists are the customers in the tourism industry. The tourist industry needs to improve
the quality of its services in order to develop its relationship with its customers. Tourism
organizations and businesses can use marketing research to collect and integrate data about
customer satisfaction, wants, and needs. It can also provide information on the number of
visits, profiles, and attributes of customers. The research can also determine which tourist
attractions and activities are the most popular, as well as which areas of service need to be
improved. It will also be able to determine the efficacy of advertising techniques in
recruiting visitors. For example, social media research has grown in popularity as a
convenient alternative to focus groups or online interviews. To gain immediate feedback on
product launches or feature upgrades, marketers now prefer to post on Facebook, LinkedIn,
or even Instagram. Conducting an online poll on Facebook or Instagram is a quick way to
collect useful feedback from the relevant audience.
3. How does this study help the tourism industry to attract /revive tourists/visitors to
Malaysia generally after the pandemic?

The coronavirus crisis is having massive impacts on the tourism industry. What
actions should the stakeholders of this industry be taking today from a marketing and
communications perspective?

First, Marketing Asset Audit. The industry can do a lot with audits to improve the
performance of industry content during this quiet period. This is an excellent opportunity to
start keeping track of assets such as images, videos, blogs, presentations, white papers, e-
books, and emails that have been released in the past. . Keep a watchful eye on each part.
For example, which high-resolution photographs and elements can you repurpose for
different platforms? Which one gets the most backlinks or social media shares? What brings
the most visitors to your site? It's also worth noting that when your business expands, you
may be able to optimize with new calls to action and keywords, as well as add internal links
to new products/services, update with fresh content, and advertise again.

Therefore, Plan Webinars or Make a “Frequently Asked Questions” Video. Planning

and hosting a webinar is a great method to respond to frequently asked questions about
your hotel, amenities, destination, benefits, new goods, and/or services. Because 91 per
cent of professionals believe webinars are their favourite content format for learning, this
may also be used to introduce new team members and is an extremely effective marketing
approach in business-to-business applications. If webinars aren't your thing, create a FAQ
video and distribute it on LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social media platforms.
Alternatively, you might build a FAQ section for your website.

Thus, Update Your Brand or Place “Google My Business” for Customers. Let
customers know if you're working with special hours or taking extra measures to prevent the
spread of COVID. Update your business hours and description, post Google Posts with
changes and specials, and double-check your contact information in case someone needs to
contact you. Also, Update The Website. Take use of this time to update and/or repair your
website, just like you would with pictures and videos. Or perhaps you require a completely
new website. It's now or never. Prepare your place for the next stage of growth.
 Next, Record Videos for Social Media Use in the future. Despite the fact that we all
recognize the importance of videos in the marketing toolbox, there is always an excuse why
they cannot be completed. Now is a wonderful time to record (or at least make preparations
for) your videos because they are terrific search-engine-optimization fodder and can also
serve as a foundation for a variety of other sorts of content. This advice includes the
following: Consider embedding the video in a blog post with the transcript, taking
screenshots and using them as photos on social media, and using quotes from the video
transcript alongside photographs on Instagram in the future months, as well as repurposing
those quotes in media releases and subsequent blog articles.

Moreover, Evaluate and Enhance Digital Marketing. While having a strong digital
presence in your marketing communications platform is important in general, it is very
necessary during a crisis. Compared to traditional marketing, digital marketing is faster, less
expensive, and more effective. For a fraction of the expense of a TV ad or print campaign,
an email or social media campaign can instantly link a marketing message to a targeted
segment of consumers. Make the targets more hyper-segmented. Think outside the box and
look for mediums that will allow company to capitalise on under-priced attention.

Lastly, Improve The Online Reviews Strategy. Now is the moment to put together a
plan or policy for responding to internet reviews if they don't already have one. There are
numerous internet reviews that have gone unanswered by businesses. Don't have to
respond to each one, but this is a good time to double-check that industry more recent
reviews have been answered thoughtfully. Create a policy for online reviews and, if you
have a qualified candidate, train them now to manage your online reviews in the future.
Make a couple template responses with them and go over your business messaging. Coach
them on how to handle negative feedback and when to escalate valid customer service
complaints to the appropriate person. Give them the tools they need to keep track of
reviews and receive alerts. Demonstrate what you expect in terms of evaluating the value of
reviews and providing periodic reporting.