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Tourism International Marketing Strategies: The Role of Quality Brand in the

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Conference Paper · August 2009

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

10th Vaasa Conference on International Business

Lucia Aiello, Claudia Cacia

TOURISM INTERNATIONAL MARKETING STRATEGIES: THE ROLE OF

QUALITY BRAND IN THE VALORISATIONS PROCESS1

Lucia Aiello, Claudia Cacia (2009). Tourism International marketing strategies: the role
of quality brand in the valorisations process.

The aims of this paper through an overview of the relevant literature available at international level, is to
categorize advantages come from a settled achievement in the tourist international market, trough the
identification of those determinant factors of the tourist competitiveness in order to distinction between
destination system and hotel chain. The objective is the location of the strategies of international
positioning for the various configurations of the tourist product. On proposal of the brand for the
realization of a positioning founded on the quality which key for the survival and the creation of value.
This analysis aims to demonstrate how the touristic activity development, on the hand of territorial offer,
can drive the whole economy on the basis of a competitive ability on the international market, carry out
by brand. Finally, we make a reflection on the studies up to here lead: politics of branding which
instrument of the international positioning of the tourist products must consider the coincidence between
the identity, the image and the perception of the product. The approach illustrated would like to explicate
the elements that constitute a new approach of internationalization, in the light of the recent trends in the
issue.

Keywords: destination system, hotel chain, positioning, brand, quality

Lucia Aiello, Department of Business Administration, University of Salerno, Via Ponte

don Melillo, 84084, Italy
Claudia Cacia, Department of Business Administration, University of Salerno, Via
Ponte don Melillo, 84084, Italy

1. INTRODUCTION

The main opportunity of the Italian tourism is the rapid increase on the international
market, justified by new and positive indicator in the global market. At the same time,
the global demand of tourism is in expansion. From this observation, we can gather that
the international opportunity is really relevant, as much ad the action of those element
and subjects that can allow it. This advice is shared with the good and service
international trade dynamic. In fact, even the WTO data give evidence of this. The
different phase in actual fact, reflect the importance of an international competition and
the relevance of the market globalization in the planning and putting into effect the
global competitive strategies.
In fact, in the modern society, tourism becomes more important in reasons of both
economic and social issue, apart from an instrument to the territory development. In
light of this, the aim of this paper is to categorize advantages from internationalization
of tourism, trough the identification of those determinant factors of the tourist

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

competitiveness. The analisys of the configuration of personality, image and identity

aimed to highlight the role of brand and underline that a growing part of value depends
on it one. We propose the following roadmap in order to give to the reader a clear
understanding of the steps of our study:
1. The analysis of internationalization definition.
2. The study of tourism international composition and the distinction between
destination system and hotel chain.
3. International positioning of tourist product: characterization of the hotel service
and the product destination.
4. The brand role on the positioning policy.
5. Definition of consistency between identity, image and personality in brand
positioning policy.
6. Proposition of “quality brand” to reinforce the international position.
The main subject is the analysis of theories concerning the tourism marketing,
particularly marketing strategies and instruments for joining them into a new
interpretative model of internationalization.
Object of the job is analysis of the theories on the tourist marketing, in particular of the
strategies and the instruments of internationalization in order to make to meet them in a
configuration “ad hoc” for the analysis within. The last analysis places the accent on the
different role of the question and the offer in “new” the definition of internationalization
of the tourist products. Obligation is a reflection on the studies up to here lead: politics
of branding which instrument of the international positioning of the tourist products
must consider the coincidence between the identity, the image and the perception of the
product. The study ends with the conclusions and some open matters that allow
presupposing possible future directions of research for the academics.

2. THE INTERNATIONALIZATION DEFINITION

The study of the theory of internationalisation and theirs applications to the tourism
create the first step of the work. This analysis helps to understand how strategies of
international marketing create competitive advantage (Porter, 1980 and 2001; Andrews,
1971, Ansoff, 1980; Rumelt, 1991; Hunt, 1995). Central to this analysis will be the
consideration of what is meant by the term ‘internationalisation’. Generally the meaning
of internationalisation is clarified as to ‘integrate an international and intercultural
dimension’. In fact, internationalisation promotes cultural diversity and fosters
intercultural understanding, respect, and tolerance among peoples human security and
helps to build a climate of global peace. Certain, there are many schools of thought on
internationalization, and the literature is rich and complex. For some authors
internationalization is a process that follows an orderly sequence of growth in
incremental stages (Johanson & Wiedersheim-Paul 1975, later modified by Johanson &
Vahlne 1979)2 . In the network approach prospective, the internationalization depends of
the influence of the network in which the business operate (Bell, 1995; Elg e Johansson,
1996, Coviello e Munro, 1997; Loane e Bell, 2006). In line with the “eclectic paradigm”
developing by Dunning, internationalization is linked to three different kind of
advantages as ownership, location and internalization (OLI)3. According to Teare &

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

Boer (1993) internationalization is the process by which firms become involved in

serving markets outside their home country. However, with the recent process of
globalization and the advent of innovation and communication technologies is clear that
companies do not nowadays follow the sequential process, service companies too
(Singer, 2002). In addition, transnational hotel corporations pursue a mixture of
expansion strategies combining both equity and non-equity concurrently (Contractor &
Kundu 1998). So, the definition of internationalization would be implication for the
strategic option of different kind of business, specially for the service due to their
characteristics (Heskett, 1990; Hakserver et alt., 2000). Avoiding any further on the
distinction between goods and services, we limit ourselves to recall some of the general,
with specific reference to organizational problems involved at the international level:
the inviolability of the offer, the heterogeneity, the simultaneity between production and
consume (Sarathy R., 1994). The intangibility makes it difficult to evaluate the output of
the service and its quality therefore becomes important for the company service its
credibility and the image with which it presents. The heterogeneity is linked to
problems of standardization. The simultaneity between production and consume leads,
according to Levitt (1983), to settle for simple promises of satisfaction. Those also
affects the international expansion: the subjective nature of quality perception of service
means that what may be satisfactory in the domestic market, may not be perceived as
such by foreign consumers (D’Amato, Cacia, 2008). Therefore, the service may require
an adaptation to attract and satisfy the market internationally. In fact, one of the
characteristics of internationalisation and theirs applications to the tourism can be
identified in the co-existence of co-production (inseparability), intangibility,
heterogeneity and ownership. Specifically to the tourism, internationalization my be
interpreted as:
1) customers move to the factors of production
2) the factors of production move to customers.
We can identified three different forms of tourism internationalization. The first one is
exportation in which there is a minimal presence and control by the company. The
second one is agreements, like licensing and joint venture, in both are required a degree
of financial and managerial investment in the country. The last one is direct investment.
De Wilde (1991) argues that the successful implementation of international tourism
management will be based on two learning processes: the first is conceptual in nature
and is addressed in terms of the way issue change a result of the global economy (like
strategic alliance); the second processes skill based and encompasses broadly
intercultural negotiating skills, the ability to read different markets in different context
and understand comparative politics (de Wilde, 1991, pp.41-44)
However, for tourist system, we can refer to internationalization only reference to move
international customers (tourists) on the destination. So, internationalize a destination
means import foreign visitors. This moves towards the management of distribution as a
key factor of competitiveness4. Therefore, to internationalize a tourist destination is
desirable create business relationship and agreements with foreign markets operators
(like outgoing tour operators and travel agency). In order to create this agreements,
managers and enterprises of tourism industry must acquire the ability to draft and
implement strategies and plans that will guarantee the success on the more and more
internationalized market of tourism. This interdependence between countries,
economies and people has led to the creation and operation of global tourism market

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

where destinations, which are expected to compete on equal basis regardless of the
country of origin, function interactively. Due to the internationalization of the economy
and business activity, the competition in the tourism industry has shifted from local
level to global level. This development influences to a significant extent the strategic
decision process of both independent tourism operators and international tourism
organizations. Even id globalization has opened a whole new world of development
opportunities specially for tourism, the conclusion is reached that to be successful in
international market, tourist and hospitality marketers have to device marketing
strategies that are generated to the needs and wants of the specific target markets, needs
that are strangely affected by the consumer’s national and ethnic culture. There is,
therefore, a need among tourist and hospitality marketers to be unique and excel in what
they do to remain competitive by improving communications and cost control and
implement an international marketing strategies too.

3. TOURISM5 INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT: DESTINATION SYSTEM AND

HOTEL CHAIN.

The tourism’s definition accepted to international level is “the term tourism is the
activity carried out in humans - for fun, business or other reason - during travels and
stays in a place outside their usual environment for a period less than one year”6.
In order this definition is the consumer that with his behaviour, when he buys and uses
goods and services (commercial and non-commercial) such qualifying activities as
tourism products. The principal touristic activities are hosting and travelling (Kotler,
2003), in this paper on analyzes the first compartment, on two types of tourism
product: destination and hotel chain.
A tourist destination is a territory in which they have a set of attractions that can satisfy
the needs and interests of a particular segment of the tourist demand.
The destination is defined as "territorial space geographical defined, it is capable of
expressing one or more tourism products, thanks to the presence of factors of
attractiveness of natural and artificial, controlled and operated by an articulated set of
actors among their coordinates with the presence of a body meta-level" (Mussner,
Pechlaner, Schoenhuber, 1999).
The boundaries of the destination (not defined a priority) can be identified, therefore,
starting from the specific needs of each target customer in question. A tourist destination
can be considered only when the resources, i.e. the raw material source of attraction, be
integrated with infrastructure and services that allow, respectively, accessibility and
usability of the desired goal. If not met these three characteristics do not have a
"product" sold.
Each destination is subject to use by a variety of users: they are not included among the
tourists only. Should, in fact, including, but residents and workers, as also users of the
space, facilities and services in the territory. The identification of subjects that are part
of is essential for the definition of a tourist destination, the key players, each of which
presents different peculiarities are: tourists, intent on meeting their own needs and the
local population, which are poured issues relating to environmental sustainability, social
and economic infrastructure, is also known as "passive tourism", the tourist industry

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

(accommodation and catering, tour operators, travel agents, guides, attraction of

businesses, etc..), whose activity is supporting the development of tourist destination
and thus the economic return in terms of profit and the public sector, which sees tourism
as a means of stimulating the development of the local economy, especially through
increased employment, and that should take care of business within its powers to
encourage this. At a tourist destination is a plurality of elements7:
• Attractions: elements able to exercise a kind of tourist interest;
• The amenities: hotels, restaurants, entertainment;
• Infrastructure: any form of construction, usually made by the public sector, needed for
communication and mobility;
• Additional services, made available by local organizations.
The second tourism product analyzed into this work is hotel chain. It is a typical product
of hospitality, that consists of two fundamental dimensions, the tangible - such as
structure, furniture, beds and other - and intangible - such as reception service,
restaurant, maid service and other.
In reports on the considerations set out in this analysis we place to comparison two type
of tourist dimension: system destination and hotel chain. A tourism product is the
combination of all goods and services consumed by tourists in a place called, then we
can say that the destination is part of the tourism product, also a key element is that of
hospitality, including hotel chains .
Those dimensions could be classified as follow:
 Destination: the place where one plays the "tourist consumption".
 Hotel chain: hospitality and tourism service, integral element of the destination.

Figure 1. Tourism Product and levels: destination system and hotel chain.

TOURIST PRODUCT:” the activity carried out in humans - for fun,

business or other reason - during travels and stays in a place outside their
usual environment for a period less than one year”

DESTINATION: location, geographic area

HOTEL CHAIN:
hospitality

Source: ours elaboration

Figure 1 shows the relationship between the two elements of the tourism product
covered by this work, in fact, the hotel chain is part of a tourist destination. This
reflection allows new insights into the definition of international tourism product.
The chain of hotels in its international positioning must necessarily consider the
peculiarities of the destination, must be consistent with the image that the territory was
outside.

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

Over the years, however, there has been a massification of needs, they have think that
the standardization was synonymous of quality, in this case is not that.
The tourist wants to live a unique experience where you move and the hotel chain must
provided a standard shared the other side should also include the "personalization".
In line with the considerations made in this work suggests the role of the brand
positioning strategy as effective in supporting the tourism product image.

4. THE BRAND ROLE ON THE POSITIONING POLICY: IDENTITY, IMAGE

AND PERSONALITY

A brand represent what a product/service is, what benefits is carries to the consumer and
what differentiates the product/service from other products (Usunier, 2000). A brand can
therefore be defines as a psychological construct of images and relationships in the
mind of a consumer which is responsible for product/service identification and
product/service differentiation, and which influences customer’s purchase decision
(Esch, 2004). Branding has an important role in service companies, in fact brand
enables consumer to visualize and understand the intangible aspects of the service
including the quality of the people who provide the services. Service branding is an
effective techniques in international marketing (Buhalis, Costa, 2006).
The brands gets an additional dimension when adding the international perspective
(Bell, 2000). In fact, customers in other country markets may have different preferences
and tastes in the home markets, therefore the same messages may not be appropriate
there. At the same time, there is evidence that customers are more globalized (Kotler,
2002).
So, according to Sattler (2001, 2007) there isn’t a solution of which are the best way to
qualify the brand, but is necessary to select an optimal degree between standardization
and differentiation and adapt the brand positioning to the needs of foreign markets.
There is nothing wrong with this, but is the same holds true of local/global dilemma, or
ethics versus business dilemma (Kapferer, 2004). In light of this issue, branding policy
is indispensable to international tourism product placement represents. Consequently, to
optimize this process it is indispensable a planned strategy aimed to matching identity,
image and personality of a service. In fact, we believe that the brand is a synthesis of
these items. The construction and use of the strategy implies, preliminarily, the
knowledge of those specific concepts.
Both identity and image are based on the values, attributers and personalities associated
with the brand. In our opinion it is essential to distinguish the meanings of these two
expressions. Identity reflects the view of the marketer or owner. That is, identity is what
owner or manager believes or intends that the service should represent to consumers,
customers. Image, instead, is what customers, users, and the like believe or perceive the
service to be or what it represent to them at a given point in time (Schults, 2003; Wei,
2002; Abratt and Shee, 1989). The image exist exclusively in individuals who are
perceived through a series of clues (visual) perception that leads them to judge
subjectively what the organization as well as a destination or a hotel chain is
(Bernsterin, 1984). Image has been verified to be a pivotal factor in travellers' decision
process and destination/hotel chain selection behaviour (Gunn, 1972; Gartner, 1993;

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

Goodrich, 1978; Woodside & Lysonski, 1989; Um & Crompton, 1990). The image that
travellers hold about a destination/hotel chain would be significantly influenced by
several information sources. As a result, an accurate assessment of image is a key to
designing an elective marketing and positioning strategy (Reilly, 1990).
This position allows affirming that there is often a big difference between what the
organization/tourism product believes of feels about the service and the experiences
customers and consumer have with it. As a consequence of the intangibility of the
services, therefore their quality is difficult to be evaluated by the client/consumer and
building a strong brand image is a challenging task.
The personality represents, in its place, what the tourism product currently is (i.e. real
identity), and is expressed by the modalities according to which the organization
manages its business and develops its own activities. The personality can be considered
the result of the interpretation of the personality of the organization/ tourism product,
achieved through a process of self-evaluation (Fill, 1999). The personality has, in its
nature, a strong immaterial component, that has to be made explicit through the visual
elements, in order to be communicated to the outside and to become perceivable (Siano,
2001). Through a high-quality communication policy and brand strategy is possible to
appreciate a correspondence between the tourism product perception and what it is.
Thus, we refer to a communication that can translate the elements of personality in
those visible and perceptible outside (identity).
This communications strategy have to considerate the typical complexity of a tourism
product promotion, like the importance of those elements whose matching could
represents a competitive advantage for both destination system and hotel chain. Then,
we discuss about the configuration of such three elements and their difference to
highlight the role of brand and underline that a growing part of value depends on it one.
Therefore, destinations as well as an hotel chain, must allow recipients to understand
their identity in order to differentiate themselves from others, trying to feel out their
values and thus their identity, with the purpose to match between personality and image
(Fig 2). If they are capable of optimizing the relationship between identity and
personality certainly succeeds in reducing the gap between personality and image. This
is possible through a excellent brand strategy.

Figure 2. The Brand as integration of image, personality and identity

Personality. Image
What tourist How tourist
product/Brand is product is perceive

Identity
How the tourist
product is visible BRAND
outside/identifiers

Source: our elaboration on Fill, 1996.

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

After these considerations, it is important to emphasize the relationship between hotel

chain and destination as we stated at the beginning. Indeed, we can not refer to the
integration of the three items for the destination or the hotel chain because, being such
integrated with one another, it becomes essential - in our vision - to speak of a total
integration.
Territory in which a complex of attractions closely tied to the need of a target has centre
of customers. The succeeding tourist destination is a place where the resources, source
of attraction, is integrated with infrastructures and services that allow, respective, the
accessibility and the usability of the wished goal (Ejarque, 2003).
The hotel chain is constituted by hotels characterized by homogenous respect to or more
characteristics (the qualitative level, the target objective, the style of management, and
high), than they are introduced with a common brand (sometimes only sometimes in
addition to own teaches). The tie that joins the hotels defined “in chain” can assume
various form and “force” (Benevolo, Grasso, 2005).
The destination in which hotel chain are localized is often considered by the client as a
reflection of the quality of the service, thus is important to simulate this quality with e
purpose of acquiring a strong brand image. Consequently, the destination modifies the
perception on the quality of the distributed services (hotel chain). The client attributes a
superior quality to hotel chain which are localized in an opulent, luxurious destination,
as opposed to those localized in an environment which suggests a discount atmosphere.
Therefore, the tourism product is a particularly complex because it is composed of a
combination of several factors and in modern economic language, is defined as' brand ',
because what is actually offered to potential tourists is a specific product, that indeed as
noted as a set of products.
Destinations and hotel chain will become a fashion accessory, with the traveller
increasingly adopting this attitude as a fundamental principle for the choice of holiday.
Furthermore, brands and images will become more important in the future as tourist
product choice will be shaped by the values that the consumer holds. Tourist product
brand values will have to be trustworthy, ethical and sustainable (Yeoman et. al, 2006).
In such a conceptualization, the brand of place plays a vital role in assessing a
destinations and hotel chain attributes and utility.

5. INTERNATIONAL POSITIONING8 OF TOURISM PRODUCT

The product placed (Kotler, 2006) on the market by a business aims to: offer an
advantage and meet the target, satisfy the target’s expectations better than its
competitors thanks to its distinctive and quality features, have perceivable elements: the
product’s image (brand) must be evident and easy to link with its category.
The product’s placement shows the way the product is placed in the consumer’s mind
with reference to the mentioned features which determine differed responses.
The objective is to demonstrate how the international positioning9 of a tourist product
changes in relation to their characteristics dimensions.
The positioning map can be prepared according to the following steps:
1. identification of the relevant market;

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

2. definition of product characteristics that have greater weight in the choice of

consumption / use by the market / consumer;
3. choice of scale of measurement of attributes;
4. collection of judgements made by consumers on the possession of the set of
attributes by the different brands and the importance assigned to that set in the
choice of each brand;
5. reduction in the number of variables considered;
6. elaboration of the map, then place the opinions expressed by consumers with
regard to the attributes sought and the different brands in the space of two or
more dimensions (multidimensional map).
If in past it had a sense to distinguish between goods and services, during the last few
years this distinction has lost significance, this because every good and service are
composed from various elements and every product is (in the majority of the cases)
constituted or of assets that services. Enough more the criterion of the prevalence of the
assets or the services in order not to characterize a product. The table that follows
supports the made affirmation.

Table 1. The product: system of goods and services.

Need to satisfy Cases Product

City Destination: Good: meals; water,….
Naples Service: transport, night's passing
Hotel Chain Best Western Good: bed
Service: concierge's room, wellness
Transport Bus-line Good: bus
Services: ABS, Satellite Navigator
Wellness Jacuzzi Good: bath
Service: Jacuzzi

The cases showed in the table represent only some examples of complex product and
concern all areas, whatever kind of need to satisfy. When we say product we want to
refer to good and service at the same time. All services are also constituted by goods, it
isn’t ever true the contrary, but the new policy to differentiate through additional goods
and services. (Ferri , Aiello, 2009).
The main aspect is that the destination and the hotel chain closely are connected. The
demonstration of such connections is through the analysis of the positioning of each of
the identified two dimensions of the tourism product, destination or hotel chain, in order
to specify the characteristics and traits in common.
These considerations are important in the positioning policies, figure 3 represents the
positioning of the tourist products (destination and hotel chain)

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

Figure 3. Position's map: Hotel Chain and Destination System10

Orientation to integration’ products

DESTINATION
SYSTEM

Business Territorial
strategy strategy

HOTEL
CHAIN

Orientation to market

Source: Application model of Ferri and Aiello (2009)

The touristic product is defined, it is based on the made considerations, integrate. The
items of TIP (Touristic Integrated Product) are: receptive structures; cultural offer;
transport system; territory system; touristic demand: external and internal push.
The actions that determine the TIP are:
 for the offer: it harmonize; it integrate; it communicate.
 for the demand: it push; it create expectations and perceptions.
In light of this consideration, we propose a possible evolutions of those maps through
the elaboration of a new map’s role of position.
Once the integrated positioning of the destination and the hotel chain, it is possible to
draw the winning strategies of positioning.

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

Figure 4. Position optimal: Hotel Chain and Destination System Integration

Orientation to integration’ products

DESTINATION
Business SYSTEM Territorial
strategy HOTEL strategy
CHAIN

Orientation to market

The strategy of positioning, generally, is conservative, repositioning, putting side by

side, shift of the preferences and modification of the basis of positioning.
The following table lays the characteristics of each strategy and the best possible
application to the tourism product analyzed.

Table 2. The strategies of placement: Destination system and Hotel Chain

Strategy Characteristics Optimal strategy

On detain to position. Destination System

Conservative On reinforce the position in respect to Hotel Chain
customers.
Repositioning On move the perception that the customers Destination System
have about the brand. Hotel Chain
Putting side by side On putting side by side to product a new Destination System
product on the free segment.
Shift of the preferences On shift the customers toward the product Hotel Chain
offered
Modification of the On find a new axis with a new dressy Hotel Chain
basis of positioning characteristic in order to market.

A new strategy of positioning that on purposes into this work is quality brand; this
strategy is optimal in order to destination system and hotel chain, in fact he analyses
pointed out propose a Brand of Quality for successful politics in international
positioning.

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

6. PROPOSITION OF QUALITY BRAND TO REINFORCE THE

INTERNATIONAL POSITION

A complex product like tourism must be supported by policies to ensure that quality is
perceived externally as excellent.
Policies that have to invest the whole rather than individual products, for two reasons:
 The quality policies have the objective of customer satisfaction.
 Il client receives the individual tourist products in their complexity and
integration.
Indeed, the means of transport, accommodation, cultural activities, catering and any
other activity carried out by creating a tourist destination, in his mind, the idea of the
tourist product offered by the territory.
If each tourist activities have already been implemented quality systems as the
application of ISO, for an area that is more complex, which is why we propose here, a
quality policy for the creation of a territorial mark down in stages.
To do this, is necessary to define the quality. There are difference types of quality: the
absolute quality is how the service actually performs in the marketplace compared to
what is promised, expected of offered by the organization or competitive products.
Quality also relates to the price value expected. Generally, quality is in the eye of the
beholder and is not under the control of the marketeters. (Schulz, 2003).
For the reason that perceived quality is the sum of overall expectations for the brand
customer’s point of view, it has direct relationship with the financial value of the brand
and ultimately on the stock price and the general marketplace performance of the firm
as well. (Schulz, 2003). The figure 5 identifies the steps necessary to propose a land
mark of quality.
From the result of the steps considered that if the service improves the perceived quality
increases, and customer satisfaction, therefore increasing the tourist flow (demand)
(Institute G. Tagliacarne, 2009) .
Monitoring according to the logic plan-do-check-act is an important element for
achieving the objective qualities that may seem abstract but in concrete reality is framed
by the individual objectives:
 customer satisfaction,
 loyalty,
 increasing numbers of tourists,
 increase of internationalization,
 increased profitability, increased infrastructure,
 increased services,
 development of individual products,
 increased performance,
 increased training,
 increased performance in terms of human resources.

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

Figure 5. Step for a Quality Brand. Hospitality Area into Destination.

Fields Destination Process Objective Control

Breakdown of the 1.customer satisfaction 1.Questionnaires customer:

individual activities of
Hospitality the facilities to be
monitored. (reception,
night passing, and others)
2.loyalty
3.Internationalization
4.Increased flows in
terms of additions and
Attendance
2.Increase in the number of
facilities;
3.Increase in national and
international flows;
4.Return Customers;
5.Increase in performance

Breakdown of individual 1.customer satisfaction

activities to access the
Accessibility destination track (the
tourist information
offices, markings, and
others)
2.loyalty 1.Increase in the number of
3.Internationalization infrastructure and service
4.Increased flows of 2.Increase in performance
visitors

Breakdown of the 1.customer satisfaction 1.Increase in number of

individual activities of 2.loyalty activities
Cultural 3.Internationalization 2.Increased number of the
the cultural infrastructure structures and cultural
infrastructures to be monitored 4.Increase in visitors infrastructure
(Museums, theatres, and 5.Presence of national 3.Increased the flow of
and international visitors visitors
others) 4.Return Customers
5.Increase in performance

Breakdown of the 6.customer satisfaction 1.Increase in number of

Economic
individual activities of
infrastructures the economic
infrastructure to be
monitored (banking
offices, and others)
7.loyalty
8.Internationalization
9. local actors satisfaction
infrastructure
2.Increase in service users
3.Increase in performance
Increase in performance

Breakdown of the 1.customer satisfaction 1.Questionnaires customer

individual activities of
Transport
transport companies to
track. (transportation,
signage, information,
ticketing, and others)
2.loyalty 2.Increase in number of
3.Internationalization infrastructure
3.Increase in national and
4.Increased flows of international flows
passengers Return Customers
4.Increase in performance

___________________
Source: our elaboration on work of Istituto Guglielmo Tagliacarne11, 2009

The analysis of input-output - applied to the following facilities - including product

quality objectives and justify the need for a Quality Policy and the development of a
trademark for the hotel chain and destination:
1. Increase the quality of the structures increases customer satisfaction.: Perceived
quality in terms of many standard stars;
2. Customer satisfaction involves flows "money": Increase the amount of resources
to invest in product and services offered;
3. Increased use of services has positive effects on employment;
4. Growth of occupation influences the demand for competent and "quality".
human resources;
5. Increase in performance of human resources involves the formation of the same.
6. Quality also impacts positively on the destination image.

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

7. The image creates reputation.

8. The reputation has a positive impacts on the of the hotel chain/destination
image.
The same logic applied to the hospitality system are consistent with all other sectors of
the tourist destination. Specifically:
 The quality should be monitored for activity, and should involve all
sectors of tourism in a destination, as they are closely linked;
 The brand must be developed and created to be incorporated into the
umbrella brand of the destination (STL).
In effect, tourists expect satisfaction with their entire tourist experience not merely with
the individual components of the tourism product.. This suggest that any quality brand
should encompass the full gamut of tourism products and services at the destination, in
accordance with the concept of multi- product destination branding. (Scott, Laws,
2006). So, the policies of quality brand, in our frame work, are an important element for
the positioning policy of the touristic product as is destination and hotel chains. This as
the quality brand has been widely recognized as a source of competitive advantage in
tourism (Poon, 1993, Laws, 2000). Doyle (1998) emphasises the importance of beyond
customer expectations through providing an augmented level of added values, which are
“difficult for competitors to imitate” and a potential level, which builds customer
preference loyalty (Scott, Laws, 2006). Thus a brand can be defined as a “Quality
Brand” non only when the different exigencies of miscellaneous customers are met, but
also when consumer perceive a brand as offering superior brand values and benefits to
the competitor offerings, causing them to specify ot recommend the brand (Lambkin,
Meenagan and O’Dwyer, 1994). Later on the map assumes new shapes and integrations,
which are represented in the figure 6.

Figure 6. New shapes of integrations: The value of Quality Brand.

QUALITY
Integration/coincidence BRAND
between image-identity-
personality of tourist International
product positioning

Quality of tourist
product

___________________
Source: our elaboration

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

In our view, a strategy helpful to optimize the international tourist product positioning
must be based on an agreed gradual adjustment of tourist product quality (hotel chain
and destination) to the way in which those parameters are communicates to the
consumers. The last element depends of the brand strategy that should be finalized to
the optimization of the relationship between identity and personality, which certainly
succeeds in reducing the gap between personality and image.
An increase of the quality of the tourism product - rather of his personality - is a greater
likelihood of integration between identity and image of the product itself.
Brand strategy is extraordinarily important as the execution of such strategy is complex
for it involves the management everything associates with the brand and conveyed
about the brand. The sum of these management activity directly relates to the brand
value in the marketplace. For that reason, building a brand with high quality means
develop the awareness, loyalty of consumer, implement a strategic network and
overseeing how the brand is used are all key aspects of brand management. (Nykiel,
2006).

7. CONCLUSIONS, QUESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE

RESEARCH

The quality in the implementation of a tourism product, as perceived by the users, has a
clear and definite influence on the brand image. This relationship leads us to conclude
that a superior Brand quality can influence positively the purchase decisions of a tourist
or his resolution to visit a certain destination or hotel chain and, as a consequences, it
could influence the international positioning of the tourist product.
The methodology used is to apply practical tools based on theories of scientific
literature. The method is “decomposition of elements investigated”, the object is a
“new point of view” of international positioning and elaboration of ideal parameters of
“Quality Brand”, the final point is the application of those elements to the hotel chain
and the destination system.
We specify, therefore, that the formulated hypotheses do not claim to constitute
conclusions. They have to be considered, rather, as first considerations that allow to
guess possible directions for future research. For further close examinations a wide
availability of relative information is necessary to appraise empirically this results. Such
confirmation will be certainly theme to further research.
The objective of the work presented is to provide concrete tools and new development
prospects for the international positioning of the tourism product. The prospect is
considered one of the tourism product integral (PTI) and the analysis, in particular, the
destination and the hotel chain such as size of the PTI.
If the hotel chain reflects the image of the destination and vice versa, it is appropriate
the hotel chain positioning strategies to be integrated with those of the destination.
Ultimately the discussions led to the following assumption: the policies of positioning
of hotel chain should ensure the personalization of the product offered because the
client wants to live a unique experience tied to territory in which you move. This
assumption offers a new perspective, in line with what we propose: a Quality Brand for
the hotel chain must be consistent with that of the destination.

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

The research opportunity is to provide the points on which we can develop a quality
brand for the hotel chain and the destination. The limit is the lack of application of
quality labels, from which you can leave for future research.

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 10th VAASA Conference on International Business, August 23-25, 2009, Vaasa, Finland

Endnotes
1
Although the views expressed in the paper belong to all of the authors, the paragraphs 2 and 4 are
attributed to Claudia Cacia (ccacia@unisa.it), paragraphs 3 and 5 to Lucia Aiello
(l.aiello@unimercatorum.it.).
2
Early contribution of ‘Uppsala model’: Johanson & Wiedersheim Paul 1975; ‘We do not believe that
[internationalization] is the result of a strategy for optimum allocation of resources to different
countries where alternative ways of exploiting foreign markets are compared and evaluated. We see it
rather as the consequence of a process of incremental adjustments to changing conditions of the firm
and its environment. Johanson and Vahlne 1977, p. 35.
3
Ownership advantages are, as the name implies, competitive advantages that the firm owns vis-`a-vis its
competitors. Location advantages consist of political, economic and natural factors that firms consider
when deciding to locate abroad. Internalization advantages derive from a firm deciding to integrate
various assets and skills within the framework of the company rather than trading them in the
marketplace. Criticisms of the eclectic paradigm mostly concerned the static nature of the model, and
the need to integrate the strategic intent of companies into it. Dunning (2001) acknowledged these
shortcomings and proposed improvements.
4
Distribution system serve ad the intermediary between consumers and suppliers and are an essential part
of the travel and hospitality marketing strategy. It helps to sales directly to customers.
5
For further information in order to tourisme product in Italy: Celant A., Ferri M. A., L’Italia. Il declinio
economico e la forza del turismo. Fattori di vulnerabilità e potenziale competitivo di un settore,
Marchesi, 2009.
6
Definition of United Nations Statistical Commission (1993), session XXVII of ONU.
7
In fact, the tourism product is complex.
8
Clancy considers the positioning as a concept variegate and the strategy is a multiple-level. This
complexity regards also the marketing literature. In the marketing studies, in fact, not there is
unequivocal and homogeneous theoretical of the positioning concept.
9
For further information: Rics A., Positioning. Weapon in winning the battle for the mind of the
consumer, McGrow-Hill, Milano, 1986.
10
Application model of Ferri M. A. and Aiello L. to destination system and hotel chain.
11
For further information: Istituto G. Tagliacarne a project of Unioncamere Calabria, Riflessioni sul
turismo in Calabria. Prospettive e possibili proposte, 2009.

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