Marketing strategies • Understanding product, positioning, place, price and promotion is the key to developing an effective marketing strategy. 1. Product What product(s) are the community offering visitors? Is it a high quality and desirable product from the visitor’s point of view? What kind of visitors would this product appeal to? 2. Positioning How should this CBT venture be positioned in the market? What makes this product unique? How this tourism experience is different to others on offer in the local area or in places visitors are likely to travel to before and after your destination? In other words, what ‘value add’ does this experience offer? 5P’s of Marketing
Marketing strategies 3. Place 4. Price How do you make your product accessible to visitors? How do you price your CBT to make it financially sustainable, affordable and competitive in the marketplace? 5. Promotion What possible avenues are available for spreading the word about your CBT venture? What is your message? How do you use your networks and partnerships to reach out to visitors and inform them?
Build partnerships to promote the CBT initiative • Working with tourism authorities and/or commercial operators can assist with marketing. • Maintaining regular contact with partners and promoters is important so that information about packages and prices is up to date.
Make a website promoting the CBT destination • Who ? community managers /tourism authorities • To promote CBT as one of a number of local destinations. • In creating a website, be sure to include images of the destination and keywords that will appeal to the target market. • A web designer or non-profit organisation, or regional tourism body may be able to provide advice on website development.
Get listed in appropriate guidebooks • Contact guidebook companies offering the CBT site as a potential destination and inviting travel writers to visit the site when researching for the next guidebook edition. • However it is important to be selective about which guidebooks you choose and if they promote values reflected by your CBT venture.
Be clear about what is for sale and what visitors should expect • It is important that marketing material portrays the community’s culture in a respectful way and is clear about what the tourism product is. Marketing can be both honest and appealing. • Marketing material ideally should inform visitors of what to expect from the CBT experience. • This will ensure that the ‘right kind’ of visitor is attracted to the destination.
Be creative • Communities can employ creative branding and/or unconventional marketing to reach specific or niche markets.
Get online and network • Community managers or tourism authorities can list the destination on travel websites and make use of social networking and media sites to promote CBT (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr). Some more targeted travel networks include Trip Advisor, Responsible tourism.com, Lonely Planet
3. Adding Value To Other Tourist Activities
Adding Value To Other Tourist Activities Why is this important? • CBT is most likely to succeed where surrounding areas offer complementary tourism experiences. For the international market in particular, tourists are unlikely to invest substantial funds and time to travel and visit one CBT site.
Adding Value To Other Tourist Activities Why is this important? • This is important for both product development and marketing, as the most successful approach is likely to be one that demonstrates how a particular CBT experience fits with other nearby tourist attractions. In addition, positioning the CBT product as complementary to surrounding tourist activities can assist with marketing
Adding Value To Other Tourist Activities Aim to collaborate rather than compete • Collaborate with managers of surrounding tourist sites. Tourism operators can refer visitors to each other’s destinations. Rather than competing, consider ways to work together and encourage tourists to visit multiple destinations in the local area.
Adding Value To Other Tourist Activities Investigate trends and possible future scenarios • Government tourist agencies can provide valuable statistics and data regarding trends in tourism. Use this information to identify future scenarios and consider how CBT fits within the wider tourism landscape.
Adding Value To Other Tourist Activities Identify the CBT as a ‘value-add’ • Consider how CBT might complement or add value to nearby activities. Is there a particular niche CBT offer that is not already available in the surrounding area? Is the authenticity of CBT a potential selling point and feature that will attract visitors? Identifying how the CBT product both fits with and adds value to mainstream tourism experiences will help to position CBT as an attractive option.
Adding Value To Other Tourist Activities Review surrounding tourism destinations • An assessment of likely direct or indirect tourism competition in the destination or region can provide a picture of the challenges and opportunities available. If places in the region or on common travel itineraries offer similar products and services then it will be important for CBT operation to consider what they can offer that is different.
•“Do not print and distribute brochures and pamphlets before the target markets are identified and marketing strategies put in place”
References Abas, S. A., & Abd Halim, N. (2018). The Role of Local Leadership in Community-Based Rural Homestay in Malaysia. Asia Proceedings of Social Sciences, 2(4), 65-71. Adeyinka-Ojo, S. (2020). Developing a Rural Tourism Destination Brand Framework from the Perspective of a Relationship-Based Approach. In Tourism. IntechOpen. Hamzah, A., & Khalifah, Z. (2009). Handbook on Community Based Tourism:" How to Develop and Sustain CBT". APEC Secretariat. Mohamad Idaris, N., & Awang, A. (2020). Potential of SME's Tourism at Sabak Bernam Selangor: A Qualitative Approach. 3rd ICTTBM, 48-56. Polyakova, I. Y., Ivanova, R. M., & Skrobotova, O. V. (2016). Development of Tourism Potential in the Lipetsk Oblast as a Factor in Shaping Cultural and Geographical Space. Telfer, D. J., & Sharpley, R. (2015). Tourism and development in the developing world.Routledge.
References https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGmTtz3FE8s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21SO688fYSY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipRrO9WvBZQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6APzwkSLZU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYLGWUwX-Ds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrm7nW6r0JM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ualeks87XmQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MnIpiIS2VM&t=31s