Tourism Product Management and Industry Analysis - BTM4TPM
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CONTENTS
CHAPTER TWO: THE UNDERSTANDING OF
TOURISM PRODUCT AND STAKEHOLDERS OF THE ORGANISATION
2.1: The history of the
chosen company
2.2 VisitBritain: Current
State and Performance
2.3: Competitive
Landscape and Its Impact on VisitBritain
2.4: Key stakeholders of
VisitBritain: expectation and engagement strategies
2.4.1: Stakeholder
Expectations
2.4.2: Strategies for
Stakeholder Management
3.1: VisitBritain’s Risks
and Crisis Management
3.2: Sustainable
Strategies at VisitBritain
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Tourism is one of the most diverse and sensitive
industries that have a significant impact on the world economy. This involves a
host of stakeholders, goods, and services that combine to deliver the desired
customer encounter during travel, as well as the economic, social, and cultural
impact for the destination. VisitBritain is the national tourism organization
that spearheads the promotion of inbound tourism and the growth of a viable and
competitive tourism sector in Great Britain. The purpose of this report is to
analyse VisitBritain’s responsibilities, implement issues and management of
tourism products and stakeholders. This report aims to discuss the issue of
tourism management by exploring organization background, current situation,
competition and sustainable development so as to reveal the prospect of British
tourism industry. It is the hope of this report, therefore, that through
literature review, case study analysis and critical evaluation of the findings,
this report will add to the existing knowledge of tourism management and offer
relevant and useful recommendations to VisitBritain and other similar
organisations seeking to manage similar challenges and opportunities.
CHAPTER TWO: THE UNDERSTANDING OF TOURISM PRODUCT
AND STAKEHOLDERS OF THE ORGANISATION
2.1: The history of the chosen company
VisitBritain is a governmental organisation that
traces its roots back to 1969 since it was initially founded as the British
Tourist Authority (BTA) under the Development of Tourism Act (Holloway &
Humphries, 2022). Its purpose was to sell Britain to the outside world by
letting the people of other nations know what they could find when they visited
the nation. Since its formation, it has experienced development in line with
the dynamics of the tourism industry. A major restructuring took place in 2003
after the organisation changed its name to VisitBritain, a much more
progressive name for a tourism marketing organisation. This change demarcated
the organisation’s vision to present Britain as a viable and interesting
relevant player in the global tourism market. VisitBritain’s marketing strategy
acronym, MAX, stands for more arrivals, extended length of visits, and higher
yield from the tourism industry to the British economy.
In order to meet its objectives, VisitBritain works
with the following: Government ministries and departments, regional tourism
boards, and other industry players (Kennel, 2021). It is highly intertwined
with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) in order to
keep touring policies in Britain consistent with VisitBritain’s promotional
campaigns. It helps the organisation to get funds, political backing and shape
policies of the state affecting the tourism sector. At an organizational level,
VisitBritain collaborates with destinations management organization such as
VisitEngland, VisitScotland, and Visit Wales at the regional level. This leads
to the synchronisation of marketing strategies, strategy exchange, and creation
of regional tourism offerings that fit into the total British tourism
experience (Page and Connell, 2020). To this end, VisitBritain works closely
with local government and other administrative authorities to see that the
revenue generated by tourism translates to the development of the regions that
receive visitors.
2.2 VisitBritain: Current State and Performance
Over the years, the domestic tourism promotion
authority of Great Britain known as VisitBritain has played a crucial role in
advertising the inbound tourism and boosting the economy of the nation. To
date, it is crucial in the renewal of the British tourism and hospitality
business after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit that happened in
2020.
The latest annual report of VisitBritain shows that
its endeavours have played in making the rebound of the inbound tourism
possible. Last year 2022 international arrivals to Britain reached up to 21.1
million while in the previous year 2021, it was only 11.1 million tourist
arrivals (VisitBritain, 2023). This forms a true testament to how VisitBritain
has well marketed its services in the global tourism market and the flexibility
to counter the downturns in the economy.
Inbound tourism still plays important roles in the
British economy, boosting the economy with £22.5 in 2022 to (VisitBritain,
2023). This suggests the potential for growth and strong evidence of a robust
sector, which in the previous year had produced £14.2 billion. Over the years,
VisitBritain has been targeting to encourage more quality business and leisure
visitors who spend longer amount of time and money while in Britain to boost
tourism’s contribution to the country’s economy.
It has been reported that VisitBritain has significant
capability in terms of using digital marketing as well as using data analysis
effectively to communicate with the target audience. In the year 2022,
visitbritain.com targeted consumers visited the organization’s website which
they reached 20.5 million, up by 12% compared to the previous year as noted in
VisitBritain (2023). The website focuses on giving inspiration, tools, and
booking services with all kinds of information for the potential visitors. The
organization has been active on the web, and its content has been instrumental
in keeping Britain popular in the competitive world tourism market.
Furthermore, VisitBritain has been engaging in
participation with the key industry players in formulating and advocating
sustainable tourism business. Furthermore, the organisation has released the
Sustainable Travel Report in cooperation with the travel trade, calling for
sustainable tourism and presenting success stories (VisitBritain, 2022). In
particular, focusing on sustainability, VisitBritain wants to make tourism more
sustainable in Britain taking into consideration natural and cultural resources
in order to make tourism industry more resistant to negative impacts.
However, the following challenges are some of the
issues that the organisation experiences in the current world: Brexit has
continued to cost and shift the bounds of traveler rules and visa policies,
which may influence visitation from key European source markets (Kraus &
Jovanović, 2021). Some of these challenges have however been faced by
VisitBritain in consultation with the government and other members in the
industry to deal with these issues and make travel easy for the visitors.
Also, the shift in trends and the expansion of the
targeted consumers’ expectations towards individual, unique services and
products pose significant challenges to VisitBritain in terms of the need to be
constantly developing new tourism products. The organization has been directing
efforts at diversifying specific tourism types as there is a change in demands
by the visitors; notably, cultural, heritage, and adventure market segments
(Page and Connell, 2020). VisitBritain is to spread the work message across
Britain and reduce the burden on key locations and destinations it promotes;
ordinarilyovel packages.
As for the further perspectives, VisitBritain has
rather high objectives on increasing the balance of inbound tourism. The
organization intends to facilitate international arrivals of 35.6 million and
realise £34.5 billion of visitor expenditure by 2025 (VisitBritain, 2023). To
these ends, VisitBritain will build on its ongoing commitment to marketing
investment, product innovation and partnership working but will also
concentrate on market recovery and the promotion of Britain as a diverse and
accessible domestic destination.
In conclusion, VisitBritain continues to be out in
front for Britain as the premier tourism marketing organization. With the
impact of the Covid-19 and Brexit the organization has remain compliant and
progressive in the efforts towards the revival of the inbound tourism. By
actively using marketing and partnership tools, promoting the concept of
sustainable tourism and actively following the events in the world market,
VisitBritain is ready to take advantage of the situation and effectively
contribute to the further growth of the British tourism industry.
2.3: Competitive Landscape and Its Impact on
VisitBritain
This competition stems from the fact that VisitBritain
which is the national tourism organization representing Great Britain will be
competing with other destinations and their tourism boards. These competitors’
objectives include seeking the attention of the international travelers,
promoting campaign, and establishing distinct tourism products which affect the
VisitBritain market share and approaches. Tourism Ireland is strategically
VisitBritain’s key competitor as it focuses on marketing the island of Ireland
to tourist helping them have a better view of VisitBritain’s market share. The
“Green Button” campaign has boosted the arrival of visitors through Tourism
Ireland (Tourism Ireland, 2023). This campaign has at some point been appealing
to the international community most especially the United States of America
which is a market to both Ireland and Britain. Therefore, VisitBritain has had
to increase the force with which it sells itself and the targeted products to
the Americans. Another considerable competitor that exist is the German
National Tourist Board, which market Germany as a travel destination. The
country has a highly developed economy System, Tradition, Culture and centrally
located in Europe all these factors makes Germany a preferred tourist
destination.
The GNTB has
therefore been more preoccupied using marketing strategies that place emphasis
on the following: The various regions of Germany, special interests tourism,
and ecological tourism. It has forced VisitBritain to come up with
differentiation strategies that would help it market the generally unremarkable
nature of British tourism while at the same time reassuring consumers of its
environmentally friendly policies to stay relevant. Other European destinations
have also stepped up competition in the recent past. Tourism countries like
France, Spain & Italy have been constantly investing on hard & soft
infrastructure, promotional & marketing campaigns and on products &
services of tourist interests (Holloway & Humphries, 2022). These
destinations can provide the visitor with a variety of experiences of cultural,
historical, beach and nature visitant-interest segments. In response,
VisitBritain has been concentrating on the unique selling proposition of
heritage and modern culture, as well as regional specialities. In addition, new
competitors in Asia and Middle East have also posed a problem to VisitBritain
in the recent past. Some countries like Japan, South Korea, UAE and among
others have been investing in the development of tourism and therefore tourists
destinations. In order for VisitBritain to continue to gain market shares
internationally, it has been adjusting its aim on these emerging markets that
are establishing marketing approaches as well as drawn collaborations with
domestic travel commerce.
2.4: Key stakeholders of VisitBritain: expectation
and engagement strategies
Being the national tourism organization for Britain,
VisitBritain communicates with various segments who own or significantly
influence the industry in British tourism. This section focuses on three key
stakeholders: the UK government, industry associates or counterparts, and the
local communities. Due to the following expectations, VisitBritain wants to
enhance a cooperation with them and apply successful engagement techniques for
the development of the sector.
2.4.1: Stakeholder Expectations
The UK Government:
The key stakeholder for VisitBritain is the UK
government and especially the Department for Digital, Culture, Media &
Sport (DCMS). According to the government, the organisation needs to integrate
its actions with national tourism policies; promote sustainable tourism that
can help boost the economy and create jobs (DCMS, 2021). Furthermore, the
government needs VisitBritain to work with other governmental organisations
including the British Council and the Department for International Trade to
market Britain’s soft power and trade overseas (VisitBritain, 2022).
Industry Partners:
Airlines, tour operating companies, accommodation
providers, tourism attractions, and other associated industries expect
VisitBritain to deliver information about the market, promotion, and
partnership. They rely with VisitBritain to undertake research, benchmarking
and to access international markets (refer Fig 2) (Holloway & Humphries,
2022). Industry partners also demand VisitBritain to lobby on their behalf,
fund product development and cultivate an environment that is conducive to the
growth of tourism business.
Local Communities:
Stakeholders in Local tourism areas in Britain have
high expectations of VisitBritain SF as the organization to market their areas,
assist their tourism industries, and guarantee that the opportunities from
tourism are harnessed and increase their standards of living. They rely on
VisitBritain’s expertise in best practices in sustainable tourism, as well as
in distribution and regulation of tourist arrivals and/or support in minimizing
the adverse effects of tourism consumption on their populations (Goodwin,
2021). Furthermore, local residents rely on VisitBritain to defend, promote,
and exhibit their distinctive cultural identity and create job opportunities as
well as support local business proprietors.
2.4.2: Strategies for Stakeholder Management
Government Engagement:
VisitBritain interacts with the UK government at
periodic government meetings, briefings and consultations. This institution
offers future planning, pass on market information and participates in the
formulation of the country’s tourism framework (VisitBritain, 2022).
VisitBritain also works on co-ordination marketing campaigns with other
government departments like the GREAT Britain Campaign is aimed at marketing
Britain for tourism, trade and for inward investment (VisitBritain, 2023). The
organisation works closely with government and therefore is well placed to keep
tourism high on the nation’s agenda.
Industry Partnerships:
Hence, VisitBritain communicates with industry
partners through face-to-face meetings and conferences, workshops, social
media, and other online platforms. The organization provides channel
connections, market information, and training and services that improve
competitiveness for businesses (Page et al., 2020). VisitBritain also
undertakes partnership marketing communication programmes, sold tied promotions
and familiarization trips to bring in overseas buyers and media to showcase
Britain as a tourist destination (VisitBritain, 2023). These partnerships
presume that it is easier to achieve great results if industry players are
involved in implementing strategies that would enhance the overall performance
of the tourism sector.
Community Engagement:
Working with Destination Management Organizations
(DMO’s), local authorities and community groups is common for VisitBritain. It
offers advisory services on sustainable development of tourism, promotes a
concrete local scope, teaches local actors how to unfold their sustainable
tourism potential (Goodwin, 2021). Another suite of campaigns, launched by
VisitBritain is regional cultures, traditions, and off-the-beaten-path
attractions that tourists should not miss out (VisitBritain, 2022). Through
consultative engagement of community and local stakeholders, VisitBritain is
able to reach out to each of the areas within Britain and involve the citizens.
CHAPTER THREE: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF TOURISM PRODUCTS (QUALITY,
SUSTAINABILITY AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ASPECTS)
3.1: VisitBritain’s Risks and Crisis Management
Like any other tourism organization, VisitBritain has
encountered different risks and challenges that may affect its achievement and
the improvement of the British tourism sector. Among them the most important
threat that occurred in the recent year is the COVID-19 pandemic which has
tremendously affected the world travelling and tourism. The pandemic resulted
in travel ban, closure of borders and significant reduction in international
travelers which posed tremendous challenge to VisitBritain and the industry as
a whole.
Thus, VisitBritain’s crisis management plan for the
COVID-19 risks used multiple tactics. It followed the situation closely with
the British government and industry stakeholders to coordinate safety measures,
disseminate travel advice, and offer aid to tourism enterprises in the time of
crisis (VisitBritain, 2021a). VisitBritain also had to change its communication
tactics to promote domestic travel from desktop and mobile devices in order to
help people in Britain to discover new destinations and support local
businesses (VisitBritain, 2021b). In this way, VisitBritain has shown itself to
be able to work effectively in the situation created by the pandemic;
therefore, it has become possible to actively participate in the recovery of
the industry.
The second threatening factor for VisitBritain is the
Brexit effect on the tourism industry. Brexit has brought confusion about
matters like traveling and visa, or even the mobility of tourism employees
across the European Union and the United Kingdom (Bock, 2020). In order to
manage these risks VisitBritain together with the government and industry
partners has been actively preparing for the Brexit implementation and its
impact on tourism. The organisation has offered recommendations to tourism
firms concerning changes in the law following Brexit, campaigned for pro-travel
policies and has pursued the selling of Britain as a hospitable country for
European tourists (VisitBritain, 2021c).
VisitBritain has also experienced a continuous concern
of the sustainability of the tourism growth. The congestions of these areas
have exerted immense pressure on infrastructure, resources, and community of
the host countries (Koens & Wood, 2022). To mitigate this risk,
VisitBritain has been carrying out sustainable tourism measures, which will be
described later in the section. When it comes to tourism development,
VisitBritain says that it wishes to help develop long-term, sustainable and
responsible tourism, which means responsible tourism activities to promote
lesser-known places and cooperating with local people and businesses.
3.2: Sustainable Strategies at VisitBritain
Sustainability has been embraced by VisitBritain in
the understanding that sustainable tourism is key to the success of the
industry. The toured organization has been putting measures to mitigate the
undesirable effects of tourism while enhancing the benefits of tourism
economically socially and environmentally.
The last of VisitBritain’s strategic priorities based
on sustainability bears the title of responsible tourism. The organization has
prepared with the support of the travel trade the “Sustainable Travel Report”
to give recommendations on the sustainable tourism development and to present
the examples of the practice (VisitBritain, 2022a). It also conducts campaigns
and initiatives to guide the visitors and make them better tourists; to take
responsible decisions in visitor decision-making, to travel by public
transport, to support local traders, etc., to respect local cultures and
respect environment (VisitBritain, 2022b) . In this way, VisitBritain works to
disseminate information about responsible tourism in Britain and offer tips to
tourists and business providers.
Another important sustainable strategy is the
encouragement of regional and seasonal dispersal. Promoting the benefits of
tourism across the country VisitBritain has been actively striving to increase
the awareness of the availability of tourism opportunities in other parts of
Britain, other than those most visited (Coles et al., 2021). It also encourages
off-peak travel and all year-round travel so that the infrastructure and
resources are not congested during the peak seasons. According to the aspect of
spreading tourism products and distributing visitors more evenly, VisitBritain
seeks to build the sustainable and resilient tourism sector.
Local engagement and stakeholders also work with
VisitBritain, and Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) in the delivery
of sustainable tourism products and services. For the purpose of promoting the
destination, the organization offers funds, ideas, and advertisement while the
communities take advantage of their strengths to develop the tourism products
that are genuine and sustainable (VisitBritain, 2022c). Given that VisitBritain
seeks to ensure that tourism development is owned and managed by local people
with the view of benefiting their economies as well as protecting heritage
resources, the organization has scrutinized the following steps.
Furthermore it can be pointed that VisitBritain has
been actively supporting the implementation of sustainable measures in the
sphere of tourism. It also supports environmental management practices like
waste minimisation, energy and water efficiency, and sustainable transportation
amongst other partners in the industry (Dieke et al., 2021). Sustainability
Certification and accreditation is also supported by VisitBritain to promote
more responsible business activities and appeal to the tourists who are also
aware of environmental conservation practices.
CHAPTER 4:
CONCLUSION
To summarise, it is seen from this report that the
author has discussed about VisitBritain, its responsibilities, its problems,
and it strategies of handling the tourism products and the stakeholders’
relationship. In doing so, this report has explained the challenges and
prospects of tourism management within the British context based on the
analysis of the organization’s historical background, its present-day status,
competitors, and sustainability initiatives.
This paper reveals that VisitBritain has been able to
respond to some of the main challenges, including COVID-19 and Brexit, with
flexibility and vigour. The organization has been prepared for crisis
management, involved stakeholders, and adjusted its marketing and product
development in response to these problems.
Also, VisitBritain has been voicing its awareness on
sustainable tourism and has undertaken numerous measures that seek to enhance
the understanding of sustainability, dissemination, community involvement and
the sustainability of the industry at large. Thus,VisitBritain seeks to manage
the environmental, social and economical effects of tourism with the view of
achieving sustainable tourism growth in Britain.
This report’s conclusions have significant
implications for VisitBritain and other tourism bodies with comparable
strengths and weaknesses. Four major areas of focus are recognised in the
report and these are a strong focus on the anticipatory management of crises
that may affect the industry, effective and productive engagements with the
stakeholders, and commitment to sustainable tourism development. Implementing
these approaches and adjusting to the shifting environment of this industry, it
is possible to achieve enhanced protection, development of competitive
advantages and sustainability of organisations.
More research could look at the degree of utilization
of strategies developed by VisitBritain or analyze the effects of innovative
technologies in managing tourism, as well as the part of tourism in raising
awareness of cultural differences among the people of the world. Now, as the
tourism industry develops, such companies like VisitBritain have to stay
leaders, using new ideas, being environmentally friendly responsible for its
actions, and having appropriate collaboration with different stakeholders to make
the tourism industry grow and be successful.
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