Product in Tourism
The needs of a tourist relate to comfort and pleasure in
travel, stay, food arrangements and to visit spots of interest and attraction.
Hence, a tourist hopes that she or he will:
• Be looked after and cared for,
• Be able to visit places of interest, spend adequate time at
such places and engage in the activities that interest them,
• Not face wastage of time in waiting for transport or at
places of no interest because of bad weather or other reasons,
• Not be hurried or hustled against the preferred place,
• Be offered palatable and suitable food to one's tastes and
health,
• Get good company of others, if in a group,
• Be able to experience in the new places the local life
styles, culture, food etc. as per one's own choice,
• Be facing no risk to one's person or belongings, etc.
These expectations of the tourist are met by three main
ingredients:
• Attractions are the things to see and enjoy, and will range
from beaches to mountains, flora and fauna, places representing history and
culture, entertainment etc.
• Facilities take care of the comfort and range from
accommodation, food, communications, guides and so on.
• Accessibility relates to the formalities in reaching the
places, like visas, customs, bookings etc. acquiring resources like
accommodation, exchange, transportation without haste and damage.
The
tourist product is a complex one. It consists of several elements provided by
various persons. You have read about the constituents of the Tourism Industry
in Unit 5. Some of them are located at the tourist destinations (hotel, shops,
attractions, guides), some are at the place of origin of the tourist (embassy
to provide, visa, travel agency or tour operator) and some are enroute (customs,
transport, exchange).
Some
of these services are tied to tangibles. Both hotels and transportation use a
variety of tangibles. The comfort of a stay in a hotel is an experience which
does not come only from the quality of furniture and fittings within, but from
the efficiency of the equipment including the noise it makes and the
disturbance from the outside during periods of rest. Noise and disturbances can
be very annoying to some people, but not to all. These in turn depend on the
maintenance as well as the behaviour of other people in the hotel. The annoying
experience of noise and disturbance is part of the product the hotel provides,
probably more than the quality of the furniture. The experience is real but
intangible. The product has both tangible as well as intangible elements. The
service part is intangible.
Similarly,
in transportation, the car may be the latest mode11000 in perfect running
condition. But if the driver is rash or not very polite and considerate, the
experience is of bad service. Rashness, politeness, consideration etc. are
one's evaluation of other's correctness. They are intangibles. For example in
this case evaluations are made of the chauffeur's actions but are also related
partly to the customer's perceptions and standards. The customer, in using the
service (of the chauffeur) experiences 'bad' service. The environment at the
time influenced the perception and therefore the experience. The bad service
was provided by the chauffeur. He 'made' the product at the time of consumption.
Both, production and consumption occurred simultaneously. Without the
consumption, there would not have been a product. If the client did not notice
bad behaviour, there would have been bad behaviour.
Core and Peripherals
A
product is basically something that a producer offers to a customer to provide
satisfaction. To the manufacturer or producer, the product has an aggregate of
technical and physical features and characteristics. To the consumer, it is an
aggregate of utilities, expectations and perceptions, a complex cluster of
value satisfactions.
Attribute of a Product
A product is not merely a physical commodity. People endow
products with attributes beyond the functional characteristics of the product.
Soap is valued not merely for its ability to clean but also for its shape,
colour, size and the 'status' that its use symbolises. The packing, the
labelling, the price, the image
(created through promotion efforts), all add up to make the product occupy a
position in the mind of the consumer. Utility is only one element of the
complex product personality.
The product has a core constituent i.e. the technical
characteristics to perform the basic functions for which it is made. The
peripherals have no great functional utility, but they add value. For example,
a core constituent of a television set will be its engineering, circuitry etc.
that provides clear images and sound. The peripherals would be the design of
the cabinet, position of the control knobs, remote control facilities, the
brand name, the guarantees etc. The peripherals are also referred to as the
associated features that augment the product.
Products may be differentiated through claims made by the
manufacturer. For example, cooking oils refer to effects on cholesterol levels
to differentiate themselves; toothpastes are differentiated on the basis of
clove oil, fluoride and so on. These differentiations create distinctive value
and avoid competition on price. Competition is among equals and not among
unequal.
Products also may be customised to meet the specific
requirements of the consumer. This is done partly for high value industrial
products which may be fabricated or modified to meet specific needs. This is
not done for mass produced items. In the service sector, the opportunity, as
well as the need, for customisation, is very high.
Packaging
and labelling are very important in goods. Packaging provides protection,
attractiveness and identity. Labelling helps in identifying and also provides
information about distinctive features, technical data, usage instructions,
precautions etc.
Tourism Product
In
tourism, the products are varied. A travel agent may arrange for itineraries
and airline booking as the core product, but add on as peripherals help in getting
passport and visas. Foreign exchange clearances, embarkation formalities at
airport and so on. Similarly attractions are added to a destination. For
example, 18 rooms of Buckingham Palace have been recently opened to visitors.
This expected to become a major tourist attraction in London. Apart from the
Throne Room, Drawing Room and the Picture Gallery, the Souvenir shop (selling
white china mugs with Buckingham Palace written on it or crystal Balls with
details from State Dining Room), is a part of the attraction.
Product Design
Designing a product means determining the features of the
product and the benefits that will provide to the user. Effective designing
will maximise the benefits and the appeal to the consumer. This implies that
adequate attention has to be paid not merely to the core but also to the
peripherals and the packaging, labelling, etc. which augment the value of the
product.
The Service Product
The service product is not a physical entity. The elements
that could go into making the aggregate service product are many. A choice has
to be made as to what elements have to be incorporated in the core service
offer which will become the product.
• Delivery of articles designated within specified time
limits.
• Arrangements for collection of articles.
• Nature and size of articles would be accepted for delivery.
In a theatre, the elements will include, apart from the shows, climate control, cleanliness, quality of seating, elevator service, reservation facilities, conveniences in lobby, decor, attached restaurants, nature of patronage, information on forthcoming programmes, car park facilities and a lot more details on reception etc. Satisfactions increases when one is recognised as a patron by the officials in the theatre; when one can have the seats of one's choice whenever required; when the others in the theatre are of an acceptable kind and so on.
A product in tourism is the place of destination and what one
may experience while proceeding to and staying in that destination. For example,
Sentose Island off Singapore is packaged as a place where there are no shops,
no skyscrapers, no offices-a place of quiet and tranquility, to relax and be
with nature, so different from Singapore. Travelling by cable car to the island
is part of this package. Places in Cross River.
National
Park like Obudu Cattle Ranch are being offered as tourism products to
experience the life styles of intending tourists, living in real palaces with
kingly appurtenances, travelling in 'Palace on Wheel's, the African bushes as
the prospect of seeing wild life. Many pay more to live in the tents in open
country 'with nature' instead of in a five-star comfort.
The Steps in Developing a Service Product
The steps in developing a service product
are:
• Determine what the consumer values as benefits ( benefit
concept)
• Determine which of these benefits should be offered
(service concept)
• Decide on the precise service offer which includ es forms
and levels of the benefits to be offered and the arrangements for delivery of
the service (delivery concepts)
The benefit concept will include expectations of the customer
which are boundless of functional and psychological attributes. One needs to be
clear on who the customer is. The customer of an educational institution is the
student, the parent and also a part of the society that will benefit from the
student's education. Business houses are customers of management schools.
Therefore, the management school has to keep in mind the expectations of the
potential employers. Some management schools have multinationals as their
customers, while others are smaller organisations of the district and state
levels who would like to benefit from the products of the management schools.
An airlines customer is the passenger who travels as much as the travel agent
who effectively influences the final buying decision.
The expectations from a restaurant may vary in kinds of food,
(Nigerian, Continental, Chinese, Thai, and Mexican etc.), extent of spread
(salads, sea foods etc.), price, courtesy of service, comfort of seating,
ambience and so on. One restaurateur may in his service concept include
authentic Nigerian food or Chinese food only and speed of services, paying
little attention to seating, or ambience or courteous service. Another may
conceive service in terms of quick, clean, simple, wholesome lunches for
business executive without much of a choice in menu but offering convenient
seating and atmosphere to enable serious business discussions as well.
These choices are made keeping in mind the:
• Market segment proposed to be served, and
• Resources one has and can muster.
The choice of elements to make the service offer should bear
in mind the:
• Ability to render 100 per cent consistent performance, and
extent of personal satisfaction.
Service and Delivery
Once the service concept is clear, arrangement have to be
made for the delivery of service.
Service is delivered by:
• People
• Using equipment and other physical facilities th at have to
be put in place.
Up-gradation in level of service is achieved by taking the
service to the customer, i.e. outside the premises of the service provider. For
example, a hotel that arranges to meet the guests at the airport and bring them
in is upgrading the service by extending it beyond the premises.
In the case of a service, the product is manufactured at the
point of delivery. An airline or the railways may design a service of
information on arrivals and departures over the telephone. Every time an
enquiry is made, the response one gets is a service and that is made
specifically at that point of time. If the response is not available, because
the telephone line is not attended, is busy for a long time or because the
information is not updated, there is effectively no service. So if a service is
to be offered, arrangements need to be made to ensure that it is possible to
render that service. The arrangements to be so made are in respect of
equipment, systems and people. These arrangements do not constitute service but
constitute preparedness and readiness to render that service when the offer is
accepted by a customer. Technology and equipment can be of great help in
maintaining consistent quality of service. For example, the information service
referred to above can be organised through a recording machine that will be
connected to all incoming calls.
Similarly there is need of systems in services. Systems refer
to the arrangements for flow of information and material to the point where the
service is being delivered. For example, Airlines have to keep their booking
agents informed of changes in flight schedules, if the carrier fails in his
service to the passengers.
Positioning
Customers distinguish one product from another on the basis
of distinct characteristics. A five star hotel is considered as a place of
luxury and exclusiveness. To stay there is, therefore, a matter of high status.
Similarly, soap 'Y' kills germs and removes body odour. Soap `X' is beauty
soap. `G' locks are safe 'M' is not. Lagos si the place to visit not Abuja,
etc. These are all images in one's mind which determine one's behaviour
relative to that product. For example a tourist may not like to go to Bar Beach
for it is too crowded in season but will go to National Conservation Foundation
(NCF) Lekki nearby. Another may not like NCF for it is too calm and quiet
there.
Market Research
Knowledge about relevant parameters and characteristics has
to be gathered through a study of the market. Studying the market to know its
characteristics provides the basis for making decisions about the elements in
the marketing mix. It helps to analyse the problems that may be experienced and
in finding solution thereto. Market research may attempt to answer specific
questions or generate general information to be used in due time.
What is It?
Market Research May Be:
• Market Analysis, or show, spread and growth of market in
terms of volume, revenue, shares of competition, economic conditions, etc.
• Consumer Research, "to know profiles, awareness,
habits, needs preferences, expectations, perceptions, both quantitatively and
qualitatively.
• Products and price Study, to know products in the market,
price sensitivity, technology, acceptability of features, packaging.
• Promotion and Sales Research, to know consumer reaction to
alternative concepts and media, effectiveness of sales force and promotion.
• Distribution, availability of facilities for stocking,
merchandising, possibilities, outlets and shelf space availability, and
• Evaluation and performance monitoring, looking at the
extent of customer satisfaction.
The market is so big and scattered that it is impossible to
do a complete study in totality. Hence, market research depends on techniques
of sampling the market. It is not possible to be sure that the sample it truly
representative of the whole, tourists comes to Nigeria from a number of
countries. You cannot study all. So you pick the countries sending highest and
lowest number of tourists for your study.
Decisions on the research design include:
• Deciding the purpose of the study like knowing the duration
of stay or expenditure habits, etc.
• Choice of samples like tourist coming from Europe or US or
high budget tourists or low budget tourists,
• Determination of the nature of the data to be collected,
• Method of data collection (surveys, secondary sources,
observation etc) and
• Design of questionnaires (instruments) to collect and
record data, including scales to he used.
A lot of data can be collected through desk research, looking
at records, publications, commercial analysis, trade information, press
cuttings, previous studies etc.
Other ways to obtain data are:
• Tourism department
• Discussions with tourists (customers),
• Observations of customers at premises,
• Observation and discussions with visitors to exhibitions
and trade shows,
• Market experiments and surveys with recording of responses
and results,
• Attitude, image perceptions and awareness studies,
• Advertisement and other media response studies, and
• Studies of usage pattern, etc.
Quantitative and Qualitative Studies
Some of the market researchers are quantitative studies while
other are qualitative. Among them some can be done on a continuous basis and
some sporadically. However, when sporadic studies are made at regular
intervals, trends and changes can be known.
The manner in which research is designed and conducted ensures its reliability. Research findings often form the basis of corporate decisions of long term implications. The techniques of sampling, questionnaires, surveys and evaluation have been developed and these constitute a specialised field of study. The same sets of principles are used in opinion polls about destinations and predictions for tourist arrival.
In the case of quantitative data, the numbers tend to give
the study an illusion of objectivity and reliability. In order to have a proper
interpretation and evaluation, it is necessary to know how the numbers have
been generated. For example, the preference for a particular destination among
four may be because a fifth destination had not been included in the study.
The numbers coming out of a quantitative study depend on the
way the questions are asked and therefore cannot be assumed as to saying
everything there is to know. Hence, one needs insights to make valid
evaluations.
In the case of service, the data to be collected and
evaluated is more abstract and qualitative than in the case of tangible
consumer goods. It is relatively easier to elicit responses by showing samples
of goods and the way they perform as per the sample experience. Moreover, it is
not easy to articulate satisfaction and expectations. They are often not in the
realm of conscious rationality. How does one explain the impressions created by
a movie except to say whether it was liked or not? This answer is not adequate
to decide what kind of movie would be generally acceptable to an audience.
The experience is total and it is difficult to identify the
particular aspect that is creating the experience, pleasant or otherwise.
If a specific element is stated as the critical one leading
to the pleasantness or otherwise of the experience, this identification may
have been made for a number of unrelated reasons. Did one get irritated at the
breakfast table because of the:
• Temperature of the coffee served,
• Consistency of the pudding,
• Warmth of the bearer's attention,
• Behaviour of the couple at the corner,
• Pressures of the next appointment or the late hours of the
previous night?
Similarly, there can be other questions like what is the kind
of music that should be played at lunch or dinner time? How loudly should the
music be played? These are difficult questions to answer. The data is not
related to measurable objective phenomena. Capture of qualitative data needs
very sophisticated and sensitive instruments. Some of these are:
• Use of focus groups, specially invited to discus s and
express themselves,
• Individual interviews where the person met is en couraged
to talk freely,
• Trade off questions to determine relative values .
There is need for expertise and insights to interpret and
evaluate. Responses to a study may not be the same as the actions in real life.
People often do what they say they do not, or do not admit what they do. People
do not own up feelings. They are quick to rationalise irrational behaviour.
These are some reasons why interpretation of research data needs to be
carefully handled. Inadequate expertise could end up with misleading
information and incorrect decisions.
Insight and Experience
Expertise in the techniques of market research can be hired.
Insights into the situation being researched conies from experience. These
insights should be used both ways i.e. to design the study as well as to
interpret the data.
In the service business, unlike in the business of goods, 90
per cent of the personnel are in touch with customers. When one is in touch
with the customers, a lot of data about the customer's experience, expectations
and satisfactions can be heard directly from him or her. Contact personnel can
be trained to feedback such data to a specific point in the marketing
department. The opportunity for direct access to the customers is much more in
the service business than in the business of goods. To that extent, the
reliance of external research agencies can be reduced.
Disneyland in France is losing money. The reasons have to be
found. Do the Europeans have different ways of enjoying leisure compared to the
Americans? What are the differences that need to be made in the entertainment
schedules and patterns? The answer to these questions will come partly through
research and partly through insights and experience.
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