Market Research in Travel & Tourism
Marketing research in the travel and tourism industry impacts everyone from the small souvenir shop owner to major hotels and airlines. Companies use various techniques to find out what travelers buy, how they get to-and-from destinations and what types of foods they purchase. In 2010, the U.S. Travel Association projects industry revenue to exceed $740-billion. Research results allow companies in the industry to plan, hire employees and develop services to meet the needs and tastes of travels.
Other People Are Reading
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Surveys and Questionnaires
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Surveys and polls are an important tool for marketing research efforts. Hotels will often include a survey for guests to complete about their stay, asking questions about room cleanliness, food services and room amenities. Results allow companies to track and assess guest satisfaction levels, test responses to new services and help in planning room renovations, upgrades and testing new services.
Search Engine Results
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Companies in the travel industry continually track and monitor search engine results. They want and need to know how many people conduct searches for specific cities in the United States and internationally. The information plays an essential role in developing annual budgets and planning advertising and marketing efforts.
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Inventory Forecasting
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Businesses use marketing research to forecast inventory requirements. For example,
if a major convention or trade show is occurring, the sponsors will continually track attendance projections based on the number of people who register to attend. The information is shared with “preferred” or sponsoring airlines, car rental companies and hotels. The companies then use the information to forecast the number of airplane seats, rental cars, hotel rooms they will need to block and customer service needs.
Transportation Trends
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Major transportation companies and insurance companies track and monitor marketing research data on trends and peak holiday travel plans. The American Automobile Association (also known as “Triple A”) in particular tracks the estimates of people who will be travelling by car for key holidays like Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. This information helps gasoline stations, car rental companies, hotels and even car repair and servicing companies gear up to accommodate sales, inventory and personnel needed to meet the marketplace demand.
Ratings and Reviews
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Getting a four- or five-star rating is like winning an Oscar for companies in the travel and tourism industry. While popular and noted references like the Zagat Guide and Frommer's book series are popular and relied on, the advent of the Internet has allowed customers to provide their own reviews and star ratings. Resorts and hotels are well known for letting visitors post comments and feedback about their visit to destinations and the services provided. Companies use the data to improve services when needed and to promote the number of stars they earn in order to increase pricing and reservations based on high ratings and reviews.
Tourism Data
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Popular tourist destinations like New York, San Francisco, Atlanta and Miami have major convention and tourism bureaus. The agencies compile data regarding the average expenditures a tourist makes, hotel rooms in the city, restaurants and nightlife. The research information assists in marketing efforts to attract and compete to host major conventions, host major sporting events like the Super Bowl to increase sales and tax revenue for the city.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Beach Resort Pool Side image by Mohd Haka Khambali from Fotolia.com
