CHAPTER 1

I N T R O D U C T I O N

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INTRODUCTION

In today's highly competitive and dynamic global tourism environment, there

is a need to develop a clear brand identity, reflecting the core strengths and personality of

its products. Destination branding is an important marketing strategy adopted by nations

to promote tourism. A destination or a place brand is the sum total of all the customers'

perceptions and encounters with these perceptions. This may include past experiences,

movies, news reports, advertising, access to information, weather, price, what friends

think of it, the web site and its residents. Branding aims at creating a unique identity to

differentiate the destination from their competitors. Destinations, which have a clear market

position and appealing attractions, will remain at the top of consumer minds when they

book their holidays. It is well established that branding can make effective contribution to

the economic development of places such as towns and cities. Unless a destination brand

is adopted, supported and given life by stakeholders and promoters, it will amount to

nothing more than a mark on a piece of paper. Destination marketers have a vested

interest in building strong and powerful image for their destination. Holiday makers of

the 21st century will be looking for places with a trendy image and a strong and clear

state image can increase consumer confidence in its attractions and consumer

predisposition to purchase them (Ahmed; 1991).1

The substitutability of tourist destinations led to the branding and marketing

of travel destinations. Countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Dubai and Singapore were among

the first to give importance to destination branding. During the 1980's and 1990's, these

countries designed and executed elaborate marketing strategies with the help of successful

taglines.

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During the process of conceptualization of the research problem, the

researcher was able to observe various brand-building measures adopted by some tourism

brands and realize that these tourism promotion strategies were very effective and

contributed a lot to the brand building efforts of those countries.

The following are some of the leading destination brands which have a global

appeal:

1. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched Singapore's new destination brand

'Uniquely Singapore' to promote Singapore as a premier travel destination, offering

a unique spectrum of enriching experiences for visitors. The overall objective is to

achieve strong brand recognition among travellers and to position Singapore as a

travel destination around the world.

2. Western Australian Tourism Commission (WATC) developed Brand Western

Australia as a nature based tourism destination with friendly, spirited people and

the freedom and space to travel. The Brand WA strategy relies heavily on consumer

advertising and also participates in selected consumer and trade shows throughout

the region and core markets.

3. Malaysia has created a powerful travel destination brand. The tagline

‘Malaysia- Truly Asia’ describes Malaysia as the true spirit of Asia and projects it

as a must-visit tourist destination.

4. 'Amazing Thailand' is an advertising campaign designed to project Thailand as an

enchanting, yet, unexplored destination.

As Morgan Nigel and Pritchard Annette (2003)2 states, successful

branding brings enormous rewards in tourism. It offers an innovative and effective tool by

which managers can establish emotional link with the consumer. Branding has the potential

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to engender consumer loyalty and position destinations to appeal to consumers' self-

images and lifestyles. It has become the basis for survival within a globally competitive

market.

1.1 DESTINATION BRANDING IN INDIA

India is endowed with a naturally beautiful landscape, and all vital ingredients

that make a successful tourism product. The vastness of the country offers varied climatic

options making India a hotspot round - the - year. A vast geographical spread, and a

rich historical and cultural heritage add to its charm. Tourism earns the third largest

foreign exchange for India after IT and commerce (Chowdhary, Renuka, 2005) 3. Tourism

provides immense job opportunities to the society. It is estimated that about 8 million

jobs are created in the country through tourism directly and another 7 million indirectly

(Mansukhani, Bhisham, 2003 )4. WTTC's Tourism Satellite Accounting shows that by

2014, India's Tourism Industry is expected to generate 28 million jobs

(Chowdhary, Renuka, 2004)5. Realizing the potential of the tourism industry, the

Government of India took initiative to market the destination in a professional manner in

the late 1990's. In 1997 an advertising campaign 'Eternally Yours' was launched. The

'India Changes You' campaign, launched in 1998, promoted the whole of India as one

destination, offering a unique experience.

Focused marketing, innovative marketing strategies and attractive slogans

have made India the most sought after destination. The internationally accepted travel

book, ‘Lonely Planet’ has rated India among the top five destinations of the world. The

European Travel Connoisseurs Guide ‘Conde Nast Traveller’ has rated India among the

top 10 destinations in the world (Sharma, Arjun, 2005).6 The year 2005 saw the launch

of the much popular ‘Incredible India’ campaign. This was designed to create a positive

awareness about India as a destination. The tourism ministry has already adopted a

campaign 'Athithi Devo Bhava' which aims at creating awareness about multiplier effect

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of tourism and sensitizing people about cultural heritage, its preservation, cleanliness and

hospitality. It is encouraging to note that many innovative marketing and promotional

strategies are being introduced to portray and promote the country’s multifaceted

attractions in international platforms.

Tourism authorities have identified new areas to promote religious, cultural

and heritage, rural, adventurous, ecological, medical, ayurvedic and dental tourism in the

country. Various state tourism boards, along with the private sector comprising of travel

agents, tour operators, hotels and other accommodation providers, are marketing these

products to promote destination India both internationally and domestically.

1.2 THE PATHWAY OF TOURISM BRANDING IN KERALA

A cursory check on India's most successful brands reveals that Kerala tourism

is the only Tourism Destination Super Brand in India7. Tourism in Kerala has emerged

as a major revenue spinner and job provider, making it a vital sector for growth and

development.

It was in 1986 that Kerala declared tourism as an industry which should be

given the status and concessions eligible for other industrial projects. It is a reported fact

that Kerala tourism has been witnessing a boom especially after the 90’s, and now the

industry is showing signs of rapid growth both in terms of tourist inflow and earnings.

The state authorities first promoted Kerala as the land of lagoons, lakes and backwaters.

The focus then shifted to hill stations, waterfalls, the Western Ghats, wild life sanctuaries

and its rich cultural heritage. Traditional art forms like Kathakali, Koodiyattom and

Kalaripayattu, snake-boat races and Ayurveda became the newer attractions.

(V. Sarvani, 2003)8. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) adopted the

slogan ‘God’s Own Country' in its advertising campaigns. This slogan,

some opine, was first used by Vipin Mohan when he created the first web page on

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Kerala in 1993. Others believe that Walter Mendez, the corporate creative director

of the national advertising agency Mudra Communications, gave the tagline

‘God’s Own Country’ to Kerala Tourism (Parvez, Javed, 2008)9. However the slogan

now holds the super brand status.

The official website of Department of Tourism, www.keralatourism.org

provides an extensive information on Kerala and tourism in Kerala. An exception to

other traditional lines of industries, there exists public-private participation in the tourism

industry in Kerala. All the promotional efforts by Kerala Tourism were supplemented by

the private sector. Government has also acted as a catalyst in encouraging private sector

investment for the development of tourism infrastructure. The Kerala Travel Mart Society

(KTM) in participation with Department of Tourism organized KTM-2000 at the

International Convention Center, Kochi. This event spread the charm of God’s Own

Country' to countries world over. This mega event held once in two years exhibits the

various tourism products available in Kerala.

At present, in order to sustain competition Kerala tourism is offering a variety

of tourist packages with attractions such as Ayurvedic tourism, Pilgrimage tourism,

Heritage tourism, Adventure tourism, Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions

(MICE) and Medical tourism. The state also offers special support for the promotion of

Eco tourism. It is learnt that the state is now taking up more initiatives in the areas of

better infrastructure, tourism product development, conservation of nature and heritage,

human resource development and professionalism in the tourism sector.

Today the Government is planning to mould Kerala into a model of responsible

tourism with special focus on conservation and preservation of nature and culture. The

state has adopted a long-term, focused marketing and conservation strategy that will

position Kerala as a destination for global up market tourists.

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1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Tourist destination is acknowledged to be one of the most difficult entities to

manage and market. The multiplicity of components that make up the destination product,

the complexity of the relationship that exists between them and the involvement of large

number of stakeholders are the factors that make a destination more complex.

The complexity is further increased when consumer is taken into consideration. Consumers

of the destination product will often differ in their perceptions, expectations and desired

satisfaction of the tourism-place. For destinations to be a success, marketers need to

take account of the needs, wants and expectations of the potential customers. It is now

the customer who can decide how and when they access their travel and tourism

information and how and through what process they access and purchase their travel and

tourism arrangements.

In general, the complexities of tourist destination brand management and

marketing are applicable to Kerala Tourism also. But the focus of this study is on the

promotional aspects of Kerala Tourism. It is widely reported and recognized even in

international circles that Kerala Tourism is a well-known and accepted product due to its

own unique features. The slogan itself ‘God’s Own Country’ - is very catching and it

sounds very justifiable considering its special attributes. Kerala Tourism is even regarded

as a model to other lines of industries and other states. It is also a fact that Kerala

Tourism industry is growing at a faster phase. But the performance of Kerala Tourism

brand the only tourism super brand in India- does not really justify the inherent potential

of Kerala Tourism, the well-known destination brand. The literature reports also admit

that Kerala Tourism potentials and products are not yet fully exploited. The performance

is not at all commendable in tune with the diversified destination features of Kerala.

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The tourists' perceptions both domestic and foreign- also vary. The researcher identifies

this problem prevailing in the tourism industry as one of the crore areas and tries to

convert it into an academic problem. Various reasons could be attributed to this unmatched

tourism performance both by practitioners and academicians. But the major contributor

of this deficiency can be identified as the Tourism Brand Promotional factors. Another

important reason can be the infrastructure. This is an enquiry about the effectiveness of

the Tourism Brand Promotional measures, the strategies adopted and the infrastructure

facilities provided by the agencies concerned with public-private participation.

Considering the above factors the present study raises some questions relating

to tourism in Kerala :

1. How and to what extent is Kerala tourism products promoted and marketed in

the domestic and the international market and how far are these effective?

2. Are our infrastructure facilities adequate to host existing and additional number of

tourists?

3. What are the needs, wants, expectations and perceptions of the tourists in the

present tourism marketing environment?

The study is aimed at measuring the travel behaviour of tourists, Destination

brand image, Destination brand loyalty, Potential of tourism products and the Marketing

strategies adopted by the intermediaries such as tour operators and accommodation sector.

The problems faced by the tourism industry are converted into a research problem. The

topic of the research was identified as Tourism Brand Promotion. The title of the research

problem was framed as follows:

Tourism Brand Promotion - An Empirical Study On Kerala.

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1.4 NEED AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The researcher recognized the following special background factors that make

the study more relevant and significant.

The rapid growth of tourism in the twentieth century has produced problems

as well as opportunities for both developed and developing countries. With regard to

societal background, it is noticed that tourism acts as a potential catalyst in employment

generation, wealth creation, and development of remote and rural areas, environment

preservation and social integration. A successful tourism brand must be community welfare

oriented. The local communities of the prominent tourism areas must be benefited

socio-economically by the tourism projects. A successful tourism development programme

provides life support through a number of infrastructure facilities and services.

But unplanned tourism development has resulted in various problems and chaos.

The environmental degradation is a major fallout of the indiscriminate growth of tourism

at most of the tourist destinations. This study explores the prospects and key challenges

in the path of the development of tourism and suggests clear guidelines that would facilitate

the policy framework.

As the professional background Destination branding is seen as a crucial

marketing concept in the tourism industry. Marketing agencies are trying harder to create

favourable brand image for their destinations. The study citing a case of Kerala tourism

wishes to probe into how sustained brand promotion by a state in similar lines of

“Country Branding” adopted by Singapore, Dubai etc. can make a significant impact on

the overall welfare of the state.

The intellectual background can be understood from the advances in effective

destination management systems, airline management in low cost and competitive

environment, growth in Internet marketing and the plethora of new destinations. These

intellectual movements of the time provided a special context for the study.

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The researcher as a faculty in commerce has got sincere interest in the tourism

areas and possesses the habit of keen observation of the current trends and developments

in the tourism industry. During this observation process, the researcher was able to find

some problems in the tourism industry, which demands great concern and analysis.

In fact, these problems remained unanswered too. A thorough literature review revealed

the fact that many scholars have contributed much to the theories relating to marketing

strategy and brand promotion strategy. But there is lack of enough empirical studies on

travel behaviour of tourists, destination brand image and loyalty, role of tour operators

and hospitality services in tourism industry. There was not even a single study specifically

exploring the brand promotion effectiveness of Kerala Tourism. This gap in the literature

has prompted the researcher to conduct a study on Brand Promotion of Kerala Tourism.

The researcher feels that there exists a group of research consumers in the industry and

the study results will be of great practical utility to them. Definitely, a study of this nature

will be of immense policy application at the government level. It will also pave way for

the growth of non governmental agencies like tour operators, property owners and travel

agents and aid them in formulating promotional strategies. Hence the relevance of this

study.

1.5 OBJECTIVES

The following objectives were designed for the study based on key insights

and literature review.

1. To assess and compare the Travel Behaviour of both domestic and foreign tourists.

2. To analyze and compare the Destination Brand effectiveness of Kerala Tourism

among domestic and foreign tourists in terms of Brand Image and Brand Loyalty.

3. To measure and compare the effectiveness of Kerala Tourism Brand Promotion

measures and the Tourism Product Usage patterns of both domestic and foreign

tourists.

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4. To assess the attitude towards and the adequacy of accommodation spots and

other infrastructure facilities in Kerala.

5. To analyze the role of tour operators and accommodation providers in the

promotion of tourism products in Kerala.

6. To find out the interrelationships, if any, between the variables.

7. To give suggestions on the basis of the findings and conclusions of the study.

1.6 HYPOTHESES

H1: There is no significant difference between domestic and foreign tourists with regard

to the Travel Behaviour measured by Purpose of Visit.

H2: There is no association between Travel Behaviour of domestic and foreign tourists,

measured by the Pattern of travelling.

H3: There is no association between the age of the travellers and their duration of stay

in Kerala.

H4: The Destination Brand effectiveness is independent of the category of tourists

based on the domicile, measured by the Brand Image Attributes.

H5: Domestic and foreign tourists do not differ in their assessment of present trip to

Kerala.

H6: There is no association between male and female tourists with regard to the source

of information about Kerala Tourism.

H7: The income levels of tourists have significant association with the Tourism Product

Usage in terms of ayurveda and backwater cruise.

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H8 : The sex and the category of tourists, domestic and foreign, have no influence in

perceiving the tourism products as most potential.

1.7 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research methodology provides a detailed description of the various steps

and procedures taken by the researcher in studying the research problem.

1.7.1 Research Approach

The research reported here embodied a quantitative approach. Even though

the study mainly focuses on the assessment of attitudes, opinions and behaviour of the

tourists, the approach is considered as quantitative. The data is obtained in quantitative

form, which can be subjected to quantitative analysis.

1.7.2 Research type

The type of research is designated as Diagnostic research.

1.7.3 Research method

The research method used to collect data was sample survey method. The

researcher considered sample survey method as the most appropriate method keeping in

view the nature of the research problem, time and resources available along with the

desired degree of accuracy.

1.7.4 Research design

Research design constitutes the conceptual structure within which the research

is conducted. This is explained in the table 1.1.

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Table 1.1

RESEARCH DESIGN

1.7.5 Sample for the study

The required data for the conduct of the study was collected from primary

sources. In addition to the primary data used for analysis, information based on secondary

data have also been used for conceptualization of the problem and operationalisation of

the study. Sample survey method was used to collect data for the study. The period of

survey was one year commencing from October 1st 2005 to September 30th 2006.

The source of information consists of both domestic and foreign tourists,

approved tour operators and accommodation providers. The universe of the study

comprises Foreign tourists and Domestic tourists visiting at least any one of the destinations

in Kerala for a minimum period of twenty four hours and spent at least one night in a hotel

or some other paid accommodation spots. It also includes Tour operators operating in

Kerala and providing in bound tour packages to the domestic and foreign tourists and the

accommodation establishments in Kerala like hotels and resorts.

Type of study Diagnostic study

Sampling design Probability sampling design(random sampling)

Statistical design Pre planned design for analysis

Observational design Structured questionnaire forcollection of data

Operational design Advanced decisions aboutoperational procedures

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The Sample size of tourists was determined as 300 including both categories.

Based on the published statistics and reports over the years, it was noticed that majority

of tourists arrivals constitute the domestic tourists when compared to foreign tourists and

therefore the total sample size of 300 numbers include 210 domestic tourists and 90

foreign tourists. Though the main focus of the study was on the tourists, in order to ensure

the statistical analysis feasibility, 30 tour operators and 30 accommodation centres were

also selected to constitute the sample.

Multi-stage stratified random sampling was resorted to as the sampling

procedure, which is detailed below. In order to ensure that the study tapped a wide

range of experiences and perceptions, stratification is done on the basis of geographical

area. Accordingly, based on the published information in the relevant literature, at the

first stage, the researcher has divided Kerala into North, Central and South zones. The

districts under respective zones are as follows. North Kerala includes Malappuram,

Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargode districts. Central Kerala consists of

Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts. Under the South Zone

fall Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts.

As the second stage, 5 major tourism products namely, Backwaters, Beaches,

Eco tourism, Hill stations and Health tourism were considered for identifying the most

potential districts. All the 14 districts were considered for listing as the potential districts

in order to ensure that the sample selected were representative of target population.

Even though most of the districts under North, Central and South zones offer major

tourism products typical of the state, some districts do not come under the purview of the

tourism products under study, as explained in Table 1.2. It shows the classification of

potential districts under each Zone on the basis of major tourism products under study.

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Beaches Backwaters Hill Health Wild lifestations tourism sanctuary

Trivandrum Trivandrum Trivandrum Trivandrum

Kollam Kollam Kollam

Alappuzha Alappuzha Alappuzha Alappuzha

Kottayam Kottayam Kottayam

Idukki Idukki

Ernakulam Ernakulam Ernakulam Ernakulam

Kozhikode Kozhikode Kozhikode Kozhikode

Wayanad Wayanad

Kasargode Kasargode

Table 1.2

DISTRICTS WITH POTENTIAL TOURISM PRODUCTS

Thus the number of potential districts comes to 9 and the names of potential

districts selected for the study under each zone were Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam,

Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kasargode.

In the next stage, the total number of domestic and foreign tourists to be

selected under each district was fixed based on the proportional allocation principle. The

number of tourists from each district was fixed in proportion to the total number of tourists'

arrivals. As per the Tourist Statistics 2002 by Department of tourism, the total number of

domestic tourists in each zone comes to 7,75,225 (Thiruvananthapuram), 91,331

(Kollam), 1,39,305 (Alappuzha), 1,60,269 (Kottayam), 3,66,861 (Idukki), 9,61,820

(Ernakulam), 4,42,602 (Kozhikode), 2,02,291 (Wayanad), 1,34,391 (Kasargode).

SouthKerala

CentralKerala

NorthKerala

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The number of domestic tourists were selected in the ratio of 0.24: 0.03: 0.04: 0.05:

0.11: 0.29: 0.14: 0.06: 0.04. Therefore the following number of domestic tourists was

selected under the respective districts, representing the zones. These are

Thiruvananthapuram (51), Kollam (6), Alappuzha (8), Kottayam (11), Idukki (23),

Ernakulam (61), Kozhikode (29), Wayanad (13), Kasargode (8). Thus the total number

of domestic tourists comes to 210.

Foreign tourists were also selected proportionally according to the Tourists

Statistics 2002. As per the statistics the total number of foreign tourists comes to 63197

( Thiruvananthapuram), 9970 (Kollam), 12871 (Alappuzha), 17744 (Kottayam), 25385

(Idukki), 69972 (Ernakulam), 3232 (Kozhikode), 630 (Wayanad), 761 (Kasargode).

The foreign tourists were selected in the ratio of 0.31: 0.05: 0.06: 0.09: 0.12: 0.34: 0.02:

0. 00: 0.00. It is very clear from the above statistics that the proportion of foreign tourist

arrivals in Wayanad and Kasargode districts were very negligible in number and somewhat

equivalent to nil considering the ratio in other districts. Therefore these districts are excluded

from the sample. The following number of foreign tourists was selected under the respective

districts. These are Thiruvananthapuram (28), Kollam (5), Alappuzha (5), Kollam (8),

Idukki (11), Ernakulam (31), Kozhikode (2), Wayanad (0), Kasargode (0). Thus the

total number of foreign tourists comes to 90.

The number of tour operators was fixed in proportion to the total number of

tour operators in the respective districts. As per the information provided by Department

of Tourism in Tourist Statistics, the total number of International Air Transport Association

(IATA) approved tour operators in respective districts comes to 50 (Thiruvananthapuram),

5 (Kollam), 21 (Alappuzha), 3 (Kottayam), 7 (Idukki), 55 (Ernakulam), 17 (Kozhikode),

0 (Wayanad), 2 (Kasargode). The tour operators were selected in the ratio of

0 .31: 0.03: 0.13: 0.02: 0.04: 0.34: 0.11: 0: 0 .01. Since Wayanad district does not have

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any IATO approved tour operator, it is exempted from sample selection. The number of

tour operators selected from each district is as follows. Thiruvananthapuram (9), Kollam

(1), Alappuzha (4), Kottayam (1), Idukki (1), Ernakulam (10), Kozhikode (3),

Wayanad (0), Kasargode (1). The total number of tour operators comes to 30.

The number of accommodation establishments to be selected under each

district was fixed in proportion to the total number of hotels in the respective districts. As

per the information provided by Department of Tourism, the total number of hotels and

resorts in respective districts comes to 105 (Thiruvananthapuram), 11(Kollam),

25 (Alappuzha), 24 (Kottayam), 57 (Idukki), 50 (Ernakulam), 18 (Kozhikode),

15 (Wayanad), 6 (Kasargode). The properties were selected in the ratio of 0.34: 0.04:

0.08: 0.08: 0.18: 0.16: 0.06: 0.05: 0.02. The number of hotels and resorts selected from

each district is as follows. Thiruvananthapuram (10), Kollam (1), Alappuzha (2),

Kottayam (2), Idukki (5), Ernakulam (5), Kozhikode (2), Wayanad (2), Kasargode (1).

The total number comes to 30.

The final stage of sampling was the selection of respondents representing

tourists, tour operators and accommodation establishments and it was done based on the

principles of convenient sampling.

1.7.6 Research instruments

Structured questionnaire was the instrument used for collecting data. Since

the respondents are widely spread geographically, questionnaire is found to be the best

instrument for the collection of data. The results can also be made more reliable and

dependable if this method is used. Three sets of questionnaires were developed and

direct questionnaire administration method was followed for primary data collection. The

same was administered personally among tourists, tour operators and accommodation

establishments.

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1.7.7 Variables under study

In order to assess the effectiveness of tourism brand promotion and the

adequacy of infrastructure facilities in Kerala, the researcher collected information from

both domestic and foreign tourists with the help of Questionnaire I. The main variables

studied in this phase are shown in Table 1.3.

Table 1.3

MAIN VARIABLES

TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR

TOURISM DESTINATION BRAND

TOURISM BRAND PROMOTION

TOURISM PRODUCT

ATTITUDE TOWARDS ACCOMMODATION SPOT

RATING OF INFRASTRUCTURE

Questionnaire 1 administered to tourists was aimed to elicit other items of

information too like Demographics, Perceived changes in infrastructure, Attitude towards

supporting services, Critical limiting factors etc.

1.7.7.1 Measures of variables

The first part of questionnaire 1 requested information on demographic details.

The participants were asked to answer 4 demographic questions. Questions on age, size

of the family, occupation and annual income were asked.

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Proper understanding of the needs and preferences of the tourists is very

essential for building effective brand promotion strategies which can be done by measuring

the Travel Behaviour of tourists. The different items of information measured under travel

behaviour are shown in Table 1.4.

Tourist Destinations offering diverse attractions like hill stations, beaches,

backwater and wild life sanctuaries are selected for defining destination product in this

study. Invariably all the destination products are included within the sphere of tourism

products; but the purview of tourism products extends beyond the destination products.

In the case of Kerala attractions like ayurveda, houseboats and art forms including

'kathakali' are being widely recognized as tourism products. However, for

operationalisation simplicity, the terms destination product and tourism product are being

used interchangeably in this study. Kerala Tourism is regarded both as a well-known

destination brand and a tourism brand providing diverse destination products and tourism

products.

PURPOSE OF VISIT

PATTERN OF TRAVELLING

DURATION OF STAY

TRAVEL BUDGET

REPEAT VISITATION

FAVOURABLE HOLIDAY ACTIVITY

TOURISM PRODUCT PREFERENCE

Table 1.4

MEASURES OF TRAVEL BEHAVIOUR

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The researcher evaluated the extent of effectiveness of Kerala Tourism Brand

Promotion by measuring the Destination Brand Image and Loyalty, Tourism Brand

Awareness, Destination or Tourism Product Awareness, Tourism Product Usage and

Attitude towards Tourism Products.

In evaluating the Tourism Destination Brand, two items are worth measuring.

Destination Brand Image and Destination Brand Loyalty. Based on literature review, the

researcher considered serene beauty, cost effectiveness, medical care, easy conveyance,

and attractive weather condition and ayurvedic treatment as Brand Image Attributes.

Behaviour of host people, safety and assessment of present trip is also considered for

measuring tourists’ perception about Kerala. The researcher had considered items such

as respondent's intention to visit the destination again, their intention to recommend the

destination to others and repeat visitation for measuring the Brand Loyalty towards

destination Kerala.

The awareness level of tourism brand among the respondents was measured

for analysing the effectiveness of Tourism Brand Promotion. The awareness of super

brand status of Kerala was also assessed. The influence of tourism slogan was assessed

by measuring the popularity of the ‘God’s Own Country’ slogan among the tourists.

Various information sources about destination Kerala was also checked in this study.

Destinations like Kumarakom, Thekkady, Munnar, Kovalom, Kochi, Periyar,

Poovar, Kappad, Bekal, Wayanad and Alappuzha offering diverse attractions like hill

stations, beaches, backwater, wild life sanctuaries were selected for measuring the

awareness of tourism destinations in Kerala.

The major Tourism Products were evaluated in terms of awareness,

usage and attitude towards tourism product. The other item of information

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‘Most Potential Tourism Product’ was also elicited in this context. The respondent’s

awareness and perceptions about tourism products like Ayurveda, Backwater, Art forms,

Medical tourism, and MICE were also measured.

The next aspect of the study requested information on accommodation in

Kerala. The participants were asked to provide information on accommodation facilities,

behaviour of staff in hotels and food and communication facilities offered. Tourist's opinion

regarding transportation, roads, communication facilities and tourist information centres

were assessed for rating the infrastructure facilities in Kerala. The opinion of tourists

about supporting services was also obtained. An elaborate assessment of the problem

faced by tourists was carried out to identify the major drawbacks of Kerala tourism.

The second questionnaire was designed mainly to study the role of tour

operators in the promotion of Kerala tourism. Questionnaire 3 focussed on the role played

by accommodation establishments in the promotion of Kerala tourism. The main items of

information collected through this questionnaire includes, apart from the profile of tour

operators and accommodation establishments, other items like trends in duration of stay,

tourism marketing, seasonality problem, level of government support, adequacy of

supporting services and rating of infrastructure.

In this study though diverse variables were studied elaborately, the main

focus was on the category of tourists by way of domestic and foreign and their

travel behaviour, destination brand image and loyalty, tourism product awareness

and finally the attitude towards accommodation. Therefore Category of tourist is

treated as the Independent Variable in the study and Domestic Tourists and Foreign

Tourists invariably became the two factors of the independent variables. The main

dependent variables in the study are Travel behaviour, Tourism destination brand

and Tourism products. A more detailed view of the interplay of the Independent

Variables and Dependent Variables and their sub variables are given in table 1.5.

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1.7.8 Pilot study

The questionnaire was pre-tested using a judgment sample of 35 domestic

tourists, 15 foreign tourists and 5 tour operators and accommodation providers in

Ernakulam District. An informal talk was also held with them. Questionnaire was

subsequently revised based on the results of pilot study to improve the reliability and the

level of understanding. Pilot study also aids the investigator to conduct field survey more

effectively for collecting primary data.

1.7.9 Data processing and Analysis

The collected data was edited, coded and then entered into a master chart

by the researcher using the M S Excel programme. The data was presented in a tabular

form and was analyzed with reference to the objectives and hypotheses of the study.

Table 1.5

INDEPENDENT AND DEPENDENT VARIABLES

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Sub Variables

Category of tourists Travel behaviour

Purpose of visit

Pattern of travelling

Duration of stay

Travel budget

Category of tourists Tourism destination brand

Destination brand image

Destination brand loyalty

Category of tourists Tourism product Tourism product awareness

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In addition to the descriptive statistics, the statistical tools applied for analysis in the

present study were Chi square test, ANOVA and Multi Dimensional Scaling with the

software support of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

1.8 LIMITATIONS

1. The sample selected for the study need not be strictly representative of general

population due to the adoption of convenience sampling in the last stage for the

selection of respondents. This is a factor that limits generalisability of the results.

2. Majority of respondents among domestic tourists were non Keralites. This cross-

cultural and linguistic orientation generated some initial inhibitions among the

respondents and investigator. It was observed during survey that some of the sample

respondents were reluctant to give correct information. This limits reliability of the

study.

3. The tourist survey questionnaire was relatively lengthier which required more time

than the normal attention span of the respondents.

4. The time period available for data collection was felt as a constraint which

necessitated data collection even in off seasons. Otherwise, tourists with some

more diverse interests and preferences could have been contacted during peak

seasons alone.

1.9 SCHEME OF CHAPTERISATION

The thesis is organised in six chapters including the Introduction, which

describes the research problem, need and significance of the study, objectives, hypotheses

and methodology.

The chapter Tourism- an overview will describe the various tourism

products in Kerala, brand promotion strategies etc.

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The chapter Review of Literature will critically explain the theoretical and

empirical research in the field.

The next chapter, Tourism Brand Promotion in Kerala – Problems and

Prospects gives a detailed analysis of tourists survey, their results and interpretations. In

the discussion section, the results obtained during analysis are discussed in relation to the

existing empirical studies.

The chapter, Destination Brand Effectiveness of Kerala Tourism

analyses in detail the results of the survey of tour operators and accommodation providers.

In the discussion section, the results obtained during analysis are discussed in relation to

the existing empirical studies.

The last chapter, Summary of Results, Conclusions& Recommendations

provides the findings of the study, its conclusions, explains the scope for future research,

limitations of the study and gives managerial implications and recommendations based on

the study.

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REFERENCES

1. Ahmed Z.U., “The influence of the components of a state’s tourist image on product

positioning strategy”,Tourism Management, 1991, p.334-340.

2. Morgan Nigel, Pritchard Annette and Pride Roger, “Contextualizing Destination

Branding”, Destination branding, Reed Educational and Professional Publishing

Limited, 2003, p.39.

3. Chowdhary, Renuka, “Planning for the times ahead”, Travel Trends Today, Vol.21,

January 2005, p.21.

4. Mansukhani Bhisham, “Indian Tourism-Ready to exhale”, Express Travel and

Tourism, Vol.6, October 2003, p.20.

5. Chowdhary, Renuka, “Awareness Campaign, Infrastructure top Renuka’s List” ,

Express Travel and Tourism, October 2004, Vol.7, p.12.

6. Sharma, Arjun, “Summer 2005: Seamless seasons”, Travel Trends Today, Vol.21

January 2005, p.25.

7. www.keralatourism.org

8. Sarvani V, “Kerala Tourism – Branding a tourist destination”, ICFAI Centre for

Management Research, 2003, P.5.

9. Javed, Parvez, “Copy writing pani kittum,panavum”, Malayala Manorama, March

14, 2008, p.12.