MARKETING FLOATING MARKETING FLOATING ISLANDS AS A DESTINATION:ISLANDS AS A DESTINATION:

A Field Study for A Field Study for Determination of Potential Determination of Potential

Demand and Consumer Demand and Consumer Expectations of Floating Expectations of Floating

IslandsIslands

G.Yuksek & I.Arıkan – AU TRG.Yuksek & I.Arıkan – AU TRNaples-Italy 2007Naples-Italy 2007

Floating StructuresFloating Structures• Stable structures Stable structures

on wateron water

• Mobile structures Mobile structures on wateron water

Advantages of Advantages of FFloating loating SStructurestructures

• less impact on the natural environment less impact on the natural environment • eearthquakes produce virtually no arthquakes produce virtually no

damage on floating structuresdamage on floating structures • have life expectancies of over 100 have life expectancies of over 100

yearsyears

Examples for Floating Examples for Floating StructuresStructures • Floating HouseFloating House

• Floating HospitalFloating Hospital• Floating LibraryFloating Library• Floating RestaurantFloating Restaurant• Floating BridgeFloating Bridge• Floating Oil Floating Oil and and GGas as

PProduction roduction PlatformsPlatforms• Floating Energy Floating Energy

Stations Stations

• Floating CityFloating City• Floating HarborFloating Harbor• Floating Marina Floating Marina • Floating Breakwater Floating Breakwater • Floating AirportFloating Airport• Floating Meteorology Floating Meteorology

StationStation• Floating Floating nuclear and nuclear and

thermal power stationsthermal power stations … …

Floating House / SeattleFloating House / Seattle

Floating AirportFloating Airport

Floating Restaurant / Hong Floating Restaurant / Hong KongKong

Floating Power Station / Floating Power Station / NikaraguaNikaragua

Floating Island / Peru-Titicaca Floating Island / Peru-Titicaca LakeLake

Floating Islands as a Floating Islands as a DestinationDestination

• a living area on a mobile floating platforma living area on a mobile floating platform• including attractions, accomodations, including attractions, accomodations,

accessibility, amenities and activitiesaccessibility, amenities and activities• can be in different designscan be in different designs • would be fairly bigwould be fairly big

Carlo Macri’s Project Carlo Macri’s Project Proposal(Oasis Town)Proposal(Oasis Town)

Freedom City Project

Marketing Floating Marketing Floating Islands as a DestinationIslands as a Destination

Successful MarketingSuccessful Marketing

• the right mix of features and servicesthe right mix of features and services• an image that is attractive to the target an image that is attractive to the target

marketmarket• the products and services to be provided the products and services to be provided

on the islands must be delivered inon the islands must be delivered in an an efficient and accessible wayefficient and accessible way

• the island’s values and imagethe island’s values and imagess must be must be promoted effectivelypromoted effectively

Marketing Floating Marketing Floating Islands as a DestinationIslands as a Destination

Target Market CharacteristicsTarget Market Characteristics

• income level of over $60.000income level of over $60.000• frequently travelingfrequently traveling• expecting high quality products and expecting high quality products and

services to be satisfiedservices to be satisfied• looking for the best looking for the best

Marketing Floating Marketing Floating Islands as a DestinationIslands as a Destination

Positioning & ImagesPositioning & Images

• to create a distinctive place in the to create a distinctive place in the minds of potential tourists minds of potential tourists

• to develop a brand image to develop a brand image

THE RESEARCHTHE RESEARCH• PurposePurpose• Research MethodResearch Method• SampleSample• Research AssumptionsResearch Assumptions• FindingsFindings

PurposePurpose

• The potential demandThe potential demand• Market propertiesMarket properties• Consumer expectations Consumer expectations

Research MethodResearch Method

• DECISIONS (whether they want the DECISIONS (whether they want the product or not)product or not)

• ATTITUDES ( expectations about the ATTITUDES ( expectations about the product)product)

• IMAGES (how they picture the IMAGES (how they picture the product in their minds)product in their minds)

• DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES (age, DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILES (age, education, gender, etc.)education, gender, etc.)

SampleSample

• The research populationThe research population: : “Tourists “Tourists traveling with cruise ships worldwide”traveling with cruise ships worldwide”

• TThe research samplehe research sample:: “Tourists traveling “Tourists traveling with cruise ships boarded to the with cruise ships boarded to the seaports in Turkey in December 2006”.seaports in Turkey in December 2006”.

Research AssumptionsResearch Assumptions

• Cruise passengers are assumed to Cruise passengers are assumed to constitute potential demand for floating constitute potential demand for floating islands.islands.

• Target market is assumed to be upper Target market is assumed to be upper income level consumers as the floating income level consumers as the floating islands will have high investment costs. islands will have high investment costs.

• It is assumed that new and discrete It is assumed that new and discrete destinations are to be more preferred by destinations are to be more preferred by consumers in future. consumers in future.

FindingsFindings• PPassengers between the agesassengers between the ages of of 4141

and and 6060..• The majority of the passengers married The majority of the passengers married

and and with anwith an average income between average income between 60.000-100.00060.000-100.000 $ per year $ per year ( (Affluent Affluent and Most Affluent Marketand Most Affluent Market).).

• 86,9 %86,9 % of passengers desire to of passengers desire to have an have an experience experience with the with the floating islandsfloating islands..

FindingsFindings• ““New and interesting structure” and “Popular New and interesting structure” and “Popular

and fashionable destination of the future” and fashionable destination of the future” are selected are selected as the reasons of preferring as the reasons of preferring floating islandfloating islandss with with 40,3%40,3% and and 20,4 %20,4 % respectivelyrespectively..

• 56,1 %56,1 % of the participants want to of the participants want to spentspent 8- 8-21 days on floating islands21 days on floating islands..

• 68,9 %68,9 % of the participants want to of the participants want to makemake a a holiday in a hotelholiday in a hotel..

FindingsFindings

• 54,2 %54,2 % of the participants prefer to of the participants prefer to stay instay in 5 stars hotel 5 stars hotels on the islands.s on the islands.

• 60 %60 % of the participants prefer air of the participants prefer air transporttransportationation to reach the floating to reach the floating islandsislands..

FindingsFindingsattractions and amenities that consumers attractions and amenities that consumers

preferprefer::•AttractionsBeauty and Anti-Aging CentresCasinoLuxury Shopping CentresLuxury RestaurantsUnderwater Observatories•AmenitiesSecurity UnitPost OfficeBank

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION• Floating islandsFloating islands could becould be new destinations of new destinations of

the the tourism industry in tourism industry in future. future. • TThe design suggested he design suggested in this study in this study is a flat is a flat

platform with mobilityplatform with mobility,, which iswhich is the most the most significant feature of floating islands.significant feature of floating islands.

• According to the rAccording to the results of thesults of thisis analysis analysis a a potential demand potential demand exists exists for these for these sstructures.tructures.

• Affluent and most affluent markets of the Affluent and most affluent markets of the cruise industry cruise industry areare the potential consumers the potential consumers of floating islands.of floating islands.

Thank You…Thank You…

gogozerzer@anadolu.edu.tr@anadolu.edu.triarikan@anadolu.edu.triarikan@anadolu.edu.tr

Residance

Activity Center

Yatch Marine

Marine

Hotel Faculty

Commercial Center

Congres Center

School

Shopping Mall

Lake

A Floating Island Designed by A Floating Island Designed by Jean Philippe ZoppiniJean Philippe Zoppini