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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MARKETING STRATEGIES USED IN DESTINATION BRANDING IN THE PROMOTION OF DOMESTIC TOURISM
BY
ELIZABETH NJERI NDUNG’U
A MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (MBA) OF SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI.
September 2010
DECLARATION
I declare that this is my original work and has not been submitted for a degree or diploma
in any other university.
ELIZABETH NJERI NDUNG’U
This project has been submitted for examination with my approval as the university
supervisor.
TOM MUTUGU
Senior Lecturer
Department of Business Administration
Faculty of Commerce
University of Nairobi
Signature Date
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In a project covering more than two months, there have been many people that have
contributed generously in a variety of ways. Without them, this research papers would
never have taken off the ground.
First, I would also like to thank my supervisor Mr. Tom Mutugu for his invaluable and
insightful support and guidance. Without his support and vast knowledge, this project
would have been skeletal.
I am eternally grateful to my family for their constant encouragement and patience with
my hectic schedule. God bless them all.
Special thanks go to my cousin, Sylvia Njeru for her help in collecting data for this study.
She devoted her time to ensure that all the data was collected within the short time I had
to carry out the study.
Above all, I am incredibly grateful to Almighty God for giving me strength, good health
and sound mind throughout my study period. With HIM, all things are possible.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.1.1 Definition of destination branding 2
1. 1.2 The tourism industry in Kenya 4
1.. 1.3 Tourism agents in Kenya 5
1.2 Statement of the Problem 6
1.3 Objectives of the Study 8
1.4 Significance of the Study 8
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Destination Branding Concept 9
2.2 Key Destination Branding Components 10
2.3 Conceptual Framework for Destination Branding 14
2.4 Marketing Strategies in Destination Branding 19
2.5 Destination Positioning 20
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design 23
3.2 Target Population 23
3.3 Sampling Design 23
3.4 Data Collection 24
3.5 Data Analysis 24
4.0 DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
4.1 Introduction 25
4.2 General Information 25
4.3 Destination Brand Image 31
4.4 Destination Brand Personality ̂AJ J
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4.5 Destination Brand Attributes 34
4.6 Correlation Analysis 34
5.0 DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION 35
5.1 Introduction 35
5.2 Summary of findings 36
5.3 Discussion 37
5.4 Conclusion 37
5.5 Recommendations 38
REFERENCES 39
APPENDICES 43Appendix 1: List of Tour Operators by Categories
Appendix 2: KATO Members Category
Appendix 3: Introduction Letter
Appendix 4 Questionnaire
v
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
DMO - Destination Marketing Organisations
SME - Small and Medium Enterprises
KATO - Kenya Association of Tour Operators
KATA - Kenya Association of Tour Agents
EASTA - East African Society Of Travel Agents
IATA - International Association of Travel Agents
DTCK - Domestic Tourism Council of Kenya
KTB - Kenya Tourism Board
KTF - Kenya Tourism Federation
KEPSA - Kenya Private Sector Alliance
vi
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted with an objective of finding out the effectiveness of marketing
strategies used in destination branding in the promotion of domestic tourism. The main
objective was to find out if destination branding is often used in promoting domestic
tourism and if so, the effectiveness of the marketing strategies employed.
To achieve the above objective, primary data was collected trom a sample ot 50 tour
operators, out of whom 45 responded successfully leading to a response rate of 90%.
This was considered sufficient enough to achieve the intended objective. The tour
operators were selected using stratified systematic sampling.
The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Ihese included tables, pie
charts, percentages and frequency tables.
The study found that advertising, direct marketing, website and on-line marketing are
highly effective marketing strategies used in the promotion of domestic tourism. The
joint initiative between the media and the tourism industry was considered highly
effective in improving information flow between the industry and the consumers, in this
case being the domestic tourists. However despite this, domestic tourism is still
considered expensive by the Kenyan consumers therefore allecting demand for domestic
tourism packages.
The government tourism agencies and the media were found to be important instruments
in improving domestic tourism as a leading revenue earner for the country. Similarly, the
study found that tour operators should be encouraged to use less traditional marketing
strategies like the three aspects of destination branding to entice the domestic tourists to
discover their beautiful country, thus increasing the number of domestic tourists and
increasing revenue earned for the government.
The conclusion from the study therefore is the tour operators do not use all the three
aspects of destination branding, that is destination image, personality and attributes. It
was found that in the promotion of domestic tourism, tour operators tend to use
destination brand image and destination brand attributes more olten than destination
brand personality. By employing the three aspects of destination branding, tour operators
would be able to market the different regions of Kenya to domestic tourists and prove the
effectiveness of destination branding.
viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the studyTravel and tourism is best understood as a market. It is a market that reflects the
demands of consumers for a very wide range of travel related products and the supply of
services by a wide array of community and public sector organizations. In the 21st
century, increasing interest is being shown in many countries in the potential of global
travel and tourism as an important contributor to economic development. This is
measured in terms of investment, employment and balance of payment. When managed
effectively, tourism can play an important role in more sustainable development at the
visited destinations. It sustains not only international organizations like airlines, tour
operators and hotels, but also thousands of small and medium enterprises (SME’s) that
are vital elements in most economic systems.
Tourism is best understood in terms of demand and supply. It is the vital linking
mechanism between supply and demand focused on exchange transactions in which
consumers exercise preferences and choices, and exchange their time and money in
return for the supply of particular travel experience or products. It is also a vital role for
tourism organizations and other area organizations identified as destination management
organizations (DMOs), most of which are not directly engaged in the sale of products
(Middleton, 2003). Marketing is a subject of vital concern in tourism because in practical
terms, it harnesses the power of massive community forces as well as government and
regulatory influences. It is the principal management influence that can be used to shape
the size and behavior of a major growing global market.
The most recent trend of marketing a tourist destination is called Destination Marketing
or Destination Branding. According to Nigel, Annette and Roger (2002) work on
destination branding started in 2002 and has since gathered momentum. It has become
one of the hottest topics amongst marketing professionals, academia and politicians. Due
to the rapid development of this area of expertise, numerous books, journals and articles
have been written with the aim of stating the case for destination branding, raising its
profile amongst a range of audiences, including practitioners, destination stakeholders,
academia, politicians and students.
1.1.1 Destination BrandingA destination can be anything from a nation to a region, a resort to a city, an attraction to
an event, or even the tour operators that help them to sell. Branding defines a unique set
of beliefs about a destination and the sort of holidays or breaks it offers- beliefs that are
equally emotional and rational, make it stand out from the competition and make it feel
just right for each of its many target audiences. Many factors will go into the creation of
these beliefs. Getting it right requires strategic thinking - weighing up what you can
offer against what your competitors are doing, what your potential visitors are looking
for, and most importantly how to adapt to change, (www.destinationbranding.co.uk)
Piggott (2001) states that branding is perhaps the most powerful marketing weapon
available to contemporary destination marketers confronted by tourists who are
increasingly seeking lifestyle fulfillment and experience rather than recognizing
differentiation in the more tangible elements of the destination product such as
accommodation and attractions. Most destinations have superb five-star resorts and
attractions, every country claims a unique culture, landscape and heritage, each place
describes itself having the friendliest people, high standards of customer service and
facilities. As a result, the need for destinations to create a unique identity to
differentiate themselves from their competitors - is more critical and the basis for
survival within a globally competitive marketplace
A destination brand can be developed using various strategies. Most common are
advertising, direct marketing, personal selling, public and media relations and through the
co-operation of destination marketing organizations (DMOs). Gold and Ward (1994)
define place promotion as the conscious use of publicity and marketing to communicate
selective images of specific geographic localities or areas to a target audience. Ward
(1998) contends that it not only involves advertising and publicity, but also encompasses
“flagship” developments and “spotlight” events in the arts, media, leisure, heritage,
retailing or sports industries. For example, Egypt is famous for its pyramids (flagship
developments) and Kenya is known for its athletes (spotlight events in sports).
2
Clarke (2000) argues that places currently offer the greatest untapped branding
opportunities. He contends that the choice of a holiday destination is now a significant
lifestyle indicator for today’s aspirational consumers and the places where they choose to
spend their hard earned income increasingly have to have emotional appeal, high
conversational capital and even celebrity' value. Travel for leisure is increasingly
permeating the discourse of everyday life but remains a highly involving experience,
extensively planned, excitedly anticipated and fondly remembered. With this realization,
countries around the world have begun engaging in marketing themselves as destinations
of choice in an attempt to communicate their uniqueness and hence gain competitive
advantage over other countries with similar products.
Nigel, Annete, and Roger (2002) expound on the use of destination branding to market
countries and places within countries such as cities as tourism destinations. They take the
view that brand winners should base their destination branding on a vision that is founded
on intensive stakeholder, competitor and consumer research, and expressed with care and
discipline in everything that communicates the brand personality. While identifying the
dynamics within destination branding, they note the complexity and political dimension
that branding a country involves. This view is supported by Ryan and Zahra (2003) who
document the political role in New Zealand’s tourism sector.
While most of the literature on place and destination branding has concentrated on
nations and the use of Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) to undertake place
branding, individual players within the sector have been largely ignored. This is in spite
of the fact that in order to achieve competitive advantage, any tourist firm or organization
must ensure that its destinations overall appeal and the tourist experience offered must be
superior to that of alternative destinations. One way of ensuring this happens is by
engaging the services of tour operators to build up the image of the destination and in the
process attract potential consumers.
Traditionally, owners of consumer brands had a choice of reviewing the effectiveness of
their brand every few years. They would then, if found necessary, re-launch or replace it
with a new one allowing the outdated brand to slowly die, therefore completing its
lifecycle. Countries and destinations did not have that luxury, until the internet
happened. With it came, new media, cheap transport, increased choice, increased
prosperity, dynamic expectations, interests and concerns that brought about a revolution.
Palmer (2001) while expounding on the internet challenge for destination marketing
organizations, alludes to the crucial role of individual players in destination marketing.
He states that destination branding must involve the focused attention ot all tourism
related organizations in a destination and that this can create a major challenge in getting
all the stakeholders to create a coherent theme for the destination brand. This is a basis
for this study.
1.1.2 The Tourism Industry in KenyaKenya lies along the east coast of Africa covering an area of 586,350 sq. km with an
estimated population of 38 million (2010 Kenya Census). Tourism is currently the
second largest contributor to the economy after agriculture. Tourism in Kenya dates back
to pre-independence days and history has it recorded that as early as the 1930’s overseas
visitors and explorers started coming to Kenya mainly for big game hunting expeditions
while others came in search of solitude. These expeditions were locally referred to by the
Swahili word “Safari”. At that time, there was limited tourism infrastructure and the
accommodation was spartan but ideal for both the visitors as well as the settler
community in Kenya. Soon after independence, the government realized the enormous
potential of the nascent tourism industry and undertook to upgrade the existing
infrastructure as well as invest in additional facilities. Towards achieving this goal, the
government encouraged local and foreign entrepreneurs to invest in the tourism and
hospitality industries to pave way for the future development of the sector.
www.ktdc.co.ke
According to the Ministry of Tourism, despite increased competition from other
destinations, Kenya is still one of the most preferred tourist destinations in Africa after
South Africa, Morocco and Egypt. Tourism in Kenya is mainly based on natural
attractions which include wildlife in its natural habitat as well as idyllic beaches.
Approximately 10% of the country has been set aside for conservation of wildlife and
biodiversity. Game viewing is a very popular pursuit since most visitors to Kenya are
predominantly interested in seeing the “big five” animals (that is, the elephant, rhino,
4
lion, buffalo and leopard) not to mention other lesser and unique game the country has to
offer.
Tourism in Kenya has recorded remarkable growth in both revenue earnings and volume
of visitors. In 2007, the tourism sector maintained an upward growth momentum by
recording approximately 2 million visitor arrivals, up from 1.6 million arrivals in 2006.
Consolidated tourism earnings expanded from Kshs 56.2 billion in 2006 to about Ksh.
65.4 billion in 2007, reflecting an 11.6% growth. Tourism accounts for over 9% of total
wage employment and it is also a major source of government revenue in the form of
taxes, duties, license fees, entry fees etc. In addition, tourism through its multiplier effect
has the capacity to promote regional development, create new' commercial and industrial
enterprises, stimulate demand for locally produced goods and services and provide a
market for agricultural produce, w w w,tourism.no.ke
In Kenya, domestic tourism gained prominence at the height of travel advisories given by
foreign governments to their citizens. These advisories witnessed a sharp decline in the
number of international tourists to Kenya and a decline in foreign and general earnings.
In a bid to ensure that the tourism industry remained afloat, domestic tourism was touted
as a possible approach as it was not subject to travel advisories.
1.1.3 Tourism Agents in KenyaThe key players responsible for promotion of domestic tourism in Kenya include the
Ministry of Tourism, the national tourist organizations, like Domestic Tourism Council
of Kenya (DTCK), Kenya Tourist Board (KTB), the media and the tour operators and
agents. The media and the tourism industry in Kenya have formed a joined initiative
aimed at improving tourism information flow thus promoting positive coverage of the
country as a prime tourists’ destination.
Tour operators and agents play an important role in promoting the tourism industry in
Kenya. They are the first source of information for the tourists and as a result of dealing
directly with them, they are able to cater for the different needs of the visitors.
The two major bodies of tour operators and agents in Kenya are Kenya Association of
Tour Operators (KATO) and Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA). The Kenya
5
Association of Tour Operators (KATO) is Kenya's leading tourism trade association
representing the interests of over 250 leading and experienced professional tour operators
in Kenya. The members of KATO offer a wide range of services to the tourists. These
can be broadly divided into categories namely: Special Interest safaris, Air safaris,
incentive travel group safaris, custom safaris for individual travelers, camping safaris,
Indian Ocean and Coast holidays. Golf safaris and Agro safaris. (www.katokenya.or g).
Among the objectives of KATO are to uphold the good reputation of Kenya as a tourist
destination by ensuring the operators maintain the highest standards of service and value,
give tourists the confidence of knowing that Kenya offers exciting tourist destinations
that are world renown and spectacular and maintain the recommended standards by the
Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife needed to grant or renew the license of an operator.
The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) is an organization that has represented
the interests of Kenyan travel agents since 1979 when its forerunner East African Society
of Travel Agents (EASTA) was disbanded due to the collapse of the East African
Community. It works to enhance and improve the travel industry business climate in
Kenya by promoting the services of its members to the general public, protecting their
rights and assisting them to optimize their business. There are over eighty (80)
International Association of Travel Agents (IATA) accredited travel agencies and four
(4) IATA approved training colleges in Kenya. KATA works closely with the Ministry
of Transport, Ministry of Tourism and related government parastatals. It also plays an
important role in the private sector bodies such as Kenya Tourism Federation (KTF) and
the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in advancing and promoting the tourism
industry, (www.katakenva.org).
1.2 Statement of the ProblemThere is a growing body of literature on destination branding from authors like P. Kotler.
S. Baloglu, V. Middleton. N. Morgan. A. Pritchard and R. Pride. However much of this
literature has largely focused on countries and destination marketing organizations
(DMOs). Little has been done to examine the role of individual players in destination
branding. Besides this, the main focus has been on international tourists. Besides studies
that have been done in the domestic tourism sector (for example, by Isaac Nkari and
6
Makawiti), little else haS been done on the use of destination branding to increase
domestic tourism. This is despite the fact that domestic tourism has been identified as a
key alternative to foreign tourists. In fact, the Ministry of Tourism, in its Strategic Plan
(2008 - 2012) seeks to increase the number of domestic bed nights from 1,8M to 3.6M by
the year 2012.
When it comes to promoting tourism in Kenya, the Ministry of Tourism, the media and
related national organizations are always at the forefront of promoting the tourism
industry and ensuring that the number of visitors increase, bed occupancy increases and
domestic tourism is on the rise. The government has particularly been on the forefront in
marketing Kenya as a tourism destination. Among its key efforts is the creation of Brand
Kenya Board as a state corporation that has been tasked with the responsibility of
identifying and refining the key attributes about Kenya, that contribute positively to the
image and reputation of the nation.
While many researches have been conducted on destination branding in various countries
by authors like J. Day, G. Caprara, Y. Ekinci and S. Hosany over a period of time, little
has been done in the Kenyan context especially in the domestic tourism sector.
Additionally, little is known about the challenges pertaining to the use of destination
branding as a marketing tool by local companies to woo local tourists.
This study therefore seeks to fill the knowledge gaps identified by examining the
effectiveness of marketing strategies in destination branding by local tour operators and
its impact on domestic tourism revenue.
The study will answer the following questions:-
“How effective are the marketing strategies used in destination branding of domestic
tourism in Kenya?”
“What impact would destination branding have on revenue earned from domestic
tourism?”
7
1.3 Research ObjectivesThis study aims to:
i) Determine the effectiveness of the marketing strategies used in destination branding of
domestic tourism by Kenyan tourism operators.
ii) Determine the impact of the marketing strategies used in destination branding on
revenue earned from domestic tourism.
iii) Identify and rank the marketing strategies according to level of importance.
1.4 Significance of the study
The beneficiaries of the study include: the government and policy makers who will utilize
the results of the study when coming up with policies for expansion of the domestic
tourism sector; the Kenyan tourism organizations will be better informed on the potential
benefits of the use of destination branding in gaining and sustaining competitive
advantage among peers; and for the academicians and researchers, the study will advance
existing knowledge on destination branding and open up areas for further research.
Specifically, it will provide data on the use.of destination branding in Kenya and show
how its use is linked with competitive advantage.
8
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Destination Branding ConceptDestination branding is defined as “ selecting a consistent element mix to identify and
distinguish a destination through positive image-building” and has been considered
synonymous with (re)positioning, image-building and image-reconstruction (Gilmore,
Hall et al, 2002). According to Abimbola (2001), branding means “ identifying and/or
creating, then exploiting certain sustainable competitive advantages”. Branding conveys
information about what a product is and can be, it can render value to a product, it is the
set of methods by means of which a destination or product communicates, symbolizes
and differentiates itself towards its audience. Critical to the creation of a desirable
destination brand is the identification of brand’s value, and the translation of these into a
suitably, emotionally, appealing brand personality, the target and the efficient delivery of
that message (Morgan, Pritchard & Piggot, 2002). A tourist destination needs a strong
tourist brand created in compliance with the genuine, authentic strengths of advertising
on national and foreign channels according to its tourist potential that should be able to
persuade visitors that it is a unique, customized, competitive destination.
Destination branding is a critical issue in tourism destination strategy and planning
(Prideaux & Cooper, 2002). It has been considered a potent marketing tool for tourism
promotion (Morgan et ah, 2004). Destinations with clear competitive positions and strong
supportive branding have been noted to perform better in gaining the attention of
potential tourists and have experienced more favourable tourist visits (Uysal et al, 2000).
For example, brand development campaign executed in New Zealand resulted in the
‘100% Pure New Zealand’ marketing campaign. This branding strategy was driven by
Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) but involved all recognized stakeholders across the
country’s tourism industry. The main objective was to double the number of tourist visits
by 2005 (Morgan, Pritchard & Piggot, 2002) .The other case is the Western Australia
destination brand Personality Campaign which reinstated the country as a premier nature-
based tourism destination resulting in increased tourism demand (Crockett and Wood.
2002).
9
The key in branding a tourism destination is to develop an emotional link to tourists and
to define the unique identity of a destination (Park & Petrick, 2006). Kotler and Gertner
(2002) questioned if countries can be brands and can have brand equity, and concluded in
favour by mentioning the possible effect of strong country brands in attracting not only
tourists, but also businesses and investment. They defined the steps and tools of
successful country branding as; the projection of a simple, appealing , believable and
distinctive image; defining the attributes that form a basis for strong branding (for
instance, natural resources); developing an umbrella concept to cover all of the country's
separate branding activities (for instance, pleasure); a catchy slogan (for instance,
‘Spain - Everything Under the Sun' ); visual images or symbols (for instance, Bin Ben
for London/England); and special events or deeds (for instance, Wimbledon Tennis
Tournament for England).
Hankinson (2004) proposed a framework that was built around the concept of brand
networks in which place branding performs four main functions. These are: brands as
communicators, where brands represent a mark of ownership and a means of product
differentiation manifested in legally protected names, logos, and trademarks; brands as
perceptual entities, which appeal to the consumer senses, reasons and emotions; brands
as value enhancers, which has led to the concept of brand equity; and brands as
relationships, where the brand is construed as having a personality which enables it to
form a relationship with the consumer. Hankinson (2004) also postulated place as
“ relational brand networks" in which the place brand is represented by a core brand and
four categories of brand relationships (consumer relationships, primary service
relationships, brand infrastructure relationships and media relationships) that enhance the
brand reality and brand experience.
2.2 Key Destination Branding ComponentsThe destination branding process revolves around the following five components. Each of
the components is discussed with respect to their relevance and importance to strategic
destination branding:
10
2.2.1 Vision and Stakeholder ManagementAccording to Balmer, 2001 and de Chernatony and Riley, 1998, vision is the starting
point of any great strategy. By having clarity in long-term objectives that can range from
tourism quality, business generation, societal welfare and to political self preservation
agendas, vision can lead to performance results by delivering stakeholder expectations. It
also drives brand positioning hence is considered the beginning of a brand strategy
(Polonsky and Jevons 2006).
Dana 2005 and Balmer 2001 argue that successful policies not only increase economic
benefits but also harmonize culture (who we are), the process (how we know), the content
(what we know), infrastructure requirements (who. how and where), the brand (promise
to be communicated), image (what is current perception) and reputation (distinctive
attributes). For these decisions, the government needs to formulate, communicate and
assimilate vision to all relevant stakeholders, to create a service-oriented culture that will
give it a competitive advantage (Pike. 2005; de Chernatony and Riley. 1998).
Branding complexity increases with the diversity of stakeholders and target customers
needs and their conflicting objectives (Pike, 2005). Dana 2005 contends that an important
part of vision is to know who we are looking at both internal stakeholder needs and
external stakeholders perceptions of the destination. Starting with an inward focus,
governments must ensure that their aspirations are in harmony with local community
needs and expectations (Trueman et ah, 2004; Pike, 2005).
2.2.2 Target Customer and Product Portfolio MatchingA destination’s product and service portfolio must be integrated with the overall branding
strategy based on existing assets and the assets they are capable of developing
(Hankinson, 2004). Products require strategic location, investments in infrastructure
(airlines, ports, roads, technology)? exploitation of natural resources (like safe port, access
to oil) and adaptation of ideas like open skies policies and other economic policies (tax
free, economic free zones and credit facilities) (Balakrishnan, 2008).
Destinations that diversify their portfolio reduce their risk; increase their target base and
encourage loyalty. More destinations are looking at combinations of business based or
11 i
vacation based portfolios (Hankinson, 2005, 2004). Places are re-inventing themselves by
moving away from historical branding. Some successful re-branding strategies for
destinations are recreational, sports, culture and eco-tourism (Ibrahim and Gill. 2005).
Destinations are perceived differently by different segments. Positioning improves when
the destination image is matched with the customer psychographic profile. It can also be
matched with lifestyle variables; activities and experiences and usage occasions. There
must be consistency of brand image and attitude with the customer perception of
themselves and the other users. Focused marketing for specific segments increases the
chances of success in a crowded marketplace; for example the “Nawart Masr You Light
Up Egypt” campaign focused on Arabs (Deloitte HB, 2006). By matching product
portfolios to a few dominant target segments, reach, effective spending and loyalty can be
increased (Woodside and Dubelaar, 2002).
2.2.3 Positioning and Differentiation: Using Brand ComponentsBrand identity is an image that creates a sustainable advantage by differentiating the
brand from other competitors through the positioning statement. A good positioning helps
rationalize the decision making process by letting the customer link key attributes to that
place (Ries and Trout, 1981). It is also a simple and truthful message with limited
association and preferably is based on visitor’s experiences.
Positioning is achieved through brand components, which can be tangible or intangible
attributes; and functional or symbolic (de Chernatony and Riley, 1998). Effective
positioning moves customers up the brand value pyramid from attributes and functional
benefits to emotional and self-expressive benefits (Davis, 2002). According to Hosany et
al. (2007), the emotional component of the destination image is responsible for the
majority of the variance of the personality of the destination. Images associated with
history, heritage and culture are most important when differentiating between
destinations though they may be the second most salient category after attributes
associated with activities and facilities which are functional in nature (Hankinson, 2004).
Consumers prefer brands on the basis of their symbolic properties rather than functional
qualities (Jamal and Goode, 2001). Symbolic values give a more sustainable competitive
advantage (Mowle and Merrilees, 2005). Destinations should focus on a unique
12
constellation of few (three to seven) tangible and functional destination attributes rather
than a “having it all” strategy (Woodside and Dubelaar, 2002; Woodside and frappey,
2001).
2.2.4 Communication StrategyAccording to Nielsen Media, newspapers, televisions, magazines and radios are
considered more trustworthy than on-line forms of advertising. 1 he Internet is growing in
usefulness as it attracts new users and if used to satisfaction, increases destination
enjoyment (Castan'eda et ah, 2007). Tourists prefer word-of-mouth to choose
destinations, but once chosen, web-based resources are used to narrow itinerary (Future
Brands, 2006). Virtual sites must allow easy interactivity between all other destination
product offer sites to allow the customer to get a holistic view of the destination (Palmer
and McCole, 2000).
2.2.5 Managing the ResponseWhen managing the destination brand, the gap between communicated, conceived ideal
and desired identities must be reduced using market research (Rangan et ah, 2006;
Javalgi et ah, 2006; Balmer, 2001). Destinations must be sold with correct information
and not hype as this increases loyalty and word of mouth. Brand netnography helps
understand a tourist’s interpretation of the,place. Another important strategy to build
brand image is harnessing the power of word of mouth. Traveling for social reasons is
impacted by word of mouth because normative inlluences/peers have a greater perceived
reliability and this is also the case for business travel where customers are looking for
expert sources with similarities to them (Wangenheim and Bayo'n, 2004). A survey by
Neilson Media in 2007 on internet users from 47 markets found 78 percent of consumers
felt recommendations from other consumers were most trustworthy. Another response
management strategy is using souvenirs, which are conversations starters. Destinations
must manage their licensing strategy to maintain standardization and correct
representation of the brand (Rangan et ah, 2006).
Vision is the starting point of designing a branding strategy. Governing bodies must take
into consideration the relationships they want to develop with both internal and external
customers, the networks they have alliances with or can develop to help reinlorce
branding strategies, and the basket of products they want and can offer. Governing bodies
must identify key target customers in terms of where they come from, their potential to
spend and mindset. Vision must embrace existing culture and work to balance any
negative effects associated with the country of origin.
The differentiation strategy must be designed to leave a clear and unique image in the
target customer’s mind with consistency in all media choices. Destinations must choose
combinations of brand components for attracting customers, helping customers make a
decision to visit and to create loyalty. It begins in the tourist’s country of origin, is
reinforced on arrival, and duration of stay, and managed during exit and post-visit.
2.3 Conceptual Framework
2.3.1 Destination Brand ImageDestination image is a critical component in the destination selection process (Baloglu
1997). Appropriate images can establish a meaningful position for the destination in the
minds of selected segments of the public as being a place that is different from other
destinations offering similar primary attractions (Chon, 1990; Ahmed. 1997). According
to Pender (1999) destination image comprises all the associations, images and
evaluations, favourable and unfavourable, which a person holds about a place, and it is
thought to be a major influence on destination choice. A destination is not just something
that actually exists; it is also what is thought to exist, a mental concept in the minds of its
tourists and potential tourists (Seaton, 1996).
14
According to Laws (1995), successful destination marketing entails projecting a clear
image to chosen target markets, and offering clients satisfying product experiences which
meet their expectations. Destination marketing is successful when both tourists and
marketers image of the destination matches together. These images should always be
positive and attractive in the minds of the tourists. Thus destination marketers have to
know how tourists see the destination, especially what are the most attractive qualities of
the destination before they start promoting it. According to Laws (1995), for a destination
to be successful in the eyes of potential tourists it is important to know the key things that
attract tourists to a destination.
Engel et al. (1986) stated that image refers to the consumer subjective perceptions of how
an alternative performs on important evaluation criteria. The promotional activities
undertaken by the tourism industry can play an important role in providing competitive
advantages to one tourist destination over another. Tourists perceive many images of
their destinations and these images in turn influence their behavior, attitude, and
predispositions as consumers (Ahmed, 1996). Ahmed also points out that merely
possessing outstanding tourism resources is not sufficient to attract the optimal number of
tourists to a tourist destination rather tourists image of a destination and the attitude of
tourists toward that destination seem to be two of the most important factors responsible
for this variation.
The image of a destination represents the essence of its value that management has used♦
for the creation of a favourable market position. In order to be a source of competitive
advantage, the image must be unique for the creation of a stable and strong impact on
consumers in the process of decision making about buying.
The whole image is the result of the combination of tangible and non-tangible elements
used for the creation of a wanted image on the market: attractive, functional, tangible and
organizational (Chon, 1990). Attractive elements are the objects and space parts that have
utility value since they satisfy the needs of tourists. These motives can be natural
(climate, flora, and fauna) and anthropogenic (cultural and historic heritage, fares,
manifestations, festivities). Functional elements are development forms of tourist circulation (recreation, cultural and mountain tourism, excursions) that reflect socio
15
economic and space' characteristics of tourism. Tangible elements comprise different
types of services in tourist circulation, which form the material basis (Baloglu, 1997).
Day (2001) discussed two kinds of levels of destination image: Organic and Induced.
Organic image is collected information about a destination from non-commercial sources
like radio, TV, film, books, poetry, education. It can also include a destination’s history,
politics, natural and human catastrophes. Induced image is formed of deliberately-
promoted commercial information sponsored by an organization to attract visitors.
Organic image is seen as more influential on destination choice than induced image, but
both of them influence people’s images on a destination (Pizam & Mansfield, 2000;
Pender, 1999).
2.3.2 Destination Brand PersonalityAs places seek to become distinctive, destination personality is viewed as a viable
metaphor for understanding tourists’ perceptions of places and for crafting a unique
destination identity (Caprara et ah, 2001; Triplett, 1994). Brand personality is simply
defined as the set of human characteristics associated with a brand that are projected from
the self-images of the consumers in an attempt to reinforce their own personalities
(Aaker, 1997). These characteristics or dimensions and their facets as defined by Aaker’s
brand personality framework are sincerity (down-to-earth, honest, wholesome, cheerful);
excitement (daring, spirited, imaginative, up-to-date); competence (reliable, intelligent,
successful); sophistication (upper class, charming); and ruggedness (outdoorsy, tough). A
strong destination brand personality representing either of these dimensions may lead to
increased preference and usage and higher emotional ties translating to loyalty and repeat
visitors. Tourism can be restored through aggressive government campaigns that seek to
redefine the image of the countries (Kanso, 2005).
According to Ekinci and Hosany (2006), a distinctive brand personality can help to create
a set of unique and favourable associations in consumer memory and thus build and
enhance destination. In order to analyse the destination establishment of brand
personalities, an alternative of Aaker’s (1997) study on the brand personality scale has
been used. This substitute scale has been developed by Ekinci and Idosany (2005) who
argued that brand personalities of destinations may be explained by using only a few
16
dimensions, in this case three. These dimensions are sincerity, excitement, and
conviviality. The sincerity dimension values the importance of a good relationship
between visitors/tourists and hosts in evaluating holiday experiences. This may be
explained by the fact that tourists portrayed destinations as trustworthy and dependable.
This in turn reduces their feelings of vulnerability, and the risks associated with the new
environment.
The second dimension, ‘Excitement’. includes traits such as* exciting, daring, spirited and
original. In general, destinations that are perceived to have exciting personalities are
considered attractive, and are thus highly capable of generating interest (Altschiller,
2000).Tourists travel to destinations mostly for relaxation/ leisure purposes, which may
explained why tourists attach a sense of excitement to places/ destinations.
The third dimension, ‘Conviviality’, has been specifically developed for destinations. It
consisted of traits such as friendly, family-oriented, and charming. These are the most
common themes that destination marketers use to characterize destinations in today’s
travel media.
Murphy et al., (2007) argued that brand personality may create a basis for differentiation
as a strong brand personality lead to relatively higher product evaluations. They argued
that brand personality provides a link between the brand’s emotional and self-expressive
benefits. A distinctive brand personality can. help to create a set of unique and favorable
associations in consumer memory and thus build and enhance brand equity (Johnson,
Soutar and Sweeney, 2000; Phau and Lau, 2000). A well- established brand personality
influences consumer preferences and patronage, develops stronger emotional ties and
trust and loyalty with the brand (Fournier, 1998). Similarly, a distinctive and emotionally
attractive destination personality is shown to leverage perceived image of a place and
influence tourist choice behaviouf. For example. Western Australia destination brand
Personality Campaign reinstated the country as a premier nature-based tourism
destination and resulted in increased tourism demand (Crockett and Wood, 2002). Santos
(2004) in his studies revealed that Portugal was represented with personality attributes
such as contemporary, modern, sophisticated and traditional in the U.S.A travel media.
Morgan and Pritchard (2002) posited that
17
England was portrayed as being conservative, pleasant, refined, civilized, eccentric, and
down-to-earth in the U.K tourism media. Furthermore, Henderson (2000) revealed that
the New Asia-Singapore brand comprised of five personality characteristics:
cosmopolitan, youthful, vibrant, modern, reliable and comfortable.
2.3.3 Destination Brand AttributesHankinson (2005) states that brands can be decomposed into various smaller components
in order to help destination managers to manage them. According to him, one of these
components is brand associations that can be classified into individual attribute
categories: functional, emotional and symbolic, experiential and brand attributes.
Hankinson (2004) concluded that destination personality can be characterized by using
these attributes. An efficient co-ordination of brand attributes generates the desired
synergies and advantages for the brand community. The synergies arise because the
tourist encounters the same and similar qualities throughout the destination in a number
of different situations and combinations (Park et al., 1986). Since these are all directly
related to the attraction, the tourist is motivated to associate what is encountered and
encode it within a contiguous neural network.
McEnally and de Chernatony (1999) believe that the functional level needs to be
established at least as a product class, before symbolic levels can be constructed. While
the functional level is the easiest to copy by competitors, the experiential and symbolic
levels offer opportunities for diversification and uniqueness. It is therefore of importance
when branding a tourism destination with the country as brand in mind that the
consistency of attributes is developed within and across three dimensions: First, the
tourism industry has to ascertain that tourism operators build and manage agreed upon
brand attributes horizontally across individual industry sectors. Secondly, there needs to
be vertical consistency between different industry sectors, and thirdly, each operation
must manage these attributes at the functional, experiential and symbolic levels
combined, so that the experience and its meaning become inextricably intertwined
(Gnoth, 2002; Kotler, 1988).
18
2.4 Marketing Strategies in Destination Branding
The main marketing strategies used in developing a destination brand are:-
2.4.1 AdvertisingEgan (2007) defines advertising as a form of communication intended to persuade an
audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to purchase or take some action upon products,
ideals, or services. It includes the name of a product or service and how that product or
service could benefit the consumer, to persuade a target market to purchase or to
consume that particular brand. These brands are usually paid for or identified through
sponsors and viewed via various media. The media commonly used for advertising is
print and electronic media. Advertising can also serve to communicate an idea to a large
number of people in an attempt to convince them to take a certain action, lire
effectiveness of advertising is measured by recall. So if a destination is advertised very
well, then the recall of the target gropu will be high. For example, the wildebeest
migration is one attraction that has been advertised so well that it attracts thousands of
local and international tourists.
2.4.2 Direct Marketing
Direct marketing is a form of advertising that reaches its audience without using
traditional formal channels of advertising, such as TV, newspapers or radio. These are
direct connections with carefully targeted individual consumers to both obtain an
immediate response and cultivate lasting customer relationships. It involves the use of
direct mail, telephone, direct-response television, email, the internet and other tools of
communication to communicate directly with specific customers. Businesses
communicate straight to the consumer with advertising techniques such as fliers,
catalogue distribution, promotional letters, and street advertising (Kotler et.al 2008)•TP
Direct Advertising is a sub-discipline and type of marketing. There are two main
definitional characteristics which distinguish it from other types of marketing. The first is
that it sends its message directly to consumers, without the use of intervening commercial
communication media. The second characteristic is the core principle of successful
advertising driving a specific "call to action." This aspect of direct marketing involves an
19
emphasis on trackable, measurable, positive responses from consumers (known simply as
"response" in the industry) regardless of medium, (www.wikipedia.org)
2.4.3 Personal SellingPersonal selling is as old as bartering, and much older than any organized monetary
system. It can be defined as persuasive communication between a representative of the
company and one or more prospective customers, designed to influence the person's or
group's purchase decision. It is normally face-to-face communication between the seller
and the buyer or direct contact between a salesperson and a customer Egan (2007).
According to Kotler et.al, they define personal selling as the personal presentation by the
firm’s sales force for the purpose of making sales and building customer relationships.
2.4.4 Public and Media relationsThe Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) has defined public relations as the
discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of earning understanding and
support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It is the planned and sustained effort to
establish and maintain goodwill and mutual understanding between and organization and
its publics (Egan 2007). Kotler. Bowen and Makens (.2008) have also defined public
relations as building good relations with the company’s various publics by obtaining
favourable publicity, building up a good corporate image and handling or heading off
unfavourable rumors, stories and events.
Similar to effective advertising and promotions, effective public relations often depends
on designing and implementing a well-designed public relations plan. Often, public
relations are conducted through print and electronic media. Publicity is mention in the
media. Organizations usually have little control over the message in the media, at least,
not as much as they do in advertising as the reporters and writers decide what will be
said. *
2.5 Destination PositioningGill and Ibrahim (2005) state that the positioning of a destination "is the process of
establishing a distinctive place of that destination in the minds of potential visitors” .
According to Hankinson (2004), both similar and unique attributes in relation to the
20
competitors needs to be identified. Jobber (2004) added that a clear differential advantage
can be achieved through a brand name, image, service, design, guarantees, packaging,
and delivery. According to Lovelock (1984), positioning is more than just advertising and
promotion. Market position can be affected by pricing, distribution and, of course the
product itself, which is the core around which all positioning strategies revolve.
Haahti (1986) identified the positioning of Finland as a summer holiday destination vis-a-
vis ten competing European countries. According to his findings, Dutch respondents
perceived Norway and Finland similarly on attributes of ‘Friendliness’, and ‘Hospitality’;
and ‘Wilderness’ and ‘Camping’ compared to those of other countries. Kim et al., (2005)
explored the preference and positioning of seven overseas destinations by mainland
Chinese tourists. They found that respondents preferred Australia as an overseas
destination and showed a relatively high level of preference to Singapore and Egypt in
comparison to Japan and South Korea that were least preferred.
Baloglu & McCleary (1999) and Mackay & Fesenmaier (1997), in their studies looked at
both cognition and affect toward environments and destinations. Cognitive components
are tourist prior product knowledge while the affective reflects related feelings (Chen &
Uysal, 2002). Both components have been used to delineate market positioning. Pike and
Ryan (2004) added a conative component, which is analogous to behaviour, as having an
impact on desired positioning. Thus, positioning framework for destinations suggested
that a combination of affective components of image (Push attributes), cognitive
components (Pull attributes) and an individual’s intent (likelihood for purchase) influence
overall positioning in the minds of visitors.
Heath and Wall (1992) propose different approaches towards developing a positioning
strategy for tourism destinations. The first is to assess the current position with respect to
its major competitors by surveying relevant tourism groups who are in a position to make
such a comparison. The second is to select the desired position with regard to a particular
market segment or in general, by interpreting the requirements of existing and potential
markets and the resource strengths of the destination. The options arising from this
analysis may be to keep the current position based on its strength and reliability, develop
a new or clarified position for the destination and communicating it; or where
21
appropriate, position the destination offering on a new dimension, one that tourists may
value but that they do not routinely use in evaluating the region's tourism offering.
Gilbert (1991) argued that destinations should differentiate their tourism products in
order to be able to achieve a unique ‘tourist product benefit" which would enable them to
establish their position in the international tourism market, as well as to attract high
spenders and loyal tourists. Tourism destinations, therefore, should attempt to achieve a
‘status area' image, rather than a ‘commodity area' (Gilbert, 1991). In ‘commodity area’,
the destination is heavily substitutable, very sensitive to price and economic changes,
while consumers have a low awareness of any unique benefits or attributes of the region
(Poon’s, 1993). Thus, holidaymakers base their decision to visit the area merely on price,
while the demand for the destination is incidental and destinations are unable to attract
high spenders. In contrast ‘status areas’ achieve intentional demand as a result of the
unique product attributes perceived by the tourism market. These unique attributes may
be genuine or imagined and thus, a destination is regarded as irreplaceable increasing
consumers’ loyalty and willingness to pay. Gilbert (1991) asserts that destinations should
attempt to become ‘status areas’ in order to improve their image, loyalty and economic
benefits.
Poon’s (1993) ‘flexible specialization' concept examined the industry processes and
proposed a strategy to enable tourism organizations to improve their competitiveness. He
argued that ‘flexible specialization' is a strategy o f ‘permanent innovation' and ‘ceaseless
change’ which provides for the ‘new tourism’. This new tourism is flexible, segmented,
customized to the tourist’s needs and diagonally integrated. In contrast, the old tourism
can be characterized as ‘mass, standardized and rigidly packaged'. The main sources oi
flexibility for service firms lie in the organization, management, marketing, distribution
and other forms of interaction and interrelationships among guests, hotels, suppliers and
distributors. What is important however is not each of these stand-alone aspects but how
they are coupled to create competitive advantages and hence capabilities to move with
the market (Poon, 1993).
22
CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design
This study will adopt a descriptive research design. According to Donald and Pamela
(2006), a descriptive study deals with the what, how and who of a phenomenon which is
the concern for this study. The study specifically will try to establish the extent of usage
of various features of destination branding among tourist operators in Kenya. A semi-
structured questionnaire with will be used to collect primary data. A five-point likert type
scale will be used to measure extent to which the various aspects of destination branding
have been applied and the corresponding effect of performance of the firm. According to
Orodho (2003), a descriptive research design is a method of collecting information by
interviewing or administering a questionnaire to a sample of individuals. This research
design is particularly appropriate since it enables the researcher to identify relations
between the extent of usage of destination branding and firm performance.
3.2 Target populationThe target population is made up of all the three hundred and ten (310) tour operators
registered by the Kenya Association of Tourist Operators (KATO). This information is
publicly available in the KATO website as shown in appendix (II). The unit of study will
be the tour operator.
3.3 Sample designThe target population will be divided into different stratum according to their categories.
The tour operators are divided into categories by KATO based on their annual gross
turnover. To ensure that the strata are proportionate in size, the researcher will divide the
number of tour operators in each stratum by the total number of tour operators in Kenya
and multiply by the sample size. The sample size is derived from systematic random
sampling where the researcher picks one (1) tour operator out of every six (6) tour
operators therefore constituting a sample of approximately fifty (50) tour operators.
Interval sampling will then be done on each stratum depending on the number of tour
operators in each category. This will ensure that each stratum is adequately represented
23
and help reduce the possibility of too few responses while at the same time ensuring that
the data collected is representative of the entire population.
3.4 Data Collection
Primary data is obtained through the use of semi-structured questionnaires which contain
both closed and open-ended questions. Secondary data is obtained from publications such
as journals, books and magazines and the internet.
The questionnaire (appendix 3) will be designed so as to capture the four research
objectives. The questionnaire is divided into four sections. Section 1 contains questions
on demographic information of the person answering the questionnaire. Section 2 is
probing for effectiveness of the media, national tourism organizations and marketing
strategies in promoting domestic tourism. Section 3 addresses the three aspects of
destination branding and section 4 probes for the impact of the destination branding
marketing strategies on the revenue earned from domestic tourism. The researcher
intends to email the questionnaire to those tour operators outside Nairobi and personally
administer the questionnaire to those in Nairobi. This is considered appropriate since the
respondents are spread across the country and time is limited.
3.5 Data analysis and presentation
Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize and analyze the data with the help ol the
SPSS package. This will be presented Tn form of tables, frequencies and percentage
scores. Therefore, data will be presented using tables, charts, graphs and percentages.
24
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND
DISCUSSION
*
4.1 Introduction
This chapter contains the results of data analysis, findings and discussion. The first
section presents the demographic characteristics of the respondents.
4.2 General information
4.2.1 Level of education
Majority of the respondents (54%) were university graduates. This was followed by those
who had tertiary college education (43%). Only 3% had university post graduate
education.
Frequency
Tertiary college 15 43%
University graduate 19 54%
University postgraduate 1 3%
Total 35 100%
4.2.2 Years of experience in the firm
Majority of the respondents (24%) had been working in their firms for 2 years. A
cumulative percentage of 59% had been had between 2 and 5 years experience in their
respective firms.
Frequency----------------------------------- —---*0.5 2 6%
1 2 6%
1.5 2 6%
2 8 24%o 4 12%
25
I4 1%..... n 21%
5 4 12%
5.5 1 3%
6 2 6%
7 1 3%
30 1 3%
4.2.3 Business age
All the tourist firms who responded had been in operation for over 4 years. Majority of
them (21%) had been in operation for 10 years.
Frequency
4 1 3%
5 2 6%
6 2 6%
7 5 15%
8 2 6%
10 4 7 21%
15 6 18%
17 1 3%
20 oJ 9%
22 *____________________ di_________________
1 3%
25 1 3%
30 1 3%
32 1 3%
53 1 3%
Total 34 100%........ .... .... .
26
4.2.4 Challenges facing exploitation of local tourist industry
The respondents were asked to give the major challenges that they experienced in
exploiting the local tourist industry. Majority (51%) stated that most local tourists find
products very expensive. This was followed by lack of awareness among potential
tourists (34%) and negativity among local tourists about some destinations (9%). Though
not cited by many respondents, un-harmonized hotel pricing, police harassment and high
KWS park fees also emerged as some of the challenges.
Frequency
Increase in KWS park fees, police harassment 1 3%
Un-harmonized hotel pricing, undercutting 1 3%
Negativity from potential local tourists about some
destinations
3
9%
Lack of awareness among potential local tourists 12 34%
Most products prove costly to local tourists , 18 51%
Total 35 100%
4.2.5 Role of various bodies in enhancing domestic tourism
The mass media and KWS were rated highest (mean 4.4) in assisting tour operators
promote tourism in Kenya. These were followed by the ministry of tourism (mean 4.3)
then Kenya Tourist Board (mean 4.0). The DTCK was rated lowest (mean 2.8). This
means that but for DTCK, local tourist operators deem all other government agencies
efficient in carrying out their key mandate of promoting tourism in the local arena.
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean
Std.
Deviation
Ministry of tourism 35 1.00 5.00 4.2857 .89349
Domestic Tourism Council of Kenya
(DTCK)
35 1.00 5.00 2.8000 1.41005
Kenya Tourist Board (KTB) 35 2.00 5.00 4.0857 .70174
27
Media 35 2.00 5.00 4.4000 .65079
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) 35 3.00 5.00 4.3714 .59832
Valid N (listwise) 35
4.2.6 Successfulness of KATOThe respondents find KATO to have been successful (mean ~ 4) in the following
respects: Upholding good reputation of Kenya; Ensuring operators maintain highest std
of services and value; Giving domestic tourist confidence of knowing Kenya offers
different exciting destinations; and Ensuring synergy by facilitating joint focus among all
operators and government agencies.
Descriptive Statistics
N Min Max Mean Std. Deviation
Upholding good reputation of Kenya 35 1.00 5.00 4.3429 .76477
Ensuring operators maintain highest std of
services and value
35 1.00 5.00 4.2857 .78857
Giving domestic tourist confidence of
knowing Kenya offers different exciting
destinations
35 1.00 5.00 3.8286 1.01419
Ensuring synergy by facilitating joint focus
among all operators and government agencies
35 3.00 5.00 4.1714 .70651
Valid N (listwise) 35
4.2.7 The joint initiative between the media and the tourism industry in Kenya
The respondents were asked whether they thought the joint imitative between the media
and the tourism industry has been successful. An overwhelming majority (97%)
concurred while only 3% did not think it had been successful.
28
4.2.8 Favorability of legal framework
The respondents were asked whether the legal framework in place was favorable for their
business. An overwhelming majority of 94% said that it was favorable while only 6% felt
that it was not citing too many licenses and licensing under PSV as the main issues.
■Hi4.2.9 Marketing strategies used
The survey also sought to determine the main advertising channels used by the tour
operators. The results indicate that direct marketing is the most often used strategy (91%)
followed by advertising (82%). Personal selling and online advertising were next (77%).
The least used strategy is public and media relations (44%).
29
Not used
Used often often
Row N % Row N %
Advertising 81.8% 18.2%
Direct marketing 91.2% 8.8%
Personal selling 76.5% 23.5%
Public and media relations 43.8% 56.3%
On-line advertising and website 76.5% 23.5%
4.2.9 Effectiveness of marketing strategies
The most effective strategy was found to be advertising (cumulative percentage 97%)
while the least effective was public and media relations (66%). This could explain why
public and media relations are the least used marketing strategy.
'Not
effective
Slightly
effective Effective
Above 1
average
effective
Highly
effective
Row N Row N Row N Row N Row N
% % % % %
Advertising .0% 2.9% .0% 54.3% 42.9%
Direct marketing .0% .0% 8.6% 40.0% 51.4%
Personal selling .0% 2.9% 25.7% 25.7% 45.7%
Public and media relations .0% 11.4% 22.9% 45.7% 20.0%
On-line advertising and website 3.1% 15.6% 6.3% 12.5% 62.5%
4.2.10 Prohibiting factors affecting range of packages offered to local tourists
The respondents were asked to state the factors that prohibit them from not offering
certain products to local tourists. A majority (82%) cited lack of demand due to high
costs while others cited lack of awareness and interest among local tourists (1 2 % ).
30
PercentFrequency
Lack of awareness and interest 6 18%
Lack of demand due to high costs 28 82%
Total 34 100%
4.3 Destination Branding as a marketing tool
4.3.1 Destination Brand Image
The respondents agreed (mean > 4) to all the positive questions posed which were used to
measure the extent to which local tourists sought to build a destination brand image as an ♦
element of destination branding. This means that the tour operators have embraced this
element of destination branding to a great extent.
Descriptive Statistics
N Min Max Mean
Std.
Deviation
Our advertising seeks to project a clear image to
chosen target markets
35 3.00 5.00 4.4857 .56211
Our marketed destination image and that of
tourists always match hence no disappointments
35 1.00 5.00 4.1714 .85700
We offer clients satisfying product experiences
which meet their expectation
35 2.00 5.00 4.4000 .77460
Our marketing campaigns usually bring out
historical as well as socio- cultural aspects of a
destination
35 2.00 5.00 4.2000 .83314
We emphasize on bringing our emotional
association with various experiences in the
destination
35 2.00 5.00 4.5714 .73907
Valid N (listwise) 35
31
4.3.2 Destination Brand Personality
Destination brand personality is the second element of destination branding. The toui-
operators have embraced some aspects while other aspects are still lacking behind.
Sincerity, excitement, competence and sophistication was portrayed in destination brands
to a great extent (mean > 4). Ruggedness was portrayed in destination brands to a small
extent (mean 3).
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean
Std.
Deviation
Sincerity [down-to-earth, honest,
wholesome, cheerful]
35 4.00 5.00 4.5714 .50210
Excitement [daring, spirited,
imaginative, up-to-date]
35 3.00 5.00 4.6000 .60391
Competence[reliable, intelligent,
successful]
35 4.00 5.00 4.5714 .50210
Sophisticationfupper class, charming} 34 ■ 1.00 5.00 3.7647 1.12973
Ruggednessfoutdoorsy, tough} 35 1.00 5.00 3.0571 1.23533
Valid N (listwise) 34
4.3.4 Destination Brand Attributes
The third category of destination branding is destination brand attributes. The
respondents agreed to all positive questions used to estimate this element (mean 4). This
means that destination brand attributes are brought out well in marketing campaigns by
the tour operators.
32
Descriptive Statistics
N Minimum Maximum Mean
Std.
Deviation
We segment marketing campaigns
according to destination attributes
35 3.00 5.00 4.4000 .65079
We develop product categories and
market them differently to different
markets segments
35 2.00 5.00 4.1714 .89066
There coordinated effort in industry to
ensure consistent marketing using
common market attributes among tour
operators
35 2.00 5.00 4.2000 .83314
Marketing campaigns sufficiently convey
functional benefits of destination
35 2.00 5.00 4.2857 .66737
Emotional attributes of destination are
emphasized in our campaigns
35 2.00 5.00 4.3143 .67612
Valid N (listwise) 35
4.4 Correlation analysis
Correlation analysis was used to estimate the relationship between use of destination
branding and four performance indicators. Strong and significant positive correlations
were found between destination brand image on the one hand and higher emotional ties (r
=0.63, p-value - 0.000) and loyal repeat customers (r = 0.31, p-value = 0.000) on the
other; Destination brand personality had high significant correlation with increased
preference and usage (r 0.65, p-value 0.000). Finally, destination brand attributes had
fairly strong significant positive correlations with higher emotional ties (r 0.59, p-value
0.000) and loyal repeat customers (r = 0.57, p-value = 0.000). The results indicate that;
Increased
preference
and usage
Higher
emotional
ties
Loyal
and
repeat
visitors Differentiation
Destination brand image Pearson
Correlation
.213 .631" .610" .258
Sig. (2-tailed) .219 .000 .000 .141
Destination brand
personality
Pearson
Correlation
.646" .391 .082 .240
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .020 .638 .172
Destination brand
attributes
Pearson
Correlation
.192 .585" .570"~~ .180
Sig. (2-tailed) .268 .000 .000 .309
34
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, DISCUSSION,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction
This chapter presents a complete overview of the entire study. It contains a summary of
the research findings, discussion of the findings in accordance with the objectives, the
conclusions and the recommendations.
5.2 Summary of findings
The study sought to determine stumbling blocks to using destination branding by local
tour firms to market Kenyan destinations to local tourists; to examine the use of brand
image as a marketing tool to increase domestic tourism; to determine how brand
personality has been used as a marketing tool by local tour operators; to evaluate the
usage of destination attributes in local marketing campaigns by tour operators; and to
evaluate the impact of destination branding on revenue and increase in domestic tourists.
It was established that the major challenges that local tour operators experience in
exploiting the local tourist industry include: the local tourists find the product to be too
expensive, lack of awareness among potential tourists and negativity among local tourists
about some destinations. The media and Government agencies concerned with promotion
of tourism were found to be effective. These include the media. Ministry of Tourism,
KWS and KTB. DTCK was found to be less effective than the other government
agencies. KATO which is the key association of the tourist operators was found to have
35 UNIVERSITY OF NAIRC'4'lower karate u^tr *
been have been successful in all its key mandates. The legal framework in place was
found to be favorable for business of local tourist operators.
Local tourist operators utilize the concept of destination brand image to a great extent in
their marketing campaigns directed towards local tourists. They sought to build a
destination brand image as an element of destination branding by focusing on and
fostering the key elements that constitute brand image in their campaigns. This means
that the tour operators have embraced this element of destination branding to a great
extent.
Destination brand personality which is the second element of destination branding was
also used to a great extent. Sincerity, excitement, competence and sophistication is
portrayed in destination brands to a great extent. However one aspect examined was not
fully utilized. This was portrayal of ruggedness.
The third category. of destination branding is destination brand attributes. The
respondents agreed to all positive questions used to estimate this element. This means
that destination brand attributes are brought out well in marketing campaigns by the tour
operators.
Destination branding was found to have strong positive correlations with performance
indicators. Strong and significant positive correlations were found between destination
brand image on one hand and higher emotional ties and loyal repeat customers on the
other. Destination brand personality had high significant correlation with increased
preference and usage. Finally, destination brand attributes had fairly strong significant
positive correlations with higher emotional ties and loyal repeat customers.
36
5 .3 D is c u s s io n
Domestic tourism is seen as the savior of the tourism industry as it is not subject to travel
advisories. The government efforts to assure the growth of the industry through various
agencies like KWS. KTB and MOT is bearing fruit. This is because the tour operators
feel that they are getting sufficient support from these agencies. The role of the media is
also being felt by the tour operators. Tour operators and agents play an important role in
promoting the tourism industry in Kenya. They are the first source of information for the
tourists and as a result of dealing directly with them, they are able to cater for the
different needs of the visitors. As such their marketing strategies need to be enriched with
informative content. This can be achieved with the aid of destination branding.
This is in line with Prideaux & Cooper’s (2002) suggestion that destination branding is a
critical issue in tourism destination strategy and planning. The findings suggest that
destination branding is strongly correlated with performance. This supports Morgan et al.,
(2004) assertion that destination branding is a potent marketing tool for tourism
promotion. This finding s*so supports Uysgl et al, (2000) finding that destinations with
clear competitive positions and strong supportive branding perform better in gaining the
attention of potential tourists experience more favorable tourist visits.
5.4 Conclusion
The concerted effort by the media, tourism government agencies and tourism operator
associations is effective in enhancing local tourism industry. Apart from high costs
involved, all other key factors support growth prospects of the local tourism industry. The
local tourist operators stand to gain a lot from use of destination branding in marketing
37
campaigns directed towards local tourists. The study has provided empirical evidence that
links destination brand image, destination brand personality and destination brand
attributes to greater customer loyalty, building of higher emotional ties and increased
usage of packages. Increased and more focused usage of these strategies can therefore
lead to higher sales and growth of the industry in general.
5.5 Recommendations
The media and the tourism government agencies should keep up their efforts at
promoting tourism to Kenyans as it has a high growth potential.
KATO should encourage its members to explore other less traditional marketing
strategies like destination branding in their effort to attract local tourists.
It is suggested that further studies be conducted to determine the effect of firm size on the
effectiveness of use of destination branding as a marketing tool for local tourists.
Additionally, a comparative study should be undertaken to determine the relative
effectiveness of destination branding for different regions in Kenya.
38
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A p p e n d ix 1
L I S T O F T O I J R O P E R A T O R S BY C A T E G O R I E S
A b e rc ro m b ie & K e n t L td C a te g o ry A
A fric a n H o riz o n s T ra v e l & S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry A
A fric a n Q u e s t S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry A
A fr ic a n S e c re ts L td -M sa C a te g o ry A
B a llo o n S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry A
B u sh a n d B e y o n d L td C a te g o ry A
C h e li & P e a c o c k L td C a te g o ry A
D o d o w o rld (K ) L td C a te g o ry A
E x p re ss T ra v e l G ro u p C a te g o ry A
G a m e w a tc h e rs S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry A
G u e rb a (K ) L td C a te g o ry A
Ja d e S ea Jo u rn e y s L td C a te g o ry A
K o b o S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry A
L ib e rty A fr ic a S a fa r is C a te g o ry A
M a n ia g o S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry A
M in i C a b s T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry A
O rig in s S a fa r is C a te g o ry A
P o llm a n 's T o u rs & S a fa r is L td -M sa C a te g o ry A
P riv a te S a fa r is (E A ) L td C a te g o ry A
R h in o S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry A
S o m a k T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry A
S o u th e rn C ro s s S a fa r is (M o m b a sa )L td C a te g o ry A
S o u th e rn C ro s s S a fa r is (N B I) L td C a te g o ry A
T ra n sw o rld S a fa r is (K ) L td . C a te g o ry A
T w ig a C a r H ire & T o u rs L td C a te g o ry A
V in ta g e A fr ic a L td C a te g o ry A
W ild T re k S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry A
W ild life S a fa r i (K ) L td C a te g o ry A
A c ro ss A fr ic a S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry B
B ig F iv e T o u rs & S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry B
C h a rle s to n T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry B
D isc o v e r K e n y a S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry B
In tra S a fa r is L td -M sa C a te g o ry B
43
K e n y a W ild life T ra ils L td C a te g o ry B
L u c a S a fa r i L td. C a te g o ry B
M u th a ig a T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry B
R o b in H u rt S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry B
S o u th e rn S k y S a fa r is C a te g o ry B
Sun w o r ld S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry B
A fr ic a E x p e d it io n s L td C a te g o ry C
A fric a n L a titu d e (K e n y a ) L td C a te g o ry C
A fric a n R o a d S a fa r is C a te g o ry C
B e s t C a m p in g T o u rs C a te g o ry C
D a lla g o T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry C
E a s te rn a n d S o u th e rn S a fa r is C a te g o ry C
G a m e tra c k e rs (K ) L td C a te g o ry C
K e r & D o w n e y S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry C
K e tty T o u rs T ra v e l & S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry C
K im b la M a n ta n a (K ) L td C a te g o ry C
N a tu re E x p e d it io n s A fr ic a C a te g o ry C
R eal A fr ic a L T D C a te g o ry C
S h o o r T ra v e ls & T o u rs C a te g o ry C
S u n tre k T o u rs & T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry C
T ra v e l A ffa irs L td C a te g o ry C
T u sk e r S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry C
A ir T ra v e l & R e la te d S e rv ic e s L td C a te g o ry D
A lla m a n d a S a fa r is C a te g o ry D
A p o llo T o u rs & T ra v e l C a te g o ry D
A rc h e rs T o u rs & T ra v e l L td . C a te g o ry D
B a te le u r S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry D
B C D T ra v e l C a te g o ry D
B ill W in te r S a fa r is C a te g o ry D
B o ttg e r P ro d u c tio n s & T o u rs L td C a te g o ry D
C h a m e le o n T o u rs C a te g o ry D
C h ro n ic le T o u rs & T ra v e l C a te g o ry D
C o n c o rd e C a r H ire & S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry D
C ro w n T o u rs & C a r H ire L td . C a te g o ry D
D e s tin a tio n (K ) L td C a te g o ry D
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E a s t A fr ic a S a fa r i V e n tu re s L td C a te g o ry D
F re d lin k C o m p a n y L td -M sa C a te g o ry D
G e o S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry D
G lo b a l H o lid a y s & In c e n tiv e s L td C a te g o ry D
G ra n t & C a m e ro n S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry D
H o lid a y B a z a a r L td C a te g o ry D
In to A fr ic a E c o -T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry D
J a m b o T ra v e l H o u se L im ite d C a te g o ry D
K e n ia T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry D
K ib o S lo p e s & S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry D
K u ld ip s T o u r in g C o m p a n y -M s a C a te g o ry D
L e t's G o T ra v e l C a te g o ry D
M a rk e t S e rv ic e S ta tio n L td C a te g o ry D
M o tto T o u rs & T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry D
O ffb e a t S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry D
O n S a fa r i (K ) L td C a te g o ry D
R a ja ir T ra v e l & T o u rs C a te g o ry D
R ic k sh a w T ra v e ls (K e n y a ) L td C a te g o ry D
S a fa r is In S ty le C a te g o ry D
S a fa r is U n lim ite d (A fr ic a ) L td C a te g o ry D
S p e c ia l L o fty S a fa r is -M sa C a te g o ry D
S ta r T ra v e l & T o u rs L td C a te g o ry D
T e x c a l H o u se S e rv ic e S ta tio n C a te g o ry D
T o b s K e n y a G o l f S a fa r is C a te g o ry D
T o u r A fr ic a S a fa r is C a te g o ry D
T ra v e l C re a tio n s L td C a te g o ry D
T ra v e l 'n S ty le L td C a te g o ry D
T ra v e l S c e n e S e rv ic e s C a te g o ry D
T ro p ic a l B reak s C a te g o ry D
T ro p ic a l Ice L td C a te g o ry DIS3
U n ig lo b e N o r th l in e T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry D
V e n tu re A fr ic a S a fa r is & T ra v e l C a te g o ry D
W e s tm in s te r S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry D
A b so lu te A d v e n tu re A fr ic a S a fa r is L im ite d C a te g o ry E
A c a c ia H o lid a y s L td C a te g o ry E
A c c a c ia S a fa r is ( K e n y a ) L im ite d C a te g o ry E
45
■y
A d v e n tu re C e n tre L td -M sa C a te g o ry E
A fr ic a V iz a T ra v e l S e rv ic e s L td C a te g o ry E
A fric a n E c o -S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
A fric a n R o u te S a fa r is -M sa C a te g o ry E
A fric a n S a fa ri D ian i A d v e n tu re s - M sa C a te g o ry E
A fric a n S e rm o n S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
A fric a n S p ic e S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
A fric a n T ro p ic a l S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
A fr iq u e e n A d v e n tu re L td . C a te g o ry E
A ll S e a so n s S a fa r is a n d T o u rs C a te g o ry E
A lo h a T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
A n s te T o u rs & T ra v e l L im ite d C a te g o ry E
A rc h e r C la rk E n te rp r is e s L td C a te g o ry E
A s Y o u L ik e It (S a fa r is ) L td C a te g o ry E
A s ili A d v e n tu re S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
A u s tra lk e n T o u rs & T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
A V T o u rs a n d S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
A v e n u e M o to rs L td C a te g o ry E
A v e n u e S e rv ic e S ta tio n C a te g o ry E
B a se c a m p T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
B u sh b u c k A d v e n tu re s L td C a te g o ry E
C a ll o f A fr ic a S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
C a ta ly s t T ra v e ls L td C a te g o ry E
C e n tra l R e n t a C a r C a te g o ry E
C K C T o u rs & T ra v e l C a te g o ry E
C o tts T ra v e l & T o u rs L td C a te g o ry E
C ru z e iro S a fa r is L td . C a te g o ry E
C u s to m S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
D av id & E v a n so n T o u rs ( IN T )-M sa C a te g o ry E
D ay m u T ra v e l a n d S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
D e s ig n e r T o u rs & T ra v e l «■ C a te g o ry E
D e s tin a tio n C o n n e c t C o . L td C a te g o ry E
D e s tin a tio n L in k S e rv ic e s C a te g o ry E
D iw a k a T o u rs & T ra v e l Ltd C a te g o ry E
E a rth T o u rs & T ra v e l L td . C a te g o ry E
E as t A fr ic a n E a g le (K ) ltd C a te g o ry E
E as t A fr ic a n S h u tt le s & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
46
E as t A fr ic a n W ild life S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
E co A d v e n tu re s L im ite d C a te g o ry E
El M o lo T o u rs & T ra v e l C a te g o ry E
E n c h a n tin g A fr ic a L T D C a te g o ry E
E x o tic D e s tin a tio n s L td -M sa C a te g o ry E
F e rra ri T o u rs C a te g o ry E
F in ch T ra v e ls L td . C a te g o ry E
F la w le s s L in k s C a te g o ry E
F o u r B y F o u r S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
F ra n z L a n g S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
F u rs te n b e rg S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
G a m e V ie w e rs A d v e n tu re s L im ited C a te g o ry E
G A T S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
G e n e t T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
G lo ry C a r H ire T o u rs & S a fa r is L td. C a te g o ry E
G o A fric a S a fa r is an d T ra v e l C a te g o ry E
G o A fr ic a T ra v e l L td. C a te g o ry E
G o 4 F i/n S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
G o in g P la c e s L td C a te g o ry E
G ra n d E d itio n T o u rs C a te g o ry E
H a m e rk o p S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
H a y a S a fa r is (A ) & T ra v e l L td -M sa C a te g o ry E
H o lid a y S e e k e rs L td C a te g o ry E
H o te l A d v e n tu re T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
Ib is T o u rs an d T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
Im p e ria l A ir S e rv ic e s C a te g o ry E
In c e n tiv e T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
Je t T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
JM A R S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
K a ris ia L im ite d C a te g o ry E
K e n ta n S a fa r is L td . C a te g o ry E
K e n y a B each T ra v e l L td -M sa C a te g o ry E
K is im a T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
K u ja S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
L e a d in g E x p e d it io n s S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
L e b o o S a fa r i T o u rs L td C a te g o ry E
L in d e rb e rg H o lid a y s & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
L o n g R en T o u rs & T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
M a d u k h a T o u rs & S a fa r is Ltd C a te g o ry E
M a rid a d i S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
M a th e w s S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
M e n e n g a i H o lid a y s L td C a te g o ry E
M o m b a sa A ir S a fa r i L td -M sa C a te g o ry E
M o n a c o T o u rs a n d S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
N a h d y T ra v e l & T o u rs C a te g o ry E
N a k e d W ild e rn e s s A fr ic a C a te g o ry E
N a p p e t T o u rs & T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
N a tu re 's E d g e C a te g o ry E
N e w K e n y a T ra v e l & T o u rs S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
N u tty S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
O s tr ic h H o lid a y s A d v e n tu re s C a te g o ry E
P a lb in a T ra v e l & T o u rs C a te g o ry E
P a p a M u sili S a fa r is L T D C a te g o ry E
P h o e n ix S a fa r is (K ) L td C a te g o ry E
P io n e e rT ra v e ls L td C a te g o ry E
P re p s S a fa r is In te rn a tio n a l L td . C a te g o ry E
P rim a V e ra T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
P rim e tim e S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
R a y d o ll T o u rs & T ra v e l C a te g o ry E
R a y le n n e T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
R e k e ro C a m p L td C a te g o ry E
S a fa r i L in e A fr ic a C a te g o ry E
S a fa ri P a r tn e rs K e n y a L td . C a te g o ry E
S a fa ri T ra ils L im ite d C a te g o ry E
S a fa r i T ra v e l K e n y a L td C a te g o ry E
S a fe R id e T o u rs a n d S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
S a le v a A fr ic a T o u rs L td . C a te g o ry E
S a rd iu s T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
S a tg u ru T ra v e l & T o u rs S e rv ic e s L td. C a te g o ry E
S a y a ri A fr ik a L td C a te g o ry E
S c e n ic W ild life S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
S e le c tiv e S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
S e n a to r T ra v e l S e rv ic e s C a te g o ry E
S h a d e s o f A fr ic a T o u rs & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
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S ig h ts o f A fr ic a (E .A .) T o u rs & T ra v e l
S ilv e r A fr ic a T o u rs & T ra v e l
C a te g o ry E
C a te g o ry E
S ilv e rb ird A d v e n tu re T o u rs & T ra v e l C a te g o ry E
S ilv e rb ird T ra v e l P lu s L td C a te g o ry E
S k y v ie w O f A fr ic a ltd C a te g o ry E
S m ile T o u rs & G e n e ra l A g e n c ie s C a te g o ry E
S o lly S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
S p e c ia l C a m p in g S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
S p e e d b ird T ra v e l & S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
S p o r tsm e n 's S a fa r is & T o u rs C a te g o ry E
S p u rw in g T ra v e l & T o u rs L td C a te g o ry E
S te e n b o k S a fa r is & C a r H ire C a te g o ry E
T a ip a n V a c a tio n s & T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
T a m a sh a A fr ic a L td C a te g o ry E
T e e O f f K e n y a L im ite d
T e k k o T o u rs & T ravelK fc
C a te g o ry E
C a te g o ry E
T h e S p e c ia l iz e d S a fa r is C o .L td C a te g o ry E
T o p D e c k T ra v e l & T o u rs C a te g o ry E
T ra v e l A fr ic a S a fa r is L td . C a te g o ry E
T ra v e l C a re L td C a te g o ry E
T ra v e l C o n n e c tio n s L td C a te g o ry E
T ra v e l S h o p p e L td . C a te g o ry E
T ra v e l W ild E .A L T D C a te g o ry E
T ra v e lm a r t L td C a te g o ry E
T ro p ic a l W in d s L td . C a te g o ry E
T u lip T ra v e l L td C a te g o ry E
U If A sc h a n S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
U n ik C a r H ire & S a fa r is -M sa C a te g o ry E
V ic to r ia S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
V is i t A f r ic a L td
W ay m a rk S a fa r is L td .
C a te g o ry E
C a te g o ry E
W ild D e s tin a tio n s L td C a te g o ry E
W ild T im e s L td C a te g o ry E
W o n i S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
X c e lle n t W ild life P a ra d is e - H o lid a y s an d S a fa r is C a te g o ry E
Y a re S a fa r is L td C a te g o ry E
Z irk u li E x p e d it io n s L td C a te g o ry E
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Zoar Tours and Safaris Category E
A c c e ss A fr ic a S a fa r is L T D A sso c ia te
A ffa b le T o u rs & S a fa r is (E .A ) A sso c ia te
A fric a B o u n d S a fa r is (K ) L td A sso c ia te
A fric a C la s s ic E sc a p e s L td A sso c ia te
A fr ic a P a r tn e rs In S a fa r i L td A sso c ia te
B a isy O ry x T o u rs T ra v e l & S afa ris A sso c ia te
B e lla fr ic E x p e d it io n s L td . A sso c ia te
B ra v o N o rr is L td . A sso c ia te
B u e n a V is ta T o u rs & S a fa r is A sso c ia te
B u sh tro o p T o u rs & S a fa r is A sso c ia te
C e n tu r io n T ra v e l & T o u rs L td A sso c ia te
C h e e ta h T o u rs L td A sso c ia te
D e a n s T ra v e l C e n tre L td A sso c ia te
D K G ra n d S a fa r is & T o u rs L td A sso c ia te
E a s te rn V a c a tio n s T o u rs L td A sso c ia te
E lite T ra v e l S e rv ic e s L td A sso c ia te
E x o tic G o lf S a fa r is L td . A sso c ia te
E y es on A fr ic a A d v e n tu re S a fa r is L td A sso c ia te
G o fa n S a fa r is A sso c ia te
H iro la T o u rs & S a fa r is A sso c ia te
Id ea l T o u rs & T ra v e l A sso c ia te
JK S a fa ri A d v e n tu re s L td A sso c ia te
Jo c k y T o u rs & S a fa r is A sso c ia te
K e n o r S a fa r is L td A sso c ia te
M a rb le T ra v e l A sso c ia te
N a p e n d a A fr ic a S a fa r is A sso c ia te
N a tu ra l T ra c k S a fa r is A sso c ia te
N a tu ra l W o rld M sa S a fa r is•
P la tin u m C a r H ire & T o u rs
A sso c ia te
A sso c ia te
S a fa ri Icon A sso c ia te
S a m e c o T o u rs A sso c ia te
S c e n ic T re a su re s L td A sso c ia te
S p o t K e n y a S a fa r is A sso c ia te
S u n p e a k S a fa r is A sso c ia te
T a m im i K e n y a L td A sso c ia te
50
r
T h e E rik se n A d v e n tu re A sso c ia te
T ra v e l W a v e s S a fa r is A sso c ia te
W o rld E x p lo re r S a fa r is L td A sso c ia te
A S T A S o c ie ty O f T ra v e l A g e n ts A ff ilia te
B lu e W a v e L td A ffilia te
E a s t A fr ic a n M a g a z in e s A ff i l ia te
E x c lu s iv e A fr ic a n T re a su re s A ffilia te
K .P .S .G .A A ffilia te
K A T O S e c re ta r ia t A ff ilia te
K e n y a U ta lii C o lle g e A ffilia te
K in a z in i F u n z i D h o w S a fa r is -M sa A ffilia te
N e w A fr ic a n T e rr i to r ie s A ff ilia te
O u t o f A fr ic a C o lle c tio n L td A ffilia te
P A W S A fric a S a fa r is L td A ffilia te
R iu k i C u ltu ra l C e n tre A ffilia te
S h e r S a fa r i S e rv ic e s L td .
S h im o n i A q u a V e n tu re s
A ffilia te
A ff ilia te
T a m a r in d M a n a g e m e n t L td A ffilia te
T h e A ir T ra v e l & R e la te d S tu d ie s A ffilia te
T o u r is t M a p s K e n y a L T D A ffilia te
W ild W a te rs L T D A ffilia te
W o rld o f T u i A ff ilia te
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A p p e n d ix 2
KATO MEMBERS CATEGORY
KATO Members are all categorised depending on their gross annual turnover in the Association. The following are the categories currently in use: -
Category “A” - All members with a gross annual turnover exceeding US$ 1,7Million
Category “B” - All members with a gross annual turnover exceeding US$ 1.1 Million but below US$1,7Million
Category “C” - All members with a gross annual turnover exceeding US$570,000 but below US$l.lMillion
Category “D” - All members with a gross annual turnover exceeding US$140,000 but below US$570,000
Category “E” - All members with a gross annual turnover of not exceeding US$ 140,000
Associate - All new members who are yet to complete one full year in membership.
Affiliate - All members whose activities are affiliated to tourism but they do not have a Tour Operator's licence i.e. they will not be able to offer any tours or safaris but have operations that KATO can benefit from.
Please note that the membership category does NOT in any way relate to the Member's quality of service or ability to meet your safari requirements. It may, in some cases, have a bearing on the size of the company.
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Elizabeth Njeri Ndung’u
F. O. Box 79594 - 00200
NAIROBI.
A p p e n d ix ?
Cell: 0722 701339
Email: njerindunmiO 1 @,yahoo.com
19 October 2010
Dear Sir/Madam
RE: COLLECTION OF SURVEY DATA
I am a post graduate student at the University of Nairobi, School of Business, pursuing
my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing. In partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of MBA degree, I am conducting a research entitled “THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF MARKETING STRATEGIES USED IN DESTINATION
BRANDING IN THE PROMOTION OF DOMESTIC TOURISM”.
I have identified your organization as one of the respondents and hereby request that you
spare time out of your busy schedule to complete the attached questionnaire to the best of
your ability.
The information provided will be treated in strict confidence and used solely for
academic purposes. A copy of the report will be availed to you on request.
Yours faithfully, «•
ELIZABETH N. NDUNG’U
53
A p p e n d ix 4
QUESTIONNAIRE
This questionnaire is meant to collect information on the effectiveness of marketing
strategies used in the destination branding of domestic tourism in Kenya. This
information is being sought solely for academic purposes and will be treated with strict
confidence. Kindly answer the questions by writing a brief statement or ticking the boxes
provided.
SECTION 1: PERSONAL INFORMATION
1. What is your highest level of education?
a. Secondary
b. Tertiary college [ ]
c. University graduate [ ]
d. University postgraduate | ]
e. Other (please specify ) ____________________________ ______
2. In which town is your firm's head office located?____________________________
3. What position do you hold in the f i r m ? __________________________
4. How long have you been working with the firm ?_____________________________
5. For how long has the firm been in operation? _ _________________
SECTION 2: GENERAL INFORMATION
6. Do you offer services to domestic tourists?Yes [ ] No [ ]
7. Do you believe that domestic tourism is a high potential area in terms of profitability to tourism operators?Yes [ ] No [ ]
8. What are some of the major challenges facing tourism operators in exploiting domestic tourism to its full potential?
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9. To what extent have the following assisted tour operators in promoting domestic tourism? G iv e y o u r r a tin g s o n a s c a le o f 1 - 5 (W h e re l = V ery s m a ll ex ten t, 2 S m a ll ex ten t, 3 = M o d e r a te ex ten t, 4 = G re a t ex te n t, 5 = V ery la rg e ex te n t)
No. Respondent’s rating
1 2 -> 4 5
1 Ministry of Tourism
2 Domestic Tourism Council of Kenya (DTCK),
->J Kenya Tourist Board (KTB),
4 The media
5 Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS)
6 Specify any other body
10. How successful has KATO been at the following?G ive y o u r r a tin g s o n a s c a le o f 1 5 (W h e re l ^ N o su c ce ss , 2 = L itt le su ccess ,
3 = A v e r a g e su c c e ss , 4 = A b o v e a v e ra g e s u c c e s s , 5 ^ E x t r e m e ly s u c c e s s fu l)
Respondent’s rating
1 2 J) 4 5
1 Upholding the good reputation of Kenya as a tourist destination
2 Ensuring the operators maintain the highest standards of service and value
oJ Giving domestic tourists the confidence of knowing that Kenya offers different exciting destinations
4 Ensuring synergy by facilitating joint focus among all operators and government agencies
11. Would you say that the joint initiative between the media and the tourism industry to improve tourism information How has been successful?Yes II No | |
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14. How effective are the following strategies in destination branding?G iv e y o u r r a tin g s o n a s c a le o f 1 - 5 (W h e re 1 =Not e ffe c t iv e a t a l l 2 S l ig h tly e ffe c tive , 3 = E ffe c tiv e , 4 = A b o v e a v e ra g e e ffe c tive , 5 - H ig h ly e ffe c tiv e )
Respondent’s rating
1 2 J 4 5
1 Advertising
2 Direct marketing
3 Personal selling
4 Public and media relations
On-line advertising and websites
15. In your opinion, which other marketing strategy or strategies should be used in branding destinations so as to promote domestic tourism?
16. Do you offer the following packages to domestic tourists on a regular basis?
Yes No
1 Special Interest safaris e.g. honeymoon
2 Air safaris
o Incentive travel group safaris (like for organizations)
4 Custom safaris for individual travelers
5 Camping safaris ♦
6 Indian Ocean and Coast holidays
7 Golf safaris
8 Agro safaris
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For the packages that are not offered on a regular basis, what is/are the prohibiting factor/s?
SECTION 3: ASPECTS OF DESTINATION BRANDING
Destination Brand Image
17. Do you agree with the following statements which describe aspects of your marketing strategies in relation to projecting brand image to domestic tourists?G iv e y o u r r a tin g s in th e sc a le o f 1 -5 (W h ere 1 = S tr o n g ly d isa g re e , 2 D isa g ree , 3 -^U n d ec id ed , 4= A g r e e a n d 5 S tr o n g ly a g re e )
No. Respondent’s rating
1 2 "33 4 5
1 Our advertising seeks to project a clear image to chosen target markets
2 Our marketed destination image and that of the tourists always match hence no disappointments
-> We offer clients satisfying product experiences which meet their expectation
4 Our marketing campaigns usually bring out historical as well as socio-cultural aspects of a destination
5 We emphasize on bringing our the emotional association with the various experiences in the destination
Destination Brand Personality
18. To what extent do you project the following brand personality qualities in your marketing strategies towards domestic tourists?
G iv e y o u r r a tin g s in the sc a le o f 1-5 ( W h ere 1 = N o ex ten t, 2 = V ery s m a ll ex ten t, 3 = A v e r a g e ex ten t, 4 = G re a t ex ten t, 5 = V ery g r e a t ex te n t)
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No. Respondent’s rating
1 2 3 4 5
1 Sincerity (down-to-earth, honest, wholesome, cheerful)
2 Excitement (daring, spirited , imaginative, up-to- date)
3 Competence (reliable, intelligent, successful)
4 Sophistication (upper class, charming)
5 Ruggedness (outdoorsy, tough)
Destination Brand Attributes
19. Do you agree with the following statements in relation to destination brand attributes as expressed in your marketing strategies? (Brand attributes include brand personality, brand image, logo, slogans, metaphors) G iv e y o u r r a tin g s in th e sc a le o f 1-5 (W h e re 1 = S tro n g ly d isa g re e , 2 D isa g ree . 3 = U n d ec id ed , 4 - A g r e e a n d 5 = S tro n g ly a g re e )
No. Respondent’s rating
1 2 3 4 5
1 We segment the marketing campaigns according to destination attributes
2 We develop product categories and market them differently to different market segments
QJ There is coordinated effort in the industry to ensure consistent marketing using common market attributes among tour operators
4 Marketing campaigns sufficiently convey the functional benefits of a destination
5 Emotional attributes of destinations are emphasized in our campaigns
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SECTION 4: PERFORMANCE
20. To what extent have you achieved the following from your marketing campaigns? G iv e y o u r r a tin g s in th e s c a le o f 1-5 (W h ere 1 = V ery s m a ll e x te n t, 2 = S m a ll ex ten t, 3 = M o d e ra te e x ten t, 4 G re a t ex ten t, 5 = V e r y g r e a t ex ten t) ___________
No. Respondent’s rating
1 2 3 4 5
1 Increased preference and usage
2 Higher emotional ties
oJ Loyalty and repeat visitors
4 Differentiation
21. With respect to destination branding, how successful has your firm been in achieving the following? G iv e y o u r ra tin g s in th e s c a le o f 1 - 4 (W h e re 1= N o t s u c c e s s fu l a t a ll, 2 = L itt le su c ce ss , 3= S u c c e s s fu l, 4 = M o d e r a te ly su c ce ss fu l, 5 = E x tre m e ly s u c c e s s fu l) __ _ ___No. Respondent’s rating
1 2 3 4 5
1 Using destination branding as a marketing strategy for domestic tourism
2 Increasing overall number of domestic tourists
Increasing loyal and repeat customers due to domestic marketing campaigns
4 Increasing revenue earned from domestic tourism
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