The Role of Online Promotion in Marketing Tourism in Jordan

International Bulletin of Business Administration

ISSN: 1451-243X Issue 10 (2011)

© EuroJournals, Inc. 2011

http://www.eurojournals.com

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The Role of Online Promotion in Marketing Tourism in Jordan

Mahmoud Ali Al-Rousan

Marketing Department, Jadara university, Jordan

E-mail: [email protected]

Fathi Abdallah Al-share



Marwan Alsalaimeh



Abstract

Study sought to identify the degree of using online promotion in marketing tourism in

Jordan. A sample of (160) managers of Jordanian tourism and travel companies has been

targeted; there was a clear interest in personal selling, advertising, publicity and public

relations while there was too little interest in sales promotion and direct marketing; these

two elements did not have any impact on Jordan's tourism.

Keywords: Online promotion, Jordanian Tourism.

1. Introduction The success of business organizations today primarily depend on their promotional activities and the

use of technology in these activities has become an urgent need therefore we find that the Internet has

contributed significantly in maintaining the relation between the business organizations and the

environment in which they work; Jordanian tourism and travel companies were not far from the use of

this technology in the promotion of Jordan 's tourism.

2. Theoretical Background 2.1. Promotion

Authors and researchers tried to identify the concept of promotion; (Kotler, 2005:535) considered it

one of the forms of direct and indirect contact to provide information to customers about the benefits of

the product to spark their interest and convince them with the ability of the product to meet their

desires and needs in order to make the buying decision and establish a relationship with them.

(Kernan, 2003:130) considered promotion as the effort done by the seller to convince the

expected buyer to accept certain information about a product or service.

From the above, we can say that promotion in its content is an effort to convince and attract

behavioral responses which are based on persuasion through a series of planned events and activities.

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2.2. Internet

The Internet is a universal means for information and communication exchange through a series of

computers linked with each other. The Internet has become the most commonly used tools and

techniques and its techniques have served humans by bridging barriers and shortening distances and it

did not leave any filed without being covered; it became amarket, university, commerce, library ,places

of entertainment and discussion forums.

The number of Internet users is greatly growing that it reaches a billion and a half in 2008.

(www.alqabas.com.retreievedonmarch28th, 2008

2.3. Promotion and Internet

Internet services in the area of online communication and marketing had special attention to the form

and content of means of promotional communication via the Internet and how they are used to get

access to the network users because of the wide range of targeted audiences and their distribution to

multiple traditional advertising means, an increase in the competitive products that are racing to

respond to the various desires and requirements of consumers, an increase of promotion budgets in the

various means and the increasing number of workers in the field of promotion. (Johnson, 2007:128)

3. Element Promotion Mix 3.1. Advertising

Advertising is considered a major source of information affecting the richness of purchasing the tourist

service or changing the points of view toward the place of destination according to the Internet because

of its ability to get access to millions of customers at one time and with a low cost and high speed.

(Blech, 2001:505)

The advertising campaign over the Internet with its tourist information, pictures and

publications (www.al-jazirah.com) and the high prevalence of websites, which are able to create a

mental image of the contestants with their different cultures had served business organizations with all

its activities. (Ernstant, 200:13)

3.2. Public Relation and Publicity

They are considered a process of communication with the people of the organization that aims to

construct a picture of many organizations by allocating a part of their websites for the purposes of

public relations, including the addition of information on the website about the company and its

activities and annual reports. (Blech, 2001:510)

Public relations have a role encouraging the promotion efforts, where firms are striving to

highlight the company's image and products through the Internet. (clow and Donald, 2004:413)

However, advertising is unpaid and it has unknown source ; it affects the transmitted word of

the public , community and public opinion in general. It is an important tool for changing attitudes ; the

evolution in the means of communication has enabled organizations to disclose their products to large

segments of consumers.( Delgnton 1995:151)

3.3. Personal Selling

The development in the world of communication has made a great leap in personal selling techniques

from the traditional to the online that the business organizations started to sell their products through

online means of communication without trouble, costs and navigation through the Internet by people

trained in concluding and implementing transactions. (Catron, 2002:517)

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3.4. Direct Marketing

Marketing works on building personal relationships between marketers and targeted groups. (jobber,

2003:185)

Direct marketing depends on the growth of communication among various parties and it

responds to the individual privacy or the so-called mass customization; direct marketing is represented

with wide methods , such as e-mail and it also helps in building a strong database with customers.

(kotler, 2003,521)

3.5. Sales Promotion

They are various things that contain diverse set of motivating tools which are designed with a rapid and

short-term effect for the purpose of accelerating the achievement of the purchase process for the

products. (kotler 1997:551)

Many companies had worked on attracting consumers by offering some incentives and rewards

for consumers, especially those of the most visits to the promoting website , in addition to offering

several e-coupons. Rossiter and percy, (2005:571)

The digital revolution led to the evolution of communication which affects the way of receiving

and sending information and promotion; the internet is considered a new promotional channel with

unique characteristics from the rest of communication channels that it is characterized with speed and

low cost and then the transition to the marketplace into the market space and the online catalog. Large

tourism and travel companies in the world have benefited from this technology.

4. Previous Research A study by (Tierny, 2000) that aimed to assess the effectiveness of the use of the website on the

Internet in the tourist promotion through the use of website to get information from the visitors

entering the website of California state and it reveals that the website has a role in making the travel

decision.

A study by smith, 2005 which aimed to review the specifications of advertising in its traditional

form and how it started to fade in front of the capacity, dynamism and attractiveness of viral

marketing, which is considered by many people a passing fad, but it was employed by many marketers

to promote their products and strengthen the trade ties with their companies.

A study by (low, R and HSU, C, 2005) which aimed to identify the perceived importance of the

characteristics and dimensions of websites from the perspective of tourists; the study was conducted on

a random sample of tourists coming to Hong Kong International Airport and it found that the

information of hotel reservation and rooms' wages in the hotels are considered the most important

dimension of the study sample.

A study by Michiqan HL, Leckenby, JD, 2004 which aimed to describe the challenges faced by

the traditional advertising and the need to resort to online advertising to complete their role especially

with the proliferation of new advertising formats on the Web with the impact and effectiveness that can

be measured .

A study by (Heung, V. , 2003) which aimed at determining the level of the use of the Internet as

a source of information and a means to buy products by the tourists in a number of countries.

5. Study Objectives and Importance The tourism sector in Jordan is considered one of the promising sectors which receives the interest of

the country because of the limited economic resources and because Jordanian tourism and travel

companies are considered one of the main axis in promoting tourism. This research effort comes to

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identify the reality of the online, promotional activities of these companies and their impact on the

marketing of Jordanian tourism.

6. Problem Statement Jordan has a large amount of tourist attraction sites with a large number of tourist offices Nevertheless;

we find that the number of tourists coming to Jordan is not commensurate with the significance of

these sites or the number of institutions dealing with tourism, compared with the neighboring countries

or in relation to the financial returns. Although the Internet is considered a means of promotion and its

wide use in the world but the volume and effectives of this use is still modest.

7. Hypotheses 7.1 There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of the online

promotion on the marketing of tourism in Jordan

7.1.1 There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of the personal

selling on the marketing of tourism in Jordan.

7.1.2 There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of advertising on

the marketing of tourism in Jordan

7.1.3 There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of publicity on the

marketing of tourism in Jordan

7.1.4 There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of public relations

on the marketing of tourism in Jordan

7.1.5 There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of sales' promotion

on the marketing of tourism in Jordan

7.1.6 There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of direct

promotion on the marketing of tourism in Jordan.

8. Research Scope The research community consists of 290 companies that attract tourists from abroad.

8.1. Sample

200 questionnaires were distributed by one for each company and 185 questionnaires were retrieved.

The ultimate number of questionnaires ready for the analysis was 180.

8.2. Data Collection

The researchers adopted two types of data , secondary data which has been obtained from books and

studies related to the subject matter and the primary data which has been obtained from the designing

of a questionnaire for this purpose.

The questionnaire consisted of 30 questions distributed evenly over the six study variables (the

elements of the online promotional mix).

9. Results and Discussion This section contains the results of the research that aims to identify the impact of e-promotion on

marketing Jordan's tourism.

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9.1. Online Personal Selling and the Jordanian Tourism

It is clear from Table (1) that the value of T of the field of the effect of online personal selling on the

marketing of tourism in Jordan had reached (66.860), a value that is statistically significant at the

significance level (σ = 0.05) and the arithmetic mean of the field was (4.22) with a high assessment

degree. Based on the above, the first research sub-hypothesis could be accepted, which states the

following.

• There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of the personal

selling on the marketing of tourism in Jordan.

Table 1:

The results of applying one sample T-test on the field of the effect of personal selling on the

marketing of tourism in Jordan.

Field Arithmetic

mean

Standard

deviation T

Freedom

degrees

Statistical

significance

The effect of personal selling on the

marketing of tourism in Jordan 4.22 0.24 66.860 179 0.00

9.2. Online Advertising and the Jordanian Tourism

It is clear from Table (2) that the value of T of the field of the effect of online advertising on the

marketing of tourism in Jordan had reached (65.544 ), a value that is statistically significant at the


degree. Based on the above, the second research sub-hypothesis could be accepted, which states the

following.

• There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of the online

advertising on the marketing of tourism in Jordan.

Table 2:

The results of applying one sample T-test on the field of the effect of advertising on the


Field Arithmetic

mean

Standard

deviation T

Freedom

degrees

Statistical

significance

The effect of advertising on the


9.3. Online Publicity and Tourism of Jordan

It is clear from Table (3) that the value of T of the field of the effect of online advertising on the



degree. Based on the above, the third research sub-hypothesis could be accepted, which states the

following.


advertising on the marketing of tourism in Jordan.

Table 3:

The results of applying one sample T-test on the field of the effect of Publicity on the


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Field Arithmetic

mean Standard

deviation T

Freedom

degrees Statistical

significance The effect of Publicity on the


9.4. Online Sales' Promotion and Jordanian Tourism

It is clear from Table (4) that the value of T of the field of the effect of online sales' promotion on the

marketing of tourism in Jordan had reached (-44.535), a minus value that is statistically significant at

the significance level (σ = 0.05) and the arithmetic mean of the field was (1.95) with a low assessment

degree. Based on the above, the fifth research sub-hypothesis is rejected, which states the following.

• There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of the online sales'

promotion on the marketing of tou in Jordan.

Table 4:

The results of applying one sample T-test on the field of the effect of sales' promotion on the

marketing of tourism in Jordan

Field Arithmetic

mean Standard

deviation T

Freedom

degrees Statistical

significance The effect of sales' promotion on

the marketing of tourism in Jordan 1.95 0.31 44.535 179 0.00

9.5. Online Public Relations and Jordanian Tourism

It is clear from Table (5) that the value of T of the field of the effect of public relations on the



degree. Based on the above, the fourth research sub-hypothesis could be accepted, which states the

following.

• There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of the online public

relations on the marketing of tourism in Jordan.

Table 5:

The results of applying one sample T-test on the field of the effect of public relations on the


Field Arithmetic

mean Standard

deviation T

Freedom

degrees Statistical

significance The effect of public relations on


9.6. Online and Direct Marketing and the Jordanian Tourism

It is clear from Table (6) that the value of T of the field of the effect of direct marketing on the

marketing of tourism in Jordan had reached (-46.92 ), a minus value that is statistically significant at

the significance level (σ = 0.05) and the arithmetic mean of the field was (1.85) with a low assessment

degree. Based on the above, the sixth research sub-hypothesis is rejected, which states the following.

• There is a statistically significant effect at the significance level (σ = 0.05) of the online direct

marketing on the marketing of tourism in Jordan.

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Table 6:

The results of applying one sample T-test on the field of the effect of direct marketing on the


Field Arithmetic

mean Standard

deviation T

Freedom

degrees Statistical

significance The effect of direct marketing on

the marketing of tourism in Jordan 1.85 0.33 46.92 - 179 0.00

9.7. Online Promotion and the Jordanian Tourism

It is clear from Table (7) that the value of T of the whole tool the effect of online promotion on the



degree. Based on the above, the main research hypothesis is asserted , which states the following.


promotion on the marketing of tourism in Jordan.

Table 7:

The results of applying one sample T-test on the field of the effect of promotion on the


Field Arithmetic

mean Standard

deviation T

Freedom

degrees Statistical

significance The effect of online promotion on


Conclusions and Recommendations It became clear that there is an interest by the Jordanian tourism and travel companies with four out of

six elements of online promotional mix (personal selling, announcement ,advertising and public

relations), while it was missed in the fields of (sales' promotion and direct marketing). There was an

effect of the four elements in the marketing of Jordanian tourism but it was missed in the relation

between sales' promotion and direct marketing with the marketing of Jordan's tourism. Therefore, the

first four research sub-hypotheses have been accepted, while the fifth and sixth hypotheses have been

rejected, but there was a statistically significant effect of the online promotion mix on the marketing of

Jordan's tourism. Based on the above, we can make the following recommendations:

1. The necessity of focusing on designing the website of the tourism and travel companies based

on attractiveness, information, colors, images and shapes.

2. Working on providing coupons and contests to encourage tourists to visit the websites of

Jordanian tourist companies.

3. Cooperation and coordination between the various Jordanian tourism companies with the

relevant authorities of tourism.

4. Working on providing encouraging incentives.

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The Role of Online Promotion in Marketing Tourism in Jordan