Marketing Strategies For Adventure And Nature Tourism - A Comparison Between Everest View Travel And Cheapflight Travel Essay.

Discuss About The Marketing Of Adventure And Nature Tourism.

Travel tickets are an essential product in the travel and tours industry. They are a requirement in traveling to various destinations whether by flight, road or cruises. Most Travel and tour companies have embarked on providing affordable services through fair prices in travel tickets to ensure more clients consume their services and products. One of the companies management capitalized on attracting customers through affordable packages and travel tickets is Everest View Travel and Tours Company.

Everest View Travel and Tours Company is a tour and travel company located in Australia. Head offices are in Melbourne city with other branches in the country located in Sydney and Perth City. It's a company that deals with tour packages, holidays, cheap and affordable flights, cruises, book-now-pay later facilities, travel visa services and many more services. Travel services are made easier through use of technology in service delivery and extensive research on different destinations with an aim of providing enjoyable and memorable moments from the experience. One of its strengths is in the provision of unique and wide range of travel experiences to its customers which comprises affordable ticket services to customers traveling around the world. The company offers travel services to other countries which include India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar (Everestview Travels, 2018).

Another company offering same services as Everest View Travel and Tours Company is Cheapflight Travel and Tours located in Australia too. It is the major competitor in offering travel tickets to enable travel and tours of its clientele. Cheapflights offers holiday and tours services across various destinations worldwide at competitive prices, therefore, need for better marketing strategies to ensure profitability is achieved (Cheapflights, 2018). The purpose of the report is to incorporate value proposition and marketing mix strategies to ensure that travel tickets from Cheapflights Travel and Tours Company are preferred by consumers to travel tickets by Everest View Tours and Travel. The report format will be argumentative in order to justify consumers' change in preference for Everest' products to Cheapflight's travel tickets.

Target consumer for Cheapflights travel agencies is a 25-year-old man. The consumer is a single man who hails from a family of five members that consists of his parents and two elder brothers. One of the brothers lives with the consumer in Australia while the other brother lives overseas together with the parents. There are cousins and relatives living overseas and do live in a nearby area to the brother.  The consumer is a graphic designer earning AU$45,670 while still a masters student. In terms of the generational cohort, the consumer lies at Generation Y cohort of consumers whose value segment is Young Optimism, Look at Me.

Consumer Behavior

Consumer behavior is the study of factors that influence decisions on purchasing products (Iresearch, 2018).  It entails consumers' psychological view, environmental influence, knowledge of the product and marketing strategies used by brands to ensure consumers purchase their product (Perner, 2018). Basically, consumer behavior is influenced by emotions and reasoning.

The key insights influencing consumer behavior are psychology and demographics. Marketers need to study the insights in order to make decisions on developing strategies to market their products (Consumer Research, 2016). To ensure proper insights are achieved, marketers need to use consumer theories to better understand behaviors manifested by consumers, therefore, forming a basis for designing marketing strategies. Consumer theories that can be used include Marshallian Economics, Motivation- need theory and Theory of Reasoned Action (Ohio University, 2016).

Marshallian Economics was developed by Alfred Marshall and explained that consumers purchase services and goods to obtain self-satisfaction. Purchasing of a product depends on whether a consumer can afford it. The hypothesis of the theory to marketers show that when a product is sold at a lower price, consumers tend to buy more (Bernstein, 2016). Cheapflights Travels can use the theory in developing marketing strategies that ensure low prices on their travel tickets as compared to other competing agencies.

Theory of Reasoned Action was developed by Icek Ajzen and Martin Fishbein in the 1960s. They explained that consumers make decisions based on the existing mindset and attitude towards a certain product. Attitude to products can be based on whether the consumer had used the product before or feedback obtained from, therefore, forming an attitude towards the product (Ohio University, 2016). Marketers in Cheapflights Travels may use this theory in associating themselves with a positive result from the services offered. An example is offering enjoyable and memorable travel services to consumers such that they associate the company with quality services.

Motivation- need theory was outlined by Abraham Maslow on the hierarchical need of man. The theory explains people fulfill their basic needs on a five priority system which can be well utilized by marketers. Marketers use the theory to design advertisements in a way that a need is created to consumers. Successful marketers use the method to change psychological perspectives that make consumers feel a need to possess the product (Ohio University, 2016). Cheapflights Travels can package a message to consumers that demonstrate need to travel with them especially during holiday seasons. Messages encouraging consumers to travel and view exciting sceneries can instill the need for a holiday to the consumers.

Consumer Behavior Theory

Customer value is defined as the satisfaction a customer gets after purchasing a product that coincides with their value for money. Satisfaction results to customers purchasing the product again, sign-up, a vote or a revisit to the outlet (Mansfield, 2014). Consumers define value differently, therefore, marketers need to understand customer value to design products that offer satisfaction to their target customers. Marketers may use consumer values to determine target customers. Market research is carried on the consumers to evaluate customer tastes and preferences that help inform the decision on which group marketers target in their marketing strategies (Mikkola, Mahlamäki & Uusitalo, nd.). The problem needs are identified through customer value evaluation. Customers seek different values which can be benefits, efforts, price or risks, therefore, identification of specific value being sought by consumers helps in marketing the right products (Hassan, 2012). 

Value proposition is the promise given to customers after purchasing products. It is the factor that attracts the consumers to the products. The value proposition should meet the following criteria; the first is the benefits to be received from the product, another is the ability for the product to fix consumers' problems and how different the product is from the competitors (Hassan, 2012). Through the delivery of value proportion, customers gain trust in the product and purchase the products consistently. In most cases, the aim of implementing value proportion is not directed to the products but the welfare of consumers after purchasing. Implementation of the value chain by marketers in the long run result to retention of customers thus increasing sales (Mullin, 2018).

Everest View Travel and Tours Company offers an airline ticket to Nepal that attracts most consumers to the destination. Value proposition in the tickets has the ability to provide benefits to clients traveling to Nepal. There are nine destinations in Nepal that one can purchase an airline ticket. Pokhara and Kathmandu Tour is a package to visit Phewa Lake where one runs along its calm shores and watch over the tranquil view of boats painted in different color floats atop. The holiday provides a relaxing atmosphere for clients who require a break from work and other daily activities (Everestview Travels, 2018).

Cheapflights Travels offer Flight ticket to Nepal to many customers who are attracted to their services and ways of doing things. The company has staff whose main duty is providing information to clients and advising on various travel destinations in Nepal. Local knowledge and global networks the company has formed over time ensure that customers served by the company get the best holiday and services around. Packages offered by travel tickets cater for many services that include a tour guide in case one needs guidance and accommodation. Many customers are attracted to their services as they are unique and quality services.

Marketing Strategies for Cheapflight Travel

 Another value proposition one enjoys with an airline ticket to Nepal is Himalayan Hiking. The tour entails hiking to mountain tops mostly for the sports lovers. It's a very popular tourist activity in the area as the experience provides a chance to discover the various flora and fauna varieties in the mountains. Incredible viewpoints are also observed as one climbs the small mountains which may take up to a day of climbing to reach the mountaintop. Another climbing adventure where climbers pass through villages, valleys, forests, bamboo and tropical regions may take up to a month to reach the snow peaks. Such fun experiences are essential in attracting different consumers to purchase airline tickets to Nepal that cater for the holiday experience at affordable offers (Everestview Travels, 2018).

Cheapflights airline ticket has an attractive value proposition especially with destination to Nepal. The travel agency provides information on when to book for the flight ticket to Nepal to avoid any inconveniences. Travelers willing to travel to the various tourist attraction destinations are always advised to book earlier as there is always travel discount on the tickets bought then. February to March and September to November are the peak season in Nepal when one can travel to Nepal. Many festivals take place in the country, therefore, Cheapflights company advice customers on obtaining tickets during off-peak season as there are discounts on tickets (Cheapflights, 2018). Through advising customers and taking note of customers concerns many travelers are attracted to the travel company to get the best travel experience.

The marketing mix is a marketing strategy that means positioning the right product, at the right place, at the right time and with the right price (Marketing mix, nd.). Marketing mix consists of 7Ps that were developed in the 1990s as an extension of the original 4Ps. Traditionally, 4Ps entailed product, place, price and promotion then later other 3Ps were added as marketing evolved. The 3Ps are people, process and physical evidence (CIM, 2015).  The goals of the marketing strategy are to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors, increasing profits in the company and offering customer satisfaction. The image below illustrates 7Ps in marketing mix strategy:

Product developed in a company need timely promotion and release to market. Everest's flight ticket to Nepal is the product developed to meet demands for clients traveling to Nepal. Flight tickets to Nepal with attractive packages that may include holiday destinations, business tours, and tourist attraction destination are essential while developing products. This informs on when to design the product with the packages outlined (Queensland Government, 2017). Cheapflights Travels, on the other hand, design its travel tickets during Christmas holidays, long weekends and Easter holidays, many people desire to travel, in such times the travel company can design its products with several benefits included. Such products attract more consumers to the company at the right time.

Value Proposition

Prices attached to a product need to be competitive. The airline ticket to Nepal costs around $999 which covered 15 days holiday tour in Nepal. Pricing serves a major role while marketing the ticket to Nepal as it is the strategy that brings revenue to the company. Cheapflights determine travel ticket prices on internal and external factors affecting the company. Internal factors include distribution and promotion while external factors may be competition, government regulations and behavior of consumer (Cheapflights, 2018). Such factors make the company separate prices during peak season and off-peak season. The price attached to a product makes the customer categorize a company against its competitors, therefore need to provide a value proposition to customers.

Place is another marketing mix strategy applied by the two companies. Travel ticket to Nepal purchased in Everest Travels provide various destination that one can tour. Different packages for different places vary with the days to be spent in the area. Cheapflights mostly determine destinations according to the seasons. During the summer season, travel tickets cater for various destinations that one will enjoy the cool outdoor atmosphere. Travel tickets also cater for tourist attraction destinations according to the time of the season (Tran, 2017). Marketers using the place as a strategy to obtain value proposition use channels such as television, billboards, internet site to showcase the places that tickets cater for therefore attracting consumers who would wish to visit the place.

Promotion is the strategy used to convey the message about the product marketers seek to sell. Travel tickets in Everest Travelers are promoted in their websites, brochures, and billboards. The methods used are essential as consumers are aware of the product, therefore, attracted to it. In Cheapflights, they use many channels to ensure their travel tickets are known to the consumers in different places. Use of television, billboards, their websites and newspaper advertisements are the main channels used to convey messages to consumers (Valeria, 2014).  A wide variety of consumers are aware of travel tickets and the prices attached to them, therefore, make it easy for decision making. The company also uses attractive messages that reach consumers with informative messages on the travel tickets offered by the company. Promotion in marketing makes consumers aware of the product offered in the market by specific companies (Entreprenuer, 2018).

People are another component of marketing mix. Everest Travels uses staff who sell the travel tickets to people showing up at the facility physically. The staff who are in contact with consumers play a vital role in marketing a product. Their services through educating clients more on the travel tickets and responding to concerns raised by consumers, the company gains value proposition. Cheapflights ensure contact with its staff in different platforms (Hadka, 2012). They include online platforms, physical offices and in functions organized by the company. Staff promoting the travel tickets are knowledgeable about the services offered and different packages catered for by the tickets. People involved in marketing mix are essential as they help in marketing products. It narrows down from companies staff who offer quality services to consumers. In return, the company realizes more sales in the product.

Conclusion

Processes in an organization are essential in marketing mix. Consumers have evolved in how they consume products. Nowadays customers invest in entire experiences that run from the time when the consumer learnt about the product to when they purchased the products. Everest Travels invest in processes suitable for its clients which start from the marketing strategies to when the consumer purchases the tickets. Cheapflights invest in simple and easy processes in its operations. Customers go through short procedures before obtaining travel tickets in both online platforms and their physical offices (Tran, 2017).  Information on their sites is always updated to ensure clients are updated on the current running of the company. It is important for companies to ensure short processes to ensure more consumers are attracted to the services and products offered.

Lastly, physical evidence is a marketing mix component essential while marketing products. Everest Travelers use physical evidence that consists of brochures, newsletters, and pamphlets to inform new consumers on the travel tickets available to different destinations. Cheapflights mostly use feedback from clients which is published on their websites and in testimonials to pass information on the travel tickets available. New consumers gain confidence in their products especially when positive feedback on the travel experiences are outlined (Hanlon, 2017).  The tickets are also available as a tangible product such that consumers see what they are purchasing. Physical evidence, therefore, helps in building confidence to new consumers of a product and is essential in marketing.

The 7Ps of marketing form a basis for marketing mix strategy used in most organization to market products to their target customers. It should be noted that all the 7Ps need to be incorporated into the marketing mix for the strategy to be effective. Therefore, no component can be considered in isolation without engaging other components for successful marketing.

Cheapflights Travelers have managed to change consumer preference of its travel tickets to Everest airline ticket to Nepal.  Cheapflight tickets are affordable to most clients traveling to Nepal as it costs about $6000 to have a 15 day holiday as opposed to $999 charged at Everest Travelers for the same holiday. Another value proposition gained by Cheapflights is the creation of tickets that offer a variety of packages attractive to consumers. Extensive research carried out on consumer behavior help in providing the right products with the right features to its consumers. Everest Travellers services are relatively expensive which affects the purchasing power of most low come earners who would wish for a vacation. Their marketing strategies have also not reached many people as there are fewer promotions in media, online platforms, and their website. , therefore, has gained a competitive advantage over Everest Travellers as they have managed to win consumers trust and have proved to be the reliable Tour Company offering the best travel experience to consumers (Borgogna, Stroh, Hilz, Agarwalla & Jakovljevic, 2016).

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