Assessing and Recommending Marketing
Strategies

Hospitality and Tourism Sector

 

1. Network and Customer Relationship Marketing

In hospitality and tourism,
building strong connections is everything. Two important approaches help
businesses create lasting bonds with customers.

Network Marketing

This means building a web of
connections with customers, suppliers, and partners. These connections lead to
referrals, partnerships, and new business opportunities.

Example: The Marriott
Bonvoy programme connects hotel guests with partner airlines, car rental
companies, and other services. Members earn rewards across the whole network,
which keeps them loyal to Marriott.

Customer Relationship Marketing

This focuses on building
long-term relationships with customers through personalised service, excellent
communication, and understanding what they need.

Example: The Ritz-Carlton
is famous for remembering guest preferences and going above and beyond to
create memorable stays. This turns one-time visitors into lifelong customers.

Video:
Customer Relationship Marketing
Explained – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4w1MZHRNYY

 

2. Recommended Marketing and Loyalty Strategies

Here are five proven strategies
that work well for hospitality and tourism businesses:

A. Social Media and Influencer Marketing

Use platforms like Instagram,
TikTok, and YouTube to showcase your business. Partner with travel influencers
to reach a wider audience with authentic content.

Example: Maldives resorts
invite popular travel influencers to stay and share stunning photos and videos,
attracting thousands of potential visitors.

B. Loyalty Programmes

Reward repeat customers with
points, discounts, or exclusive perks. This encourages them to come back again
and again.

Example: Hilton Honors
members earn points for every stay, which they can redeem for free nights,
upgrades, and other benefits.

C. Personalisation

Make customers feel special by
tailoring experiences to their preferences. Remember their favourite room,
dietary needs, or past activities.

Example: Disney’s
MagicBands link to guests’ tickets, hotel rooms, and preferences, creating a
seamless personalised experience throughout their visit.

D. Content Marketing and SEO

Create useful content (blogs,
videos, guides) that helps travellers plan their trip and find your business on
Google.

Example: Airbnb’s online
magazine offers travel tips, destination guides, and inspiring stories that
attract millions of readers to their platform.

E. Email Marketing

Send personalised offers,
updates, and travel tips directly to your subscribers to keep them engaged and
encourage bookings.

Example: JetBlue sends
targeted email campaigns with personalised flight deals and travel inspiration,
driving repeat bookings.

Video:
Top Loyalty Programme Strategies –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiKrHkPMxKM

 

3. How to Evaluate Current Marketing Strategies

Before making recommendations,
you need to assess what a business is already doing. Follow these five steps:

Step	What to Do	Example
1	Identify current strategies	List all marketing activities: website, social media, email, ads, partnerships.
2	Analyse performance metrics	Check website traffic, social media engagement, conversion rates, and ROI.
3	Benchmark against competitors	Compare your social media followers and engagement with rival businesses.
4	Identify opportunities and threats	Opportunity: partner with influencers. Threat: negative online reviews.
5	Make recommendations	Suggest improvements based on your findings (e.g. improve SEO, manage reviews).

 

Video:
How to Evaluate a Marketing Strategy
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Os6Fk2OGXE

 

4. Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses – SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis is a
simple framework that helps you understand what a business is doing well and
where it needs to improve.

Strengths (Internal – Positive)	Weaknesses (Internal – Negative)
High social media engagement Positive customer reviews Strong brand recognition Successful influencer partnerships	Slow, outdated website Negative reviews not addressed Inconsistent brand messaging Reliance on old-fashioned marketing
Opportunities (External – Positive)	Threats (External – Negative)
New social media platforms Emerging travel trends Influencer collaborations New marketing technology	Increased competition Negative publicity Rise of platforms like Airbnb Changing customer expectations

 

Tip: After completing a
SWOT analysis, prioritise the weaknesses that have the biggest impact on your
business and tackle those first.

Video:
SWOT Analysis Made Simple –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXXHqM6RzZQ

 

5. Researching Market Trends and Consumer Behaviour

To create effective strategies,
you need to understand what is happening in the market and what customers want.

What to Research

•     
Demographics – Who are your customers? (age,
income, nationality, interests)

•     
Preferences – What kind of experiences do they
want? (luxury, budget, adventure, family)

•     
Technology – What new tech is changing the
industry? (virtual reality, AI, mobile apps)

•     
Trends – What’s popular right now? (sustainable
travel, local tourism, wellness retreats)

How to Gather Data

1.   
Primary research: Surveys, interviews, and focus
groups with real customers.

2.   
Secondary research: Industry reports, government
data, and published studies.

3.   
Social media monitoring: Track hashtags,
comments, and reviews to spot trends.

How to Analyse the Data

•     
Segment your audience into groups based on
shared characteristics.

•     
Look for patterns that reveal changing
preferences or new opportunities.

•     
Compare with competitors to find gaps you can
fill.

Example: Airbnb spotted a
growing demand for affordable, authentic travel experiences. They built a
platform connecting travellers with local hosts – and it transformed the
industry.

Video:
Understanding Market Trends in
Tourism – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xMnbo4mSGU

 

6. Developing New Marketing Strategies

Once you understand the market
and your audience, you can create fresh strategies. Here are five approaches
that work well today:

Strategy	How It Works + Example
Promote Local Tourism	Encourage staycations and local experiences. E.g. a hotel creates special weekend packages for local residents.
User-Generated Content	Encourage guests to share photos and experiences on social media with your brand hashtag. E.g. a travel company runs an Instagram photo contest.
Influencer Marketing	Partner with travel bloggers and content creators to promote your brand. E.g. a luxury resort invites an influencer for a sponsored stay.
Safety and Hygiene	Communicate your cleaning and safety measures clearly. E.g. a hotel shares behind-the-scenes cleaning videos on social media.
Social Media Ads and Retargeting	Use targeted ads on Facebook/Instagram and retarget people who visited your website but didn’t book. E.g. a travel agency shows special offers to past visitors.

 

Video:
How to Build a Tourism Marketing
Strategy – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GsMUkzezXE

 

7. The Most Effective Marketing Strategies

Based on real-world success
stories, these are the strategies that deliver the best results in hospitality
and tourism:

Influencer Marketing

Partnering with trusted voices
gives your brand instant credibility and reach.

Success story: Marriott
Hotels worked with popular travel bloggers who shared their experiences at
Marriott properties, significantly boosting the brand’s online presence.

User-Generated Content (UGC)

Real content from real customers
builds trust better than any advertisement.

Success story: Airbnb’s
#LiveThere campaign encouraged travellers to share their unique experiences.
The flood of authentic content showcased the diversity of Airbnb’s offerings.

Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences

Let potential customers “try
before they buy” with immersive previews.

Success story: Destination
British Columbia created a VR experience called “The Wild Within,” letting
users explore stunning landscapes virtually. This boosted tourism interest
significantly.

Local SEO

Make sure people searching for
services in your area can find you on Google.

Success story: Hotel
Indigo added localised content highlighting attractions near each property.
This led to a noticeable increase in website traffic and bookings.

Email Marketing

Personalised, well-timed emails
remain one of the most cost-effective marketing tools.

Success story: JetBlue
uses targeted emails with personalised flight deals to maintain customer
engagement and drive repeat bookings.

Video:
Best Tourism Marketing Strategies –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMkCprUx7LI

 

Key Terms to Remember

Term	Definition
Network Marketing	Building connections with customers, suppliers, and partners to create business opportunities.
Customer Relationship Marketing	Focusing on long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty through personalised service.
Loyalty Programme	A reward system that encourages repeat customers (e.g. points, discounts, perks).
SWOT Analysis	A framework for identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
User-Generated Content (UGC)	Content (photos, reviews, videos) created by customers rather than the brand.
Personalisation	Tailoring products, services, or messages to individual customer preferences.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)	Improving your website so it appears higher in Google search results.
Retargeting	Showing ads to people who have already visited your website but did not book.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)	A measurable value that shows how well a strategy is performing.
ROI (Return on Investment)	How much profit you make compared to what you spent on marketing.
Customer Segmentation	Dividing your audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics.
Virtual Reality (VR)	Technology that creates immersive digital experiences to preview products or destinations.