Travel Agency, Essay Example

Marketing Strategy for a Travel Agency

The main goal of the travel agency is to attract and keep the customers through the personal approach of the service. The marketing strategy for the business will include and build upon the reputation of the agency in the area. The travel agency itself is a place that not only provides travel but also the freedom and the adventure to its clients. Many people annually spend up to 50 weeks in their offices. Therefore, when given a chance the client wants to get away and bring back sweet memories of an unforgettable vacation.

Travel agency will promote such benefits of adventure as excitement, personal growth, health and of course fun. The agency will also work on promoting its own personal services such as vacation’s success, savings and confidence of the clients.

The mission of the travel agency is to become the best adventure provider to the clients in the area.  The agency will provide travel arrangements and consulting and will try to connect newcomers of adventure travel with those who will become usual customers.

Marketing objectives of the business will include the following: promotion of adventure activities by means of alliances with athletic organizations, health clubs and retailers; achieving annual growth rate no less than 10-15%; establishing the agency as a market leader in adventure travel in the area.

Target groups of the business are one the most important assets and a key to success, thus, travel agency will definitely be working with the corporate travelers. This group includes local companies and businesses. The agency will try to secure their corporate accounts. Second group involves the individual travelers and the couples, namely people aged 25-35 years old. These people vary from younger professionals, students to families with children with the sufficient income. Third target are the group travelers which come from the health clubs, athletic organizations, etc.

The positioning of the travel agency is focused on corporate or individual consumers who seek to participate in the adventurous travel, in the area where travel agency tends to hold the premier status. The experience and enthusiasm that the travel agency will provide to its clients includes value, advice to customers and exceptional personal service.

As its initial strategy of development travel agency sees creating brand recognition by means of the effective marketing communication, advertising and certainly promotion. The team will create a marketing mix aimed to target the main consumer groups in the area. The company will engage into electronic and print campaigns on advertisement through local radio and publications as the primary source of media. Secondly, the travel agency will use its alliances with the health institutions or organizations as the means of additional promotion.

Over the time company will aim at expanding its brand recognition to the national level by means of growing industry participation as well as web presence. Travel agency will develop its website with the ability of customers to purchase online and be able to check the necessary information from home. When the mentioned above steps will bring about positive results and benefits, travel agency will pursue to increase the revenues and reduce the costs by means of established corporate and repeat clients. In order to win over customer satisfaction, travel agency will focus its goals on customization of adventure travel and reduction of the competitors.

The team will start using the approach of rather recommending the clients another travel agency, instead of selling the trip outside of the competency of the personnel. In order to ensure customer satisfaction, travel agency will also be gathering post trip or purchase feedback from people. Chet McDoniel of Off to Neverland Travel agrees that “the most important quality in a good agent is destination knowledge, and the ability to match the perfect vacation with each and every client.” (The Seattle Times)

The studies show that the communication between the company and the client after the actual sale strongly influences the purchase to be repeated. In terms of corporate clients, the company will engage into corporate account acquisition which means that sales will rely upon personal promoters and professional literature. The travel agency will give away promotion trips as prizes and will promote itself through the local radio station. “Local press generally supports businesses in the area, and it’s surprising what can develop from a cup of coffee with a reporter or editor,” says Tricia Handley of Pinpoint Communications. (Travel Weekly)

Travel agency sees necessary to create a wide range of promotional and advertising communication channels in order to ensure successful achievement of the marketing goals. Company plans to conduct a thorough demographics research of the target audience that will show which publications and media sources must be engaged. Direct interaction with the clients and promotion in athletic or health clubs will also make an essential part of the marketing mix.

The travel agency will be selling services and goods such as travel packages and the airfare. In order to ensure total client satisfaction the company will also provide additional services. Among them are: passport assistance, access to best activities, entertainment and accommodations, etc.  By means of total personnel expertise and competency in the trips that they sell, company aims to achieve a so-called value added on its services and offerings. Company will provide competitive rates and discounts to the repeat clients.

The secret behind why the travel agency is focusing on the adventure travelling is because the economic indicators nowadays show that there is an increased demand in this particular service. Secondly, the area of the location of the agency will not have direct competitors in the sector of adventures. And thirdly, the enthusiastic and professional team of the agency will do all that is possible to ensure total customer satisfaction with the service and the trips itself. It is with this particular enthusiasm that the company hopes to achieve strong success translated into good revenues and repeat business.

References

Elliott, C. (2009, January 9). How to find a good travel agent. The Seattle Times. Tribune Media Services. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008609891_webtravelagents09.html

Handley, T. (2008, August 14). Travel agency marketing: how to attract new customers.

TravelWeekly UK http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2008/08/14/28474/travel-agency-marketing-how-to-attract-new-customers.html