Marketing of Tourism Services (5cr)

Objectives (course unit)

This course focuses on customer-oriented marketing of tourism services. The students will be provided with the skills needed for planning and implementing tourism marketing and for using a variety of marketing mix tools on various internal and external target groups in both domestic and international business environments and situations.

After completing the course, the students will be able to:

Know the special features and tools of customer-oriented services marketing in the field of tourism and analyze factors that influence tourism marketing and marketing decisions.
Be familiar with planning, implementing and monitoring marketing in the field of tourism.
Select marketing strategies and marketing mix tools most appropriate for different kinds of purposes, tourism products and services, the domestic and international consumer and b-to-b markets, target segments and individual customers; taking into consideration branding and CRM, modern technological business environment, business cultures and domestic and international networks.
Draw up a marketing plan, taking into consideration the objectives and requirements of tourism services marketing.

Content (course unit)

What are the concept, role and characteristics of services and products and what are customer needs and requirements in both consumer and business-to-business markets in the field of tourism?
What are the special features, elements, tools and processes of services marketing in tourism?
What do the decisions of integrated tourism marketing mix and branding include, how is the value chain created and how is planning and implementation of marketing in tourism done?
What kind of media and technological solutions there are for interactive marketing (internet, social media etc.) of tourism services and what possibilities e-Business offers for tourism?)
How to draw up a marketing plan for diverse tourism business environments and situations including various elements and tools?

Exam schedules

No written examination. See assessment.

Assessment methods and criteria

The assessment is based on active participation in contact sessions (75 % attendance in contact sessions is a requirement), cases and assignments, course-related work, essays, reports (altogether 50 %) and on a marketing plan in the field of tourism services and presentation of it(50 %).

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Contact sessions, cases and assignments, marketing plan, presentations, team work

Learning materials

PR Smith & Jonathan Taylor. Marketing Communications. An Integrated Approach. Kogan Page Limited, London. 2006
Chris Fill. Marketing Communications. Pearson Education Limited. Newest edition.
Kotler Philip & Keller Kevin L. Marketing Management. Pearson Education. 2012 or a newer edition.
Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman, Hansen. Marketing Management. Pearson Education. European version. 2012 or a newer edition.
Services Marketing literature
Tourism Marketing literature
Handouts

Student workload

This course is 5 credits which means about 135 hours of student work in total. Contact teaching including special sessions and workshops will be about 50-60 hours, the remaining hours consist of studying the course literature, course-related work, essays, reports, assignments and a marketing plan. Marketing plan will be presented in the end of the course.

Content scheduling

Periods 1 and 2.

Completion alternatives

To be agreed upon with Pirkko Varis.

Practical training and working life cooperation

Assignments from companies.

International connections

Guest lecturers from abroad and cooperation with partner universities.

Further information

Senior Lecturer in Marketing Pirkko Varis, pirkko.varis@tamk.fi, phone +358 50 329 3144
The first conctact session takes place on Wednesday 26 August at 11.00-14.00 in room B5-31

Assessment criteria - fail (0) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student has not achieved the objectives of the course on a sufficient level. Student is not able to recognize, determine and use the concepts and models of tourism services marketing. Student fails in producing a marketing plan in the field of tourism services.

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student has achieved the objectives of the course on a sufficient level. Student understands the premises and principles of tourism services marketing. Student recognizes, is able to determine and use the concepts and models of tourism services marketing. A marketing plan in the field of tourism services remains on a level 1-2.

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student has achieved the objectives of the course well although the skills and competences are somewhat in need of further development. Student is able to determine and apply the concepts and models of tourism services marketing well and is able to apply them in most tasks. A marketing plan in the field of tourism services has achieved the level 3-4.

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Student has achieved the objectives of the course on an excellent level. The student masters the concepts and models of tourism services marketing in an excellent manner. Student is able to conduct fluent and reasoned analysis and has good capabilities to apply the learning. A marketing plan in the field of tourism services has achieved the excellent level.