Tourism Marketing (5cr)

Objectives (course unit)

Tourism marketing course focuses on customer-oriented marketing of tourism products and services. The aim is to learn skills needed for planning and implementing tourism marketing and for using a multitude of integrated marketing mix tools for various target groups, business environments and situations.

After completing the course, students will be able to:

• Understand the special features and tools of marketing tourism products and services.
• Analyze factors influencing tourism marketing and be familiar with planning, implementing and monitoring marketing in the field of tourism.
• Apply tourism marketing strategies, planning principles and integrated marketing mix tools for various target markets, business environments and situations.

Content (course unit)

• What are customer needs and requirements for tourism products and services in consumer and business-to-business markets?
• What are the special features, elements, tools and processes of tourism marketing?
• 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 tourism marketing done?
• What kind of media and technological solutions exist for interactive marketing of tourism products and services and what online business possibilities offer for tourism marketing?
• How to draw up a marketing plan for diverse tourism businesses?

Prerequisites (course unit)

-

Location and time

Autumn 2017 at TAMK main campus

Exam schedules

No written examination. Marketing plan to be delivered. 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 and presentation of it (50 %).

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

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

Learning materials

Bowie, D., Buttle, F., Brookes, M. and Mariussen, A. 2017. Hospitality Marketing. Third edition. Routledge. London
Kotler, P. and Keller, K. L. 2016. Marketing Management. 15th edition. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
PR Smith and Jonathan Taylor. Marketing Communications. An Integrated Approach. Kogan Page Limited, London. Newest ed.
Chris Fill. Marketing Communications. Pearson Education Limited. Newest edition.
Cooper, C., Fletcher, J., Fyall, A., Gilbert, D., Wanhill, S. 2008. Tourism. Principles and Practice. Fourth edition. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.
Holloway, J. C. Marketing for Tourism, newest edition.
Cheverton, P. Key Marketing Skills: strategies, tools and techniques for marketing success. Newest ed.
Paley, N. 2007. Marketing Strategy Desktop Guide. Second edition. London, UK: Thorogood Publishing Ltd.
Wood, M.B. 2014. The Marketing Plan Handbook. 5th Edition. Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited.
Tourism and Services Marketing literature
Kotler, Keller, Brady, Goodman, Hansen. Marketing Management. Pearson Education. European version. Newest ed.
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 45 hours, the remaining hours consist of studying the course literature, course-related work, essays, reports, marketing plan and assignments (such as doing two SMARTOUR online course modules – one module takes 30-60 minutes). Participation in InnoEvent Tampere 2017, 6th to 10th November is mandatory. InnoEvent is part of the course and is included in the assessment and credits. One page report to be delivered after the event (detailed instructions will be given). The week 45 is booked for InnoEvent, see timetable engine. InnoEvent will have its own schedule (to be announced later on) for Monday-Friday.

Marketing plan will be presented in November. Deadline for delivery of the final version of the marketing plan and presentation slides to TABULA is 13.12.2017. One page report of the teamwork and own contribution to it to be delivered to TABULA at the latest 13.12.2017.

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

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 marketing. Student fails in producing a marketing plan in the field of tourism.

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 marketing. Student recognizes, is able to determine and use the concepts and models of tourism marketing. A marketing plan in the field of tourism 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 marketing well and is able to apply them in most tasks. A marketing plan in the field of tourism 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 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 has achieved the excellent level.