Tourism Marketing - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 430

are not and adjust accordingly. Prospects can be identi ed so target market customers are approached
and efforts are not wasted. Convention and Visitors Bureaus are especially successful in using personal
selling.
Counterbalancing these advantages is the fact that personal selling is the most expensive means of
making contact with prospects, and productivity gains are unlikely.

Public Relations

Public relations a social conscience that places first priority on the

public interest when making any decisions. Public relations permeate an entire organization, covering
relations with many publics: visitors, the community, employees, and suppliers.
Acceptance of any tourist destination by the public is of utmost importance. No business is more
concerned with human relations than is tourism, and all public interests must be served. Serving one
group at the expense of another is not sound public relations. Furthermore, each individual business
manager and the group he or she represents must be respected and have the con dence of the
community. There is no difference between a personal reputation and a business reputation.
Favorable public relations within the firm emphasize respect for people. Employees must have
reasonable security in their jobs and be treated with consideration. Externally, tourism employees have
a powerful in uence on the public as they represent the owners in the public

may be de ned as an attitude —

s eye. Employees should
be trained to be courteous, respectful, and helpful to guests. Little things make a big difference, and
the attitude of employees can make or break a public relations effort.

'

Not all promotion/advertising imitates New Mexico's license plates with intense red letters on a brilliant
yellow background. In contrast, Howe Caverns, ala'' HOLLYWOOD'' (large white letters on a steep
brown hillside) displays the HOWE CAVERNS name with large white letters

but on a gently sloping
bright green lawn in New York State. While Howe's promotional strategy garners fewer impressions than
does the New Mexico approach, it is de

—

nitely much harder to forget if you have ever seen it. Photo

courtesyofHoweCaverns,Inc.