Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the credibility of marketing messages. Whilst these aspects have been explored widely in general
marketing, there is a lack of similar studies in relation to the tourism context. Whilst it may be
easy to determine experts for certain services (e.g. doctors, dentists), just who are considered
'experts' in the fi eld of tourism? This is just one of many interesting areas of research yet to be
explored. The media vehicle selected to carry communication messages also affects credibility.
Does the same message have the same degree of impact if carried via upscale media outlets
compared to those that are targeted towards the working classes for example? What are the most
credible media vehicles for different types of tourism products? Issues of trust, integrity and
credibility of information provide a critically important set of contexts for tourism marketing
research with many consequences for tourism fi rms.
Conclusions
This chapter has highlighted the changing communications environment in tourism marketing.
Partly, this is connected to a wider change in the consumption context of tourism. Markets
are changing in their behaviour and in terms of their engagement with fi rms and marketing
material. As Smith and Zook identify, this offers both challenges and opportunities, 'as marketers
stalk rapidly changing markets, they face a brave new world, one that has changed forever,
offering new opportunities to those who seize them' (Smith and Zook 2011: 6). Engagement is
the new focus for marketing communications, along with the facilitation of communication
with and between customers.
Furthermore, whilst tourists have long been recognized as co-producers of the tourism
experience, advances in technology mean that they should now also be recognized as co-producers
of marketing communications. Yet there is still much to be learnt about this rapidly changing
environment. Marketing communications research has traditionally explored the production of
messages by companies and interpretation by consumers, but little is known about this process
when the roles are reversed. This concept of 'inbound marketing' (Steenburgh
et al
. 2010) opens
up a new fi eld of research within the context of tourism.
Consumers are also faced with ever more sophisticated channels of information which creates
a paradox, increasing the amount of information available increases choice, and yet there are also
real dangers posed by the quantity and quality of information and the sheer array of media
channels. Consumers' processing goals and strategies, incorporating strategies to deal with
information overload, are critical research issues for tourism marketing in the future.
Similarly, the advent of social media marketing, and the drive to encourage viral marketing
through social media campaigns or as a method of customer acquisition and engagement, have
challenged the basic assumptions underpinning marketing communications. Trust and credibility
are opening up new ways in which tourism marketing research can inter-relate to marketing
communications theory and concepts, yet this chapter has argued that this is still at a nascent
stage and has tried to suggest further potential avenues for future research based on a marketing
communications perspective. Marketing communications concepts offer tourism marketing
scholars great opportunities to position and integrate research in the future for both practical and
theoretical advances.
References
Albers, P.C. and James, W.R. (1988) 'Travel Photography: A Methodological Approach',
Annals of Tourism
Research
,
15(1): 134-58.
Beiger, T. and Laesser, C. (2004) 'Information Sources for Travel Decisions: Towards a Source Process Model',
Journal of Travel Research
,
42: 357-71.
