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Proposal for a multi-country resort
hotel survey exploring the cooperation
with major European tour operators
Dr. Dimitris KoutoulasTourism & Marketing Consultant
Lecturer at the Greek Open University
E-Mail: d.koutoulas@ba.aegean.gr
• Propose a joint multi-country research project reflecting the point of view of the countries on the receiving end of mass tourism
• Aim of research: To explore the relationship and cooperation of resort hotels with major European tour operators in the light of:– Market dominance by a few TOs– Overdependence on TO business – Shrinking TO business– The Opportunities of the “New Tourism Market”
Objective Of This PresentationObjective Of This Presentation
• Greece: 6.7 million out of 9.6 million EU tourists (70%) arrived on charter flights in 2005
• Over 70% of tourists arrive on charter flights in the case of:
– Germany - Austria
– UK - Netherlands
– Norway - Finland
– Sweden - Denmark
– Ireland
Overdependence on Tour OperatorsOverdependence on Tour Operators
Share TUI Customers/Total ArrivalsShare TUI Customers/Total Arrivals
29% 71%
38% 62%
21% 79%
12% 88%
43% 57%
34% 66%
21% 79%
71% 29%
16% 84%
41% 59%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
All major source markets
Nordic Countries
Netherlands
Switzerland
Austria
Belgium
UK
Ireland
France
Germany
TUI customers Other tourists
• Proposed research is based on the experience from previous research on Greek resort hotels that was very well received by:
– Academic community
– Industry associations
– National and international press
• This positive reception is an encouragement to cover other mass tourism destinations besides Greece
Objective Of This PresentationObjective Of This Presentation
• Aim of the survey: To explore the relationship between resort hotels and tour operators as seen from the hotels’ point of view
• E-Mail Survey in 2005
• Self-administered 16-item questionnaire
• Targeted response rate: 5%
• Actual response rate: 6.1% (101 out of 1,648 hotels)
Greek Resort Hotel SurveyGreek Resort Hotel Survey
The Market Influence of Tour Operators on the Hospitality Industry: The
Case of Greek Resort Hotels
by Dr. Dimitris Koutoulas
published in the book
Corporate Rivalry and Market Power: Competition Issues in the Tourism
Industry
edited by Dr. Andreas Papatheodorou
published by I.B. Tauris, London, in 2006
Greek Resort Hotel SurveyGreek Resort Hotel Survey
• Outcome of this research project: A very vivid illustration of the hotels’ dependence on inclusive tour business
• Greek resort hotels are operating under a state of oligopsony in a marketplace largely controlled by large tour operators from Germany and the UK
• Hotels depend for 60% of total overnight stays on tour operators
Greek Resort Hotel SurveyGreek Resort Hotel Survey
Business Mix of Greek Resort HotelsBusiness Mix of Greek Resort Hotels
Independent travellers
22%
Other hotel clients6%
Tour operator clients60%
Clients booking through travel
agencies10%
Meeting and incentive travel
participants2%
Three-Year Trend of TO-Generated Three-Year Trend of TO-Generated BusinessBusiness
Share of hotels mentioning that room rates charged to tour operators over the last three years:
Increased Remained steady Decreased 34.8% (average increase: 5.8%)
44.6% 20.6% (average decrease: 9.9%)
Share of hotels mentioning that number of customers from tour operators over the last three years:
Increased Remained steady Decreased 23.9% (average increase: 18.3%)
44.6% 31.5% (average decrease: 22.4%)
TOs Contributing Most CustomersTOs Contributing Most Customers
Tour Operator Hotels cooperating with each TO
Average contribution of each TO to overall
overnight stays
Source markets
TUI 51.2% 30% Germany, UK, France, Austria, Netherlands, Belgium, Nordic
countries, Poland Thomas Cook 29.3% 34% Germany, Netherlands, UK,
Belgium, Austria, Hungary, France
Rewe 15.9% 25% Germany, Austria MyTravel 12.2% 55% UK, Nordic countries Alltours 9.8% 30% Germany Apollo 8.5% 38% Nordic countries First Choice 7.3% 29% UK
Positive Aspects of Working with TOsPositive Aspects of Working with TOs
11,9%
47,5%
56,4%
68,3%
Satisfactory room rate
Getting paid on time
Signif icant traff icoutside the high
season
High volume ofbusiness
Negative Aspects of Working with TOsNegative Aspects of Working with TOs
6,9%
33,7%
48,5%
76,2%
Low volume ofbusiness
Not getting paid on time
Sending our clients toother destinations
Pressure to low erprices
• An international research project is proposed by applying the same methodology to other Mediterranean countries as in the case of Greece
• Aim: To benchmark the cooperation among tour operators and resort hotels in Mediterranean mass-market destinations
• Methodology: E-mail survey among resort hotels which can easily be conducted by individual researchers by using a joint questionnaire
Research ProposalResearch Proposal
• Looking for interested researchers to cover other Mediterranean countries
• Prerequisites:
– Extensive e-mailing list with a large number of resort hotels
– Mass mailing software
• We can ask industry associations to endorse this survey and also secure publicity in order to achieve a higher response rate
Research ProposalResearch Proposal
Outcome:
• A series of research papers + a book:– An introduction to the business of tour operators
– Country-per-country analyses of national tourism and resort hotel industries in the Mediterranean
– Country-per-country survey reports
– Recommendations on hotel industry strategies and government policies
• National and international hotel associations will be asked to sponsor the book
Research ProposalResearch Proposal
Next steps:
1. Expression of interest by researchers
2. Translation of the initial questionnaire (Dimitris)
3. Send a methodology brief + the translated questionnaire to all members of the research group (Dimitris)
4. Finalise methodology and questionnaire (all)
5. Look for sponsors and funding (all)
Research ProposalResearch Proposal
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