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CHAPTER 5
DESTINATIONBRAND EFFECTIVENESSOF KERALA TOURISM
170
DESTINATION BRAND EFFECTIVENESS OFKERALA TOURISM
For studying the Brand Promotion of Kerala Tourism it would be pertinent
to conduct a survey on tour operators and accommodation providers. Two sets of
questionnaires were designed for tour operators and accommodation providers (property
owners) separately. The collected data was separately analyzed. Necessary hypothesis
were developed for achieving the specific objectives of the study. Important findings of
the study is explained below.
5.1 TOUR OPERATORS:
Tour Operators are considered as the true manufacturers of tourism products
and they plan the itinerary and conduct hassle free trips for tourists. As part of their
marketing strategy, tour operators promote tourism products by communicating the brand
attributes to their intended audience. The analysis is aimed to understand the role of
Kerala based tour operators in brand promotion of State Tourism. Researcher collected
information from 30 tour operators from various places of Kerala.
5.2 PROFILE OF TOUR OPERATORS:
The profile of tour operators surveyed was measured with various parameters
like offices in other states and abroad and the type of tourists handled by them. The study
reveals that only 37 percent of the Kerala based tour operators have offices in other
Indian states and 25 percent of them have offices abroad. Sixty percent of tour operators
have only one office and 27 percent of them have two offices in the State.
171
This highlights that majority of the tour operators are operating from the state and they
concentrate on marketing the tours and travels in Kerala.
5.2.1 Type of tourists handled
Study reveals that 80 percent of the tour operators are very keen to handle
both individual and group travellers. Seventeen percent of the tour operators prefer to
handle tourists as groups while 3 percent of the tour operators are concentrating only on
individual travellers. This shows that based on the requirement from the market, majority
of tour operators offer their services to both individual and group travellers.
5.3 DURATION OF STAY IN KERALA :
The behaviour of travellers with regard to their duration of stay in Kerala is
further analyzed with the help of data collected from tour operators. The results are
shown in table 5.1.
Table 5.1
Duration of stay in Kerala
Source: Field survey
Duration of stay No of respondents Percentage
Less than a week 18 59
One – two weeks 11 37
Three – four weeks 1 4
One month – one year - -
More than a year - -
Total 30 100
172
Fifty nine percent of the tour operators opined that the tourists coming to
Kerala are spending less than one-week in the destinations and 37 percent revealed that
tourists stay up to two weeks. Only 4 percent viewed that tourists are interested to stay
up to one month and none of them consider Kerala as a place for longer holidays. This
supports the findings of tourist survey regarding duration of stay, which states that Kerala
is fit for shorter holidays. Stay of tourists for a shorter period in the state will lead to less
revenue generation to the exchequer.
5.4 TOURISM MARKETING
The role of tour operators in promoting Kerala tourism is studied by measuring
the variables such as tourism brand promotion, potential tourism products, mostly promoted
destinations, mostly promoted income groups and mostly promoted packages.
5.4.1 Tourism Brand Promotion
Tourism Brand Promotion was measured in terms of Promotion Strategy and
Package Offered to the tourists. Researcher has analyzed the various promotional activities
adopted by the tour operators in marketing destination, Kerala. The responses for the promotional
strategies adopted for the brand promotion of Kerala Tourism are depicted in Table 5.2.
Table 5.2
Tourism brand promotion strategy
Source: Field survey
Promotional activities No of respondents Percentage
Participation in fairs 16 53
Through Brochures 24 80
Direct contact through foreign agencies 14 47
Agents in other countries 14 47
Word of mouth 17 57
Web site 23 77
173
Brochures play an important role in the promotion of tourism in the state.
Eighty percent of the tour operators revealed that ‘Kerala as destination brand’ has been
brought to the notice of the tourists-both national and international -through the supply of
brochures and handouts. Seventy seven percent of the respondents are of the opinion
that the web based technology, especially the web sites, has assisted in promoting the
tourism brand of the state. The table also shows that 53 percent of the tour operators are
participating in the tourism fairs organized with in the country as well as in foreign countries.
It is interesting to note from the table that, publicity by word of mouth is an important
media for promoting Kerala as a tourist’s paradise. Fifty seven percent of the tour operators
are of the opinion that the new tourists are arriving in the state due to the recommendations
made by their friends and relatives. Forty seven percent of the respondents are of the
opinion that they have agents in other countries to establish contacts as well as they have
direct contact with foreign tour operators to attract tourists into the state.
5.4.2 Packages offered
An attempt was made to find out the packages offered by the Kerala based
tour operators to the tourists. The findings of the survey were given in table 5.3.
Table 5.3
Package offered
Source: Field survey
Package offered Frequency Percentage
Stand alone package 17 58
Part of south India 1 4
Both 12 38
Total 30 100
174
Fig. 5.1
Packages offered
Part of south India
3.85%
Stand alone pakage57.69%
Both38.46%
The responses of tour operators with regard to the package offered by them
are given in table 5.3 and fig.5.1. As per the table 58 percent of the tour operators offer
stand-alone package. It means they totally concentrate on promoting Kerala as a lonely
brand to push in the world tourism map. Four percent of them offer the facility to visit
some parts of South India like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It is interesting to note that
38 percent of the respondent tour operators offer the package of both Kerala and Southern
parts of Kerala.
Both38.46%
Part of South India3.85%
Stand alonepackage57.69%
175
5.4.3 Most potential tourism product
The tour operators were asked to identify the tourism product, which in their
opinion has the greatest potential for tourism promotion in Kerala. The survey results are
given in Table 5.4
Table 5.4
Most potential tourism product
Tourism product No of Respondents Percentage
Beaches 3 10
Backwaters 11 37
Ayurveda 7 23
Hill stations 6 20
Medical care 2 7
Culture & Heritage 1 3
Total 30 100
Source: Field survey
Kerala is blessed with backwaters and is the most potential tourism product
of the State. As per table 5.4, thirty seven percent of the tour operators revealed that the
backwaters of Kerala are the most attractive product in the tourism brand promotion of
the state. Twenty three percent of the respondents opined that Ayurveda would emerge
as a potential product in the state of Kerala. Hill stations like Thekkady, Wayanad,
Ponmudi etc are also paving the way for the tourism brand promotion of the state.
176
5.4.4 Mostly promoted destinations
The various destinations in Kerala are offering diverse tourism products like
backwater, beaches, hill stations etc to the tourists. The respondents were asked to rank
the destinations mostly promoted by them. Multi Dimensional Scaling is used to know
the most promoted tourism destination. The dimensional values and graphical presentation
are shown in Table 5.5 and Fig. 5.2.
Table 5.5
Mostly promoted destinations
Dimension Number Name
1 2
1 KUMARAKOM 2.0481 0.0717
2 THEKKADY 0.9317 0.2337
3 MUNNAR 1.1736 0.6826
4 KOVALAM 0.4986 -1.157
5 KOCHI 0.3201 -0.6161
6 POOVAR -1.3437 -0.4691
7 KAPPAD -2.0282 0.3417
8 VYTHIRI -0.1289 0.6922
9 BEKAL -1.4713 0.2203
177
Fig 5.2
Mostly Promoted Destinations
Dimension 1
3210-1-2-3
Dime
nsion
2
1.0
.5
0.0
-.5
-1.0
-1.5
bekal
vythiri
kappad
poovar
kochi
kovalam
munnar
thekkady
kumarako
MunnarVythiri
Kappad
BekalThekkady
Kumarakom
Poovar
Kochi
Kovalam
Dimension 1
Dim
ensi
on 2
178
Results shows that Kumarakom is the most recommended destination by
tour operators followed by Munnar and Thekkady. These places are enriched with tourism
products like backwater, hill stations, wildlife and the resorts near these places offer
comfortable accommodation with various leisure options. It seems that tour operators
are not keen to promote the northern parts of Kerala like Vythiri, Kappad and Bekal.
Researcher feels that it may be because of the lack of awareness level of the tourists
about these places and shortage of premium properties.
5.4.5 Mostly promoted package
Tour operators provide tailor made package tours to the travellers. In tailor
made packages, tourists purchase their trip requirements and in package tours the operators
assemble the components of tourist trip like accommodation, transport, entertainment
etc into a package. The study examined the packages mostly offered by the tour operators.
The results are presented in table 5.6.
Table 5.6
Mostly promoted package
Source: Field survey
Category No of respondents Percentage
Package Tours 6 21
Tailor made 9 29
Both 15 50
Total 30 100
179
The study reveals that the tour operators provide both tailor made and
package tours to the tourists. Fifty percent of the tour operators offer both packages.
Twenty nine percent of the tour operators provide only tailor made packages. Based on
budget and duration of the trip they design tailor made itineries, which cover maximum
number of places of interest in limited time. Twenty one percent of the tour operators
provide only package tours.
5.4.5 Mostly promoted income group
Researcher made an attempt to know the income level of the tourist handled
by the tour operator. The results are given in table 5.7.
Table 5.7 shows that more number of tour operators prefer high-income
group and middle-income group tourists as their clientele. Forty eight percent of the tour
operators concentrate on high-income groups while 45 percent concentrates on
middle-income groups. Only 7 percent are keen on business with low-income groups.
This will help to bring more revenue to them and to the industry as a whole.
Table 5.7
Mostly promoted income group
Category No of respondents Percentage
High income 15 48
Middle income 13 45
Low income 2 7
Total 30 100
Source: Field survey
180
5.4.7 Seasonality Problem:
Seasonality is one of the widely recognized features of a tourism product.
Open-ended questions were included to evaluate the respondents’ view of seasonality
problem in Kerala tourism. Majority of the tour operators opined that the peak season
extends from November to January and off-season from May –July.
5.5 LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
In tourism sector, government is supposed to undertake an entrepreneurial
role to ensure that pioneer activities are initiated, including the development and operation
of tourist facilities. In this study, the level of government support towards private sector is
evaluated by analyzing the variables such as role of government in promoting tourism,
coordination between Department of Tourism and private tour operators, promotional
materials and incentives offered to the tour operators.
5.5.1 Role of government in tourism promotion
The role of the government in tourism promotion is crucial, as they can become
catalysts for private sector initiatives. Researcher made an attempt to find out the opinion
of tour operators regarding the role of Kerala government in tourism promotion.
The results are shown in table 5.8.
181
Majority of the tour operators are of the opinion that the state tourism
department has succeeded in the promotion of the destination. It was interesting to note
that 55 percent of them opined that the performance of the Government in tourism
promotion is good. Ten percent of the tour operators expressed it as excellent whereas
7 percent regarded it as poor. Seventeen percent of the tour operators are satisfied with
government activities in the promotion of tourism whereas 11 percent did not find it
satisfactory.
5.5.2 Public-Private coordination:
For a successful take off of the tourism sector, coordination between public
and private sector is utmost important. Eighty one percent of the tour operators opined
that there is proper coordination between the Department of tourism and tour operators.
Only 19 percent felt that there is lack of coordination between Department of tourism
and private tour operators. The results of this study proves that Govt. has succeeded in
attaining the confidence of tour operators, and this public- private synergy is necessary
for the overall growth of the industry.
Table 5.8
Role of Government in Tourism Promotion
Opinion No of respondents Percentage
Excellent 3 10
Good 17 55
Satisfactory 5 17
Not satisfactory 3 11
Poor 2 7
Total 30 100
Source: Field survey
182
5.5.3 Promotional materials and incentives:
Promotional materials play an important role in destination branding.
Regarding the type of promotional materials offered, 75 percent of tour operators opined
that they get brochures and 21percent get slides from Department of Tourism. Only
4 percent of the tour operators receive audiovisual presentation of Kerala.
Researcher also examined whether these materials were properly distributed
among the tour operators to attain this common goal. The study reveals that 67 percent
of the tour operators are not getting sufficient promotional materials from the government.
This finding points out the need for more efficient distribution of the promotional materials
to tour operators, who are the real ambassadors of the destination. This result also
highlights the high demand of the promotional materials supplied by DoT.
Another major drawback of the Dept. of Tourism, revealed through this
research is that, 80 percent of tour operators are not getting any incentives from the
government. It is learnt from reliable publications that Government is offering various
schemes and subsidies to tourism based industries. But the result of this study pictured
an unsatisfied group in this aspect.
5.6 ADEQUACY OF SUPPORTING SERVICES
The services of tour operators include arrangement of easy transportation
and provision of proper accommodation to suit the budget of the travellers. Study shows
that 80 percent of the tours operators have their own fleet of transport and 20 percent
have long term tie up with other fleet owners. Most of our tour operators are offering
different types of transportations like car, coaches and boats to their customers.
183
Regarding the mode of accommodation, most of the tour operators prefer to
put their customers in top category hotels. Nearly 36 percent of the tour operators prefer
accommodation in 3-star hotels. Twenty one percent of tour operators provide
accommodation in 5- star hotels and 25 percent in 4-star hotels. Tour operator’s interest
level in home stays is also noticeable. Eleven percent of tour operators arrange home
stay accommodation for tourists. Only 7 percent are looking for accommodation at a
low tariff. Tour operators focus more on high-end tourist instead of mass tourist, which in
turn ensures sustainable tourism in the state. But at the same time there is a mixed response
towards the room tariff; 66 percent of the tour operators opined that room tariff in
Kerala is high compared to the other states while 35 percent rated it as moderate.
The study also reveals that 75 percent of the tour operators have regular
business association with leading hotels in various places. This enables them to provide
customers the best accommodation at attractive prices.
Researcher also examined the opinion of the tour operators about the
quality of services in the hotels. It is observed that 36 percent of the respondents have
rated cleanliness in hotels as the best among the services provided. Only 16 percent of
the tour operators believed quality of manpower to be superior. A similar percentage of
response (24%) was obtained for provision of local cuisine and quality of rooms
in hotels (24%).
184
Table 5.9 depicted the destinations which face shortage of rooms. As per the
results, Munnar stands on top with 33 percent. Nearly 29 percent of the tour operators
experienced lack of accommodation facilities in Kumarakom while 21 percent have faced
acute shortage of rooms in Thekkady. Less than 10 percent of the tour operators noted
shortage of rooms in destinations such as Kovalam, Kappad and Bekal. Tour operators
are not facing any such problem in Kochi and Wayanad. Based on these results researcher
feels that there is a tremendous opportunity of private investment and public-private
participation to set up infrastructure facilities for tourism in Kerala. Wayanad is not fully
explored by tourists and tour operators and hence the result.
Table 5.9
Destinations facing shortage of rooms
Source: Field survey
5.6.1 Shortage of rooms:
The study seeks to find out the destinations facing shortage of rooms and the
results are highlighted in table 5.9.
Destinations Frequency Percentage
Munnar 9 33
Thekkady 5 21
Kochi - -
Kumarakom 8 29
Kovalam 2 9
Kappad 1 4
Bekal 1 4
Wayanad - -
Total 26 100
185
5.7 INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES
Infrastructure facilities are imperative to make Kerala tourism a super brand.
Tourists seek a wide range of facilities and services that are provided by different suppliers
at different stages of the trip. Accommodation, transportation and communication forms
very important part of tourism infrastructure. Tourism develops in those areas where
extensive transportation network is available. Transportation is the means to reach the
destination and also the means of movement at the destination. Proper maintenance of road
is essential since it provides regular direct route services for short and medium distances to
the destination. Accommodation facilities are the core component in the tourist supply.
An efficient communication network is vital for upholding and augmenting tourism activity.
Thereby it becomes relevant to review the infrastructure facilities especially in view of
maintenance of roads, accommodation, transportation and communication. The opinion of
tour operators about the infrastructure facilities in Kerala is depicted in Table 5.10.
Table 5.10
Infrastructure facilities
Source: Field survey
Infrastructure Facilities
Poor (%)
Satisfactory (%)
Good (%)
Excellent (%)
Total (%)
Road
maintenance
19
(62%)
8
(28%)
3
(10%) _
30
(100%)
Transportation 6
(21%)
14
(45%)
10
(35%) _
30
(100%)
Communication 5
(17%)
6
(21%)
16
(52%)
3
(10%)
30
(100%)
Accommodation 2
(7%)
4
(14%)
23
(76%)
1
(3%)
30
(100%)
186
As the table demonstrates, majority of the respondents have good opinion
about the accommodation facilities but found the quality of roads in Kerala as poor.
Seventy six percent of tour operators considered the accommodation facilities as good
whereas 14 percent felt it satisfactory. As regards communication facilities, only 10 percent
of the respondents found it excellent. It is also noted that 52 percent of the respondents
indicated facilities to be good and 21percent considered it as only satisfactory.
Thirty five percent of the tour operators considered transportation facilities to be good
and 45 percent as satisfactory. About 62 percent of the respondents viewed that the
conditions of roads in Kerala is very poor and it is the major drawback of many tourism
destinations.
5.8 HOSPITALITY UNITS:
Researcher feels that the study of Tourism Brand Promotion will not be
complete with the survey of tourists and tour operators. Accommodation providers are
also playing an important role in tourism promotion. Therefore data were collected from
hotels and resorts, which are located in nine districts, Thiruvananthapuram (10),
Kollam (1), Alappuzha (2), Kottayam (2), Idukki (5), Ernakulam (5), Kozhikode (2),
Wayanad (2) and Kasargode (1).
5.9 PROFILE OF UNITS:
The profile of properties comprising hotels and resorts surveyed was measured
with four parameters - Status of the hotel, Category of hotel, No of employees in the
organization and Nature of tourists handled.
187
The properties included 59 percent holiday resorts and 4 percent business
hotels. Twenty percent of the properties were positioned as Heritage and 15 percent as
Health resorts. It is revealed that Fifty eight percent of properties belonged to 3- star
categories and the remaining form various other categories of hotels such as 2-star
(14 percent), 4-star (14 percent) and 5-star (14 percent).
About 87 percent of the responding hotels handle both individual tourist
and group travellers. Ten percent of the hotels are handling only individual travellers and
3 percent are dealing with only group travellers.
The researcher enquired about the number of employees in hotels in order to
know the employment potential in hospitality sector.
Table 5.11
No of employees
No of employees No of respondents Percentage
Less than 50 13 43
51-100 6 20
101-150 7 23
151-200 3 10
Above 200 1 4
Total 30 100
Source: Field survey
188
Table 5.11 reveals that the total number of employees employed by 43 percent
of the properties is under 50. Twenty percent of the respondents have employees in their
organizations ranging between 51-100. About 23 percent of the respondents said that
the strength of their employees ranges between 101-150. A very few units are employing
more than 150 employees. So the interesting fact is, 56 percent of the accommodation
providers are directly employing more than 50 employees in their properties which gives
a clear picture of employment generation in this industry and the resulted economic
growth.
5.9.1 Occupancy status:
The average occupancy rate was more than 60 percent for 77 percent of the
hotels. The researcher was interested to know the influence of room rate in the occupancy
rate for hotels in the state. For this, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is used as the statistical
tool. The Hypothesis framed is Room rate and Occupancy rate are independent. The
results are depicted in table 5.12.
190
Coefficient of average room rate is statistically significant at ten percent.
Average room rate can be taken as a proxy for the facilities provided by tourist units.
Results reveal that one percent increase in average room rate increases occupancy rate
by 0.2 percent.
5.10 DURATION OF STAY:
The researcher examined the trend of duration of stay of tourists in properties.
The results are displayed in table 5.13.
Table 5.13
Duration of stay in properties
Source: Field survey
Seventy percent of the respondents opined that their guests usually stay
between 2-3 days in their properties. One week stay in hotels are represented by
20 percent and only a few respondents said that their guests stayed for more than one
week. Results of both tourists and tour operators survey also gave similar findings, that
further highlight the fact that Kerala is considered a preferable destination for shorter
holidays.
Duration of stay No of respondents Percentage
One day 1 3
Two – Three days 21 70
One week 6 20
More than one week 2 7
Total 30 100
191
5.11 NATIVITY OF TOURISTS
The researcher was concerned to know the nationality of foreign tourists
accommodated by the properties. With this intention the respondents were asked to
mention the countries from where they got most guests. Multi Dimensional Scaling was
conducted to analyze the market performance of different countries. The dimensional
values of different countries are given in table 5.14.
Table 5.14
Country of origin of foreign tourists
Dimension Number Name
1 2
1 U.K 2.1909 0.00
2 U.S.A -0.8216 0.2739
3 MALDIVES -2.1909 0.00
4 FRANCE 1.6432 0.00
5 GERMANY 0.5477 0.5477
6 SRILANKA -1.6432 0.00
7 ITALY 0.8216 -0.2739
8 AUSTRALIA 0.2739 -0.8216
9 SWITZERLAND -0.2739 0.2739
192
Fig. 5.3
Country of Origin of Tourist
Dimension 1
3210-1-2-3
Dime
nsion
2
.6
.4
.2
.0
-.2
-.4
-.6
-.8
-1.0
switzerl
australi
italy
srilanka
germany
francemaldives
u.s.a
u.k
Dimension 1
Dim
ensi
on 2
Germany
USA
Switzerland
France U.KMaldives Srilanka
Italy
Australia
193
The results of MDS shown in graph 5.2 indicates that UK is the top of all
tourist generating countries for Kerala and this is followed by France, Germany, Italy,
USA, Switzerland, Srilanka, Maldives and Australia.
5.12 MARKETING INPUTS :
Properties are formulating different strategies for marketing their products
and services, which in turn leads to the promotion of Tourism destination. Therefore the
researcher collected and analyzed information regarding the use of various media in
promotion, source of getting advance booking from the tourists, use of tagline, package
offered to the tourists, mostly promoted income group and tie-ups with tour operators.
5.12.1 Channels of promotion
Hotels and resorts are using various channels for promoting tourism products
and services in India and abroad. Table 5.15 summarizes the different channels used by
them for their promotion.
Channels of promotion No. of respondents Percentage
Participation in fairs 24 80
Through Brochures 22 73
Direct contact through foreign agencies 9 30
Agents in other countries 16 53
Advertisements 18 60
Web site 10 33
Table 5.15
Channels of Promotion
Source: Field survey
194
Since this is a multiple-choice question the percentage does not add up to
100. It is evident from the above Table 5.15 that participation in fairs is the most used
marketing medium by the units in Kerala. Seventy three percent of the accommodation
providers use brochures for their promotion. Sixty percent of the hospitality units studied
give advertisements in various media inside and outside the country and 53 percent depend
on agents in other countries for product promotion. Only 33 percent of the respondents
mentioned website as their medium of publicity and 30 percent prefers promotion through
foreign agencies.
5.12.2 Source of advance booking
Table 5.16 highlights the various sources of advance booking at hotels.
The data reflected in table 5.16 reveals that direct enquiry is one of the main
sources of advance reservations at hotels in Kerala, which is certainly good news for
Kerala Tourism. Thirty seven percent of the respondents opined that they get reservations
mainly through direct enquiry whereas 33 percent of the respondents pointed out tour
operators and travel agents as the preferred source of advance booking. The use of
Table 5.16
Source of advance booking
Source: Field survey
Source of advance booking No of respondents Percentage
Direct entry 11 37
Internet 9 30
Tour operators & travel agents 10 33
Total 30 100
195
online reservation system is denoted by 30 percent. Researcher feels that vast scope of
this area is yet to be exploited.
5.12.3 Use of tagline
Respondents were asked to mention the use of tagline attached to the name
of the properties in the marketing. About 85 percent of the properties have designed
taglines in order to create an attachment with the brand and to connect with their clients.
Ninety five percent of the respondents feel that these taglines are helping them in brand
positioning. The results affirm the view that slogans and taglines enhance awareness about
the destination and build a beneficial brand image.
5.12.4 Package offered
Survey results show that 56 percent of the hotels are providing both package
tours and tailor made tours to their guests. Twenty two percent of the properties are
offering only package tours and a similar percentage of hotels are offering only tailor
made tour iteneraries to the travellers.
5.12.5 Most potential tourism product
Respondent properties were asked to give their opinion about the most
potential tourism products in Kerala.
196
The analysis as per table 5.17 displays that ayurveda and backwaters are
the most potential tourism products in Kerala. A few respondents identified beaches as
the most potential tourism product. Thirty five percentage of the properties preferred
Ayurveda and Backwaters as the most potential tourism product. Hill stations were
denoted as the most potential tourism product by 13 percent of the hotels and culture
and heritage by 10 percent of the units.
5.12.6 Super Brand Awareness
The researcher wants to know awareness level among the respondents
regarding super brand status of Kerala tourism. Ninety seven percent of the respondents
are aware that Kerala is one of the super brands in India.
Table 5.17
Most potential tourism product
Source: Field survey
Tourism products No of respondents Percentage
Beaches 2 7
Backwaters 10 35
Ayurveda 10 35
Hill stations 5 13
Culture & Heritage 3 10
Total 30 100
197
5.12.7 Mostly promoted income group
Like tour operators, majority of the accommodation providers are interested
in handling high income and middle income segments as their clients. Results show that
55 percent of the respondents are focusing on the high-income groups and 41 percent on
the middle-income groups. Only 4 percent of the properties are interested in low-income
group.
5.12.8 Tie up with tour operators
Majority of the properties have tie up with tour operators. About 70 percent
of the respondents have direct business association with the tour operators in Kerala.
5.13 LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Researcher tries to find out the level of Government support to private players
by way of incentives and promotional materials. It is seen that 35 percent of the facilitators
are benefiting from various incentives offered by the Government. Eighty three percent of
the respondents revealed that they are getting sufficient brochures through Department of
Tourism, 11 percent are getting videos and 6 percent are getting slides.
5.13.1 Public-Private co-ordination:
Eighty nine percent of the respondents opined that there is better coordination
between Department of Tourism and facilitators. Regarding the role of government in
tourism promotion, 33 percent of the respondents expressed good opinion whereas
20 percent remarked it as excellent. Forty percent of the respondents considered the
efforts of the government as satisfactory and 7 percent felt not satisfactory.
198
5.14 ADEQUACY OF SUPPORTING SERVICES
For an effective provision of quality tourism experience, the organizations
need to offer a variety of supporting services to its guests. Researcher has considered
transportation facilities, backwater cruise, bar facility, conference facility and ayurveda
as the supporting services provided by the hospitality industry in Kerala. An attempt has
been made to understand the various services provided by the accommodation providers
in Kerala to the visiting people.
Table 5.18
Adequacy of supporting services
Source: Field survey
Response
Supporting Services Yes
(%)
No
(%)
Total
Transportation 29
(97%)
1
(3%) 30 (100%)
Backwater cruise 27
(90%)
3
(10%)
30
(100%)
Art forms 26
(87%)
4
(13%)
30
(100%)
Bar facility 7
(24%)
23
(76%)
30
(100%)
Conference 26
(87%)
4
(13%)
30
(100%)
Ayurveda 22
(73%)
8
(27%)
30
(100%)
30
(100%)
199
Table 5.18 reveals that 97 percent of the accommodation providers arrange
transportation facilities for their guests. Researcher feels that it will enable them to give
better service to tourists that will lead to high customer satisfaction. Ninety percent and
87 percent of the respondents reported that their guests request for backwater cruise
and art forms respectively. The study further reveals that the properties make arrangements
for backwater cruise and art forms in order to meet the request of their guests. In Kerala
there are lots of restrictions to obtain a bar license and government is collecting huge
amount as license fees. The table shows that only 24 percent of the properties have a bar
attached to the property. Sixty four percent of the facilitators are of the opinion that bar
facility is required for customer satisfaction and revenue generation. Eighty seven percent
of the facilitators have their own conference halls with various capacities, attached to the
property. This indicates that properties are very keen on promoting the MICE concept.
Seventy three percent of the properties are offering ayurvedic packages for their customers.
Adequate transportation infrastructure is one of the important pre requisites
for the development of any destination. Therefore it becomes relevant to consider the
role of accommodation providers in arranging transportation facilities to the tourist.
The results are depicted in table 5.19.
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Results of table 5.19 show that 59 percent of the hotels have their own fleet
of vehicles. The rest of them are outsourcing the services to various fleet owners. Seventeen
percent are arranging transportation through long-term contract with other fleet owners
while 7 percent arrange through casual contracts with fleet owners.
Source: Field survey
Response No of respondents Percentage
Own fleet of vehicles 17 59
Long term contracts with other fleet owners 5 17
Casual contracts with fleet owners 7 24
Total 29 100
Table 5.19
Arrangement of transportation
In order to know the potential of MICE tourism in Kerala the researcher
enquired about the seating capacity of conference halls in various hotels. The results are
presented in table 5.20.
Table 5.20
Conference facilities
Source: Field survey
Seating Capacity No of respondents Percentage
Less than 50 3 11
51-100 9 35
101-150 8 31
151-200 2 8
Above 200 4 15
Total 26 100
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It is also observed that 35 percent of the properties have conference hall,
which can accommodate 51-100 people whereas 31 percent of the properties have
conference hall that can accommodate 101-150 people. Nearly 23 percent of the
properties have conference hall with more than 150 seating capacity.
Researcher made an attempt to understand the facilities for ayurvedic treatment
in hotels and resorts. Out of 30 accommodation providers only 22 provide ayurvedic
packages to the tourists. It is interesting to note that only 18 hospitality units have
government-approved ayurvedic centres. Though the duration of ayurvedic treatment
depends on the suggestion of the doctors, the study reveals that usually one week package
is offered by majority of the units.
5.15 DISCUSSION
The study gives a clear picture of the profile of the tour operators and the
type of tourists they handled. Most of the tour operators surveyed were operating only
from Kerala and their business interest is exclusively in Kerala tourism. The profile of
the tour operators also shows the scope of this industry through their outside branches.
Thirty seven percent of the tour operators have offices outside the state and 25 percent
have offices abroad also. Destinations may benefit considerably from the national and
international marketing network of tour operators. Researcher also noted that our tour
operators have much confidence to handle the tourists as group or individual.
Findings of table 5.1 are in tune with result of the tourist survey. Like domestic
tourists, majority of the tour operators consider Kerala as a destination for shorter holidays.
Seventy percent of the accommodation providers are also of the same opinion. Researcher
considers that this perception of Kerala as a shorter holiday destination as a major factor,
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which may adversely affect the image of destination Kerala. It seems that the state has
yet to showcase the diverse products and services to the target audience and have to
benefit out of it.
The various promotional strategies adopted by the tour operators for
strengthening the destination are explained in Table 5.2. The highest priority was given to
brochures and a fairly high priority was accorded to web site information. The least
priority among the promotion strategies was given to the promotion of tourism through
agents in other countries and direct contact through foreign agencies. The study conducted
by Palmer Adrian1 (2003) also supports the significance of website in tourism promotion.
It reports that internet facilitates a stronger presence for individual tourism suppliers in
the market place, who are now able to reach their potential markets more directly.
It offers great flexibility for tourism suppliers operating in volatile markets. The promotional
message can be changed much more quickly than in the case where the requirement to
print brochures leads to long lead times between a policy decision being made and the
implementation of that decision. Connolly 2 (1998) also considers tourism related services
as the leading product category that is to be promoted and distributed to consumer markets
through the Internet.
Results as per table 5.3 points out that a major portion of the tour operators
market Kerala as a stand-alone package. A small percentage of tourists sell Kerala as a
part of South India. Researcher feels it as a notable point that highlights the conscious
efforts of these private players in the promotion of destination branding.
Table 5.4 reports the opinion of the tour operators regarding the most potential
tourism products in Kerala. The results highlight backwater as the most potential tourism
product whereas less response is obtained for culture and heritage. This observation is
found reinforced by the findings of tourist’s survey. Researcher feels the preference for
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backwater is perhaps due to the reason that these products can attract more quality
tourists, which in turn helps to garner more revenue for the state. These results highlight
the need for fully tapping the potential of this natural gift to Kerala, the backwaters. A
considerable number of tour operators have also suggested ayurveda and hill stations as
potential tourism product. It also appears from the table that some tour operators are
giving preference to beaches, Medical care and culture and heritage.
The MDS as per table 5.5 and fig 5.2 reveals that Kumarakom is the most
promoted tourist destination in the state. This suggests that there is regional imbalance in
tourism development in the state. This again supports the finding that tour operators are
highlighting Backwater as the Unique Selling Proposition of Kerala. Other destinations
promoted by tour operators are Munnar, Thekkady, Kovalom and Kochi. Research also
proves that tour operators are showing less interest in promoting the destinations in
North Kerala such as Vythiri, Kappad and Bekal. This may be due to lack of basic
infrastructure and amenities for tourists. In order to enhance the overall appeal of
destination Kerala, it is necessary to highlight the various tourism destinations within it,
which are blessed with a wide variety of attractions. Over selling of tourist destinations
like Kumarakom and Munnar may create ecological imbalance, which in turn affect the
sustainability of the destination.
The results as per table 5.6 highlight that most of the tour operators offer
both tailor made and package tours, which may produce high customer satisfaction. It is
also evident that tour operators concentrate more on tailor-made packages than package
tours. Tourists will frequently differ in their perceptions, expectations and desired
satisfaction of the tourist places. Customized packages offered by the tour operators will
cater to the specific needs of the travellers.
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Result of table 5.7 shows the various segment where the tour operators are
interested. As per the figures from this table tour operators are more interested in handling
cash rich customers especially high income and middle-income group. Researcher feels
that higher economy, higher disposable income, changing lifestyles and higher consumer
confidence index is resulting in more people going on holidays. Tour operators identify
this group as their target segment. The study also points out that Kerala is being turned
into a quality tourism brand with the help of tour operators. They focus on quality conscious
upmarket tourists who contribute to sustaining and preserving the natural splendors of
this land, which in turn help to earn more revenue. These results also match the efforts of
Department of Tourism. The tourism vision aims at promoting and marketing Kerala
tourism products at national and international levels thereby making Kerala a premier
global tourism destination.
The study reveals that the problem of seasonality has always existed in the
industry though it has accentuated in the recent years with the diversification of tourism
products in different destinations. Recently introduced concepts like monsoon tourism,
MICE, grand Kerala shopping festivals etc. help the state to keep the season more live
and lengthier.
Result of table 5.8 give a picture of tour operators’ comments on the role of
the Government in the promotion of tourism. Majority of the tour operators expressed
their happiness in the present style of functioning of the tourism department.
Government of Kerala has already executed lots of promotional exercises in the tourism
industry, while such activities are absent in other states. According to Venu. V (2008)3
Kerala tourism participates in more than eight or nine international fairs every year
and Kerala conducted ten business oriented road shows in the year 2007 alone.
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The investigation on the destinations facing shortage of accommodation
facilities as per table 5.9 reveals an interesting fact that Kochi and Wayanad are the two
spots that do not face any shortage of rooms. Though the tourists survey identifies Kochi
as the highest - visit destination, it does not face any shortage of accommodation. This
may be because this city is filled with a number of hotels and resorts with different
status. The shortage of rooms is mainly found in destinations such as Munnar, Thekkady,
Kumarakom and Kovalam. This may be due to the fact that these destinations are oversold
during peak season and this emphasizes the need for more premium hotels here. It is
quite surprising that though Kappad and Bekal are the least promoted by the tour
operators, they face shortage of rooms during peak seasons. This necessitates the
development of more accommodation facilities in these destinations.
Table 5.10 demonstrates how adequate our infrastructure is in hosting a large
number of tourists. Majority of the respondents have good opinion about the
communication and accommodation facilities in Kerala. This result shows a positive
aspect of Kerala Tourism because lack of adequate infrastructure of roads and
transportation may adversely affect the image of the destination.
The result of table 5.11 gives a picture of employment generation in the hotel
industry. Since the figures mentioned here is the direct employment in the hotel industry,
the creation of indirect employment will definitely be higher than this figure. It supports
the reported fact that tourism is the sector which has the highest employment potential in
Kerala. The recent increase in the number of Hotel Management institutes also justifies
this finding.
Result of table 5.13 is also in tune with the survey result of tourists and tour
operators in the case of duration of stay in the hotels. Majority of accommodation providers
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agreed that average stay of the guests in the property is 2-3 days. It slightly contradicts
with the survey results of hotel industry that state capital’s four-star, three-star and two
star hotels have the highest length of stay by foreign guests and leisure guests at 4.5 and
4.3 respectively4.
The sample survey of hospitality units reveals a number of valuable information.
The survey results as per table 5.14 shows that UK is the most potential market for
Kerala Tourism followed by France and Germany. Department of Tourism is regularly
conducting promotional activities like road shows, fairs and exhibitions in some of the
countries mentioned above. It hints that in order to generate more tourists inflow to the
state from other countries, Dept. of Tourism and facilitators must extend their promotional
activities in the untapped markets also.
Table 5.15 emphasises the importance of various media in tourism product
promotion. It is evident that participation in fairs is the most used marketing medium by
the units in Kerala followed by brochures and advertisements. It is a fact that through
tourism fairs, hotels get a chance to showcase their products and services to the buyers
from the various parts of the country and abroad. It may be the impact of the recently
popularized and effective travel fair, Kerala Travel Mart (KTM). Now it has become
one of the countries largest brands, which is a fine example of public-private participation
and it has already created a positive wave in the tourism industry.
In the study, it is seen that only 33 percent of the units used website as their
medium of publicity which is quite surprising considering its possibilities in the present
technological age. Website is considered as the cheapest and most effective communication
medium, which provides innovative options in marketing. Researcher feels that Kerala
based accommodation providers are yet to exploit fully the tremendous potentials of this
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medium. The result of table 5.16 is quite interesting that most of the properties in
Kerala are getting direct booking from travellers. It is also clear that online booking is
becoming a prominent media for advance booking in hotels. However, it is true that there
is an increasing trend in the hospitality sector to use internet as an effective medium which
is supported by the report that with increased internet security, usage and increased
penetration of computers in urban India the percentage of hotels using websites for
reservations and promotions has gone up.
Majority of the hotels and resorts have attached taglines with their names
and have emphasized its significance in tourism marketing. Like tour operators, majority
of the properties are also providing package tours and tailor made tours in order to
attract varied segment of travellers.
Table 5.17 reports the opinion of hotels with regard to the most potential
tourism product. It is seen that majority of the tour operators give due weightage to
backwater and ayurveda.
Table 5.18 reveals that majority of the properties are arranging facilities like
transportation, backwater cruise, art forms and ayurvedic treatments. This helps in the
joint promotion of the destination and sprucing up of the facilities & infrastructure at the
destination. This promises the tourists a hassle-free holiday in Kerala. Only 24 percent of
the properties have bar facility. Many of them believe that bar facility is necessary for
customer satisfaction and revenue generation. Majority of these properties offer one-
two weeks packages which will helps them to sell more rooms and generate more revenues
too. Ayurveda also helped to create more employment opportunities. Table 5.19 reports
that majority of hotels have their own fleet of vehicles whereas others enter into casual or
long term arrangement with other fleet owners.
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Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) is comparatively
a recent tourism product development which has a major impact on the revenue stream
for hotels. Majority of the hospitality units studied provide MICE facilities. But it is evident
from table 5.20 that only a few hotels have conference hall that can accommodate more
than 200 people.
The above results provide an understanding of the role of tour operators and
accommodation providers in bringing together the tourists and the destination.
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REFERENCES
1. Palmer, Adrian; “Destination Branding and the Web”, Destination Branding, Reed
Educational and Professional Publishing Ltd, 2003.
2. Connolly, D.J; Olsen, M.D. and Moore, R.G,. The internet as a distribution channel.
Cornell Hotel and restaurant administration quarterly, 1998, p. 42-54.
3. Venu .V, “House boats classification on cards”, Travel Trends Today,Vol.24, Issue
No 6, 2008, p.18.
4. Indian Hotel Industry Survey 2004-2005, FHRAI Magazine, Vol.6, Issue 4,
2006, p.50.
