Tourism Marketing: - A Case Study of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Tourism which is a very complex industry because of its multifaceted activities produces together the Tourist ‘Product’ and various subsectors that are themselves complete industries, if considered independently (lodging industry, transport industry etc.). Its complexity furthermore, lies mostly in the fact that Tourist promotion in its various forms has to be directed at a large number of people in various lands of different socio-economic structures, having different needs-tastes, attitudes, expectation and behavior patterns. Efficient marketing is the one which succeeds in penetrating the people’s tasks and preferences.¹

            Tourism is a growth industry and holiday taking is an established habit. The competition to entice potential tourists to take a particular type of holiday or visit a particular destination is intense. Tourism needs to be marketed, just as any other product, indeed more so, because it is an industry in which the customer still has an immense variety of choice. However, the marketing of tourist destinations differs in some important respects from the marketing of other goods and services and an awareness of these differences is important in a successful promotion of the images of tourist places.