Myth Making In Tourism Marketing

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1、Myth Making In Tourism Marketingby Carmen CradockABSTRACTThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues relating to myth making in the tourism industry. The mythmakers are the marketers of the tourism product, who are increasing tourist numbers through false pretences. This paper focuses on fals

2、e marketing through brochures, promotion campaigns, individual bias and the movies. These false pretences lead to dissatisfaction among the tourists. The effects of this dissatisfaction are discussed in relation to the tourist providers, the community and the number of future tourists to the specifi

3、c destinations discussed. Examples are taken from a case study at the Geraldine Information Centre and the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign. Keywords: tourism, marketing, tourist satisfaction, Geraldine.INTRODUCTIONThe paper begins analysing the definition of myths and the role they play in the touris

4、m industry, affecting the providers, the destination and the tourists. Examples will be given discussing how both intentional and unintentional myths arise. The main cause is a lack of open communication and relationship between the marketers and the managers. False marketing is created through the

5、movies, lack of prior research and the influence of individuals on marketing strategies and promotions, in particular the use of symbols in brochures and on internet websites. This is followed by a discussion of the influence these potential myth making factors create for the providers, the destinat

6、ion and the tourists. The effects that dissatisfied tourists will have on the destination both in the short and long term. Examples are taken from a case study at the Geraldine Information Centre and the 100% Pure advertising campaign for New Zealand.BACKGROUNDThe issue of marketing is an important

7、one due to the long-term effects it can have for the region or country. If the marketing is false and expectations are created for the tourists that the country or the service providers simply cannot meet, the tourists will be dissatisfied. This will lead to a down turn in the number of tourists com

8、ing to a certain destination or New Zealand as a whole. If this trend continued it could have devastating effects on the economy and the local residents.The examples taken from the Geraldine Information Centre are from the personal experiences of Carmen Cradocks time working at the centre during the

9、 summer period of November through to February 2001-2002 and discussions with the manager of the centre. While carrying out practical work at the Geraldine Information Centre Cradock saw first hand the effects that false marketing and mismanagement of resources was having on the destination. From th

10、is she realised there was a real need to better understand tourist expectations and satisfaction levels and the effects of false marketing. These findings were backed up by the issues surrounding the 100% Pure campaign set out by the Tourism New Zealand, where the images used created a feeling there

11、 would be total isolation from other tourists, thus setting unrealistic expectations.There is plenty of literature on how to market, from a marketers point of view, but there needs to be more research done on marketing from a managers point of view. Considering issues such as sustainability, expecta

12、tions, satisfaction and long term effects, not just the increased numbers of tourists or revenue created from the promotion.ISSUEMyth making is the long-term effect of false marketing, which can be divided into different sections, both intentional and unintentional. The false marketing discussed in

13、this paper is from the free advertising created by the movies, marketers conveying false images and the effects of only using one-person perceptions. The effects these forms of false marketing have on the providers, the destination and the tourists, both short and long term. And the need for markete

14、rs to work along side management to ensure the correct images are conveyed so tourist expectations are realistic.LITERATURE REVIEWThe New Shorter Oxford English dictionary (Brown (Ed.) 1993) defines myths as being “a traditional story either wholly or partially fictitious providing an explanation fo

15、r, or embodying a popular idea concerning some natural or social phenomenon A widely held story or belief, a misconception, a misrepresentation of the truth, an exaggerated or idealised conception”. The ideas of being a story, holding a popular idea, exaggerated or idealised conception relate direct

16、ly to Levi-Strauss (1986 cited in: Selwyn, 1996, p3) definition of the tourists image of a myth, as being “treated as stories which may serve the intellectual and emotional function of taking up personal and social conundrum of living in such a way that these appear resolved at an intellectual and e

17、motional level”. In relation to tourism, Johns and Clarke (2001) state a myth is a form of communication made by advertisers, governments and the media in the form of marketing. They go on to say that it is up to the tourist to recognise these myths. But if these myths lead to dissatisfaction becaus

18、e they are not realised, they will have a negative effect. Surely the role of the marketer is not to allow this to happen.Marketing is a loosely used term but it needs to be fully understood to ensure that it has positive effects and carries out its role efficiently and effectively. According to Col

19、tman (1989; cited in Seaton and Bennett, 1996) “tourism marketing is a directed, goal oriented activity that balances the objectives of the tourist destination or supplier within it, with the needs of tourists”. Meeting tourists demands, is made possible through undertaking research, forecasting and

20、 selection of the correct target market to greater benefit all those involved. From this definition and a general understanding of marketing it is essential to fully consider the viewpoint of the consumer or in this case the tourist, ensuring that the product or service fits the needs and wants of t

21、he tourist. When the product or service does not meet the tourists expectations false marketing or myth making takes place.The first of these issues of false marketing arises through the misuse of symbols. The example taken from the case study that will be discussed later is the use of Maori art in

22、promotional campaigns such as brochures and internet sites. When using Maori art or symbols the marketer must be aware of the significance it holds for Maori. Maori believe to use a symbol all those involved, the marketer and recipient or tourist must share the value and understanding of the symbol

23、held by Maori (Ryan, 1997).The issues of false marketing are not written about and little can be found discussing the effectiveness of guidebooks such as Lonely Planet publications. One article has been written by Bhattacharyya (1997). The issues are in relation to the Lonely Planet for India but th

24、e ideas and the influence the publication holds over tourists are the same. Bhattacharyya states a guidebook is a critical part of the tourist process relating the tourist to the destination and to the host community, interpreting what one perceives. The role of any guidebook is to describe the dest

25、ination and everything about it to the tourist in a truthful manner. The guidebook has a responsibility to the readers to be as accurate as possible. There is also the responsibility to the host community. The guidebook lists places to stay and eat, so what happens if a caf or backpackers was accide

26、ntally left out? They would not receive the same benefits of the advertising as the other business. The guidebook also needs to consider the host communitys values, there may be buildings and festivals that they do not want hundreds of tourists to know about.The language used throughout the text is

27、informal, with no criteria given by which the facilities and attractions are evaluated. The evaluation describes the attributes, making the reader feel there is no need for their own evaluation. Therefore many tourists will refuse to stay in accommodation or go to sights if they are not mentioned in

28、 the Lonely Planet. The contents of the guidebooks is presenting and creating a certain image for the destination and the country.The final point made in this paper in relation to false advertising is the unintentional or free advertising created through the movies. Riley, Baker and Van Doren (1998)

29、 believe that movie induced tourism occurs because of the tourist gaze (Urry: cited in Riley, Baker and Van Doren, 1998). The location or scenery in the movie becomes an icon for the tourists to gaze upon. This idea has been widely acknowledged, but little has been done until recently to take advant

30、age of this to increase tourism such as creating movie maps.Movies appeal to the myth idealism, as they are a non-sale form of communication or unintentional form of marketing. Movies allow the tourist to discover the location, through stories, themes and scenery creating unique worlds that do not e

31、xist in reality, but the tourist can recreate them through visiting the location. The watcher relates to a theme and desires to feel part of it. For example, many females travelled to Natchitoches, Louisiana to bond with each other after the release of Steel Magnolias. The movie Fried Green Tomatoes

32、 also inspired people and many went to Juliet, Georgia the location of the filming, looking for self-determination (Riley, Baker and Van Doren, 1998).CASE STUDYA correlation has been made between past literature and a case study involving the Timaru District Tourism Board and in particular the Geral

33、dine Information Centre, to further illustrate the issues mentioned above on the lack of information about the effects false myth making tourism marketing has on the tourists, the providers and the destination, both short and long term. Unintentional and intentional marketing are discussed and expla

34、ined in the form of the movies, false advertising through the use of symbols and the use of the lonely planet handbook, as marketing form an individuals perspective.A form of intentional false advertising or over exaggeration occurred with the publication of the new regional brochure. Twenty-five th

35、ousand brochures have been printed and distributed around information centres and travel agencies (“New brochure”, 2002). The brochure included many pictures of the beautiful scenery in the area and information on attractions and accommodation. But one feature of the brochure was watermarks of Maori

36、 rock drawings. This exposure made the tourists believe they were a major feature of the area, with spectacular caves full of vibrant Maori rock drawings. The truth is that South Canterbury does have the greatest collection of Maori rock art in New Zealand, due to the large amounts of limestone in t

37、he area, which is unique to the area and therefore a good promotion tool. The reality is a large percentage of the Maori rock art in South Canterbury is on private land, inaccessible to the public. Those that are on public land are neither well sign posted, nor have interpretation about their meanin

38、gs. The art is spread all over the region with only a few drawings at each location. If the tourist picks up the brochure and goes to see the art without talking to staff at the information centres, they will travel for hours on gravel roads to see art they will not understand. The question is would

39、 tourists go if they knew the truth, and why is it advertised so well if it is going to lead to disappointment? This false marketing creates a myth about the region, which over time will be hard to correct.The issue relating to the use of guidebooks is illustrated from the Waihi, Te Moana and Orari

40、Gorges are neighbouring Geraldine. All three are mentioned in the Lonely Planet. Tourists have come into the information centre wanting to see the gorges; they had unrealistic expectation about what was there. Some tourists thought there were great geological formations, or majestic rivers. They nee

41、ded to be informed that the gorges were nice, relaxing and peaceful New Zealand rivers, but the access roads are unsealed and very windy and worn in places and the river holds no more significance than good swimming holes for the locals. The individual who wrote about the gorges needs to understand

42、the responsibility they have to convey the truth and how reliant the tourists are on what they read.Unintentional marketing or free marketing can become more of a burden than a good form of free advertising; this was the case with The Lord of the Rings. A main part of the sequel, The Two Towers was

43、filmed at Mount Potts, at the head of the Rangitata River in South Canterbury. During the summer there was large numbers of tourist coming to the centre wanting to go and look at the location where the filming took place. They had found out about the location from the internet and through word-of-mo

44、uth, from other information centres and locals who knew where the filming took place and directed them to the different areas. Some came with the idea that there were guides to the different locations and all believed that the castle and village structures were still there. Unfortunately all this ha

45、d gone and there was absolutely no evidence that the structures were even there. The tourists could not understand this, feeling cheated and disappointed. This is a form of unintentional marketing that the information centre and the regional tourism board had no control over, although they could use

46、 it to their advantage as long as tourists understood that the structures had gone. Local operators should use the free advertising created by the movie to their advantage. The local four-wheel drive operators could follow the initiative of a Queenstown based operation, Safari of the Rings, and offe

47、r trips to the type of country the movie was filmed in, as long as it is clear the structures, even the actors, have all left, so ensure the tourists do not get false expectations. Because the movie has three parts, after each release there will be a new influx of tourists to the area. Therefore it

48、is important to have appropriate promotion to reduce the effects of false expectations. With proper management there could be positive effects for all involved.In 1999 the 100% Pure campaign was launched, the first global campaign for New Zealand. In the first year over sixty-nine million people in

49、eight countries had seen the campaign (Tourism New Zealand, 2001). Although the campaign has been very successful, George Hickton, the chief executive of the New Zealand Tourism Board states that prior to the launch there was a degree of cynicism within the industry, the media and elsewhere. Hickton

50、 goes on to say the campaign “has the potential to achieve our goal of getting potential visitors in our target markets to come here now, do more while they are here and to come back and visit” (New Zealand Tourism Board, p3, 1999). All though this is a positive goal for economic benefits, the campa

51、ign or those involved have not considered the negative effects on the environment and the social effects on the host communities and the increase of dissatisfied tourists due to over crowding. The Minister of Tourism, at the time, Hon Lockwood Smith acknowledges that with the 100% Pure campaign ther

52、e will be a significant increase in tourist numbers and that as a country “were not fully prepared to deal with increased tourist numbers, particularly in terms of infrastructure roading”. He goes on to say: If the tourism industry cannot attract the investment needed to support growth, we will not

53、have the capacity to cater to the expectations of our international visitors”. (New Zealand Tourism Board, p2, 1999). Three months after the release of the campaign it is evident that the consequences had not been thought through, if expectation cannot be met it may mean that the campaign will end u

54、p having a negative effect for tourism in New Zealand.DISCUSSIONThe issue of marketers creating myths to draw tourists to a destination has two sides. First, there is the view that it is up to the tourist to identify the myths and make their individual judgement. The marketers are there to promote t

55、he destination any way possible to gain maximum numbers and profit. But the other side of the discussion is if the tourists do not identify the myths created through false marketing and arrive at a destination with unrealistic expectations, someone should be accountable for their dissatisfaction. Th

56、e marketers should be working along side the managers to create desirable destinations.The marketers should not only be thinking about the levels of satisfaction of the tourists but also the host community. A responsible marketer would take into account the needs and values of the host community, en

57、suring that the image and culture conveyed to the tourists through marketing is the same as those held by the locals.The first issue surrounding the use of Maori art in promotional campaigns could cause a lot of controversy if not managed in the proper manner. The iwi from which the art came must be

58、 consulted. There needs to be the opportunity for tourists to gain further education. For this to occur the managers and the staff need to have an understanding of the significance and history of the rock art. This would seem logical if displayed over promotion adverts. The reasons for using symbols

59、 may be to create a theme for the area so it has its own identity, this can make marketing easier as there is one symbol or theme to focus on. It may also foster pride in the host community (Watkins, 1995) But if the symbol is not a true representation of the area the marketing will be false and the

60、 community may be ashamed or confused about its meaning.The issue of one authors perception of an area being referred to in a guidebook, such as the Waihi, Te Moana and Orari Gorges, is an issue of bias. If the author does not like swimming and the outdoors they will write a totally different respon

61、se to someone who loves swimming and relaxing in natural areas. Another issue related to this is whether the author of the guidebooks takes into consideration the wants and values of the local community. All these gorges are regular swimming, camping and picnicking areas for locals to relax and the

62、last thing they probably want are hundreds of tourists going there, especially when there is no direct economic gain from the tourists going to the gorges.When dealing with intentional marketing the marketers and managers need to hold more responsibility for their actions. If the marketing is false

63、it is the employees on the front desk dealing with the tourists who have to deal with the dissatisfaction and explain the truth and the reason why the marketing is done in certain ways.From the literature relating to the effects movies have on tourism there are many benefits for the local community

64、and economy. To use the free advertising to its full potential and ensure the spin-offs are positive management need to work with the marketers to create a marketing campaign that best meets the tourists expectations and their wants while being realistic.Problems arise in promoting New Zealand, as t

65、he Tourism Board is solely focused o marketing and making as much money as possible. The Ministry of Tourism, which is totally separate, is focused on the sustainability of tourism. These two groups need to work together to achieve a promotional campaign, which gives the tourist what they want and continues to provide the same attributes, services and activities as in the future. Marketing is consumer driven but the tourists are only the transitional consumers the real consumers are the locals. They need to be valued and considered when developing and marketing too ensure that touris