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“Challenges Marketing Community
based Ecotourism” Mr. Peter Richards, Marketing Manager, The Responsible, Ecological, Social Tours Project (REST), Thailand
Thai NGO...Background: Community Development, Volunteerism & Participatory Training...
What is Community based Tourism? ‘CBT’ Markets and Marketing Challenges Marketing ‘CBT’ Practical Recommendations
Community Based Tourism Development Process Community Participation Product Development Marketing
Participatory CBT Marketing Participatory Marketing & Planning Product Development Monitoring & Evaluation
Challenges Marketing CBT CHALLENGES 4 P’s Product Price Place Promotion
Challenges Marketing CBT - Product CBT is Dynamic by nature and difficult to standardize Service Expectations Vs. Local Product Many of the benefits of CBT are ‘behind the scenes.’ What should come first – product or market? Low product diversity / off the beaten track? High demand Vs low volume and ‘carrying capacity’
Challenges Marketing CBT- Price A ‘fairly priced’ product in a market saturated with cheap competitors Who pays for training? Community Commitment to Price Commitment!
Challenges Marketing CBT- Place Rural tourism products are presented far from the point of sale Decision to buy is based on quality of marketing rather than of product
Challenges Marketing CBT- Promotion Challenging issues at the heart of the CBT USP Selective Marketing Vs. integrating CBT with other destinations which sell well Inappropriate promotion by marketing intermediaries With limited, relevant skills, how far can communities participate in marketing?
Challenges Marketing CBT Thai Tour Operators > Commitment? > Resistance Independent Travelers > Communication > Price > Forum
Community Participation in CBT Marketing – Why? The greatest challenge of marketing CBT is who and how many guests should be welcomed Local communities have a lot to gain from tourism development, but they have even more to loose...resource base, culture, security... Many key stakeholders are concentrating on $ and volume... “Out of sight is out of mind...” We must all assist local communities to have more voice and choice in rural village tourism
Recommendations for practitioners Target the right partners and product lines, and Target the right guests! Communicate and educate Be realistic and honest about limitations Ensure Community Participation in Marketing Seek out and support genuine community based tourism and offer it to your guests Train your staff – knowledge, Skills, Attitude Dedicate a fixed % of your product / advertising budget to sustainable tourism / CBT products Request your government tourism organizations for assistance to partner with CBT projects
Demand for Community based Tourism “Homestay is always the highlight for passengers.” Intrepid Travel, Australia “Experience to enable them to truly appreciate another culture” Go Bush, Australia “Authenticity. Our clients want to meet local people and learn about their daily life and culture”, Sawadee Reizen, The Netherlands “A cultural experience, a holiday, and to do something worthwhile so that they [guests] feel that they have left behind something positive during their travels.” The Imaginative Traveler, UK “To get an impression how village life goes on, and know more about peoples opinions and way of living.” Hauser, Germany “An experience which goes beyond the average and gives guests a real insight into the culture they are visiting” Go Differently, UK
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