Most sales and marketing courses claim they can give you the skills you need to advance your career. However, how many offer real value?
The travel and tourism industry is enormous, employing 200 million people and serving many more customers. Every day, businesses try to pinpoint a customer’s needs, expectations, and preferences to create marketing content that speaks to these aspirations. In a market dictated by the strength of a company’s marketing strategy, candidates with these skills are in high demand. As a result, there are thousands of highly qualified professionals vying for the same positions, who all claim they can transform a company’s marketing approach. In this article, we explain the foundational principles of marketing in the travel and tourism industry, separating the hype from valuable skills.
Marketing in travel: The basics
The goals of marketing in the travel and tourism industry are simple – get the consumer to purchase your product. As in any other industry, the travel sector uses promotional materials to attract consumers. For example, in the B2C sector, companies might use print or media advertisements or promotional offers. Equally, in the B2B segment, sales managers will refine their professional networking and pitching skills to generate more leads.
In order to pitch this content well, marketers need to know what their customers want. Today, big data contains a wealth of intelligence. Produced by every online interaction, the travel industry can capture a wide range of information about their customers’ preferences. With the power of data, marketers can formulate effective and personalized marketing content. This is especially important as consumers become increasingly savvy and their expectations grow. For instance, the growing influence of user-generated content means that companies have to market their products in more innovative, nuanced ways.
Why data should be core to marketing and sales courses
Traditionally, tourism sales and marketing courses will cover a number of topics related to travel services and vacation packages. These courses provide students with an overview of the industry, including international law, business management, communications, economics, accounting, and consumer psychology. As a part of the curriculum, students gain an understanding of consumer behavior and sales cycles alongside product development. From here, courses teach students how to produce effective marketing campaigns.
However, what sets apart modern sales and marketing courses from outdated models is the emphasis on data. Now, travel marketers need to have highly developed analytical skills in order to produce the best advertising campaigns possible. Whereas before marketers would rely on intuition or creativity, marketing professionals can now extract evidence-based intelligence from data. Therefore, when searching for a valuable sales and marketing course, look for curriculums that emphasize creativity and analysis in equal measure.
Enhance employability with data-driven marketing skills
Several colleges and universities offer degree-level sales and marketing courses. These courses will encompass various specialisms, including travel services, hospitality, or tourism operations. Furthermore, for professionals who already have a bachelor’s degree, there are several short diplomas available. However, in today’s technology-driven environment, it is crucial that both students and professionals alike select courses that acknowledge up-to-date, scientific approaches to consumer behavior and marketing content strategy.
