Hospitality and Tourism marketing, Importance of Marketing, Core concepts- Needs, Wants, Demands, Products, Exchange, Markets and Relationship. Concept of Marketing Management and its philosophies. Marketing Mix. Concept of a Product: Characteristics of a Tourism Product, Various levels of a Product, Issues affecting the Product, Concept of Brand, Brand Decisions. Consumer Market and Consumer buying behavior – Model of Consumer behavior, Characteristics affecting Consumer behavior. The Buyer decision process- Need recognition, Information search, Evaluation, Purchase decision, Post purchase behavior.

Concepts of STP in marketing:
Segmentation, targeting positioning. Market Segmentation-Geographic, Demographic, Psychographic, Behavioral. Market Targeting-Evaluating and selecting market segments & Positioning – positioning strategies, product differentiation.
Concept of Price, Factors influencing Pricing decisions, Approaches to Pricing. Nature and importance of Distribution systems, marketing intermediaries: Travel Agents and Tour Wholesalers.

Meaning, The process of new product development, including Idea generation, Idea screening, Concept development and testing, Marketing strategy, Test Marketing, Product Life Cycle strategies, marketing Communication and its process, marketing communication needs & objectives. Steps in developing effective communication, establishing the Marketing Communication Budget. Barriers to communication

Advertising, sales and promotion, personal selling and public relation. Advertising – Understanding the concept of Advertising- Setting the objectives, budget decisions, message decision, campaign evaluation, the working of an advertising agency.Direct Marketing & Internet Marketing. Public Relation– Concepts, Various activities of PR department: Product publicity, Corporate communication, Lobbying, Counseling, the process of Public Relations. Tools in Marketing PR – Publications, Events, News, Speeches. PR opportunities for Hospitality industry.

Globalization of the Tourist industry, Importance of Tourism to a destination’s economy. Need for Tourism destination Marketing, benefits of tourism, Management of the tourist destination, Sustainable tourism. Marketing plan- (definition & concept) Purpose of a marketing plan, (relationship between corporate plans and marketing plans) Environmental analysis and Forecasting, Segmentation & targeting, Objectives, Communicating the plan, strategies and tactics, Marketing control. Case study-Incredible India campaign