Question :
For organising the travel and networking show PR plan is to be developed including various task:
- Develop an understanding of role and importance of public relation in travel and tourism business
- Apply public relations and promotional skills within travel and tourism
- Discuss the use of media in context of public relations
- Prepare a public relation plan in relation to travel and tourism
Answer :
INTRODUCTION
As other marketing tools, public relation differ hugely, majorly from advertising as its suggests communication of message creating and launching a brand as this consist of great credibility. In comparison to advertising and other medium, this is less expensive medium of communication which has its influence in competitive marketplace. Travel and tourism sector is growing rapidly transforming itself into industry. This include the measure planned to improve the service recognition in regard of creating more likely the climate for their sales and advertising support practices (Avraham, 2015). Hence, the organisation use different promotion and marketing tools which refer to the dissemination of information among public, individual or organisation. Travel and Networking Show is organised by The City College Travel Centre in order to attract and manage different aspects of public relations in travel and tourism sector. The assignment will evaluate different role and value of effective activities of PR in the sector of travel and tourism along with needed skills. This will also assess the media use within public relation purpose along with designing a proper campaign of PR.
1.1 Role of public relations within the travel and tourism sector as a promotional tool
Public relation has been defined by numerous scholars and narrators in different ways. PR refer to the, ''process of creating a positive recognition of an association or organisation to create positive perception of individuals. Hence, entire PR definition create similar point that is it shapes brand image, perception toward product, individual or enterprise in more favourable manner i.e. to assist the business in achieving the objectives and goals in more better manner in effective and efficient manner. Senior management team of City College Travel Centre is preparing a PR plan to inform travel and tourism segment.
Public relation focus over the recognition to attain the effective 'publicity'. This consist of positive and negative influence depending on the consequences (Cox and Wray, 2011). Good rumours where enhance the benefits and attract attention of public, bad publicity or rumours can ruin image of celeb, reduce profits and revenues amount. But in order to understand the basic concept, control the activities and outcome of PR, this is fundamental to outlines its strengths and weakness which is discussed as below:
Strengths:
- Earned media services is provided by public relations activities.
- Writing news releases are key strength as this help in controlling outcome.
- Can be utilise as marketing communication tools.
- More credible and reliable tools.
- This support communication with facts and data which make its more trustful source of information gathering.
- It allow public to get answers through media gathering.
- This is more influencing methods of communication despite the paid advertising method.
- Outlets and messages of organisation contain wide reach.
- This is supportive medium that can emphasise the outcome in significant manner.
- This provide exposure of communicated message lead to detailed information to target audience i.e. more relevant as well.
Weaknesses:
- Major drawback is it us developing earned media coverage.
- Social media monitoring.
- Influencer marketing that can affect the recognition negatively as well.
- Required proper public relation survey.
- Developing case studies and analyst relations.
- Another major drawback is it lack the content control.
- Right to information right can risk PR campaign.
- There is no direct control over the outcome.
- Less guarantee of positive outcome as this can sometime impact contrasty.
- This require proper evaluation to proceed the PR practice further.
Hence, this can be seen that numerous practices and activities are exposed through public relation as this is considered one effective tool or components of promotion mix (De Moya and Jain, 2013). In order to launch and plan Travel and Networking Show, entire members of team can design effective public relations report reminding the influence of this framework on organisation.
PR plays vital role in the evolution and development of working organisation, event and show which can affect the practices in more significant manner. It helps in creating positive portrayal that aid in launching product, service or event in more significant way. It is controllable, less credible, and more costly etc. lead to enlargement in sales and external outcome of organisation. In travel and tourism activities, it aware and inform people about the made actions and efforts that organisation (Hanusch, 2012). Tourism and travelling sector is largely promoting the diversity and equality through promotion using PR and publicity activities. It deliver and disseminate information associated with numerous culture and accumulate individual or public together to fights and stand together in harmony. Hence, this can affirm that public relation play extensive role in administration and management of information promoting tourism and travelling activities worldwide.
1.2 Public within a travel and tourism context
Public can be referred as the common or certain group of people which encompasses in certain community, country or segment. In the sector of travel and tourism, numerous stakeholders have identified which needed to undertake by Travel and Networking Show for shaping the outcome in more significant manner including external and external public (Hays, Page and Buhalis, 2013). Here are mentioned criteria of Show public designed by The City College Travel Centre which is mentioned as below:
Stakeholder |
Opinion |
Weaknesses |
Strengths |
Public |
Public is a wide term which can be referred as community, society, audience, target group, traveller, visitor etc. differ as need and demands of tourism. |
|
|
Media |
Media is fundamental public which can not be decline by organisation or association so as City of College Centre while conducting planning of Travel and Networking Show. |
|
|
Employee |
Team members are indefensible part of City of College Travel Centre as operations and outcome of company depend on performance of worker. They can provide creative and innovative ideas in decision making procedure through engaging in activities. |
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Hence, these stakeholders has vital influence on the practices and operations of travel and tourism sector along with the operation organised in this segment along with Travel and Networking Show as well. Through opting effective communication methods, one can manage their outcome and track the activities (Heath, 2013). Online CSR practices, public relation practices and other methods, proper interaction and communication can be managed that can positively influence the show.
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1.3 Importance of public relations to travel and tourism businesses
It is paramount for a business organisation or travel and tourism industry to use promotion and marketing practices to shape their outcome. Public relation can be termed as one crucial components of promotion mix i.e. opted by tourism agencies or travelling sector for emphasising attention over visitor and communicating culture worldwide. It has both negative and positive influence which vary as per the target group or service user.