Introduction
Tourism and the hospitality industry is one of the largest service industries in the world. This industry is a lifeline to the economies of many countries and people across different sectors and regions. Brazil is one of the finest travel destinations globally and a lot of businesses have been established in the country. This essay is going to analyse a company by the name of Visite Brazil operating in the Brazilian tourism industry.
Organizational Structure
Visite Brazil is a company which offers different services such as planned and customised travel packages to various tourists. The company employs a large staff who have specialised skills such as translation, drivers, tour guides and marketing executives. The company is headed by a CEO who is in charge of various managerial departmental heads.
Visite Brazil’s mission is to contribute in the growth of the Brazilian economy. The company has a philosophy and vision of offering personalized tours to people of all incomes brackets (Hudman, 2003). Visite Brazil focuses on all demographic ages while leveraging its advantage having the best translators for all tourists.
Marketing Mix Strategies
Marketing mix determines the combination of product, price, place, and promotion to be used in line with the marketing strategy. Visite Brazil has positioned itself to offer a high quality, safety and outstanding customer service product targeting business and leisure customers. The following marketing mix strategies have been applied in Visite Brazil.
Product
Brazil is a large country with a lot of tourist attractions that caters for a lot of visitors needs. The country has created a wide range of tourist packages to cater for different types of travelers. For instance, the country offers customized holidays to tourists with visits to beautiful places such as Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and the Amazon forest. Brazil’s economy is large and growing at a fast rate especially in the Latin America region.
As a result, many business people visit the country to conduct business or attend trade fairs (Jafari, 2003). Apart from leisure travel, many other people travel to the country to attend or participate in sports events. Brazil is a powerhouse in sports and thus a lot of sports activities are organized in the country.
Moreover, the country is also home to the largest rainforest in the world, the Amazon whereby tourists visit the country on special tours at features in the Amazon. Visite Brazil is one of the companies that offers services to these beautiful locations (Hudman, 2003).
Price
Visite Brazil is a company that offers travel packages at good and discount prices to various travellers wishing to visit Brazil. The company offers specialised prices and packages for travellers wishing to tour the country. The country offers various holiday destinations for both affluent to normal and middle income earners. The prices for the holiday experiences depend on the type of holiday package being sold.
The Brazilian tourism market is specialized since prices are based on different factors. Travel to city locations in Brazil is mainly suited for low paying tourists and thus, Visite Brazil usually sells bundled packages for these tourists (Harrison, 2001). During the high tourist season which occurs during the winter and autumn seasons in Europe or North America, Brazil enjoys a good climate leading to high prices during these seasons.
Place
Brazil is a country located in the tropics in Latin America and thus the country has one of the best climates in the world. This is compared to countries in Europe or North America which experience different climates annually.
As a result, when the countries such as the United States or European countries experience poor climate, tourists end up visiting Brazil (Birle, 2008). The climate in Brazil is superb for tourists’ activities especially during the summer seasons in the country. Brazil is a huge country with a lot of place and spots that allow visitors to vacation and enjoy the Brazilian scenery.
Brazil is expected to in the coming years due to the 2014 World Cup being held in the country. This will result in the country being a favorite spot for tourists to visit (Hudman, 2003). Brazil is a place with long pristine and beautiful beaches in the eastern side of the country. Based on this features and information on Brazil, it is easy for Visite Brazil to sell the country to potential tourists and other people in different regions globally.
Promotion
Visite Brazil is a company with a lot of promotional activities for its services and products through the use of various channels. The company makes use of advertising in news media and through online in target markets of Argentina, the US and Europe. The company liaises with well known tour operators in the United States and other regions to attract tourist to use their products and services.
Through the use of public events, Visite Brazil conducts public relations to its potential customers (Harrison, 2001). Moreover, the company promotes its services through airline companies plying several South American destinations. For instance, during in-flight movies, Visite Brazil’s adverts are relayed to promote the companies services.
Marketing Mix Tactics
In the process of conducting business, it is important to conduct a SWOT analysis for an organization to determine the best marketing strategies to employ. The SWOT analysis is done below:
Strengths: The growing Brazilian offers an opportunity for Visite Brazil to tap on this population to grow its revenues. The expected growth of tourist numbers in the coming years will boost Visite Brazil. The Brazilian infrastructure is undergoing a major growth that is expected to open the country for tourists to visit the most beautiful destinations of Brazil.
Weaknesses: According to Birle (2003, p. 56), Brazil’s lingua franca, Portuguese hampers communication between tourists and employees of Visite Brazil. This leads to increased operating costs on the part of Visite Brazil hence reducing its revenue. Lack of experience in the tourism compared to its well versed competitors could affect the company in marketing its services.
Opportunities: The growing Brazilian middle class offers an opportunity for growth in domestic tourism could be tapped by Visite Brazil in meeting its goals and objectives. Brazil is set to witness one of the largest sports events in terms of the 2014 World Cup & 2016 Olympics.
Threats: Increased competition from rival firms and other potential tourist destinations in Latin America could jeopardize Visite Brazil’s goals. The increasing value of the Brazilian Real will make travel to the country costly, and this might drive away tourists to other destinations.
Action Plan
Based on the analysis of SWOT and 4P’s, it is imperative to draw out a strategy to be used by Visite Brazil in attracting tourists to make use of their services. Visite Brazil will make use of advertising to potential customers in different regions using the internet, magazines and events. For instance, the annual International Tourism Fair offers an ample opportunity for Visite Brazil to market its services and products. The company could diversify its products to cater to the needs of various customers with diverse demographics.
The growing relevance of Brazil in the world of business has led to increase numbers in the business tourism segment (Jafari, 2003). Thus, Visite Brazil could offer conference tourism packages to these tourists. The high end organization of the Brazilian tourism industry has made this industry to grow at a fast rate. The connection between banks, hotel accommodations and airlines could be tapped by Visite Brazil in its concerted efforts in marketing its services and products.
Visite Brazil’s most important tool in promoting its services and products is through the use of the internet whereby social media and online adverts could be utilised. Online presence in the current world is important since social media channels and the internet can reach billions of potential customers around the world (Harrison, 2001). Most important is that Visite Brazil builds on its strengths and opportunities while reducing its weaknesses and anticipating threats.
Conclusion
Tourism is one of the most challenging industries to operate in due to competition and dynamism. Brazil is one of the best tourism destinations that offers an unforgettable experience to tourists. Many companies operate in this competitive region, and one of the companies is Visite Brazil, which is a tour company offering several products and services to tourists.
The company has specialised in offering unique tour packages at an affordable cost. However, the company marketing strategy has made the company reap good benefits from the Brazilian tourism market.
References
Birle, P., Costa, S. & Nitschack, H. (2008). Brazil and the Americas: convergences and perspectives. London: FK Publications.
Harrison, D. (2001). Tourism and the less developed world: Issues and case studies. Chicago, IL: Penguin Books.
Hudman, L. & Jackson, R. (2003). Geography of travel and tourism: Focus on Brazil. San Francisco, CA: Pelshiver.
Jafari, J. (2003). Encyclopedia of tourism. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons.