Marketing provides the means of communicating and promoting the tourism product to the consumer. Marketing is a long-term commitment and involves understanding customers and their needs and tailoring the tourism product to specifically match those needs.

It is essential to ensure that any marketing activity is successful, so it is important to monitor visitor numbers and ask visitors how they heard about the business as this information can inform future marketing decisions. Marketing efforts can then be adapted accordingly to ensure that they are as effective as possible.

There are many marketing options available to tourism businesses via YTB. Opportunities, advice and information provision to the many different ways of tourism promotion, coupled with options available for advertising, whether targeting the consumer or trade market, information on the opportunities of the internet and on-line booking and the many various promotional opportunities, including exhibiting at holiday shows and exhibitions and accessing mailing lists, are available. Browse around the marketing section of this website to find out further details.

Marketing plays an important role in promoting either a new or existing business to both existing and potential visitors. Operators should focus marketing effort on the catchment area, i.e. the area within two to three hours driving time of the business.