Himachal Pradesh Himachal.. Feel the spark of

Life !!!

A few facts …

Dev Bhumi – Unforgettable Himachal10% of Himachal Pradesh’s GDP

12 million domestic tourists every year

Blessed with abundant natural beauty

But, where are we now…

But Still, Himachal does not figure in the top 10 !!!

Uttaranchal, with similar profile is doing better!!

Some success stories - Madhya Pradesh and Kerala

Our Focus: Develop a marketing plan to improve the image

and retention of the Brand Himachal.

Total number of tourists in India – 740 million

Our Vision for Himachal

“To promote Himachal Pradesh as a high quality tourist destination with excellent infrastructure while preserving the heritage and environment, creating employment opportunities, assuaging poverty thereby making tourism one of the most important sectors for the socio-economic development and environment protection of the state”

Consumer Insights

S. No Purpose Numbers1. Survey (Students, working

professionals)44

2. Survey + In-Depth Interviewsa. Professors 3b. PGP/FPM Students who are avid

travelers2

c. Other PGP/FPM Students 6d. Athica’s Stall Owner 1

Survey:1. Travel planning – Initiators, Influencers, User,

Decider.2. Details of holidays – Duration, budget,

activity preference3. Travel planning behaviour4. General awareness of Himachal Pradesh

Consumer Insights – Reason for Travel

Why you travel?

• To study the natural world and study art, architecture etc.

• Cuisine• Replenishment of mind, body

and soul• Shopping• Spiritual and religious purposes• Adventure• Exploration and experiencing

new places• Rest

Survey results

Top preference of the respondents

Explore new places

Adventure

Shopping

Others

Consumer Insights – Vacation Planning Model

Rest Exploration – 67% (Top option) Adventure – 40% (2nd Option)

Shopping (Third option) Spirituality

1. Need:

2. Information Search

3. Evaluation of alternatives – Varied among respondents Accommodation Ease of Travel Climate Variety of scenic spots

Adventure Opportunities

Availability of information

Tourist amenities Shopping opportunities

Safety Reputation Cuisine Overall value for money

Cultural activities

Infrastructure (roads) Religious significance

4. ‘Purchase’ Decision – Dependant on budget, holiday length

5. Post ‘Purchase’ Decision

Perception of Indian Hill States

Kashmir Himachal Pradesh

Uttaranchal Sikkim/ W. Bengal

Arunachal Pradesh

Pure wilderness, No basic amenities, Unsafe, Heaven on earth, Absolute beauty

Variety, Peaceful, good roads and amenities, less visibility, scenic beauty, too distant

Crowded, Religious

Too much security presence, monotony of landscape

Untouched, culture preserved

HP Tourist Spot Awareness:

Top of the mind: Kullu ManaliUnaided: Shimla, Dalhousie, PalampurAided: Lahaul & Spiti, Kinnaur & Kufri, Kangra

Low awareness of any tourism campaign

Laddering

A: Attribute based satisfactionC: Consequence based satisfactionG: Goal based satisfaction

SegmentationDemography      

AgeMiddle aged(30-50)

Young working and college students(<30) Retired people(>60)

IncomeWealthy(>Rs. 1,500,000)

Middle class(Rs. 500,000-1,500,000)

Non working students(>Rs. 500,000)

Travel Party Composition

Family visits(5-6 people) Adult Group of 5-6 Honeymoon couples

Geography      

Location Foreign touristsWithin circle of radius <500kms

From distant states like Maharashtra , West Bengal etc

Psychographics      

Nights of stay(number)* <2 2-4 >4

MotivationScenic beauty,

Exotica Adventurous activities Peace, Spiritual visits

Target segments

Wealthy travelerShe belongs to age group 25-54. Her annual income is more than Rs. 1.5 million. She generally travels with her spouse or family. She is considering a tour abroad. She plans to stay for a week or long and purpose of her visit is experience relaxation and taste exotica.

Young travelerHe is a young single working man or a college student with relatively low income who prefers to travel in group of 5-6 friends. He lives in a circle of radius less than 500kms from Himachal Pradesh. He loves adventurous activities and stays for 2 nights.

Family person They are a small family with 4-5 members. They are visiting alone or with 2-3 families of relatives. They plan to explore various places and activities in 4-5 days. They will generally spend one night at each place and then move on. They have a healthy mix of visiting spiritual places as well as try out a few safe for family adventure activities.

Brand asset value power grid

Destination Brand StatureD

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Unleashing Potential Leadership

Positioning

Exotica for

Wealthy travelers

Family Destination

Adventure

Tourism for

Young traveler

s

7P’s - Product

• Traditionally divided into four circuits for consideration– Dhauladhar– Satluj– Beas– Tribal

• A proposal for a further enhancement !!

The add-on

• A contemporary classification on the basis of services offered

Natural ProwessExotica

Adventure

Religion and

Spirituality

Himachal Pradesh

Natural Prowess

• Unexplored virgin earth - Sangla, Kalpa, Lahaul and Spiti

• Wildlife

• Fruit Capital of India

• Snow!

Exotica

• Victorian era Gothic Architecture

• Local Handicrafts and Handlooms

• Ethnic melting pot of culture and cuisine

• Palampur… Kangri Tea… Apple Cider

• UNESCO World Heritage listed ‘Toy Train’

Adventure

• Camping• Trekking• Angling• Para-gliding• Skiing• White water rafting• Safari

Religion and Spirituality

• ‘Dev - Bhoomi’• Mandi – ‘Mini-Varanasi’• Goddesses’ Abode• Buddhist Ethos• Panchkarma • Kangra- Temple paintings

(Krishna era)

7P’s - Physical Evidence

• Strategies

– Information Kiosks

– Village Tourism

– Service Catalogue

– Professional Adventure Associations

– Branding the Local Channels

7 P’s – Place

Source : http://www.oturn.net

Domestic Customer

Tour Packagers Retail Travel

Agent

Tourism Operator Wholesaler

Tourism Operator

Specialty Channels Internet

7 P’s – Place

• Channel Intermediaries for Himachal

• Stimulating Demand– Combination of Push and Pull Strategy

• Promoting Channel Intermediaries– Level of Accessibility– Brochures

7 P’s – Process

Source : http://www.oturn.net

7 P’s - Promotion

•Brand Awareness

•Attracting attention of target

Objective•Seg

ments of Tourists

•Range of messages!

Message Strategy

•Duration of message

•Communication Mix

Creative Strategy

Promotion (Continued)

Objective Highlighting Strategy

Influence people to put Himachal into consideration set

Affordability, accessibility, uniqueness/ variety of experience, infrastructure, safety

Stimulate repeat visits of leisure tourists Variety of places

Influence potential tourists to select Himachal over other similar states

Unique features, merits of the state, safety

Attract business conference travelers Hotel infrastructure/ Mixture of work and fun

Stimulate adventure tourists to choose Himachal trails

Famous routes, infrastructure along the route, variety

Uniqueness of experience, variety of tourist spots and ease of access to Himachal Pradesh

Marketing Communication Mix

Advertising Public Relations and Publicity

Events Corporate Communications

Direct Marketing

7Ps: People

Tourism Training Institutes

Employees

Direct interface with tourists

Friendliness of Residents

Tourist Acquisition and Retention

•Judicious Mix of the P’s

•Retention – Return Rate, Positive Experience

•Acquisition – Promotion, Positive Word of Mouth

•General Strategies• Innovative products• Facilities for High Net Worth Individuals• Alternative Promotion Methods• Data Mining and Usage• Website

In Conclusion

Thank You!