Public relations in tourism industry

Nowadays marketing of the tourist enterprise means much more than simply development of high-quality services, establishment of acceptable price and approach the consumers to the target market. The enterprise which is engaged in tourist business has to adjust communication with the existing and potential consumers. Therefore each tourism enterprise inevitably takes a role of communication source and designs various means of promoting information services on the markets.

So, following the actual requirements of market the development of communication strategy is carried out with purpose to get preferences of contact audience, to forecast and estimate market condition. Conditions of the tourist market, as A.P. Durovich defines, is the economic situation on the market at some point as result of interactions of factors and conditions, defining a supply and a demand on tourist services and the dynamics of their prices [1, p.32].

The complex of marketing communications consists of four fixed assets of influence:

• •    advertising;

• •    public relation;

• •    sales promotion;

• •    personal selling.

Public relations (PR) are important for the enterprises of tourism. It is caused by various factors. Firstly, it is difficult to stand out among variety of travel agencies offering practically the same product. Secondly, the advertising of travel agencies is becoming inefficient in connection with its aggressive and persuasive influence. Thirdly, PR occupies the important location in tourism because the tourist service is remote, it is impossible to touch, estimate its quality before acquisition. That is why the reputation of the tourist enterprise, as a guarantor of quality of services and reliability, is very important [2, p.74].

The main directions of PR activity in the tourism are the following:

• 1.    Working with mass media (articles, press release, backgrounder);

• 2.    Production of information materials. (Information is very important now, so it is in the tourism industry. Modern tourists want to know everything, they are more demanding nowadays, they have right to know where they go, who they will be met by, and how much it will cost).

• 3.    The organization of advertizing trips (both for clients, and for the staff of travel agencies).

• 4.    Seminars holding (during such meeting participants can be convinced of experience and professionalism of the staff of firm-organizer, and so be convinced of perspective collaboration with it.)

It should be noted that after summer crisis 2014, when the leading tour operators have closed their activities due to bankruptcy, and the tourism market have been crushed by scandals about tourists that have get stuck in resorts, antirecessionary PR is gaining greater attention. So, the means and methods to restore reputation of both travel agencies in particular, and the market of tourism in general, are becoming particularly important.

Thereby, it may be concluded that the complex of the planned and long actions is necessary for formation of favorable relations between the tourist enterprises and the public. Thanks to PR-work there is the establishment of twoway relationships between the organizations and public, mutual understanding is achieved, and enterprise’s image is supported.