| dc.description.abstract | Tour Operators in Kenya are faced with a myriad of challenges which inter alia include the seasonal fluctuations of demand for tourist services and stiff competition from amongst members and other competing destinations. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent to which Tour Operators in Nairobi use the marketing mix to manage the demand for their services and also whether there were any challenges encountered. The combination of the marketing mix elements i.e product, price, promotion etc are central to the success of the marketing activities of any firm. The way the elements are combined will determine the effectiveness of the marketing efforts.
The population of interest in this study consisted of all tour operators in Nairobi who are members of the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO). A sample size of 60 tour operators in Nairobi was studied. The primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using frequencies, percentages, mean scores and standard deviation.
The results of the survey show that Tour Operators use the marketing mix to manage demand for their services. The use of the variables varies from a small extent to a large extent depending on the season. The standard deviations had extremes-some were greater than the standard measure of 1.5 by a big margin and others were by far less than 1.5. This means therefore that there was homogeneity in the extent to which the marketing mix was used to manage demand and in some cases the firms were quite diverse.
The research area was quite sensitive in that a lot of classified information on these firms had to be given by the respondents. There were challenges of trust and confidentiality as the information gathered could be used by competitors to gain a competitive advantage. The response rate was not 100% as 15% of the respondents declined to fill in the questionnaires.
More research can be conducted to determine the extent to which the other tourism stakeholders (hotels and transport companies etc) use the marketing mix to generate demand for their services. If each and every sector is to get it right, then, the Tourism industry in its entirety can truly drive this country to the realization of the ambitious Vision 2030. | en |
