Reputation Management Thai Tourism

Presented by Dr David Beirman May 19, 2011. Mapping
the Future Bangkok Thailand.

Theme 1. Defining Reputation and
perception in a Tourism Context
• A component of social identity. Socially based.
• Reputation is defined by significant others.
• A fundamental instrument of social order.
• In tourism, your market will determine both your
perceptual image in the market and reputation (which
in most instances means your standing)
• Critical to reputation management is the ability to
understand how significant stakeholders and
prospective customers regard you in relation to your
competitors.
• Consistent Delivery on promises and claims.

Thailand’s Tourism Image as the Thai Tourism
industry and TAT would like to see it

2011

Theme 1. The Importance of Perception in
Defining Business and Destination Reputation
• Perception and reputation is
frequently more influential
than the facts. Global Examples:
• SARS in 2003 and Swine Flu 2009/11.
• Political unrest in Egypt 2011.
• The impact of earthquake, tsunami &
• Nuclear fallout following the 2011 tsunami on
destination Japan.
• Unrest in the Middle East and its impact on
tourism
• The current economic “recession”.
• Depicting a modest tourism downturn
as a crisis.
• “If it bleeds it leads” Tabloid News editors.

Key Concepts in Perception Analysis

Governors of Tourism Perception
• News media in all forms.
• Web and blog sites.
• Lifestyle and travel Media incl.
guidebooks.
• Trade press.
• Government travel advisories.
• Cruise ship operators
• Airlines.
• Word of mouth and family opinions.
• Major tour wholesalers.
• Travel agency chains.

Key Stakeholders in Shaping of
Thailand’s Tourism reputation
• Airlines servicing Thailand.
• Foreign Tour Operators which include Thai product.
• Travel agents in key source market countries
• Internet booking sites.
• Travel Insurance providers in source markets.
• Foreign Diplomatic legations in Thailand (travel
advisories)
• Media both news and tourism orientated publications,
Electronic media, travel editors and journalists.
• Regional Tourism Associations including PATA,
ASEAN Tourism and APEC

Theme 2. Understanding What
makes a Destination Competitive
• J Brent Ritchie and Geoffrey Crouch in their seminal
work, The Competitive Destination (2003) CABI Publishing
UK/USA provide extensive coverage of the qualities
which make for a competitive destination and by
inference a destination which will enjoy a good
reputation.

The DCI Model (Destination Competitive
Index). Key to ongoing Reputation
Measurement
Ritchie and Crouch (2003)
DCI
Index
EP VS S MA
Core Indicator
Criteria

The DCI Model
• Indicator 1: Economic Performance
• Criteria:
• 24 out of 163 total index criteria
• 20 quantitative and 4 qualitative criteria
• Some Criteria Examples:
• Total visitor expenditures (secondary data)
• Ratio of travel/tourism employee compensation to overall employee
compensation (secondary data)
• Ease of starting a tourism-related business (expert opinion)
• Travel and tourism GDP/overall GDP (secondary data)

The DCI Model
• Indicator 2: Sustainability
• Criteria:
• 60 out of 163 total index criteria
• 7 quantitative and 53 qualitative criteria
• Some Criteria Examples:
• Preservation of natural capital (expert opinion)
• Maintenance of ecological integrity (expert opinion)
• Resident access to tourism infrastructure (resident survey)
• Level of political support in facilitating tourism efforts
(expert opinion)
• Taxes generated from tourism expenditures (secondary data)
• Visitor perception of destination having reached its tourism carrying
capacity (visitor survey)

The DCI Model
• Indicator 3: Visitor Satisfaction
• Criteria:
• 32 out of 163 total index criteria
• 2 quantitative and 30 qualitative criteria
• Some Criteria Examples:
• Perceived richness of destination culture and history
(visitor survey)
• Satisfaction with overall destination quality of service
(visitor survey)
• Level of repeat visitation (secondary data)
• Perception of resident hospitality (visitor survey)
• Quality of the destination experience (visitor survey)

The DCI Model
• Indicator 4: Management Action
• Criteria:
• 47 out of 163 total index criteria
• 10 quantitative and 37 qualitative criteria
• Some Criteria Examples:
• Satisfaction with destination management (DM) action in dealing with
competitive pressures
(expert opinion)
• Quality of involvement in human resource development programming
and support
(expert opinion)
• Satisfaction with destination materials to help with trip planning (visitor
survey)
• Number of quality special events (secondary data)
• Average visa fees per visitor (secondary data)

Steps to Destination success
Implementation and results
Goal congruence
Competitor congruence
Between enemies and allies
Market congruence
Categories, Nature and size of demand, Seasonality
Ability to mobilise , train and deploy resources
Factor endowments including natural resources,
knowledge, capital and
infrastructure

Theme 3.Working With The Media both
Trade and Consumer to Build or Restore
Business or Destination Reputation.
• 1. Business to Business Media is a valuable ally if
you treat it with respect and not just as a mouthpiece.
Paying for positive advertising does not guarantee your
destination or business positive editorial.
• 2 Business to consumer media involves overcoming
inate skepticism. You need to earn trust and support
not try to either buy it or assume it. A professional
journalist has a highly tuned bullshit antennae.

What Makes News According to
Rupert Murdoch ? Interview June 20, 1987
• Crisis
• Conflict
• Crime
• Corruption
• Catharthis
• Conquest
• Cataclysm
• Scandal
• Rescue
• Triumph over adversity
• Sporting Triumph

COMMON ASSUMPTIONS TO
OVERCOME
• The media is only interested in bad news.
• The media is an adversary.
• The media is not interested in covering
solutions and recovery stories.
• The media exaggerates problems.

Tourism in the Media
• PRINT
• Daily newspapers
• Local, weeklies
• Travel Specific
magazines
• Lifestyle magazines.
• Billboards and posters
ELECTRONIC
• Websites
• E publications
• Blogs
• Social networks
Facebook & Twitter
• TV Travel and Lifestyle
shows (Getaway)
• TV and radio news.
• Radio
• AV ads and displays.

Correcting Potentially Negative
Assumptions
• Many in the media want to support tourism as
tourism advertising supports the media.
• The media will publish or broadcast your side
of the story if you are prepared to give it.
• Well presented good news is as marketable as
bad news.
• The media can be an ally if its treated
accordingly.
• Travel writers and travel trade press have
natural affinity towards the promotion of
tourism.

How can we best work with the Media
to get our story across ?
• Develop and nurture contacts. BUILD TRUST.
• Ensure there are an active media spokespeople for all
key source markets who are fluent and articulate in
the relevant language.
• Ensure that person is readily contactable 24/7/365.
• Ensure there is a coherent, consistent and credible
media line on all tourism matters, especially crisis
related matters.
• Prepare factual answers to questions.
• Ensure the organization understands and is
consistently keeping to the organization’s policy line.
• TIMING YOUR MESSAGE IS CRITICAL

The Core Elements of Reputation
Management For Destinations and
Tourism Companies
• HONESTY
• CONSISTENCY
• RELIABILITY
• TRANPARENCY
• CLEAR EVIDENCE TO BACK CLAIMS
• SUPPORT OF STAKEHOLDERS
• TESTIMONIALS FROM RESPECTED –PEOPLE
FROM KEY SOURCE MARKETS

The Ingredients of an Effective Tourism
Recovery Media Campaign
• Consumer and trade media targeted simultaneously.
• Advertisements alone do not make a media campaign.
A good media campaign has to be news and articles
and eyewitness accounts from credible source to the
target audience..
• An effective media campaign is proactive.
• A media campaign has to be appealing and relevant to
its target audience.
• The campaign has to be multi-media in scope.

The Essential Tools of Good
Media Relations
• A readily contactable media spokeperson.
• An up to date an accurate web site.
• Ready access to the facts.
• Make their job easy by providing well
prepared media releases and credible contacts
for interviews.
• Enable the media to see the situation first
hand.
• Honesty.

Correcting Negative Reports
• Attack the content, not the journalist.
• Ensure your facts are correct and verifiable.
• Offer the reporter the opportunity to see
for him/herself.
• Quote from or provide access to credible
sources who can verify your side of the story.

Set the News Agenda
• Responsive PR places you in the defensive.
• Where possible initiate positive coverage.
• Spread the news of positive developments.
• On identifying supportive reporters offer
exclusives or preferential notice of a breaking
story. Journalists love exclusives.

WEB SITE INCLUSIONS
• Security advice for intending visitors. South Africa has
used this strategy with great success
• Anticipate negative perceptions and address them
• Hot tips for a safe and enjoyable visit.
• Unique experiences in Thailand. A welcome from
famous Citizens.
• Testimonials from celebrity visitors relevant to the
source market.
• Thematic Tourism.

Targeting the Media for New
Tourism initiatives
• Pick a niche market with potential for growth.
• Lifestyle TV programs have global audiences.
• Choose the socio-economic group you wish to target.
• Travmedia service specialises in articles for travel journalists
globally.
• Tourist organisations should be cautious in offering
assistance to current affairs programs
• Hosting a “Good Morning America/ Australia/ New Zealand”
or similar program in your source market country is viable
and gives excellent coverage for several days.
• The 2010-11 Oprah in Australia Campaign has proven to be an
effective marketing campaign for Tourism Australia.

Which Country’s Tourism Industry is getting
media management Right ?
• South Africa:
• Excellent leverage from 2010 World Cup.
• Promotes a diversity of attractive tourism images.
• Has positioned a high national crime rate from a
potential crisis to an avoidable hazard.
• Is proactive in engagement of consumer and trade
media
• Invites carefully targeted travel professionals and
media for familiarization trips.
• Excellent inter-sectoral relations between SATOUR
and other South African tourism stakeholders.

Theme 4. Travel Advisories and
Destination Reputation.
• Understanding the basics of Diplomacy is vital for
destination tourism professionals.
• Demanding a country’s government tone down a
travel advisory because you don’t like it never
works because you are calling on a government to
publicly lose face with its citizens.
• Changing negative travel advisories involves a
negotiation process in which you need the
support of advocates in the source market.
• The Australian model which follows will be
helpful.

Travel Advisories Become an
Issue of Diplomatic Conflict
• Following the Bali Bombing of 12 October
2002 Many Western governments issued
negative travel advisories applying to
Indonesia, and other SE Asian countries
including Singapore, Malaysia Philippines and
Thailand.
• Fears of Al Q’aida related terrorism in many
parts of SE Asia.

DFAT’s Approach to Advisories Post
September 11 and Bali Bombings 2002
• Primary concern the protection of Australian
citizens abroad.
• Political concerns that media judged “failure”
to predict Bali required a cautious approach.
• Heightened review of travel advisories
and procedures.
• Australian advisories should never be
influenced by overt foreign pressure.

The Problems of Resolving
Disputes through conflict
• Australia and other Western governments
can’t be seen to lose face by being perceived to
change travel advisories in the face of foreign
diplomatic pressure tactics.
• Strident approach to Western advisories by SE
Asian and SW Pacific nations is a barrier to
review of advisories rather than a facilitator.
• Thai Tourism Officials should build up
contacts with the diplomatic legations of all
key source market countries.

The Australian Travel Industry
Developed a Role in Advisories
• After 2002 the Australian Travel industry was
increasingly critical of travel advisories and
their formulation.
• Travel industry sought a say.
• Governments suspicious of travel industry
motives. Profit before safety. INCORRECT
• PATA, UN World Tourism Organization and
tourism industry leaders sought a more active
role in influencing travel advisories from all
tourism generating countries.

The Australian Charter for Safe Travel Model for a
Cooperative Approach between Tourism Industry and
Government
• Jan 2003 ANTOR sets up meeting between
DFAT and travel industry leaders.
• AFTA’s Mike Hatton establishes a committee
of Australian Travel Industry leaders to
negotiate with DFAT an agreement under the
banner of the “Charter for Safe Travel”
• The government seeks industry dissemination
of travel advisories.
• The Industry seeks a say in their content.

Charter for Safe Travel Signed in Sydney
June 11, 2003.
• Industry agrees to disseminate advisories.
• Australian Government agrees to enhance
consultation with industry through the
Smartraveller Advisory Group which involves
representatives from all key outbound travel
companies and associations. Regualar
meetings with DFAT
• DFAT makes itself available to discuss
advisories with travel agents through travel
industry seminars and consumer travel expos.

An International Example of the
Cooperative Tourism Approach to Travel
Advisories- Kenya 2003-4
• In April 2003 UK, USA and Germany imposed negative
travel advisories on Kenya based on a perceived threat
of terrorist attack.
• May 2003 Kenyan Tourism leaders met with diplomats
in closed meeting to negotiate what measures were
required to overcome the advisories.
• By July 2003 UK and USA lifted negative advisories
based on Kenyan actions. US and Australia took much
longer.
• By adopting consultation rather than confrontation,
Kenya’s tourism industry recovered with one year.

Global Approaches to Travel
Advisories
• Tourism Concern, UNWTO, PATA advocate a global
approach towards ensuring that travel advisories
are:
(a) Truthful.
(b) Specific to the problem area as opposed to a blanket
assessment of a nation.
(c) Reflect changing conditions (timely).
(d) Avoid targeting bias against developing countries.
(e) Graded in accordance to an agreed level of threat to
travellers.
• The last of this list is totally unrealistic for reasons I’ll explain.

Current Situation 2011
• Australia the first country with an industry/
government agreement.
• British industry signed an agreement in 2004.
• Canada signed an agreement in 2005.
• In 2011 only these three countries have govt/travel
industry agreements on travel advisories. More
should do the same.
• Understanding that circumstances for
travel generating countries are different.
• Disputes - tourism generating countries and
tourism receiving countries require diplomatic
rather than a confrontational solutions.

Theme 5. Avoiding Tourism’s Most
Common Post “Negative Event”
Recovery Trap
• Incentive based recovery
should be financially sustainable.
• Focus on value adding rather
than discounts.
• Avoid the financial striptease of
dropping your prices and
exposing your bottom line.
• Once a business strips
prices. consumers will resist
attempts to get dressed again.
• Price is a measure of how tourism
businesses value their own reputation.

Thank you
• Dr David Beirman
• Senior Lecturer – Tourism University of Technology-
Sydney. David.beirman-2@uts.edu.au
• Founder (2000) and National Secretary Eastern
Mediterranean Tourism Association. www.emta.org.au
• Member: Smartraveller Advisory Group to the
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.