Title Page

Contents

ABSTRACT 11

CHAPTER 1. TOPIC OVERVIEW 15

1.1. Reasons for choosing the topic 15

1.2. Research subjects 16

1.3. Scope of research 17

1.4. Research methodology 17

1.5. Scientific and practical values of the topic 18

1.6. Topic structure 19

CHAPTER 2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF MARKETING STRATEGIES 20

2.1. Concept of tourism, tourism products and tourism market 20

2.1.1. Concept of tourism 20

2.1.2. Concept of tourism products 21

2.1.3. Concept of tourism market 22

2.2. Concept of Marketing 24

2.2.1. Concept of Marketing 24

2.2.2. Concept of tourism marketing 25

2.2.3. Targets of marketing 25

2.3. Concept of marketing strategies 26

2.3.1. Concept of strategy 26

2.3.2. Concept of marketing strategies 28

2.3.3. Tourism marketing strategies 30

2.4. Roles of marketing strategies 30

2.4.1. Roles of marketing 30

2.4.2. Roles of marketing strategies 31

2.5. Principles of building marketing strategies 32

2.5.1. Principle of selection and concentration 32

2.5.2. Principle of customer value 33

2.5.3. Principles of distinctive advantage 33

CHAPTER 3. RESEARCH DATA AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 35

3.1. Research data 35

3.1.1. Natural conditions of Thanh Hoa 35

3.1.2. Potentials of marine tourism resource 41

3.1.3. Marine tourism market of Thanh Hoa 44

3.2. Research model 45

3.3. Research hypothesis 47

3.4. Research procedures 48

3.5. Survey subjects 49

3.6. Survey instruments 49

3.7. Procedures 51

3.8. Survey questionnaires 51

3.9. Analysis and statistic methodology-Use of SPSS software 51

CHAPTER 4. RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCOVERIES 53

4.1. Research results by SPSS 53

4.1.1. Test of Cronbach Alpha-coefficient of internal consistency 53

4.1.2. Product strategy 54

4.1.3. Price strategy 56

4.1.4. Place strategy 58

4.1.5. Promotion strategy 60

4.1.6. People strategy 62

4.1.7. Process strategy 64

4.1.8. Physical evidence strategy 66

4.2. Situation of marketing for marine tourism in Thanh Hoa 68

4.2.1. Current situation of marketing 68

4.2.2. Situation of marketing activities for marine tourism in Thanh Hoa 69

4.3. Matrix of environmental factors of marine tourism in Thanh Hoa 71

4.3.1. Identification of strengths and weaknesses (Matrix of IFE-internal factor evaluation) 72

4.3.2. Identification of opportunities and threats (Matrix of EFE-external factor evaluation) 77

4.3.3. Matrix of competitors' images 81

CHAPTER 5. PROPOSED SOLUTIONS AND CONCLUSION 84

5.1. Development Goals of Thanh Hoa Tourism 84

5.2. Solutions for building marketing strategies for marine tourism in Thanh Hoa 91

5.2.1. Solutions for product strategies 91

5.2.2. Price Strategy solutions 93

5.2.3. Solutions for distribution strategy 96

5.2.4. Solutions for promotion strategy 98

5.2.5. Solutions for people strategy 100

5.2.6. Solutions for process strategy 102

5.2.7. Solutions for physical evidence strategy 104

5.3. Support solutions for marketing strategy for marine tourism 105

REFERENCES 115

Appendix 8

APPENDIX 1. LIST OF SOME THANH HOA PROVINCE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIZATION PROJECTS 117

APPENDIX 2. QUESTIONNAIRE ON ASSESSMENT OF FEASIBILITY OF MARKETING STRATEGIES TO BUILD SEA BRANDS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THANH 121

Table 4.1. Summary of results of reliability verification 53

Table 4.2. Results from analyzing feasibility of product 54

Table 4.3. Results from analyzing feasibility of price strategy 56

Table 4.4. Results from analyzing feasibility of place strategy 59

Table 4.5. Results from analyzing feasibility of promotion strategy 61

Table 4.6. Results from analyzing feasibility of people strategy 63

Table 4.7. Results from analyzing feasibility of process strategy 65

Table 4.8. Results from analyzing feasibility of physical evidence strategy 67

Table 4.9. IFE matrix of Thanh Hoa tourism 75

Table 4.10. EFE matrix of Thanh Hoa tourism 80

Figure 3.1. Research model 46

Figure 3.2. Research process 48

Figure 4.1. Feasibility chart of product strategy 55

Figure 4.2. Feasibility chart of price strategy 57

Figure 4.3. Feasibility chart of place strategy 59

Figure 4.4. Feasibility chart of promotion strategy 62

Figure 4.5. Feasibility chart of people strategy 64

Figure 4.6. Feasibility of process strategy 65

Figure 4.7. Feasibility of physical evidence strategy 67

Figure 4.8. Strength-weakness evaluation frame 72

Figure 4.9. Thanh Hoa with its strengths and weaknesses 76

Figure 4.10. Opportunity-threat evaluation frame 77

Figure 4.11. Thanh Hoa with its opportunities and threats 80

 Nowadays, tourism has become an indispensable demand in social and cultural life and an important economic sector in many countries.

Tourism not only creates large income to the society but also contributes to the execution of open-door policy, cultural exchange, promotes the renovation and development of other economic sectors and helps solve many social issues.

However, the scale and quality of marine tourism types in Thanh Hoa are not corresponding to its potentials. Business performance of tourism industry is still modest. Thanh Hoa has not succeeded in promoting its image widely so as to attract visitors, especially international visitors.

Deprived from the practical reality and urgency of the matter, I choose the topic Marketing strategies for building marine tourism brand for developing tourism in thanh hoa province for my master dissertation.

The topic focuses in main contents as follows:

Researches on the current situation of marine tourism in Thanh Hoa and analysis and assessment of marketing environment and situation of marine tourism;

Suggestion of some solutions for building marketing strategies for marine tourism in Thanh Hoa until 2020;

Contribution to adjust and complete the development orientation of marine tourism in Thanh Hoa until 2020 in an active, comprehensive and sustainable manner, gradually making Thanh Hoa tourism become the province's dynamic

economic sector.

In order to do research, the author used a research methodology with the following steps:

Defining research motivations; Defining research targets; Sketching materials related to the research topic; Designing working frame; Designing questionnaires (Total number of questionnaires: N 〉 m*5); Conducting surveys and investigations; Collecting primary information; Analyzing and interpreting data; Concluding and suggesting solutions

For the purpose of assessing the ability to conduct marketing strategies to build marine brand to develop Thanh Hoa tourism, this dissertation uses two methods of research. The first is quantitative research applied for such subjects as students, workers, companies and other entities in tourism. The second is qualitative research applied for such subjects as experts who are researchers at several colleges and universities in Thanh Hoa.

The questionnaire has two main parts:

Part 1: Personal information, including questions related to some personal information such as gender, social background and age

Part 2: Research information, including 21 survey questions divided into 7 main groups: (1) Assessment of feasibility of product strategy, (2) Assessment of feasibility of pricing strategy, (3) Assessment of feasibility of place strategy, (4) Assessment of feasibility of promotion strategy, (5) Assessment of feasibility of people strategy, (6) Assessment of feasibility of process strategy, (7) Assessment of feasibility of physical evidence strategy.

After selecting 100 valid questionnaires of the two target groups above, the author used instruments to analyze and assess such as SPSS program and got necessary figures. These figures are based on in analyzing, evaluating and suggesting solutions for the topic.

Quantitative results from reality questionnaires of tourists and experts indicate that state administration in tourism is ineffective in some ways including capital, planning, investment policy, association, coordination, environmental hygiene, national defense security, safety for tourists. State income, price, consumer right and product quality... are not under strict control.

Tourism marketing in Thanh Hoa still has some weaknesses. Generally, these drawbacks in tourism marketing are due to low professional level and determination of Thanh Hoa province in doing tourism business. Professional level is shown in tourism management, especially in tourism marketing activities.

Based on the above results, the author puts forward solutions to build marketing strategies for marine tourism brand in order to develop tourism in Thanh Hoa until 2020 including:

Solutions for product strategy; Solutions for pricing strategy; Solutions for place strategy; Solutions for promotion strategy; Solutions for people strategy; Solutions for process strategy; Solutions for physical evidence strategy; Supporting solutions for conducting marketing strategy for marine tourism.

Conclusion: Most tourism companies in Thanh Hoa are in small and medium scale, thus they do not promote the effective application of marketing strategies in tourism. There are abundant companies that provide one product on the same market with small financial resource. This results in their limited ability of choosing high-quality products and services or investing in innovation. Athough Thanh Hoa has just begun in the marketing field, with reasonable stimulation and investment, especially in creating research environment for enthusiastic and capable people, it is hoped that marketing business in general and strategic tourism markerting in Thanh Hoa in particular will undergo positive growth in the coming time.