You Need Tourism for the High Class

Budva – World class marketing expert, Philip Kotler advises Montenegro to shift its’ focus from the mass-tourism to becoming a recognized brand for high-class of tourists.

Following the seminar “How to Cope with Challenges of Marketing”, Kotler warned on the characteristics of mass-tourism:

“I would be rather careful when it comes to management of your tourist brand, as tourism had been damaged in many countries where it became too popular.

You must beware from becoming too popular too fast and attract too many tourists who want mass-tourism, as you would have much more pollution from it, much more traffic jams, building of too many hotels and much more noise”, Kotler warned and added:

“What should be a part of Montenegrin strategy is to present a unique brand at places where such brand is most needed.

One of Montenegro’s comparative advantages, apart from the beautiful coast and the mountains, is the fact that you have a favorable climate throughout the year. This fact should be emphasized to people from Russia, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and similar places which are searching for this type of climate”, this US’ expert stated yesterday at an event held at “Maestral” hotel. The seminar, which had been organized by Budva’s “Jadranski sajam” and Bar’s University “Mediteran”, was attended by 250 participants from Albania, Montenegro and Serbia.

According to his opinion, the interest for a thing called marketing of nations is becoming increasingly important.

“You have some tourists who are focused on the outside activities, who want the sea and the beach, you have some who want eco-tourist, and you have some who want historic tourism.

Montenegro should focus on those tourists who seek best quality and finest services and intend to have the best entertainment. We call that a high class tourist, rather than mass-tourism.

Considering the fact that the budget for marketing services is limited in most of the cases, what we should decide upon is which are the countries from which you want to attract the biggest number of tourists”, Kotler said.

He advised against Montenegro launching advertising campaigns across the entire world.

“You must focus on several countries from which you want to attract tourists. So, you should consider if the tourists from Sweden, US, Germany, Great Britain, would be the ones who would find beauties of Montenegro most appealing. You should not seek to please the entire world.

You would have bigger success if you manage to make your country interesting to the tourists who are coming from the countries which already have earlier knowledge about Montenegro, in which case you just want to build your case on the facts which are already familiar.

Contrary to that, if you focus on a country where people know nothing or close to nothing about Montenegro, you will spend huge amounts of money into educating large masses of people and providing information about your own country”, Kotler has emphasized.

Do the Surveys with the Departing Guests

Kotler stated it was necessary to conduct certain kinds of surveys among those tourists who are living the country.
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“You should ask them what they did like and to what extent they liked these things, as one should consider how much had the people really enjoyed experience which they had in your country.

If they did not like a single thing, they will never mention you, or if they do, they will talk about their experience in a negative context.

If they do like what they have experience in your country, they will do the marketing campaign instead of your, that is, they will recommend your country to their friends and acquaintances, thus attracting additional tourists.

What I would recommend to you is to cease the opportunity to manipulate, generally by using digital media.

Use this as a medium to send out a video clip about Montenegro, audio-recording on the beauties of Montenegro and experiences which one can have there. Cease the opportunities provided by mass communications”, Kotler had advised.

By: V.L.