Top Tier Holidays - Marketing Strategies

WSPC/166-ACRJ 2150008 ISSN: 2189-2752
ASIAN CASE RESEARCH JOURNAL, VOL. 25, ISSUES 2 & 3, 173–191 (2021)
ACRJ
by UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL FLUMINENSE on 09/17/23. Re-use and distribution is strictly not permitted, except for Open Access articles.
Top Tier Holidays: Marketing

This case was prepared by
Nitesh Kumar, PhD Research Strategies
Scholar, Department of Man-
agement, North-Eastern Hill
Asian Case Res. J. 2021.25:173-191. Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com
University, Tura Campus,

Meghalaya, India, Mokhalles Headquartered in East Delhi, New Delhi (India), Top Tier
Mohammad Mehdi, PhD Holidays (TTH) LLP is an online travel agency founded
Research Scholar, Department
of Business Administration, in 2018. Shailesh Kumar (Director) is the head of the com
Tezpur University, Assam,
India, and Lubna Nafees,
pany’s business operations. In a very short span of time, the
Associate Professor, Depart- company has increased its presence through its sales and
ment of Marketing & Supply
Chain Management, Walker branch offices in India and destination marketing organiza-
College of Business, Appala- tions (DMOs) in international locations. However, in August
chian State University, Boone,
North Carolina, USA, as a 2019, TTH faced major challenges such as building a trust-
basis for classroom discussion worthy brand for tourist, customer expectation and service
rather than to illustrate either
effective or ineffective handling delivery, and on-tour service management. Kumar and his
of an administrative or busi-
ness situation.
team were determined to work on their growth strategy in
India. Would TTH be able to successfully set their business
Please send all corres
pondence to Mokhalles
up for the long haul in India?
Mohammad Mehdi, PhD
Research Scholar, Department
of Business Admini stration,
Tezpur University, Assam, OVERVIEW
India, E-mail: mokhalles83@
gmail.com
Situated at 56-B, Third Floor, Guru Angad Nagar Extension
(Behind Gurudwara), East Delhi (India), TTH was founded
by two young entrepreneurs (Nitesh Singh and Praveen
Pal) on August 1, 2018. Shailesh Kumar (Director) joined the
company in October 2018. The company operates in hospi-
tality and tourism industry and serves both domestic and
international tourists. The company has expanded its busi-
ness through extension offices and branches offices across
India. The extension offices are in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh)
and Deoghar city (Jharkhand) to cover the target markets
© 2021 by World Scientific Publishing Co. and Asia Academy of Management DOI: 10.1142/S0218927521500085
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in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. The company has a wide

network of branch offices across the states in India such as
Jammu, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Chennai and Kerala for
the smooth and proper functioning of domestic tours (see
Exhibit 1).
It also has destination management companies (DMCs)
in foreign locations such as Bali (Indonesia), Thailand, Dubai,
Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Seychelles and Maldives (see
Exhibit 1) to cater to international tourism. The company has
10 employees who operate in diverse geographical locations
to promote the business. The profit after tax of the company
was US$5018.37 from August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019 (see

Exhibits 2 and 3).
Just within a year of its business operations, TTH was
serving both corporate clients and individuals for domestic
and international tourism. Tourists from Dubai, Thailand,
Malaysia and India made up for some of TTH’s clientele. The
more popular customer segments that TTH caters to are hon-
eymooners and corporate groups. TTH also caters to the busi-
ness to business market, which majorly includes hotels and
travel agents. TTH has plans to expand its geographic pres-
ence and the company was keenly analyzing their business
opportunities.
GLOBAL TOURISM INDUSTRY
The travel and tourism (T&T) industry is very fragmented. It

consists of small, local enterprises and large conglomerates.1
The T&T industry products and services include Traveler
accommodations, Air transportation, Travel arrangement and
reservations, Food and beverage establishments, other trans-
port (Car rental and Gasoline), Recreation and entertainment,
and other retail activities.1
The growth of the tourism industry is driven by
increasing technological advancements and transport networks
all over the world. Most of the countries have started
expanding visitors reach to wildlife, entertainment, and
art. The tourism industry consists of travel, transportation,
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TOP TIER HOLIDAYS: MARKETING STRATEGIES 175
e ntertainment, accommodation and tourist attractions (desti-

nations). In the global context, the overall contribution of the
tourism industry was more than US$8 trillion in 2017 and
projected to reach US$11,382 billion by 2025.1,2 It contributes to
9% of worldwide employment3 and witnessed a 3.5% growth

in 2019, outperforming the global economic growth of 2.5% for
the ninth consecutive year.4 The T&T industry contributed to
the total GDP such as US$2.1 trillion in North America; US$58
billion in the Caribbean, US$2trillion in Europe; US$299 billion
in Latin America; US$168 billion in Africa; US$245 billion in the
Middle East; US$2.1 trillion in North-East Asia; US$234 billion in
South Asia, US$380 billion in South-East Asia and US$197 billion

in Oceania.4
The market segments of the tourism industry are cat-
egorized by type (international tourism and local/domestic
tourism), by the purpose of travel (adventure tourism, business
tourism, medical tourism, religious tourism), by geography
(North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe,
Asia-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and rest
of the world).5 The tourism industry in Europe (major markets
are France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the UK) accounted for
51% of the global tourism market in 2015.5 The major markets
in the T&T industry like the UK, North America and Canada
had generated a revenue of US$142 billion, US$1,412 billion,
and US$98.2 billion, respectively, in 2015.5 The tourism market
in the Asia-Pacific region (major markets were India, China,
Japan and Singapore) has anticipated attracting more than
500 million tourists (visitors) by 2025.5 Gloria Guevara, World
Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) President & CEO, said,
“WTTC’s 2019 Economic Impact Report (EIR) shows how
intrinsic Travel & Tourism was last year to the economy in
Asia-Pacific, making it the fastest-growing region in the world
in terms of its contribution to GDP, supporting more than 182
million jobs or 9.6% of the total number of people employed.”6
The key growth drivers of the global tourism industry
are increasing per capita income in the emerging countries,
rising consumer sentiment, declining global unemployment7
and tourism promotion by the United Nations World Tourism
Organization (UNWTO). The factors which have restrained
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the growth of tourism are natural calamities, terrorist activi-

ties, political unrest, epidemics (Ebola and Swine Flu). The
key players in the global tourism industry are TCS World
Travel, DuVine, Gray & Co., Airbnb, Crown Ltd., Accor
Group, Balkan Holidays Ltd., G Adventures, Fred Harvey

Company and Adris Group.8
TOURISM INDUSTRY IN INDIA
India has been known for spiritual tourism destination and for
domestic and international tourists. India offers tourism prod-

ucts namely, cruises, adventure, medical, wellness, sports, eco-
tourism, film, rural, religious tourism and Meetings, Incentives,
Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE).9 The contribution of the
travel and tourism industry in India to the GDP is expected
to increase from US$234.03 billion in 2017 to US$492.21 billion
by 2028.9 The number of foreign tourists’ arriving in India in
2017 and 2018 were 10,035,803 and 10,557,929, respectively,
and from January to June 2019 it was 5,266,898.10
The international tourists’ arrival in India is expected
to reach 30.5 billion by 2028.11 The number of international
tourist visits to India is growing with a global share of 1.24%
of international tourists.12 In Asia and the Pacific region,
India’s rank on international tourists’ arrivals was 7th in 2017
and 2018 (Projected).12
The major source countries of foreign tourists’ arrivals
(FTAs) in India are Bangladesh, US, the UK, Sri Lanka, Canada,
Australia, Malaysia, China, Germany, and Russian Federa-
tion as these countries accounted for 65.6% of foreign tourists’
arrivals in India in 2018.13 The share of foreign tourist arrivals
in India in 2017 and 2018 (Projected) was 16.81 million and
17.42 million, respectively.14 The number of Indian nationals
departures from India in 2017 and 2018 was 23.94 million and
26.3 million (Projected), respectively. Moreover, the number of
domestic tourists visits to states/Union Territories within India
was 1,657.55 million and 1,854.93 million, respectively.15
The total number of tour operators in India recognized by
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India as on May 31, 2019,
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was 1,061, which included Travel Agents (222), Inbound Tour

Operators (516), Tourist Transport Operators (114), Adventure
Tour Operators (57), and Domestic Tour Operators (152).16
TTH’S MISSION
“To enrich your experience by educating you through excur-

sions. We have travelled miles in our imagination and have
executed them into reality to ensure your satisfaction and to
encourage your instincts as explorers before it extincts.”
ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT TEAM
The business operation of the company is spearheaded by

Shailesh Kumar (Director). It manages its business opera-
tions with a structured hierarchy. The directors of the
company are Nitesh Singh and Shailesh Kumar. The com-
pany’s management team consists of all the functional heads
(see Exhibit 4). Individual functional heads are responsible for
business operations. However, the focus of TTH is on mar-
keting, sales, operations and post-sales activities. The man-
agement team consists of Head of Finance & Administration,
Head of Inbound Products, Head of Outbound Products,
Head of Domestic Products and Head of Information Tech-
nology & Marketing. The Finance & Administration depart-
ment is responsible for human resource and accounting
activities of TTH. Inbound Products, Outbound Products and
Domestic Products department consist of several sales and
operations executives. The responsibilities of sales execu-
tives are divided into three categories such as inbound, out-
bound and domestic; inbound, outbound and international;
and post-sales activities (see Exhibit 5). However, the job
roles of sales and operations executives vary from depart-
ment to department. The sales and operations executives in
the inbound department are responsible for sales of product
or tour package, operations and post-sales activities. The sales
and operations executives in the outbound department are
responsible for tour package sales, operations and domestic
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and international air ticketing process. The sales and opera-

tions executives in the domestic product department are
responsible for tour package sales, operations and transporta-
tion arrangement for tourists. The information technology (IT)
and digital marketing executives maintain the official website.

They also create promotional videos, design online advertise-
ment for promotion of products, and to run Google advertise-
ment to generate leads.
PRODUCT, SERVICES AND PRICE

The company operates its business through individual and cor-

porate tour packages to serve its customers. The products and
services of the company are categorized into three key areas
namely, International Tour Packages (Inbound and Outbound),
Inbound Tour Packages and Domestic Tour Packages (see
Exhibit 6). The pricing structure of the tour packages is based on
the destination and duration of the tour. Exhibit 6 highlights the
product-wise (tour package) pricing of the company. The cost
conditions of these tour packages are based on few criteria such
as all cost based on the current exchange rate and all amounts
in Indian rupees;17 all costs valid with minimum 2 persons in
outbound tour package; all costs valid with minimum 3 persons
in domestic and inbound tour package; all costs excluding
airfare in international and domestic travel; and all costs
including hotels, local transfers, sightseeing and breakfast.
The product pricing component includes cost associated
with transportation, meals, hotels, entrance fees, tour guide,
markup and miscellaneous cost. Kumar said, “Generally other
holiday and tour agency work on a markup range of 7–14% on
the tour package. But we operate by minimizing markup up-to
4% on the total tour cost. This allows us easily to compete
with other’s product & services and pull their clients.”
COMPETITION
The T&T industry is expected to reach at a Cumulative

Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of over 7.5% by 2023 in India.18
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The key growth drivers are development of medical, well-

ness and adventure tourism in India. The rising use of smart-
phone, internet penetration, and government initiatives
including “Incredible India” and “Athiti Devo Bhava” are
driving the market in India.19 The major players operating in

T&T industry in India are Air India Ltd., Cleartrip Pvt. Ltd.,
Cox & Kings Ltd., Indian Hotels Company Limited, Indian
Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd., Make-
MyTrip (India) Private Limited, SOTC Travel Services Pvt.
Ltd., Travel Corporation (India) Ltd., Yatra Online Private
Limited, India,19 Thomas Cook (India) Ltd., and Fairfax India
Holdings Corporation.20 The company faced competition from

several major players in the Indian tourism and hospitality
market such as Thomas Cook India, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo,
EaseMytrip, Agoda, Booking.com. Kumar said,
“The big players in India sell hotel and flight at a lower cost than
us by applying bank promo code and by using multiple credit cards.
They collaborate with bank and offer discount coupons to clients.
We don’t have such facilities to offer.”
Moreover, Kumar also added that the big players fail to

provide quick response to resolve issues that occurred during
tour. The executives of TTH stay on direct contact with the
customers (tourists) and as a result of which they manage to
easily resolve the issues within a short period.
MARKETS
The company has major customers from countries like India,

Thailand, Malaysia, Dubai, Singapore, the US and Germany.
TTH has started its operations serving the outbound tourists
from India to foreign destinations in Thailand and Bali in
Indonesia, and foreign tourists from Thailand and Malaysia
for Indian tourists’ destinations. Later, it has expanded
the outbound tour packages for Indian customers to tourist
destinations in Dubai, Bhutan, Nepal, Malaysia, Singapore,
Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Maldives and Europe. Further, the
company has also started receiving inbound customers
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(tourists) from the US, Germany, Dubai and Singapore for

various Indian tourists’ destinations.
UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (USP)
The key USP of the company is reasonable product pricing

with minimum markup, and 24 × 7 customer support, Whats-
App support as a shadow traveler to the on-tour customer,
on-tour complimentary services, on-tour transportation services
on disposable basis and payment flexibility to the customer.
THE SELLING PROCESS
The selling process for TTH’s products varies depending on

the organization. This process is divided into three steps:
Step 1(a) (Review of leads): The sales executives generate leads
through Google advertisement or through individual and cor-
porate client referral.
Step 1(b) (Obtain customer information): Sales executives in-
teract with customers through telephone and or email and col-
lect information about their travel destination, number of per-
sons traveling, estimated date of travel, any planned budget and
type of tours such as honeymoon, leisure, business.
Step 2 (Itinerary design): Sales executives design a customized
itinerary on the planned budget amount provided by the custom-
er. They communicate with the tour package with detailed cost
of travel with their target customers for further review. However,
the company has made the necessary customization and person-
alization of the tour package for certain clients on a request basis
to ensure their satisfaction. The sales executive explains the itin-
erary with cost to the customers and subsequently starts follow-
ups with the customers to confirm the itinerary of travel.
Step 3 (Payment and bookings): Post confirmation of the itiner-
ary, the sales executive initiates the customer payment process
and shares the company’s account details for fund (payment)
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transfer. After confirmation of the payment, the sales executive

generates invoice number and proceeds for different bookings
such as hotels, transportation, and guide.
OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES
AND STRATEGIES ADOPTED
The company faced several challenges during their business

operation in India such as brand building, on-tour time man-
agement, language barrier, customer expectation and service
delivery. It is important to note that despite starting on small

scale, an online presence was a huge unanticipated challenge
for management. Brand building and maintaining the cred-
ibility on the online platform were major challenges for the
company. Kumar said,
“Travel & Tourism’s impact on wider trade flows stemming

from new sales generation, customer retention, partnership
development and innovation. As a new player in the com-
petitive market the biggest challenge for us was to offer com-
parative product and maintain the quality & services of those
products. But the key challenge was how to manage both the
reciprocal objects? Our strategy was to surpass the market
with a motive of giving 100% services and create customer
loyalty towards us.”
On-tour time management is a major issue during the tour

because most of the customers start late for the tour in their
trip affecting the pickup and drop services. The language
barrier is also a major challenge for the tour operator during
tour especially in non-English speaking countries and cus-
tomers. Also, sometimes, customers demand premium ser-
vices on low-cost tour packages.
It becomes difficult to overcome these challenges in
the competitive market. However, the company has adopted
several strategies to overcome these challenges by connecting
new customers with the existing loyal customers, and by
highlighting the benefits and services to budget customers,
and also by describing them the importance of time. First, the
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company connects with new customers with the reference of

the existing clients and increases credibility and trust through
connecting each other. TTH has entered the Indian market
with a strategy of converting 1 valuable customers to 2 more
valuable customers through a chain of reference clients.

Second, it highlights the benefits and services of premium
packages to the budget client to motivate them towards the
package. Kumar said, “Sometimes we offer the tour packages
with no profit and no loss or with a negligible amount of
profit to retain customers.”
Kumar said, “We first understand the traveller’s
requirement and on that basis, we customize tour itin-

erary for them. We skip the traditional way of a tailor-made
itinerary. We are flexible at every moment during the tour. If
someone wants to change (to add or to remove) the activities
TTH modifies it with zero cost.”
Third, time management is a key concern in the tour
business. Also, Kumar said,
“Even a delay of 5 minutes can cost you very much. So we

always suggest our clients to reach 10 minutes in advance to
every tour points. For example, if there is a scheduled pickup
time at 10:00 AM from the hotel lobby, we mention 09:50 AM
as pick up time in the service voucher to manage the delay.”
Fourth, the company has to make arrangement of the

local and multilingual guide with the guest during the tour
period to overcome the language barrier.
Fifth, TTH connects directly with their customers either
through phone or physical presence with representatives.
However, many tour operators believe in Interactive Voice
Response Systems (IVRS) calls which increases the customer
response time. Kumar said,
“We stay connected with our customer on a one-to-one basis

with a single contact from beginning to the end of the pro-
cess to maintain the customer relationship and also to build
trust and loyalty. But, the big companies continuously keep
on changing their customer contact person from one loca-
tion to another. Further, we have also created a WhatsApp
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s upport group for the travellers and which keeps travelling

with customers as a shadow traveller.”
Moreover, TTH assists clients individually with visas

on arrival forms prior to their departure during the foreign

tour. Kumar said, “so that our customers don’t have to bother
about all these things when they arrive at the airport.”
Sixth, TTH prefers the pre-sales services. As Kumar
believes, “most post-sales operators keep on changing the ser-
vices like hotels.”
However, the company has planned to expand its busi-
ness through several strategies such as introducing budget
tour packages for middle-class Indian, introducing educa-

tional tour packages for schools and colleges and increasing
packages for rural tourism among the visitors. Kumar said,
“Most of the Indian consumers are price (budget) conscious.

We are planning to introduce packages for destinations like
Shimla, Manali, Kullu in Himachal Pradesh at less than
US$57.96 per person. Second, the introduction of educational
tour packages will give access to school & college students.
We are looking for destinations which cover industrial area
and heritage sites. Third, we are going to include rural tour-
ism packages such as orchid visit, agro-farm, gardening and
fishing for our customers.”
Besides, TTH also has plans to surge the destinations pack-

ages for Seychelles. Kumar said, “Seychelles is one of the best
destinations for newly married couples. Hopefully, it might
be a key factor for success as limited tour operators in India
are offering packages for Seychelles.”
INBOUND AND OUTBOUND TOURISTS
The key categories of TTH clients are inbound and outbound

tourists. TTH has classified the tourists’ behavior into several
parameters, namely, orientation, hotel preference, sightseeing
options, food preference, shopping requirement and tour-
ists expectations. However, tourist characteristics such as
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rientation, hotel preference, sightseeing options, and food

o
preference are with reference to Group Inclusive Tour (GIT).
TTH tour packages include GIT (consisting of a group of five
persons traveling in a group throughout the tour program
with a special fare and requirements) and Free Independent

Traveler or Free Independent Tourist (FIT) (consisting of an
individual or a small group of fewer than 10 persons trav-
eling and vacationing with their self-booked itinerary).
On inbound tourists, Kumar said,
“Inbound clients from Europe and the USA prefer 4 star and
5 star hotels and are inclined towards services. They visit his-
torical sites, understand local cultures, traditions, values and
are ready to taste local foods. Inbound clients look for quality
products in their shopping. They want to be in a market place
where they can get quality products. They generally shop for
local handicrafts, traditional clothes and artworks. Moreover,
inbound clients from America, Europe, Australia, and New-
Zealand are not ready to compromise with the services. They
expect quality services in return to the price they have paid to
the tour service provider.”
Similarly, on outbound tourists Kumar comments,
“Indian tourists’ behaviour is completely different from

inbound tourists. Most of the Indian tourists travelling outside
India are price-conscious. They are not interested in luxury
accommodation. They are mainly interested in amusement
parks, nightlife, and shopping tours. They generally shop for
souvenirs, clothes and electronic items and prefer quantity to
quality. Indian outbound tourists are less interested in histori-
cal places. Indian tourists are rigid while eating their food and
prefer to visit Indian restaurants only. In comparison to for-
eign tourists, Indian clients are hard to negotiate with as they
expect higher services at low prices. Sometimes it becomes
difficult to satisfy Indian tourists and earn their loyalty.”
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND TESTIMONIALS
The company has an advantage of a respected brand in

the market and which is actively involved with customers.
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The operation of TTH is present across India. It provides its

interested customers with better product and services in dif-
ferent regions of India. The success stories of the company
and facilitating tour experience of people in India are the key
drivers for the growth of TTH through the outbound and

inbound tour package. Some of the success stories of out-
bound tour package are as follows:
1. First, Sayantani Nath (Indian tourist) in her Thailand trip

with her husband had an excellent experience with the TTH.
Nath said,
“Nicely arranged, well-coordinated and resorts at prime loca-

tions in the tour plan. The tour managers were very informa-
tive and well-behaved. TTH provided sufficient leisure times
for rest and relaxation. We have left [with] a great memory
and an excellent holiday.”
Nath also stated that Shailesh Kumar was constantly in
touch with them during the trip and ensured quality service.
2. Second, Chhavi Teckchandani (Indian tourist), a very happy

customer, visited Thailand. Teckchandani appreciated the
guidance and support of Shailesh Kumar for the well-planned
and well-communicated 6 nights/7 days tour. Teckchandani
said, “I definitely would recommend the c ompany to all.”
Some of the success stories of the inbound tours are as follows:
1. Paramasivam Palaniappan, a Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-

based tourist appreciated the services of TTH during his vis-
it to South India. Palaniappan said, “TTH executives Nitesh
and Shailesh provided wonderful tour services to me during
the South India tour.”
2. Silvamani Kuttikrishna a fourth-time traveler stated that
TTH tour package was a value for money and strongly rec-
ommended the tour services to others.
3. Gunasuntharee Vellasamy (Malaysian customer) said, “My
mom arrived back to Malaysia from India safely and she was
very happy with the TTH. I am grateful to Nitesh Singh for
the trip and facilities provided to my mother.” The satisfied
traveler wanted to convey their delight and express their
interest in booking future trips to Mumbai solely via TTH.
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FUTURE OUTLOOK
Based on the increasing demand in the T&T industry, Kumar

and his team are considering the appropriate growth strategy
to operate a business in India. The main challenge is to create a

growth strategy to overcome the challenges on brand building,
eliminating gap of customer expectation and service delivery,
and on-tour service management over the coming years. TTH
has planned to achieve a minimum growth of 20% by the
end of 2022. It has also planned to target the honeymooner’s
segment and the coming opportunities by the end of 2025.
EXHIBIT 1
Sales Offices & DMC
Domestic Offices Location & Types Contact Person

New Delhi (Head office) Laxmi Nagar, Delhi (India) — Corporate Office Praveen Pal
Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) Lanka, Uttar Pradesh (India) — Sales Office Shailesh Kumar
Odisha Bhubaneshwar, Odisha (India) — Sales Office Gaurav Das
Deoghar Castair’s Town, Jharkhand (India) — Sales Office Nitesh Kumar
International Offices cum DMC Location & Types Contact Person
Thailand Bangkok (Thailand) — DMC Bristi
Malaysia Seelong (Malaysia) — DMC Thivagaran Nyanesegeran
Dubai Deira (Dubai) — DMC Sagar Seth
Sri Lanka Dambula (Sri Lanka) — DMC Banuka
Source: Created by the case authors using company information.
EXHIBIT 2
Summary of Financial Position from August 1, 2018—JULY 31, 2019
Invoice Value Expense on Gross Total Tax Deduction Profit

Particulars (Sales Turnover) Bookings and Others Profit (Tax Deducted @ 18% Rate) After Tax
Amount (in US$) 65,027.56 59,100.59 6,119.98 −1,101.59 5,018.37
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EXHIBIT 3
Turnover of the company for 01 year (August 1, 2018 – March 31 2019)
Income Income Interest Pay Your

Particulars Bank Income OYO MMT Income Partner Testing Grand Total
Amount in US$ 3,043.04 38,105.32 173.86 2.96 0.1 895.52 0.02 42,220.8
EXHIBIT 4
Organizational Structure
Director
Head Finance & Head Domestic Head IT &

Administration Head Inbound Head Outbound Products Marketing
Products Products
Human Sales and Sales and Sales and Digital

Resource Operations Operatives Operations Marketing
Executive Executive Executive Executive Executive
Accounts
Executive
EXHIBIT 5
Responsibilities of Sales Executives
Sales Executive — Inbound, Outbound and Domestic

· Interaction with the new customers (tourists) and communicate the products
through phone call and or email.
· Design of customized itinerary.
· Estimation of the tour package cost.
· Follow up with the clients about the tour.
· Lead conversion and sale of the package to the customer.
(Continued )
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EXHIBIT 5 (Continued )

Sales Executive — Inbound, Outbound and International
· Review the sold tour packages.
· Check the availability status of all the mentioned hotels.

· Ensure the bookings for hotel and flight.
· Apply for Visa, if required.
· Booking of activities and transfers.
· Generate all vouchers.
· Review of all vouchers along with clients on the telephone.
· Re-confirm all the services from the different suppliers 3 days before
the tour.
· Provide information about foreign exchange and currency conversion.
· Make a checklist of all services to be provided to the customers.

· Ensure about the on tour update to clients for day to day itinerary.
Post-sales Responsibilities
· Check and evaluate the daily sales report.
· Create a WhatsApp support group and assist clients for all upcoming tours.
· Inform clients of all necessary updates prior to departure.
· Provide information on nearby restaurants and other necessary information
to clients.
· Ensure regular follow-up with on-tour clients.
· Receive customer feedback post completion of tour.
2150008.indd 188 01-22-22 09:01:25

WSPC/166-ACRJ 2150008 ISSN: 2189-2752
EXHIBIT 6
Products & Services
Price per Person

Types of Tour Tour Packages (Minimum) (in US$)

International Tour Trip to Thailand — 4 Nights/5 Days (Bangkok and Pattaya) 173.89
Packages (Inbound Dubai — 4 Nights/5 Days 369.51
& Outbound)
Honeymoon Special to Thailand — 5 Nights/6 Days
(Bangkok, Phuket and Karabi) 318.79
The beauty of Bhutan — 5 Nights/6 Days 239.10
Nepal — 5 Nights/6 Days 253.59
Adventurous Bali — 4 Nights/5 Days 152.15

Malaysia — 3 Nights/4 Days 188.38
Singapore — 4 Nights/5 Days 333.29
Malaysia + Singapore — 6 Nights/7 Days 463.70
Inbound Tour Maharshtra Trip — (9 Nights/10 Days) — (Jyotirlinga
Packages Darshan and UNESCO Heritage ) 341.25
Trip to Saurashtra Gujarat Trip — 11 Nights/12 Days 412.26
Trek to Binsar Uttarakhand Trip — 7 Nights/8 Days 340.53
Golden Triangle Tour — 5 Nights/6 Days (Delhi, Agra
and Jaipur) 237.28
South India Pilgrimage Tour — 13 Nights/14 Days 384.00
Domestic Tour Grand Gujarat — 9 Nights/10 Days 324.59
Packages Holiday Spices of Kerala — 5 Nights/6 Days 152.15
Royal Rajasthan — 7 Nights/8 Days 270.98
Himland Himachal — 4 Nights/5 Days (Only Manali) 128.97
Thrilling Himachal — 5 Nights/6 Days (Shimla and Manali) 137.66
The Statue of Unity Tour — 1 Night/2 Days 79.70
Chota Chardham Tour — 11 Nights/12 Days (Gangotri,
Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath) 376.76
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WSPC/166-ACRJ 2150008 ISSN: 2189-2752
190 ACRJ
ENDNOTES
1. “Global Tourism Industry—Market Research Report,” IBISWorld,

accessed on May 29, 2020, https://www.ibisworld.com/global/
market-research-reports/global-tourism-industry/.
2. “Global Tourism Industry Market Analysis & Opportunity
Outlook 2025,” RESEARCH NESTER, accessed on May 29, 2020,
https://www.researchnester.com/reports/global-tourism-
industry-market-analysis-opportunity-outlook-2025/109.
Outlook 2025,” op. cit.
4. “Economic Impact Reports,” World Travel & Tourism Council,
accessed on May 29, 2020, https://wttc.org/Research/Economic-

Impact.
6. “Travel & Tourism will be critical to Asia Pacific’s economic recovery,
says WTTC,” World Travel & Tourism Council, accessed on May
29, 2020, https://wttc.org/News-Article/Travel-and-Tourism-will-
be-critical-to-Asia-Pacifics-economic-recovery-says-WTTC.
7. “Global Tourism Industry—Market Research Report,” op. cit.
9. “Indian Tourism and Hospitality Industry Analysis,” India Brand
Equity Foundation, accessed on May 29, 2020, https://www.ibef.
org/industry/indian-tourism-and-hospitality-industry-analysis-
presentation.
10. Bureau of Immigration (BOI), Government of India, for 2017–
2019, P: Provisional; “India Tourism Statistics At a Glance—2019,”
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, accessed on May 29,
2020, http://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/Other/India%20
Tourism%20Statistics%20at%20a%20Glance%202019.pdf.
11. “Indian Tourism and Hospitality Industry Analysis,” op. cit.
12. UNWTO Barometers of June 2010, January 2011, April 2014,
August 2015, May 2016, July 2017, June 2018, May 2019 and
Tourism Highlights 2011 and 2012. P: Provisional; “India
Tourism Statistics At a Glance—2019,” op. cit.
13. Bureau of Immigration, Government of India, P: Provisional;
“India Tourism Statistics At a Glance—2019,” op. cit.
14. UNWTO Barometer May 2019 for other countries and Bureau of
Immigration (BOI) for India, NA: Not Available, P: Provisional;
“India Tourism Statistics At a Glance—2019,” op. cit.
2150008.indd 190 01-22-22 09:01:25

WSPC/166-ACRJ 2150008 ISSN: 2189-2752
15. Bureau of Immigration, Government of India and State/Union

Territory Tourism Departments, P: Provisional, *: Revised in
August 2019; “India Tourism Statistics At a Glance—2019,” op.cit.
16. “India Tourism Statistics At a Glance — 2019,” op. cit.
17. Converted to US$. US$1 = INR 69.01 on August 1, 2019.
18. “India Travel & Tourism Market Competition Forecast &

Opportunities, 2013–2023—ResearchAndMarkets.com,” Business
Wire, April 17, 2018, accessed on December 22, 2020, https://
www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180417005786/
en/India-Travel-Tourism-Market-Competition-Forecast-
Opportunities-2013-2023---ResearchAndMarkets.com.
19. “India Travel & Tourism Market Competition Forecast and
Opportunities, 2011–2021—Research and Markets,” PR Newswire,

February 15, 2017, accessed on December 22, 2020, https://www.
prnewswire.com/news-releases/india-travel--tourism-market-
competition-forecast-and-opportunities-2011–2021---research-and-
markets-300407879.html.
20. “India Travel & Tourism Market Competition Forecast &
Opportunities, 2013–2023—ResearchAndMarkets.com,” op. cit.
2150008.indd 191 01-22-22 09:01:25

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WSPC/166-ACRJ 2150008 ISSN: 2189-2752

Top Tier Holidays: Marketing

University, Tura Campus,

2150008.indd 173 01-22-22 09:01:20

in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. The company has a wide

was US$5018.37 from August 1, 2018 to July 31, 2019 (see

GLOBAL TOURISM INDUSTRY

The travel and tourism (T&T) industry is very fragmented. It

2150008.indd 174 01-22-22 09:01:20

TOP TIER HOLIDAYS: MARKETING STRATEGIES 175

e­ ntertainment, accommodation and tourist attractions (desti-

9% of worldwide employment3 and witnessed a 3.5% growth

South Asia, US$380 billion in South-East Asia and US$197 billion

2150008.indd 175 01-22-22 09:01:20

the growth of tourism are natural calamities, terrorist activi-

Group, Balkan Holidays Ltd., G Adventures, Fred Harvey

TOURISM INDUSTRY IN INDIA

domestic and international tourists. India offers tourism prod-

2150008.indd 176 01-22-22 09:01:20

TOP TIER HOLIDAYS: MARKETING STRATEGIES 177

was 1,061, which included Travel Agents (222), Inbound Tour

“To enrich your experience by educating you through excur-

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT TEAM

The business operation of the company is spearheaded by

2150008.indd 177 01-22-22 09:01:21

and international air ticketing process. The sales and opera-

and digital marketing executives maintain the official website.

PRODUCT, SERVICES AND PRICE

The company operates its business through individual and cor-

The T&T industry is expected to reach at a Cumulative

2150008.indd 178 01-22-22 09:01:21

TOP TIER HOLIDAYS: MARKETING STRATEGIES 179

The key growth drivers are development of medical, well-

driving the market in India.19 The major players operating in

­Holdings Corporation.20 The company faced competition from

Moreover, Kumar also added that the big players fail to

The company has major customers from countries like India,

2150008.indd 179 01-22-22 09:01:21

(tourists) from the US, Germany, Dubai and Singapore for

UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (USP)

The key USP of the company is reasonable product pricing

THE SELLING PROCESS

The selling process for TTH’s products varies depending on

2150008.indd 180 01-22-22 09:01:21

TOP TIER HOLIDAYS: MARKETING STRATEGIES 181

transfer. After confirmation of the payment, the sales executive

The company faced several challenges during their business

delivery. It is important to note that despite starting on small

“Travel & Tourism’s impact on wider trade flows stemming

On-tour time management is a major issue during the tour

2150008.indd 181 01-22-22 09:01:21

company connects with new customers with the reference of

valuable customers through a chain of reference clients.

requirement and on that basis, we customize tour itin-

“Even a delay of 5 minutes can cost you very much. So we

Fourth, the company has to make arrangement of the

“We stay connected with our customer on a one-to-one basis

2150008.indd 182 01-22-22 09:01:21

TOP TIER HOLIDAYS: MARKETING STRATEGIES 183

s­ upport group for the travellers and which keeps travelling

Moreover, TTH assists clients individually with visas

on arrival forms prior to their departure during the foreign

tour packages for middle-class Indian, introducing educa-

“Most of the Indian consumers are price (budget) conscious.

WSPC/166-ACRJ 2150008 ISSN: 2189-2752

e ntertainment, accommodation and tourist attractions (desti-

Holdings Corporation.20 The company faced competition from

s upport group for the travellers and which keeps travelling

rientation, hotel preference, sightseeing options, and food

1. “Global Tourism Industry—Market Research Report,” IBISWorld,

15. Bureau of Immigration, Government of India and State/Union

18. “India Travel & Tourism Market Competition Forecast &