Running head: Resort Management 1
1. Why is place marketing even more important to a resort destination than to other
businesses and destinations? Explain how the use of Porter’s cluster theory can facilitate
the development of strong place marketing?
Place marketing is important for resort destinations because the resorts sell tourism
services which is the product they sell. Place marketing for this type of product is important
because the place or location is the point at which the tourists consume the product informed of
experiences and other myriad forms of activities. The place is specifically what is sold when
tourism is marketed out there in the niche(Ashworth et al., 1990). Besides, potential customers to
the resorts always put the resorts under clusters being guided by information that determine the
location of the resort, like, how accessible is the resort, using different forms of transport like,
motorcycles, cars via air and others, what types of accommodation is available in the resorts,
how does it the resort match the requirements of different types of potential visitors, that is,
tourists in groups or other types of customers and also the segmentation of customers (Ashworth
et al., 1990).
Place marketing is also important because it is an appropriate way to describe a
destination and marketing a resort (Murphy, 2009). This is because place marketing is simple
and easy to distinguish from other basic marketing of products since it includes consideration of
the external environment and stakeholders who are involved to make a place (Murphy, 2009).
Porter's cluster theory comprises four concepts. They are the cluster initiative, cluster
location which is important in place marketing, the competitive advantage of the clusters, and
geography and trade of the clusters. How successful cluster is, is determined by the competitive
advantage a cluster has. Porter's cluster theory can be used to analyze the external environment
of the resort and help to create a competitive advantage of the resort, the cluster diamond can
, Resort Management 2
help to develop an efficient place marketing since it can provide crucial information like
strategy, structure, and rival resorts, what the market demands, inputs required by the market and
other industries associated with the resort business. The cluster diamond can guide place
marketing of resorts to come up with the best marketing strategy of the location of the resort.
Porter's cluster theory will help identify the market demands place marketing and help to gain a
competitive edge by making sure the demands like serene environment, camping services,
accommodation, team building facilities, and any other demand associated with place marketing
is available, ensuring factors like infrastructure required to market the place of the restaurant are
superior to the competitors. The cluster diamond can also help to know the associated industries
and support industry requirement of place marketing of the resort-like provision of resources
associated with tourism like swimming pool and photography are some of the support industries
of place marketing a resort. Transport cluster can help market the place of the resort by providing
resources like free transport to the location of the resort (E-Porter, 1998)
2. Explain what is meant by “hard” and “soft” controls within Visitor Impact
Management (VIM) systems, and illustrate their effectiveness or otherwise at a resort of
your choice.
Visitor Impact management refers to the management of the effects the visitors or tourists
have on protected areas during the stay at the location. In most cases, it is associated with
negative impacts on the tourists in the protected area (Mason, 2005). In this context, it refers to
the impact the visitors have on the resort. We will analyze the effectiveness of "hard'' and "soft"
visitor impact management at Poets Cove Resort & Spa, located at 9801 Spalding Rd British
Columbia VON 2M3 Canada. Visitor impact management can be an important tool for managers
to know the desired conditions of the visitors to achieve their management goals. "Hard" and
1. Why is place marketing even more important to a resort destination than to other
businesses and destinations? Explain how the use of Porter’s cluster theory can facilitate
the development of strong place marketing?
Place marketing is important for resort destinations because the resorts sell tourism
services which is the product they sell. Place marketing for this type of product is important
because the place or location is the point at which the tourists consume the product informed of
experiences and other myriad forms of activities. The place is specifically what is sold when
tourism is marketed out there in the niche(Ashworth et al., 1990). Besides, potential customers to
the resorts always put the resorts under clusters being guided by information that determine the
location of the resort, like, how accessible is the resort, using different forms of transport like,
motorcycles, cars via air and others, what types of accommodation is available in the resorts,
how does it the resort match the requirements of different types of potential visitors, that is,
tourists in groups or other types of customers and also the segmentation of customers (Ashworth
et al., 1990).
Place marketing is also important because it is an appropriate way to describe a
destination and marketing a resort (Murphy, 2009). This is because place marketing is simple
and easy to distinguish from other basic marketing of products since it includes consideration of
the external environment and stakeholders who are involved to make a place (Murphy, 2009).
Porter's cluster theory comprises four concepts. They are the cluster initiative, cluster
location which is important in place marketing, the competitive advantage of the clusters, and
geography and trade of the clusters. How successful cluster is, is determined by the competitive
advantage a cluster has. Porter's cluster theory can be used to analyze the external environment
of the resort and help to create a competitive advantage of the resort, the cluster diamond can
, Resort Management 2
help to develop an efficient place marketing since it can provide crucial information like
strategy, structure, and rival resorts, what the market demands, inputs required by the market and
other industries associated with the resort business. The cluster diamond can guide place
marketing of resorts to come up with the best marketing strategy of the location of the resort.
Porter's cluster theory will help identify the market demands place marketing and help to gain a
competitive edge by making sure the demands like serene environment, camping services,
accommodation, team building facilities, and any other demand associated with place marketing
is available, ensuring factors like infrastructure required to market the place of the restaurant are
superior to the competitors. The cluster diamond can also help to know the associated industries
and support industry requirement of place marketing of the resort-like provision of resources
associated with tourism like swimming pool and photography are some of the support industries
of place marketing a resort. Transport cluster can help market the place of the resort by providing
resources like free transport to the location of the resort (E-Porter, 1998)
2. Explain what is meant by “hard” and “soft” controls within Visitor Impact
Management (VIM) systems, and illustrate their effectiveness or otherwise at a resort of
your choice.
Visitor Impact management refers to the management of the effects the visitors or tourists
have on protected areas during the stay at the location. In most cases, it is associated with
negative impacts on the tourists in the protected area (Mason, 2005). In this context, it refers to
the impact the visitors have on the resort. We will analyze the effectiveness of "hard'' and "soft"
visitor impact management at Poets Cove Resort & Spa, located at 9801 Spalding Rd British
Columbia VON 2M3 Canada. Visitor impact management can be an important tool for managers
to know the desired conditions of the visitors to achieve their management goals. "Hard" and
