The market segments identified for tourism in Guatemala will be divided in several groups.
The currently main market is formed of tourists from North America, other Latin American Countries, and Europe. The high season for these tourists is Christmas and Eastern (Eastern is known in Guatemala like Holy Week, and is summer in Guatemala). It is not difficult to find people that speak English.
The local tourism represents the two thirds of the tourism in Lake Atitlan. Around the lake is there are many religious places that are visited for locals, weekends are especially chosen by locals for visiting Lake Atitlan.
3.3. Potential Market
The potential market in Taiwan is the student of college or master who likes to travel at least one week or more and use to travel more than two times per year.
Those students are willing to visit places that almost no other Taiwanese has visited before, because they like to show pictures of exotic landscapes, exotic food, and dresses.
Taiwanese people from 30 years old or younger, those are willing to stay in a hotel less expensive of 30 USD; that enjoy watching beautiful scenarios, visiting ancient historical places, and doing outdoor activities; that are willing to spend less that 400 USD per week.
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IV. Marketing Plan
National statistics shows that tourists stay in Guatemala an average of 7 or 9 days, and in the Lake Atitlan an average of two days and one night. The main international market is the tourist from Central America, Mexico, Canada, United States, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and United Kingdom. The local tourism represents two thirds of the tourism in Lake Atitlan. The touristic sectors with high potential in Lake Atitlan are Cultural Tourism and Ecotourism. (Source: INGUAT)
Lake Atitlan is an unknown destiny for Asians. There is a great opportunity to advertise the lake in Asian Countries, showing they could travel to Guatemala and go around the country without to need a big budget.
4.1. Target Group
For this business plan, the target group is the Asian tourist. After analyze the results of the survey, it is possible to define a profile for our target group.
Master or PhD Taiwanese students from 30 years old or younger, students that are studying Spanish language, they like to travel in group, and because they are willing to stay in non expensive hotel. They would love the experience to visit a place with the characteristics of Lake Atitlan.
4.2. Target Market Segment Strategy
In order to reach the target market segment, Guatemala Cheap Hotels will follow a mix marketing approach. The technical approach will be related with the website design and the Google ads with the intention to get as much traffic as possible in the company’s website. The formal approach will be related with the 4 P’s strategy.
31 4.2.1. Product/Service
The service Guatemala Cheap Hotel will provide in two senses. The company will provide to the tourist the opportunity to book online an inexpensive hotel to stay in Lake Atitlan. And the company will provide to those small and medium size hotel business the opportunity to participate in an online business without the requirement of an internet connection. The other online businesses in Guatemala have the requirement the hotel has to have an internet connection to participate with them in the business.
At the same time, the product of Guatemala Cheap Hotels is the same Lake Atitlan.
Lake Atitlan was once called “the most beautiful lake in the world” by Aldous Huxley and the Mayan word “Atitlan” means “the place where the rainbow gets its colors”.
Atitlan has potential for a rich variety of water sports: fishing, swimming, diving, water skiing and boating. This, in combination with the well-preserved Mayan culture creates a unique environment that can turn into a globally competitive tourism destination.
4.2.2. Price
The price of the hotels in the network will be less than 30 USD, and the tourist will pay the total invoice with credit card plus 2.50 USD for booking fee. The price of the hotel is per person per night. In case the tourist would like to cancel, the company will return the total less the booking fee amount.
4.2.3. Promotion
The promotion will be group oriented. Everything is about groups; most of the tourists like to travel in group, travel agencies are working with little travel tour operators, and the groups reach other groups.
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The promotion will be done in several steps, the first and the most important is to be registered in the Ministry of Tourism of Guatemala and the Camera of Tourism in Guatemala. With this the company will have a link in the Ministry of Tourism’s website and in the online brochures the Ministry would be exchanging with international partners. The Camera of Tourism has some promotional programs at Regional Level, and our website would be present in those promotions.
To be registered in the Hotel Sector Association in Guatemala is also essential.
This sector has a program to support the small and medium size businesses with trainings, conferences, new trends, and other activities related with tourism organized by the Government.
Because Guatemala Cheap Hotels is an online business, the most important is how to attract the people to visit the website. The traffic is a main factor for online business, and this is the technical approach.