Sikkim: Tourism product development with reference to seven P's framework: A Case Study

Abstract

A tourism product can be defined as the sum of the physical and psychological satisfaction which it provides to tourists during their travelling and route to the destination. It aims at enhancing visitor experience by having strategic alliances with business stakeholders like hotels, airlines, travel agencies etc. Countries have taken brand building initiatives to promote their destinations as a 'brand' to attract more tourists. In 2002, India adopted its most successful marketing campaign “Incredible India” with the objective of revamping brand India as a tourist attraction with an integrated marketing communication effort. Some of the places in India are worldwide famous but there are others which deserve better promotions. North eastern states in India are not successfully marketed despite its splendid natural beauty. This paper explores the concept of tourism destination brand identity from the services marketing perspective. The primary objective of this case is to develop the marketing mix (Seven P's) framework for Sikkim to make it as one of the best destinations in the India. The case study also develops new brand name , logo, tagline for Sikkim tourism. This case study deals with marketing of Sikkim through seven marketing mix elements: Service product, pricing, promotion (communication), place (distribution), service processes, people and physical evidences.