INVESTIGATION INTO SALES AND MARKETING DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

ABSTRACT
The hotel business is arguably the most lucrative business within the hospitality industry. This is proven by the astronomical growth rate of the industry. However, in the recent years, the industry has witnessed a high level of competitions which makes hotel owners and managers search for new ways of ensuring success in their business voyages by applying different strategies to yield high occupancy rate of their hotel rooms and concomitantly provides them with good returns on their investment. The purpose of this research work was to analyze the Investigation into Sales and Marketing Department of Hospitality industry.The objective of this report was to highlight the importance of marketing in the accommodation business. The aim was also to showcase the impact of marketing in the development of hotel as an industry and how marketing could be used to ensure success in a highly competitive, volatile and diverse industry such as the hospitality industry.The empirical part of this research was conducted with the use of the qualitative research method. A semi-structured interview was conducted among stakeholders in the hotel industry in Abuja,The theoretical framework for this research focused on basic the concepts in hotel management and in the marketing field. The source of data for this research was also taken from secondary data which were provided by authors and scholars both in the field of marketing as well as in the hotel management.Considering the aim of this research and the degree of validity and reliability, great effort was made to ensure the objectivity of the report and conclusion. The result of this report shows that marketing is the life blood on which the success of any hotel outlet depends on.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
The hospitality industry is one of the largest and fastest growing industries around the world. The industry comprises of various sub-sectors which include the hotel sector, restaurant and resort. The tourism and hospitality industry is a sector that most countries around the world try to develop. The industry has been one of the major employers throughout the world. The hotel industry being a vital part of the wider hospitality industry occupies an important place in the economy of most countries, the industry has been forecasted to generate 555 billion dollars in revenue in 2016.
The hotel industry, being the most visible sector within the hospitality industry, is experi- encing a major setback that threatens the attractiveness of the sector to prospective investors. Even though various statistics shows that the industry has been growing at an astronomical rate, taking a closer look at these statistics, one will discover that the major growth in the industry can only be seen in the chain operated hotels and industry cooperate segments. Furthermore, the level of competitions within the hotel industry has increased so much in the recent decades, to the point that it poses a threat not only to new entrants into the industry but also to those companies that have been in the business for many years. It is no longer a secret that many hotels are struggling to keep up with the level of competitions both within and outside the industry. Only a few hotels are able to sustain the pressure and make a profit in the long run. This has raised a fundamental questions such as what does the future hold for small and medium scale hotels? How can they make a sustainable profit in the industry? A simple answer to these questions can be found in the latter part of this thesis.
Statement of the Problems
This research proposes to examine the Investigation into Sales and Marketing Department of Hospitality industry, specifically in the hotel industry. The aim of writing this thesis is to analyze the role which marketing plays in the development of hotel industry; the way marketing has changed the industry and how it can be used to further develop the industry and to create a positive brand image of a hotel in the minds of the customers.
Research Questions
This research addresses a number of questions which include (but are not limited to):
1. How can marketing be used effectively and efficiently to promote a hotel as a brand?
2. What are the best marketing strategies to retain guests in a highly competitive market such as the hotel industry?
3. What is the future of marketing in the hotel industry?
The objectives of the Study
• To assess the role played by marketing in the development of the hotel industry
• To find an effective way of promoting hotel products
• To promote the use of efficient marketing strategies in hotel industry.
Limitations to the Study
It is common that every research project faces one or more limitations. In this respect, there is a high possibility that this research work might face some limitations, too. These limitations include: subjectivity in opinions of the interviewee, interviewee not willing to give information about their business strategies which might be considered to be confidential to their company. However, effort has been made by the researcher to ensure that those limitations were overcome by: preparing documents which will prove the credibility of this re- search to the interviewees and also convince them that the information they provide during the interview will solely be used for the purpose of this research. Additionally, the fact that it is not possible for the researcher to be present in person to conduct some of the interviews is also a limitation to this study; however plans has been made to make sure that cordial relationship is established with the respondent in order to build trust prior to the date of the interviews.