Designing the strategic marketing mixture model for tourism industry

Tourism plays an important role in world economy and it is expected that it gets more importance in the next years. Tourism affects occupation rate, payment balance, and economical stability of many countries. This industry is an application one, so that it is a potential to improve occupation situation, especially for low-skilled jobs. In Tajikistan, unemployment rate is focused on in this area. In addition, tourism jobs are more dispersed than the other economical divisions, so they are parallel to decentralization policy of Tajikistan. Tourism marketing mixture elements (services, goods, price, pricing, promotional activities, and distribution channels) are variables that their planning regarding needs of tourists and considering environmental factors, may conclude more success. A sample of 80 active persons in tourism industry in Tajikistan for four years (2008-2010) was selected. Binomial test, Freedman variance analysis test, and correlation test were used to test assumptions. The results show that promotional activities and distribution channels of services and goods of Tajikistan obtained first and second ranks, and tourism services and goods obtained third rank. Regarding ranking of four elements of marketing mixture, the main assumption of this research is confirmed.


INTRODUCTION
Despite Tajikistan is a tourism region by its historical, cultural, and geographical situation, however, it was not successful in attraction of tourists for lack of an integral planning and lack of a strategic marketing mixture.Experiments of other parts of the world have shown that development of planned tourism industry may satisfy needs of tourists without creating significant problems (Michael, 1989).
Those countries that stepped without planning, encountered many environmental and social problems.These problems were undesirable for tourists and domestic people and produced marketing problems and decreased economic advantages (Zare et al., 2011).The regions that proceeded without planning for tourism development were not able to compete with the other countries with suitable plans (Gronross, 1982).
Tourism plays an important economical role as one of the invisible export items in many countries.Now, after oil and automobile, tourism is the third export industry of the world (Jefferson and Lickorish, 1991).*Corresponding author.E-mail: sabeheshti@yahoo.com;Tel: 00989188665412.
Authors agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Tourism experts anticipated that tourism industry will become the first export industry of the world in early of 21st century.In spite of progressive growth of tourism and its importance in economy of countries, unfortunately, the share of Tajikistan is low; and its reason is unfamiliarity of tourism organizations of Tajikistan with marketing activities, including designing marketing mixture.
Strategic planning of tourism marketing is an important subset of total strategic tourism planning.In this research, we discuss important elements of tourism marketing mixture and specify its variables by view of related experts (Kotler and Gary, 1993).
The main problem to be solved in this research is that there was no strategic marketing mixture model to develop tourism in Tajikistan.This decreases success despite of many competition advantages of this country in its cultural, geographical, and historical dimensions.

Marketing management
Before defining "marketing", we define "market".This word has been used in different styles.We always discuss retail markets, wholesale markets, domestic markets, national markets, and planning to supply a product to a market.We can define tourism market as customers that need trips and have enough money to do that.Sometimes, this market is limited to a special zone.For example, a restaurant that works in a region may cover near tourism occasionally.In another situation, a market may include a country (a national chain hotel) or many countries (an international airline) (Keegan, 1999).
Awareness for existence of a market for a product will not simplify marketing word.People often think they have enough information about marketing, because they encounter it in their trips.They have stopped in a gas station with suitable traffic signs; they have resided in road hotels; and they have used restaurants with interesting foods.These are forms of propaganda, but marketing is not propaganda.Brochure of a hotel is propaganda but not marketing (Kotler, 1997).
In this section, we offer some definitions for tourism marketing suggested by valid persons or organizations.England Marketing Institute suggested the following definition (23): "Marketing is managerial task that organize all commercial activities including evaluation, conversion of customer purchase power to an effective demand for a service or a special good to achieve profit or other goals."American Marketing Association defines marketing as (Salah et al., 1976): "Marketing is a process to plan and execute concepts such as pricing, promotion, distribution of goods, services, and ideas to meet the goals of organization and customers." Philip Catler, the most famous expert in this field, has defined marketing as a human activity to meet needs though transaction.
William Stanton, marketing professor in Colorado University, defined marketing as (1996): "Marketing is a complete business system that is designed for planning, pricing, promotion, and distribution of high quality products to meet needs of goal market to achieve organizational goals."Varen Kigan, marketing professor in Pace University of USA, defined marketing as (Keegan, 1999): "Marketing is the process of concentration of organizational resources and goals on environmental opportunities and needs." The above definitions may differ apparently, but they share the following points: 1. Marketing is administration of a company by concentration on needs of customers.2. In marketing concept, meeting needs of customers is very important, and is the main task to achieve profit goals of a company.
Other tasks such as production, human resources, and financial affairs are done regarding marketing direction.From the operational view, marketing is a thinking method that must be noticed by management and must be the dominant idea in an organization.From the organizational view, duty of marketing department is providing marketing techniques and tools for decisionmaking.Therefore, marketing is a major task of management and a tool to achieve organization's goal (Aurkene et al., 1998).

Tourism marketing management
Marketing as a concept, as is applied for services and goods, is used in tourism industry.Thus, tourism marketing and general marketing are not different (Seyedahmad et al., 2012).One of the definitions of marketing in tourism industry is: "Marketing is philosophy of management to meet needs of tourists, and provides highest profit for an organization by researches, anticipation, and selection of suitable goods and services" (Robert and Morrison, 1992).
The above definition shows that firstly, marketing is a thinking method in a situation to balance tourists' needs and tourism organizations' needs.Secondly, this definition notices tourism researches to select goal markets.Thirdly, situation stabilization and goods life curve concepts are used to ensure supply of services and goods in tourism industry and to design desired marketing strategies and suitable programs.Krippendorf suggested the following definition in "Tourism Marketing" book: "Marketing is using systematic policies of tourism institutes and countries in national and international levels to meet needs of a definite group of consumers to achieve suitable profit" (Stephen and Luiz, 1994).
This definition complies with the previous ones for general marketing to meet needs of consumers as the final goal of companies.

Tourism marketing mixture
Marketing mixture is a major concept in the modern marketing.Marketing mixture is a set of controllable marketing tools to do suitable reactions in the goal market (Zare and Shahsavari, 2012).
Marketing mixture includes all efforts and activities of a company to affect demand.Its different features have been classified by marketing experts.McCarty (1960) described 4 main elements of marketing including product, price, promotion, and place (4P).Most marketing management experts accept "4P" and its elements.However, some researchers added other elements.
Middleton added three other elements of people, physical evidence, and process, so he called it "7P".
Mill and Morrison added elements of people, packaging, partnership, and programming, so they called it "8P".
Gronros added element of interaction (1982).Doswell added element of picture as the fifth element.According to Doswell, general picture of the region is a mental picture including place, nature, and views of people.General picture is produced during time, and history is effective cultural factors, fictions, and epics.
As mentioned above, there is solidarity for four main elements of marketing mixture.In this research, only theoretical fundamentals of marketing mixture principle were noticed and primary data for Tajikistan market were gathered in that regard (Kotler and Armstrong, 1994) (Figure 1).(Del and Donald, 1994).Willemse Janinc from Pretoria University, South Africa, defended his thesis titled "A customer-oriented view for tourism marketing".The researcher pointed to lack of scientific topics and researches in this area.He discussed customer-oriented concept in marketing and its features.This research ends with a case study in Kruger National Park for customer-orientation.This experimental study showed that customer-orientation is not only one of the important prerequisites of service marketing, but also is used in world marketing (William et al., 1996).Wang Philip Chuang-Ming from Pennsylvania University, USA, defended his PhD thesis titled "Study of expert views for development of regional tourism in Pennsylvania for 2000".His findings showed that commercial experts believed that state budget for promotional activities in different regions must be balanced and government must invest for development of infrastructures.These experts agreed with accumulated marketing.However, these experts had different views about subjects such as promotional activities in state level, regional tourism, future tourism growth in different areas, role of domestic entrepreneurs, and evolution of tourism ideals.At the end, proposals were offered for tourism policy and future studies.In addition, it was proposed that other experts, such as professors and government authorities, be used for future studies (Buttle, 1986).

By investigations in information media
Chon Key-Sung from Virginia University defended his PhD thesis in 1991 titled "Satisfaction of tourists from destination region view".The primary goal of this research was to study relationship between general view of a tourism region and satisfaction of tourists.This research concentrated on the following criteria for usage of recognition evaluation theory: 1. Operational equivalence between expectations of tourists and their perceptions from operational features of destination region.2. Value equivalence between self-thinking of tourists and general features of a destination region.3. The degree of emotional engagement of tourists for trip purchases and their effects on their satisfaction.
Findings of this research showed that tourists' satisfaction is related with operational equivalence and value equivalence.For relative power of operational equivalence and value equivalence to describe dissatisfaction of tourism, it was found that operational equivalence could better determine tourists' satisfaction than value equivalence.In addition, it was found that emotional engagement of tourists in purchase process affected satisfaction of them for a destination region.This research concluded that value equivalence approach affects increment of knowledge of tourism marketing.In addition, this research proposed self-thinking and equivalence of destination region in satisfaction process (Matheson, 1976).Laksitanond Prin from International University, USA, defended his thesis in 1989 titled "A comparison between different aspects of Thailand tourism marketing from the view of tourism managers, propaganda managers, and five different tourist groups".In this research, firstly, domains of different types of tourism propaganda from the view of tourism and propaganda managers were studied.In addition, domain of each type was analyzed.The results showed that there were 9 important propaganda contents by view of tourism and propaganda managers.Thus, world marketing approach can be used for them.There was a difference in one propaganda message between perceptions of two groups (Jefferson and Lickorish, 1991).Burke James Franklin from Minnesota University in 1986 defended his PhD thesis titled "Designing a computer system for management and evaluation of tourism marketing programs".This research was about development of a tourism computer system with cooperation of a company in Wisconsin State.The studies of Tourism Department of Wisconsin State showed that the number of tourists in this region was decreasing.In this study, they tried to improve management and evaluation of tourism marketing programs by computer technology.
A national survey of tourism organizations showed that evaluation of marketing and management databases could play and important role in general development.In this research, a computer system for management of produced information of tourism marketing sectors and evaluation of efficacy of tourism marketing programs was designed.These two areas are not well noticed in tourism marketing process (Horner and John, 1996).

Main assumption
Among four marketing mixture elements, promotional Beheshti and Zare 467 activities and distribution channels are most important factors in attraction of foreign tourists.

Sub-main assumptions
Sub-main assumption 1: Among goods and services variables, historical works, internal security, and hospitality-trained staff are the most important factors for attraction of foreign tourists.
Sub-main assumption 2: Among price variables, suitability of residence facilities, increment of prices during tourism season and decrement during non-tourism season, and equal official prices of hotels are the most important factors for attraction of foreign tourists.
Sub-main assumption 3 : Among promotion variables, oral propaganda of satisfied tourists, displaying documented films from tourism attractions of Tajikistan in TVs of goal market, and propaganda in TVs of goal market are the most important factors for attraction of foreign tourists.
Sub-main assumption 4 : Among distribution channels variables, deletion of excess formalities for entrance of tourists, suitability of airline facilities, and establishment of tourism offices in goal markets are the most important factors for attraction of foreign tourists.

EXECUTION METHOD OF RESEARCH
Regarding the questions and goals of this research, three methods of survey, descriptive, and post-event were used.

Survey method
One of the methods of this research is survey method.
Questionnaires were used to gather data.Also face to face interviews were done.The questionnaire included 43 closed questions and 4 open questions.A main assumption and four sub-main assumptions were designed.The questions were in four separate groups: Total questions were used to test the main assumption.
Closed questions were designed by Lickert Spectrum.

Descriptive method
In descriptive method, the researcher seeks "how" question, and he wants to know how is this phenomenon or variable.In other words, this research studies current situation systematically and examines relation between variables (Horner and John, 1996).Library and field method was used such as questionnaire, interview, and observation.

Post-event method (cause-comparison)
Cause-comparison method is used to test cause and effect relations, instead of trivial method.This method is used in human sciences because a researcher cannot control or manipulate many relations that desire to study them (Bateson, 1995).As other methods, in causecomparison method, the problems can be expressed as a goal of an assumption.A problem can be expressed as a goal when a researcher could not anticipate difference between variables in different groups.
If a researcher proceed to anticipate nature of difference before data gathering, the problems is expressed as an assumption.If it is possible, a researcher must try to express reverse assumption for the observed differences.Testing reverse assumptions sometimes is called "strong inference".In the cause-comparison method, base of this inference can be used to test variables that measure difference between groups.

Data gathering
The statistical society was used to gather data.The questions of questionnaire are in two groups.Group 1 includes 47 questions (43 closed and 4 open questions) to test main assumption and 4 sub-main assumptions.

Research variables
To measure importance of four elements of marketing mixture (services and goods, price, distribution place, and promotional activities), 43 variables were considered and a question was propounded for each one (Giavelli, 1995).The name of variables and their effects on attraction of foreign tourists are shown in the following table.

Services and goods
1. Ancient and historical works 2. Culture and life style 3. Natural attractions (weather, shores, scenes) 4. Artificial attractions (urban, historical, parks) 5. Internal security (police) 6. Quality of residence facilities 7. Versatility of residence facilities 8. Quality of foods of restaurants 9. Quality of food facilities 10.Rapid visa and deletion of formalities 11.Quality of infrastructures (airport, rail road, road) 12. Hygiene water and food 13.Confident treatment facilities 14.Hospitality culture in the society 15.Hospitality-trained staff

Promotional activities
1. Participation of Tajikistan's tourism agencies in international exhibitions 2. Propaganda in specialized tourism journals of goal markets 3. Printing news in Tajikistan's tourism media 4. Propaganda in TVs of goal markets 5. Propaganda in radios of goal markets 6.Propaganda in newspapers of goal markets 7. Propaganda of travel agencies 8. Oral propaganda of satisfied tourisms 9. Displaying documented films from tourism attractions of Tajikistan in TVs of goal markets 10 Providing on time information for tourists 11.Promotional activities by participation of few regional countries 12. Informing by cultural affiliates of embassies of Tajikistan 13.Providing tourism information centers in entrances

Data analysis methods
Regarding the method of analysis and the goal of this research, the following statistical methods were used for data analysis.

Descriptive statistics
Descriptive method was used for classification, summarization, description, interpretation, and relation of data.The methods used were frequency accumulation, frequency percentage, average, median, mode, variance, and standard deviation.

Inferential statistics
Inferential statistics was used for data analysis of this research.
1. Binomial test for each marketing mixture element and each component 2. Freedman variance analysis test for each marketing mixture element and their variables 3. Kronback's alpha to test of reliability of measurement tool 4. Frequency and percentage and charts of each marketing mixture element 5. Correlation of marketing mixture elements together and separately

Society and the statistical sample
Statistical society of this research includes all persons occupied in tourism industry of Tajikistan that have enough expertise.According to the discussions with Juvenile Affairs, Sport, and Tourism Committee, there were about 400 tourism experts in the country which majority of them were in Doshanbeh.
In this research, random sampling was used.This method is shown in the sample.To determine the sample by ratios test or binomial test, the following formula was used: Beheshti and Zare 469 In the above formula, regarding confidence level 95% and error of 5%, Z=1.96 by caution method p=q=0.5.By considering similar previous researches, standard deviation is =0.11.Thus, the sample number is: Thus, the sample number is 80.Therefore, 110 questionnaire were sent, in which 84 questionnaires were returned and used for analysis.

Data analysis and test of assumptions
Statistical assumption test is a rule to make decision about assumptions.There are two types of errors in statistical assumption test: Error type 1: Rejection of zero assumption when this assumption is true, which is called "error type 1" and is shown by .Error type 2: Acceptance of zero assumption when the opposite assumption is true, which is called "error type 2" and is shown by .

Assumptions are usually written as follows:
Since in this research, N>30, thus, normal distribution can be used.The statistic by binomial relation is: in which, X number of successes P N sample volume  P ratio by zero assumption 

Test of tourism marketing mixture
In this section, we show test of four marketing mixture elements, and their variables by binomial and SPSS are: 1. Element 1: Services and goods including 15 questions 2. Element 2: Price of services and goods including 6

Test of element 1
By view of experts, suitable strategies for services and goods affect attraction of foreign tourists.
By view of experts, suitable strategies for services and goods do not affect attraction of foreign tourists (Table 1).
Decision: With confidence level of 95%, since observed probability is greater than test probability, H 0 is accepted.
In other words, with confidence level of 95%, it can be claimed that by view of experts, suitable strategies for services and goods affect attraction of foreign tourists.

Test of element 2
By view of experts, suitable strategies for pricing services and goods affect attraction of foreign tourists.
By view of experts, suitable strategies for pricing services and goods do not affect attraction of foreign tourists (Table 2).
Decision: With confidence level of 95%, since observed probability is greater than test probability, H 0 is accepted.
In other words, with confidence level of 95%, it can be claimed that by view of experts, suitable strategies for pricing services and goods affect attraction of foreign tourists.

Test of element 3
By view of experts, suitable strategies for promotion of services and goods affect attraction of foreign tourists.
By view of experts, suitable strategies for promotion of services and goods do not affect attraction of foreign tourists (Table 3).
Decision: With confidence level of 95%, since observed probability is greater than test probability, H 0 is accepted.
In other words, with confidence level of 95%, it can be claimed that by view of experts, suitable strategies for promotion of services and goods affect attraction of foreign tourists.

Test of element 4
By view of experts, suitable strategies for distribution channels affect attraction of foreign tourists (Table 4).By view of experts, suitable strategies for distribution channels do not affect attraction of foreign tourists.
Decision: With confidence level of 95%, since observed probability is greater than test probability, H 0 is accepted.
In other words, with confidence level of 95%, it can be claimed that by view of experts, suitable strategies for distribution channels affect attraction of foreign tourists.

Correlation test between four tourism marketing mixture elements
The correlation between four tourism marketing mixture elements is shown in Table 5.In this table, error level for all correlation relations between four elements is 0.05 one by one.By the table, we see significance level () for all relations is less than 0.05 one by one.Thus, by confidence level of 95%, it can be claimed that there is a significant correlation between four elements one by one.Description for the above table is:

Test of main assumption
Ranks of averages of four tourism marketing mixture elements are equal.
H 0 : At least, one pair of ranks of averages of four tourism marketing mixture elements is not equal (Table 6).H 1 : Decision: With confidence level of 95%, since significance level is less than error level, H 0 is rejected.Table 7 shows average, SD, rank of average, and priority of four tourism marketing mixture elements.
As you see, promotional activities and distribution channels have got the first and second ranks, and services and goods have got third rank.Thus, the main assumption of research is confirmed.

Test of sub-main assumption 1
We use the following statistical assumption: Ranks of 15 variables of services and goods element are equal.H 0 : At least, one pair of ranks of 15 variables of services and goods element is significantly different (Table 8).Decision: With confidence level of 95%, since significance level is less than error level, H 0 is rejected.Table 9 shows average, SD, rank of average, and priority of four tourism marketing mixture elements.Among the sub-main variables of services and goods, suitable combination of ancient and historical works, internal security, and hospitality-trained staff have the most importance in attraction of tourists.As seen in Table 10, ancient and historical work has got the first rank, and hospitality-trained staff and internal security have got the second and third ranks.Thus, the sub-main assumption 1 is confirmed.

Test of sub-main assumption 2
Ranks of 6 variables of price and pricing element are equal.documented films from tourism attractions of Tajikistan in TVs of goal markets and propaganda in TVs of goal markets have got the second and third ranks.Thus, submain assumption 3 is confirmed.

Test of sub-main assumption 4
Ranks of 9 variables of distribution channels element are equal.
H 0 : At least, one pair of ranks of 8 variables of distribution channels element is significantly different (Table 15).H 1 : Decision: With confidence level of 95%, since significance level is less than error level, H 0 is rejected.Table 16 shows average, SD, rank of average, and priority of four tourism marketing mixture elements.Among the variables of distribution channels, deletion of excess formalities, suitability of airline terminals, and establishment of tourism offices in goal markets have got the most importance for attraction of foreign tourists.
As you see, propaganda in internet sites and covering goal markets has got the first rank, and cooperation with foreign travel agencies and deletion of excess formalities in entrances have got the second and third ranks.Suitability of airline terminals has got the sixth rank, and establishment of tourism offices in goal markets has got the fifth rank.Thus, sub-main assumption 4 is not confirmed.

Conclusion Sub-main assumption 1: ranks of variables of promotional activities
From the view of tourism experts, promotional activities have the most importance in attraction of foreign tourists.Unfortunately, because of negative and unreal propaganda of media and few political authorities of few countries against Tajikistan, foreign tourism has got an undesirable image.In this research, 13 variables of promotional activities were designed.The results show that variables of promotional activities have not equal priorities.The ranks of these variables are shown in Table 17.As you see, usage of variables with higher ranks has no cost or has a low cost.So they will be ascertained by a powerful management, training staff, and suitable policies in tourism organizations.

Sub-main assumption 2: ranks of variables of distribution channels
Distribution channels include intermediate companies and institutes and offer tourism services and goods to foreign tourists.
According to the results of Freedman variance test, distribution channels element has got the second rank.Ranking of 9 variables of distribution channels are shown in Table 18.
Distribution channels are very important in tourism industry, because tourists must travel to destinations to a) 15 closed questions and 1 open question to test submain assumption 1 b) 16 closed questions and 1 open question to test assumption 2 c) 13 closed questions and 1 open question to test assumption 3 d) 9 closed questions and 1 open question to test assumption 4

Price and pricing of services and goods 1 .
Discrimination is official prices 2. Discrimination of non-official prices because of unawareness of sellers 3. Prices of residence facilities 4. Prices of foods of restaurants 5. Prices of internal transportation facilities 6. Increment of prices during tourism season and decrement during non-tourism season Price (distribution channels) 1. Establishment of tourism offices in goal markets 2. Propaganda in internet sites and covering goal markets 3. Cooperation with foreign travel agencies in goal markets 4. Capabilities of travel agencies in Tajikistan 5. Suitability of airline facilities to/from Tajikistan 6. Suitability of airline terminals in Tajikistan 7. Suitability of road facilities in Tajikistan 8. Suitability of rail facilities in Tajikistan 9. Deletion of excess formalities in entrances in comparison with other countries

P 1 =
Services and goods P 2 = Price and pricing C = Correlation level P 3 =Promotional activities P 4 = Distribution channels p = Significance level

result Error level Sig. level Observed probability Test probability
questions 3. Element 3: Promotional activities for services and goods including 13 questions 4. Element 4: Distribution channels of services and goods including 9 questions

Table 5 .
Correlation between four tourism marketing mixture elements.

Table 6 .
Test of main assumption

Table 7 .
Rank of average and priorities of four tourism marketing mixture elements.

Table 8 .
Test of sub-main assumption 1

Table 9 .
Rank of average and priorities of variables of services and goods.

Table 11 .
Rank of average and priorities of variables of price and pricing.

Table 13 .
Rank of average and priorities of variables of promotional activities.

Table 14 .
Test of sub-main assumption 4

Table 14 .
Test of sub-main assumption 4

Table 15 .
Rank of average and priorities of variables of distribution channels.