A survey of the synchro-marketing strategies adopted by star-rated hotels in Kenya

Abstract

The hospitality industry is a major component of the tourism sector In Kenya and a contributor to the country's economic growth and development. The Government of Kenya has identified tourism as one of the key sectors to drive economic growth in the "Vision 2030" to enable Kenya becomes a middle income country. The hotel industry in particular is a key driver of the tourism sector and has an important role in creation of employment and foreign exchange earnings. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent to which synchro-marketing strategies have been adopted by star rated hotels in Kenya to manage demand and whether the application of synchro-marketing activities differ between chain and independent hotels. The study was a descriptive survey. The population of the study was the entire 3 to 5- star rated hotels in Kenya which totaled 89 hotels and lodges. The sample size was 35 hotels which were chosen through disproportionate sampling method. The hotels included in the sample were selected randomly. Primary data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire using the 5-point likert scale. 26 hotels out of 35 that were sampled responded to the questionnaire which represented a response rate of 74.28 % Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. '" From the findings of the study, a number of recommendations were made related to the synchro marketing strategies adopted by the hotels. Among the recommendations are that hotels need to develop long term strategies such as product improvement to be able to target different market segments. Pricing strategies adopted need to consider the effects on the product service image and that dynamic pricing should be adopted. The internet should be aggressively used to provide access to the hotel product and that hotels should use strategies that are uniquely tailored to the needs -' rather than generic ones. Lastly, independent hotels should design room configurations that maximize capacity and return for them as much as they invest in capacity to executing other marketing mix variables. The limitations of the study were that it was conducted in key touristic areas of Nairobi, Mombasa and the parks and game reserves and most of the prospective respondents were very busy during the high season when the study was being carried out. The other limitation was that only 3 to 5 star hotels were considered in the study. It is suggested that future research on synchro-marketing strategies should include all categories of hotels and accommodations and should cover the entire country. Also, the research should to be undertaken to determine the rationale for the application of different synchro-marketing strategies for each of the 4Ps of the marketing mix.