EXPLORING MARKETING STRATEGIES OF BOUTIQUE HOTELS IN PHUKET DURING GREEN SEASON

Abstract

Boutique hotels are small scale, non-affiliated hotels having 50 rooms or less. They provide unique modern design features, a unique culture, and a personalized service. The purpose of this research was to study the marketing strategies of boutique hotels in Phuket during the green or low season, in which few tourists travel to the destination leading to a significant decrease in tourism related income (Morse & Smith, 2015). A qualitative methodology was adopted in this study, through the use of in-depth interviews carried out with 20 owners and general managers of boutique hotels in Phuket, with respondents obtained via a snowball technique. Analysis of the collected data revealed that the current marketing strategies of boutique hotels in Phuket during the green season focus mainly on promotions, followed by price, process, product, people, physical evidence, and location respectively. Hotels use their affiliation with online travel agents (OTAs) to launch their promotions, in addition to their sales representatives, and their own websites. Moreover, some hotels work with corporate companies by offering special packages for meetings, travel incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE), but with a limitation for small groups of not more than 50 people. This increases the hotel’s income during the green season while some hotels spend time during green season to renovate their properties and improve preparedness for the high season. © 2021, ABAC Journal. All Rights Reserved