THE EFFICIENCY OF COMMUNICATION ON QUALITY AND

COMPETITIVENESS OF TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Gabriel HOCIUNG

Abstract
Tourism communication is a "sine qua non process in developing this industry, which
transcends beyond the planning process. The evolution of tourism represented the
development of tourism processes and means of communication, which made possible the
effective promotion of destinations. This paper aims to highlight different aspects of
communication that bring competitiveness and quality for tourism products and services.
Keywords: communication, tourism, effective communication, tourism organizations,
internal communication, external communication
Outline
The 20th century and the early 21st century are governed, undoubtedly, by
communication, human evolution being fundamentally dependent on it. Communication is
present in every human action, in any department of an organization as an instrument of
change, development, in the economy taking place a comprehensive process of
communication in relation to the size of economic activities.
Tourism, one of the phenomena of our times, is an important vector in the socioeconomic development, manifested globally, becoming a key sector in the global economy
through its significant contribution to balance of payments, the increase of income and
employment. Its extremely rapid evolution determined highlighting the importance of
communication in promoting destinations and also in shaping tourists behavior and attitudes
towards tourism services products, communication being the key aspect in their marketing.
1. The role of communication in tourism
Tourism involved, since the beginning, the change of many practices, from planning
holidays to how tourist products are made popular. The tourist changed, but, in the same time,
tourism and communication have changed. Media systems developed through the emergence
of new and competitive players. Rapid growth that characterized the tourism sector in recent
decades has highlighted the importance of tourism communication as a tool to disseminate
and promote travel destinations.
Tourism communication is viewed as a process of construction and dispute of
meanings in tourism, including all communications to be realized in different tourism
destinations, including formal communication and the informal processes. 1 Communication
tourist transcends beyond planned actions and processes, being also realized independently,
disregarding the desire of communication and / or tourism professionals, which are
responsible for the official communication of the organizations / destinations / attractions. It is
not limited to an authorized designed speech or to what they want to communicate; it even
experiences its own places and processes that can not be controlled.
1

Baldissera, R. (2007) - Comunicao turstica, CONGRESSO DE CINCIAS DA COMUNICAO NA

REGIO SUL, 8, Passo Fundo, pp.7-8

Beyond the processes that can be planned (advertising, public relations etc.),
communication is done in multidirectional flows of meanings, even dispersed, occurring in
everyday life. Among these may be noted2:
- Dialogue between tourists and locals, during the tourism act;
- Request for information of the various courts, not always formal;
- Dialogue between different subjects of the receiving communities, that assess tourism
as positive / negative;
- Dialogue between tourists (real and potential) based on impressions, personal
experiences, or even the expectation, based on their imagination, that they have
regarding destination;
- Assignment of meaning from significant items (such as conservation, cleanliness /
hygiene, local guides, visual comfort, organization, security system etc.)
- Speculation on various ways and situations;
- The existence of different communities on the internet about tourist destinations (such
as blogs, Facebook, twitter etc.).
Communication in tourism is a key aspect of marketing tourism products and services
and a major factor is the responsibility of travel, because this activity involves a large network
of relationships. It seems, however, that there are several errors in the communication process
regarding tourism activities, and communication must be realized in such a manner that will
not affect tourist destination or the resident population, because a wrong planned
communication can attract unwanted visitors.
2. The impact of internal communicators in assuring success
Communication starts within organizations and was not always encouraged or
recognized as being vital for the development and survival of organizations. Most companies
invest significant financial resources and are making a major effort in planning external
communication, but they fail in allocating resources and energies to achieve internal
communication. Without a structured internal communication, the message received is left to
chance.
An effective internal communication makes possible understanding the mission of the
company, its vision, values and objectives and why they are important for all employees. In
the information age and in a time when new technologies are available and accessible, the
ability to process data and their transformation into information that is used in decision
making is a valuable opportunity to improve business communication processes. This is only
achieved through effective internal communication, which means the exchange of
information.
Internal communication is effective if the main objectives are achieved:
- conversion of all employees into influential, informed and integrated pillars;
- familiarize the employees with the changes taking place within the organization they
belong to;
- considering the presence of employees as a determinant factor in the progress of
business organizations;
- facilitating organizational communication, making it clear and objective for the
internal public. 3
2

Baldissera, R. (2010) - Tour communication: the communication of the Secretarias Municipais de Turismo of
Rota Romntica, Vale do Sinos and Vale do Paranhana (RS), Conexo Comunicao e Cultura, UCS, Caxias
do Sul, v. 9, n. 17, p.70-71
3
Pontes Chaves de Melo, V. (2009) - A comunicao interna e sua importncia nas organizaes, Faculdade
Assis Gurgacz, p.2

As in any industry, tourism organizations success depends, to a considerable extent, to

their employees, key factors in all departments (production, marketing, sales). They contribute
to the image of an organization, tourist destination, as they communicate directly with the
external environment and their attitudes, beliefs and skills have a great impact on assuring the
success.
An effective internal communication involves increased satisfaction among employees
who have a certain level of information and feel they are an important part of the
organization. The effort of an employee at work increases when he is involved in decision
making, when he is given the initiative opportunity, when he is part of a team which has a
functional degree of accountability. But a team of talented, involved people, with a high
degree of motivation is not enough. If this team isnt well informed, if its members do not
communicate in an appropriate manner, it will not be possible to amplify human strength in
the organization.
Thus, the benefits of effective internal communication will result in:
- Creating a workplace where all employees are informed and where they work to
achieve the same objectives by establishing clear lines in the daily work;
- Creating a shared vision and reducing the ability to initiate a workplace conflict by
reducing the ambiguity of the messages or ideas;
- Encouraging a culture of mutual support and knowledge sharing at work, as all work
the same rules;
- Improving employee perspective on the necessity of understanding the needs of each
team member to which they belong to;
- Creating the possibility for employees to understand and support the mission, values
and objectives of the organization;
- Promoting a clear understanding of change processes and eliminating the anxieties of
employees;
- Ensuring efficient use of resources;
- Motivation to achieve performance by merging individual and team efforts to address
a system of thought as a whole, which effectively removes personal or departmental
fiefs.4
Internal communication is a process based on the exchange and dissemination of
information within an organization, and the complexity of the hierarchical relations among the
staff increases in respect of the "importance" of the company (in terms of number of
employees). Internal communication is now a central concern of a chief executive (CEO) 5
and that since the objectives of an organization are met by people. By creating a collaborative,
cooperative and full of energy workforce, that aims to provide maximum efficiency in the
organization, corporate success is assured. Thus, to achieve this goal, the CEO is the one who
must initiate transformation into a working environment where employees can be heard,
valued and respected, where they feel that the time invested, the personal dedication, the
willingness, and both mental and intellectually capital are recognized. Satisfaction among
employees not only increases the rewards, but also, through their involvement, recognition
and appreciation of effort and work that you submit, it provides opportunities to develop
personal skills. Organizations must perceive internal communication as a primary need, a sine
qua non condition of the organizational life.

Roehler, Y. (2007) - Internal Communication Strategy, p.3

http://score-tvc.org/FAQ/Internal%20Communication%20Strategy.pdf
5
Smythe, J. (2007) - The CEO: The Chief Engagement Officer, London, Gower, p.11

If large companies can develop the tools needed to design internal "mass"
communication, within the tourism sector the problem is relatively simple, but this reason is
often overlooked.
Generally, there are three key directions: REGULATORY (send orders and
information aimed to implement projects), INTEGRATION (motivating employees,
encouraging involvement and building consensus) and TRAINING (preparing employees to
work efficiently and profitably at work). 6
Employee involvement makes the difference between an organization and a successful
organization. Successful organization helps to attract quality employees, generate passion,
satisfaction at work, offering opportunities for advancement and professional development. It
also creates a sense of community and a culture open and honest.
Performance of employees with high job satisfaction as a consequence improve their
products and services offered by the organization and reducing costs (fig.1), due to effective
internal communication.

Fig. 1 - Sources organizations improve performance through internal communication (Source:

Lyn Smith, Pamela Mounter, 2008) 7
Not involving one of the employees (lack of awareness of it) can create different risks
that professional communicators are aware, with repercussions on the company's image and
that, while the employees are communicators with the lowest cost and highest offering
reliability, internal audience is most easily identified, the nearest company and its culture.
Important is also the fact that employees are the first to offer feedback.
Tourist market, the image quality of an organization or a tourist destination is the
result of combining all signals, internal or external, that can help create value and yet people
make a difference in this area. Be it travel agencies, hotels, attractions etc., You have direct
contact with tourist travel agent, receptionist, tour guide, call-center operator etc., And they
can be excellent communicators, which includes organizations part and represent the link
between producer and buyer travel, are those who can ensure the success or failure of a
transaction (purchase a tourist service).
6
7

Morandi, G. (2007) - La comunicazione nel mondo dei servizi, http://www.professioneturismo.net

Smith, L., Mounter, P. ( 2008) Effective Internal Communication - 2nd Ed., Kogan Page Limited, London, UK, p.3

Knowing your market analysis tools based on customer satisfaction is the foundation
of an effective service. Once analyzed the various types of customers with each specific
requirements, one can develop solutions to facilitate and enhance interaction between tourism
and tourist organization. Success depends, mainly, on the way the product has been made
known a-priori to the sales stage by offering training, by requesting the other departments
(production, marketing) opinion on the product (they are the ones who take the pulse of the
market), by actual and emotional involvement in creating the product image. Noninvolvement, lack of information reduces or even compromises the sale of tourist product,
moreover, creates an unfavorable image of the tourist organization, which may have major
implications for future transactions.
Managers must ensure that information moves easily and quickly by direct subordinate
supervisor, and eventually reach all other employees. But managers must do much more than
"to communicate immediately". They are also responsible for transmitting information in an
appropriate context for employees, helping also to interpret messages and to involve
employees in a dialogue about the relevance of information, as necessary to address the right
questions to all their team members in order to have a properly feed-back.
The process, however, doesnt stop here. Managers are responsible for providing feedback, good or bad, to the top management. The general manager must know what is
happening within the organization, especially in departments that are directly related to
current or potential clients. Thus, the real goal is to turn all employees into active promoters
of the organization.
3. The role of external communication
External communication plays a fundamental role regarding the image and reputation
of an organization. This means the exchange of information and messages between an
organization and other organizations, groups or individuals outside its formal structure.
External communication objectives are to facilitate cooperation with various stakeholders and
to present a positive image of the organization and its products and services to potential and
current customers, and to society as a whole. As a result of external communication, the
partners, existing and potential customers form their opinions and attitudes towards the
company, being essential for an organization to offer them a positive image based on
experience, expertise and innovation.
A variety of channels can be used for external communication, as direct meetings
(face-to-face), electronic media and communication technologies (e.g. Internet). External
communication includes public relations (PR), media relations, advertising, sales promotion
and marketing management, but also a crucial component for the sustainability of an
organization, namely social responsibility. External communication has long been limited to
highlighting the property or the brand. Communication organization must integrate a strategic
vision, which in addition to the economic component, must take account of the cultural and
ideological ones.
A fundamental error is to reduce this type of communication at the managerial type.
Many see the manager as the link between the organization and its external environment, but,
although being the main promoter of the image, he should not be regarded as the only carrier
on the image of the organization he leads. Manager's role is mainly formally required by his
status. His activity and external links are designed to reinforce the image created by public
relations and advertising. 8

Iacob, D., Cismaru, D.M. (2006) - Relaii publice. Comunicare organizaional, SNSPA, Bucureti, p.101

Annie Bartoli9 highlights three types of external communication:

Operational - made between members of the organization with stakeholders outside
the organization;
Strategic - build or expand a network of communication;
Promotion - advertising, public relations etc..

Operational external communication shows that each employee of an organization

contribute to its image, through the relationships that each of them, as representatives, has
with the external environment organization: customers, suppliers, authorities, partners etc.. As
direct representatives of the organization's image, how they communicate messages from the
organization and the transmission of feedback in real time within the organization are
essential in the short term.
External communication strategy aims to develop communication with the external
environment, but also based on predictions about developments outside the organization,
which may influence its activity. Continuous observation and analysis of the external
environment by different members of the organization, of information considered strategic
(competitive market, legal regulations, development processes, etc.) gives it the opportunity to
take appropriate decisions and to choose appropriate strategies to adapt and meet the
requirements coming from the external environment.
Although promotion communication is part of the external communication, it certainly
can be an independent, complex form of communication, through which an organization
wants to promote, strengthen or enhance its image. The communication which is intended to
promote takes place unilaterally, the organization as a whole being the one who maintains
contact with the external environment.
Some of the main forms of promotion communication are:
- Advertising;
- Public relations;
- Sales promotion;
- Sponsorship;
- Patronage;
- Participation in fairs and exhibitions;
- Social responsibility campaigns.
The forms of communication with the external environment are diverse and not just a
few. Most times, the employee is at the heart of this type of communication, being able to
easily take the position of communicator and representing also the most efficient, the nearest
and cheapest form of promoting the image of an organization.
This depends, however, to a large extent to internal communication and to its
efficiency with which it takes place within the organization, how it succeeds to make the
employees the most powerful allies.
In conclusion, there are many forms of promoting the image, values, products or
services of an organization. The most effective and cheapest form of promotion is, however,
often ignored. It is available to all employees and is permanently highlighting the positive
aspects of the organization they belong to, at all contacts with the external environment, be
they personal or professional.
The idea is that each employee can easily assume the role of external communicator,
his message being centered on the reliability, the efficiency and quality of his organization.
This means, however, that the employee knows (which is related to the efficiency of internal
communication), believes (it is the consistency of the discourse that displays and his concrete
9

Bartoli, A. (1992) - Comunicacion Y Organizacion, Ediciones P.Ica.So/La Rosa Blindada

actions) and wants (meaning to feel the need to talk about it, which refers to the idea of
motivation).
It is common, in many organizations that more importance is given to internal
communication than to external communication, the external public being considered as
having greater relevance than the employees who form the organization, being the one that
generates revenue through consumption of goods and services. We can not say that external
communication is more important than internal, but it involves more effort from the
organization. The audience that will relate to it is certainly a large one, with different
information needs.
The fact that there is no physical link with the external audiences (such as the case of
the internal public that works in the same building) determines the organization to monitor
more frequently and check the sent information not to be distorted by external rumors.
The organizations relationships with the external environment and what it wants to
transmit will depend to a large extent on how well they know themselves, how it manages to
convey its image to external public and the position they occupy from the competition.
Equally, the environments that the organization confronts to must be known in order to deliver
appropriate and timely information.10
External communication channels are used for members of an organization to interact
with other individuals outside the organization. Also, external messaging systems are used to
convey relevant information to the organizational environment and vice versa. The messages
sent by the organization to its environment are designed to influence foreign elements and to
encourage them to coordinate their activities with those that the members of their organization
have to achieve internally.
The used instruments for this exchange of messages include press releases, articles in
newspapers and magazines, and also brochures, tours, meetings or events, seminars and
workshops, meetings with suppliers and customers and, of course, electronic communication
media: electronic media : radio, television, telephone, e-mail, Internet, teleconferencing and
video.
Conclusions
Communication plays a fundamental role within tourism organizations and tries to
adapt travel products and services to each client, whether is about mass products and services,
or custom made. Communicators, internal and external, through planned processes and
actions or independent of them, influence decisively the choice of a tourist. The tourism
product / service will be more attractive, of high quality, with a high impact in terms of tourist
satisfaction, while internal communicators (travel agents, tour guides, receptionists etc.)
understand, accept and transmit the organization's beliefs they are part of, influencing
decision attitudes, beliefs and abilities.
The integrated strategic vision, communication of a tourism organization aims to
create a positive image, responsible, reliable, that makes its products and services of high
quality and competitive, with a positive image on the market.

References
10

Fita, Jaume (1999) - Comunicacin en programas de crisis, Barcelona, Gestin 2000, S.A., p.85

1. Baldissera, R. (2010) - Tour communication: the communication of the Secretarias Municipais de Turismo of
Rota Romntica, Vale do Sinos and Vale do Paranhana (RS), Conexo Comunicao e Cultura, UCS, Caxias
do Sul, v. 9, n. 17
2. Baldissera, R. (2007) - Comunicao turstica, CONGRESSO DE CINCIAS DA COMUNICAO NA
REGIO SUL, 8, Passo Fundo
3. Bartoli, A. (1992) - Comunicacion Y Organizacion, Ediciones P.Ica.So/La Rosa Blindada
4. Fita, Jaume (1999) - Comunicacin en programas de crisis, Barcelona, Gestin 2000, S.A.
5. Iacob, D., Cismaru, D.M. (2006) - Relaii publice. Comunicare organizaional, SNSPA, Bucureti
6. Morandi, G. (2007) - La comunicazione nel mondo dei servizi, http://www.professioneturismo.net
7. Pontes Chaves de Melo, V. (2009) - A comunicao interna e sua importncia nas organizaes, Faculdade
Assis Gurgacz
8. Roehler, Y. (2007) - Internal Communication Strategy,
http://score-tvc.org/FAQ/Internal%20Communication%20Strategy.pdf
9. Smith, L., Mounter, P. ( 2008) Effective Internal Communication - 2nd Ed., Kogan Page Limited, London,
UK
10. Smythe, J. (2007) - The CEO: The Chief Engagement Officer, London, Gower