Identifying and reaching Japanese tourists coming to Finland.
Watanabe, Tomoka (2017)
Watanabe, Tomoka
Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
2017
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017060111767
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017060111767
Tiivistelmä
Finland is booming in Asia. In 2015, the number of nights spent by Asian visitors in almost exceeded the number of nights spent by Russian tourists, who have been the biggest customer group for companies in tourism industry in Finland. Therefore, marketing to Asian tourists is becoming more and more important. This thesis will focus on Japanese tourists, who are the seventh biggest target group for Finland in terms of the number of nights spent.
The main objectives of this study are to define the target market and find the best marketing channels to reach and attract them for the commissioning company, Forenom Oy, a leading temporary accommodation provider of the Nordics, founded in 2001 in Helsinki, Finland.
The knowledge base of the thesis covers literature reviews, theories and models related to services marketing, market segmentation, market targeting and buyer personas. The knowledge was gathered from books, articles, reports and online sources.
The research includes two main phases, based on primary and secondary research. A quantitative research method was used for the primary research. The author conducted a survey among Japanese tourists in Finland for four months starting in October 2016. The secondary research sources, statistical information on tourism originating from Finland and Japan, were gathered next. By analyzing the results of primary and secondary research, the author presented the key findings on Japanese tourists in Finland.
As outcomes of the study, the characteristics of trips by Japanese tourists, the most typical customer type among Japanese tourists visiting Finland and the preferred marketing channels for the most typical customer type were defined.
The favorite seasons of Japanese tourists visiting Finland are summer and winter. The length of their trip is usually less than a week, however, a majority of them travel to multiple cities in Finland during the stay. Many Japanese tourists reserve their accommodation through travel agencies, but young generations also use online travel agencies as well.
The recommendations for the commissioning company are presented at the end of this thesis based on the research analysis. Forenom Oy should start marketing to Asia as soon as possible. Japanese tourists are not familiar with serviced apartments’ concept yet, however, there are many female travelers who would like to travel like a local. Therefore, Forenom Oy could have a strong position in the market because of its outstanding knowledge of consumer demand in the niche by providing serviced apartments.
The main objectives of this study are to define the target market and find the best marketing channels to reach and attract them for the commissioning company, Forenom Oy, a leading temporary accommodation provider of the Nordics, founded in 2001 in Helsinki, Finland.
The knowledge base of the thesis covers literature reviews, theories and models related to services marketing, market segmentation, market targeting and buyer personas. The knowledge was gathered from books, articles, reports and online sources.
The research includes two main phases, based on primary and secondary research. A quantitative research method was used for the primary research. The author conducted a survey among Japanese tourists in Finland for four months starting in October 2016. The secondary research sources, statistical information on tourism originating from Finland and Japan, were gathered next. By analyzing the results of primary and secondary research, the author presented the key findings on Japanese tourists in Finland.
As outcomes of the study, the characteristics of trips by Japanese tourists, the most typical customer type among Japanese tourists visiting Finland and the preferred marketing channels for the most typical customer type were defined.
The favorite seasons of Japanese tourists visiting Finland are summer and winter. The length of their trip is usually less than a week, however, a majority of them travel to multiple cities in Finland during the stay. Many Japanese tourists reserve their accommodation through travel agencies, but young generations also use online travel agencies as well.
The recommendations for the commissioning company are presented at the end of this thesis based on the research analysis. Forenom Oy should start marketing to Asia as soon as possible. Japanese tourists are not familiar with serviced apartments’ concept yet, however, there are many female travelers who would like to travel like a local. Therefore, Forenom Oy could have a strong position in the market because of its outstanding knowledge of consumer demand in the niche by providing serviced apartments.