The Application of the Integrated Direct Marketing and Internet Communications in Tourism Industry

Abstract

This research involves a number of key connotations, namely Internet marketing, marketing communications, theelements of direct marketing, Web sites, as well as lodges.The technique in which these key terms have been defined for the tendency of this study is considered below.The study considers direct marketing to be: “…a system of marketing by which organizations communicate directlywith target customers to generate a response or transaction”. This response may take the form of an inquiry, apurchase, or some other form of action on the part of the targeted recipient category (Belch & Belch, 2004).Internet marketing can be expounded and described in a number of ways. This study employed the definition byImber and Betsy-Ann (in Ngai, 2003:24) who define Internet marketing as: “…the process of building andmaintaining customer relationships through online activities to help and simplify the exchange of ideas, products andservices that satisfy the goals of both buyers and sellers”.