Page 1 of 40

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-I SSN: 2395-0463

Vol ume 02 I s s ue 11

November 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 97

Assessment on the Role of Internet in Tourism Marketing

A Case Study of Mwanza City-Tanzania

Hyasintha Kazoba, Mr. Daniel Massawe & Matokeo Msavange

St. Augustine University of Tanzania Moshi Co-operative University

Department of Tourism and Hospitality Department of ICT

Management P.O. Box 474 Moshi-Tanzania

P.O.Box 307, Mwanza-Tanzania Fax. +255272750806

Fax: +255282550167; Tel: +255712845760 Tel: +255655787055

Email: kazobahyasintha@gmail.com Email: msavange@gmail.com

Abstract:

This study assessed the role of internet in

tourism marketing in Mwanza City. The

objectives which guided the research were

to identify the status of tourism marketing

through internet usage in Mwanza City, to

analyse the use of internet in marketing

tourism in Mwanza City, to identify the

relationship between tourism growth and

the use of internet in Mwanza City and to

identify the challenges facing the internet

usage in marketing tourism in Mwanza

City. The sample size of the study was 16

marketing or communication officials

whose companies or organizations have

registered and have the websites. The

research used qualitative and quantitative

methods in the presentation of data and

research data were collected through

interview and content analysis and the use

of the secondary data. Data was analysed

using thematic analysis, SPSS and

Microsoft Excel and findings were

presented in narrations, frequencies,

percentages and charts. Findings of this

research described that internet doesn’t play

much role as it should. Also the researcher

discovered that there is no harmonization

within tourism sector in electronic

environment as well. But thanks to god the

government has played a major role to

ensure that the harmony is built within

tourism industry by creating a tourism

marketing portal which is incorporated by

every recognized tourism company

information needed by customer (s) or

consumer(s) and which will ensure that

there is cooperation and collaboration

among stakeholders.

Key words: Role of internet, Internet,

Tourism marketing, Mwanza, Tanzania

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We give glory to the Almighty God who is

our wisdom and self-progress enhancer, and

for another opportunity to increase

knowledge to serve our generation. This

study would have been impossible without

the financial support from lovely parents

Mr. Gervas Joseph Kazoba and Mrs.

Rosemary Lawrence Kazoba, who put

much effort on education and parental care

until now. Also we humbly thank our

guardians, Prof. Alfred Sife for his spiritual

guidance and Madam Laura Munema for

her thoughtful counseling and guidance in

day to day life in my darkest hours. Apart

from that, we wish to express our heartfelt

gratitude to our supervisor Mr. Daniel

Massawe, for the tiresome effort on

guidance, extremely constructive,

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Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-I SSN: 2395-0463

Vol ume 02 I s s ue 11

November 2016

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 98

intelligible comments and well-planned

supervision on this study. Furthermore, we

wish to extend my gratitude to Madam

Sakina, Madam Rasuli and Mr. Frank

Katabi for their efforts on guiding us

whenever our supervisor wasn’t around or

there is need of knowledge expansion.

Moreover, we thank our classmates with

whom we shared ideas and logistical

support, for their company and

encouragement in the preparation of this

report. We would like to say thanks; may

God bless them all.

1. Chapter One

1.1 Background of the Study

Tourism is considered as the top in all

categories of international trade. Its growth

on activities spots it as the mainly

outstanding economic and social trend in

the world (Mekonnen and Egziabher, 2001;

Nath and Menon, 2003). Also it is

considered as the largest industry due to its

industrial diversity. Tourism industry has

been of great help to the most of the

nations’ economies especially developing

countries as it contributes the largest

amount on the gross national product,

employment and foreign exchange of the

host countries (Lamsoo, Niroomand and

Rafsanjani, 2013).

Due to the fact that tourism sector is led by

necessitate to provide fast and accurate

information to consumers, that is when the

internet comes in to ensure the whole

dissemination process is surely and

effectively enhanced (Pease and Rowe,

2005). The internet has become important

for the tourism industry to adapt and uplift

its practices and skills of the workforce

within in to meet changing customer

behaviour (UNWTO, 2011).

In addition to that together with

Information Technologies facilitated by

internet like websites and social networks

within tourism industry to be available,

marketing strategies for tourism products

has been easier to implement the fact which

improve the quality of online service for

serving the need of the customers

efficiently and effectively (Crnojevac,

Gugić and Karlovčan , 2010).

Also, the tendency of the internet to be

flexible in concentrating on diverse market

has supported tourism industry to enlarge a

marketing plan for apiece end market even

though customers are self-motivated targets

(Buhalis, 2008).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Historically, internet services in Tanzania

started in 1995 (The Citizen, 2014). A few

years ago internet was seen as something

accessible only by small group of elites but

currently the access to internet has been

growing rapidly, people can access internet

through phones and other gadgets wherever

they are (Taylor, 2015). Now Tanzania is

using online marketing as another strategy

to innovative strategy in tourism promotion

due to partnership formed between

Tanzanian public relations companies and

frontline people together with South Africa

to help to provide a good platform for

people in Tourism industry in Tanzania to

share experiences and learn about newer

and innovative ways of promoting Tanzania

(Tambwe, 2013). Despites of these known

facts, there is no comprehensive study

showing how the tourism organizations and

companies take advantage of the internet in

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Available at

http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

e-I SSN: 2395-0463

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marketing tourism especially young and

new destination like Mwanza City.

1.3 Research Objectives

Objectives are categorized into two general

objectives and specific objectives.

1.3.1 General Objective

To assess the role of the internet as an

effective tourism marketing tool in Mwanza

tourism industry.

1.3.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives of this study were

as follows;

 To identify the status of tourism

marketing through internet usage in

Mwanza City

 To analyse the use of internet in

marketing tourism in Mwanza City

 To identify the relationship between

tourism growth and the use of

internet in Mwanza City

 To identify the challenges facing the

internet usage in marketing tourism

in Mwanza City

1.4 Research Questions

The study was developed under the

following questions;

 What is the status of tourism

marketing through internet usage in

Mwanza City?

 How is the internet used in

marketing tourism in Mwanza City?

 What is the relationship between

tourism growth and the internet

usage in Mwanza City?

 What are the challenges facing the

internet usage in marketing tourism?

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study, first and foremost, provided

knowledge to a researcher who wished to

know more about information technologies

specifically the internet and the way it is

used in tourism in marketing context. Also,

it will provide a basis for the Tanzania’s

tourism board and other tourism

organizations on the impact of the

utilization of the internet in strengthening

Mwanza tourism industry. This would

involve compatible activities regarding the

empowerment of the industry of tourism in

Mwanza through the help of tour operators

and travel agents maintaining their

respective websites for the City.

Moreover, the study will be helpful to the

tour operators and the travel agents since

there will be a specific study on the

performance of their internet marketing

tools, which includes websites and their

conventional Medias. This study will be the

basis on what area they should improve on

their internet marketing tools. Moreover,

this study will aid in the progress of the

emerging tourism industry in Mwanza City.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study

The scope of this study was the role of

internet in tourism marketing where by the

researcher assessed the reality of the field

situation. The success depended much on

the thoroughly content analysis of the

tourism companies and organization

websites and respondents’ true answers on

internet applicability to tourism marketing

with particular reference to Mwanza City.

Also the study was limited by inadequate