ASSESSMENT OF CHALLENGES IN TOURISM MARKETING PRACTICES DURING COVID-19 IN THE CASE OF TRAVEL AGENCY IN ADDIS ABEBA

Abstract

The tourism marketing and its development have gained a great attention and have been adopted as a policy in tourism planning by many governments and concerned bodies. Thus, the study aimed to analyze the tourism marketing practices, strategies and identify the challenges in Addis Ababa during COVID-19. This study used a descriptive research design and distributed 305 questionnaires for local and international tourists and tour operators. Add to this, interviews were made with purposely selected experts from marketing department of the Addis Ababa culture and tourism office. Accordingly, the study found that the marketing practices of tourism in Addis Ababa during COVID-19 place, price, people, process, partnership and promotion were found to be practiced well. While, product, programming, physical evidence and packaging exhibited inferior insufficient during COVID-19. Poor positioning strategy was found in terms of its tourism strategy. UN expanded resource and development activities and travel restrictions were found to be the impeding tourism marketing major challenges in Addis Ababa during COVID-19. The independent t test analysis found that tourists and tour operators has similar marketing mix practices in terms of price, product, promotion, place, people, process, physical evidence, partnership, programming and packaging. For this reason, the study recommends that to develop new products and good programming to return the tourist experience during COVID- 19. The exceptional positioning strategy of tourism sectors to promote to the customers in order to create the image of Ethiopia tourism market.