Here are 10 strategies to build market share during difficult times: * Reallocate marketing budgets from branding to direct-target marketing for a higher return on investment.

* Know your customer. Build a marketing database designed to gain insights into customer value, vulnerability and potential.

* Get smart about your customer data. Hotel sales and marketing teams should profile their best customers on highest value and target others that look like those best customers. Hotels attracting conventions or meetings need to prioritize prospects into A-B-C lists and provide value-added incentives for A-list prospects, focusing the majority of the budget on those.

* Leverage new customer insights on customer value, vulnerability and potential into campaigns that maximize ROI.

* Test creative and offers to measure and redeploy what works best.

* Track and report campaign response and conversion effectiveness.

* Grow relationships with current customers. Use social media and electronic communications to increase loyalty and reasons to communicate with customers.

* Update website analytics. Focus on visitor engagement: Examples include signing up for an e-newsletter or other value-added content like videos from your golf pro, spa director or chef. Data capture should occur on the site as much as possible and should include name, address, e-mail and phone number. Analytics can track traffic and site utilization, which can offer ideas for improvements that drive customers to sections of most interest to them.

* Communicating incentives to book a stay once they arrive in their area of interest will drive business when you need it most. In addition, great data can be gleaned on where customers are coming from and who is ultimately converting. This intelligence can drive future partnerships and online linking strategies to increase site traffic and conversion.

* Launch programs that allow existing customers to consolidate their business with you. Give existing and new customers the chance and benefit for one-stop shopping.

* Focus on trends such as marketing to baby boomers. Make websites attractive to boomers without being condescending. This is one of the most influential groups with the most buying power.

Non-Malays are still shying away from the teaching profession despite the additional perks given by the Government over the years.

Insisting that there is no quota system in the selection of teacher trainees, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail said although non-Malays are encouraged to join the service, many are still reluctant to do so... (read more)

Non-Malays still shying away from teaching profession.pdf (33.71 kb)

Normally in other countries, Tourism Industry will be affected with political unstability or whatever you called it. Does this apply in Malaysia as you can see there are funds being given to Selangor to beef up its touristic areas. Additionally, funds are given to the Kajang stadium for upgrading of its facilities and etc.

 

 

From a recent article in Tourism News, i found this.... A travel news report has claimed, in a survey by Kuala Lumpur-based Expat Magazine, taxis are rated "the worst" for "quality, courtesy, availability and ride experiences" in a sampling of 200 foreigners from 30 countries.

"The drivers are road bullies and extortionists, a national shame and pose a serious threat to the country's tourism industry," the survey found.

In the same week, Adri Ghani, a Malaysian currently residing in Saudi Arabia wrote to a Malaysian newspaper, venting his own anger at the state of Malaysian taxis which has given his country a bad reputation, claiming it has been described in an article in Saudi Arabia as the "world's worst cabs in a tropical paradise. They have given Malaysia a bad image."

The newspaper article goes further to explain, "Malaysia is wonderful, but its taxi touts and unchecked drivers come as an unpleasant surprise to tourists."

In addition to the shabby service, unkempt and hostile drivers, taxi drivers refuse to use meters insisting instead on quoting an exorbitant flat rate.

The writer further says that Malaysian taxis are ranked worse than Indonesian and Thai taxis, pointing out neighbor Singapore, as well as Hong Kong as examples where the taxis have a good image.

"The first contact a tourist gets with locals is often during airport transits to hotels and it creates a very, very strong first impressions, either good or bad," said John Koldowski, managing director of PATA. "Authorities need to do their jobs and act upon any complaints strongly, quickly and visibly. Taxi drivers have an outsize impact on a nation's image."

Those in the know about the workings of the Malaysian government puts the whole blame on the government's current "rental" and monopoly system for awarding taxi permits and routes. "Their rules are a century old, and the authorities sleeping."

Sensing defeat in his openness following his own admission he has not been "hassled or cheated" by taxi drivers who ferried him in Hyderabad, Tunku Iskandar could only say, "What a sad state of affairs. Why can't the Malaysian authorities take stern action?"

"Malaysian taxi drivers have managed to damage all the money dumped to promote Malaysian tourism," commented a delegate.

What is going on with the people's mindset nowadays?

 

Could someone please let me know of their experience in which you log-on to any websites looking for information about Malaysia? Are the information up-to-date or still need improvements? Please comment here.

Despite numerous marketing and promotional strategies in Malaysia has been through and large amount of budget has been allocated from the 8MP and 9MP, tourists are seem to flock to other neighbouring countries but not Malaysia. Why this happen? Can someone tell me why?