Research Article |
Evaluating Tourism Promotional Strategies for Destination Branding: An Analytical Study of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
Author(s) : Adarsh Kumar1* and Dr. Chandra Shekhar Barua2
Publisher : FOREX Publication
Published : 30 March 2025
e-ISSN :2347-4696
Page(s) : 09-13
Abstract
This descriptive survey study evaluates the perceived effectiveness of six key Madhya Pradesh Tourism marketing campaigns “Hindustan Ka Dil Dekho” (2006), “GO Camping” (2010), “MP Ajab Hai, Sabse Gajab Hai” (2010), “Till Dekho Taad Dekho,” “MP Me Dil Hua Bacche Sa,” and “Sau Tarah Ke Rang Hai” in promoting Gwalior. A purposive sample of 100 respondents, comprising residents and visitors familiar with at least one of the campaigns, rated each on a five‑point Likert scale (1 = Not Effective at All; 5 = Very Effective). Descriptive analyses in SPSS 27 yielded strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .916) and campaign‑wise mean scores ranging from 3.03 to 3.27. “MP Me Dil Hua Bacche Sa” emerged as the most effective (M = 3.27, SD = 1.13), followed by “MP Ajab Hai, Sabse Gajab Hai” (M = 3.20, SD = 1.20) and “Sau Tarah Ke Rang Hai” (M = 3.19, SD = 1.19). In contrast, the earliest campaign, “Hindustan Ka Dil Dekho,” was rated least effective (M = 3.03, SD = 1.20). These results indicate that emotionally engaging, family‑oriented narratives and visually diverse portrayals enhance campaign impact, whereas broader, less targeted messaging may limit recall and appeal. The study recommends reallocating promotional resources toward narrative‑driven, visually rich campaigns and revisiting legacy initiatives with refreshed thematic focus and digital interactivity. Future research should integrate behavioral metrics and mixed‑methods designs to validate perceptual findings and explore long‑term return on investment. However, the study is limited by its reliance on self-reported perceptions from a purposive sample and does not include behavioral data such as actual tourist arrivals or digital engagement metrics, which may provide a more comprehensive view of campaign effectiveness.
Keywords: Tourism marketing
, destination Branding
, Madhya Pradesh Tourism
, Gwalior
, Marketing Campaign Effectiveness
, Destination Branding
, Consumer Perception
Adarsh Kumar1*, Research Scholar, Jiwaji university, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India Email: adarshlive9@gmail.com
Dr. Chandra Shekhar Barua2, Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, Gwalior, Email: csbarua003@rediffmail.com
[1] Alam, J., Alam, Q. N., & Kalam, A. (2022). Prospects and challenges for sustainable tourism: Evidence from south asian countries. arXiv preprint arXiv:2211.03411.
[2] Buhalis, D. (2000). Marketing the competitive destination of the future. Tourism management, 21(1), 97-116.
[3] Cavalcante, W. Q. D. F., Coelho, A., & Bairrada, C. M. (2021). Sustainability and tourism marketing: A bibliometric analysis of publications between 1997 and 2020 using vosviewer software. Sustainability, 13(9), 4987.
[4] Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
[5] Goeldner, C. R., & Ritchie, J. B. (2011). Tourism: Principles, practices, philosophies. John Wiley & Sons.
[6] Gohil, N. (2015). Role and impact of social media in tourism: a case study on the initiatives of Madhya Pradesh State Tourism. International Journal of Research in Economics and Social Sciences, 5(4), 8-15.
[7] Gretzel, U., Kang, M., & Lee, W. (2008). Differences in consumer-generated media adoption and use: A cross-national perspective. Journal of Hospitality & Leisure Marketing, 17(1-2), 99-120.
[8] Hays, S., Page, S. J., & Buhalis, D. (2013). Social media as a destination marketing tool: its use by national tourism organisations. Current issues in Tourism, 16(3), 211-239.
[9] Hudson, S., & Thal, K. (2013). The impact of social media on the consumer decision process: Implications for tourism marketing. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 30(1-2), 156-160.
[10] Kour, G. (2017). Study on Tourism Advertising Campaign Planning in India-Case of Four States (Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat) (Doctoral dissertation, MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad) (India)).
[11] Madhya Pradesh tourism marketing mix 2025: A case study. https://www.latterly.org/madhya-pradesh-tourism-marketing-mix/ Madhya Pradesh Tourism. Iconic advertisements of Madhya Pradesh | New TVC of MP. https://www.mptourism.com/tvc-of-madhya-pradesh-tourism.html
[12] Mathur, D. K., Mathur, A., Malik, D. S., Shrivastava, M., Sharma, P. K., & Mishra, S. (2021). Impact of marketing strategy on development of tourism industry. International Journal of Management (IJM), 11(11), 2597–2605.
[13] Mishra, A. (2014). Need of marketing of India as a tourist destination (Evaluation of India’s performance in tourism). ijo, 1000, 2.
[14] Mishra, R., & Sajnani, M. (2020). Is Incredible India Campaign a reason for growth in tourism? A case study of Madhya Pradesh. Amity Research Journal of Tourism, Aviation and Hospitality, 2(2), 28-35.
[15] Palaniswamy, N. (2021). Social Media Marketing (SMM) A Strategic Tool for Developing Business for Tourism Companies. arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.03895.
[16] Sambhanthan, A., & Good, A. (2016). Strategic advantage in web tourism promotion: an e-commerce strategy for developing countries. In International Business: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 597-618). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
[17] Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2016). Research methods for business: A skill‑building approach (7th ed.). Wiley.
[18] Sharafuddin, M. A., Madhavan, M., & Wangtueai, S. (2024). Assessing the effectiveness of digital marketing in enhancing tourist experiences and satisfaction: A study of thailand’s tourism services. Administrative Sciences, 14(11), 273.
[19] Sotiriadis, M. (2021). Tourism destination marketing: Academic knowledge. Encyclopedia, 1 (1), 42-56.
[20] Vasavada, F., & Kour, G. (2016). Heritage tourism: How advertising is branding the intangibles? Journal of Heritage Management, 1(1), 22-34.
Adarsh Kumar and Dr. Chandra Shekhar Barua (2025),Evaluating Tourism Promotional Strategies for Destination Branding: An Analytical Study of Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. IJBMR 13(1), 08-12. DOI: 10.37391/IJBMR.130102.