Holistic marketing in yacht tourism and differentiation strategies for Turkey

Yacht tourism as a part of marine tourism is linked to many industries, particularly in tourism and maritime areas. Marinas and yachting companies as being yacht tourism businesses, service to various customer profiles with the unique features originating from the nature of yacht tourism.Holistic marketing, a new approach in marketing science has emerged from and gathers the components of internal marketing, relationship marketing, integrated marketing and social responsibility marketing.The main aim of this study is to evaluate the perceptions of yacht tourism businesses in Turkey in terms of holistic marketing approaches and to develop differentiation strategies in the light of these findings. With this aim, an exploratory and descriptive research has been planned and literature surveys, qualitative and quantitative studies have been performed. Initially variables under the titles of internal, relationship, integrated and social responsibility marketing and differentiation strategies have been searched through a literature survey. In order to explore these variables in terms of yacht tourism qualitative studies have been applied using Delphi and structured interview techniques. Using these variables of holistic marketing and differentiation strategies for yacht tourism a data collection instrument has been developed and a quantitative study has been aimed ending in a field study. The field study has been performed in a sample of marinas and yachting companies in Turkey and the findings have been evaluated through comparative analysis. The results of the study cover the evaluation of the variables likely to affect the holistic marketing approaches of marinas and yachting companies in Turkey and the differentiation strategies determined with respect to these findings.Key Words: Yacht tourism, holistic marketing, Turkey, differentiation strategies, marinas, yachting companies