Pokhara has remained a premium tourist destination in Nepal. Recently, even special and focused initiatives, those are aimed at brainding and promoting it, have been launched. Mention can be made of the following:

 

A)Code of conduct for 13 different sectors, has been prepared jointly by the Pokhara Tourism Council and Switzerland-based National Centers of Competence in Research

 

B)Focus on operating enterprises by acquiring license from the government, promoting locally produced goods, creating uniformity in room rates and food prices, holding promotional campaigns in and outside the country, ensuring security and catering fresh food

 

C)Pashimanchal Hotel Association Pokhara (PHAP) has launched "Chaliye Pokhara" – a promotional campaign in UP of India.

 

D)“Jaun Hai Pokhara” campaign has been launched across 15 priority towns across the nation through joint coordinationwith tourism entrepreneurs for attracting domestic tourists. 

 

E)Domestic tourists account for 30 percent of Pokhara’s hotel occupancy. The PHA has targeted increasing the occupancy level to 50 percent. 

 

F)There are around 12,000 beds in 320 hotels of Pokhara. 

 

A primary survey shows that Core Brand Associations of Pokhara are its lakes, adventure sports, and the Sarangkot sunrise view. The strengths associated with Pokhara are that it is clean, cool, green, and with many lakes. 

 

However, it lacks branding – there isn’t any message or tag line that reflects its potential to amuse and refresh tourist. Brand Awareness is highly aided and there is low unaided Brand Recall. The Brand Image varies among different target segments and thereby lacks a focus on the branding initiative.

 

So what can be Pokhara by 2080 and how can we get it there? 

 

The goal can be placing Pokhara as Nepal’s premium Himalayan Tourist destination. To gain this objective, there are certain details that need to finalized and implemented accordingly. First of them would be conducting a market research for acquiring the following details: 

•1/2 word/s or phrase positioning for Pokhara

•Brand Associations/ Attributes of Pokhara

•Utilization level of the Strengths of Himalayas.

•Additional attractions of Pokhara like Education, Health, etc.  

•Tourism Image: Leisure? Adventure? Religious? Business? or something else.

•Brand Attributes of Pokhara for the visitors (domestic and international separately).

•Functional: hotels, art galleries, museums, theatre, public place, transport infrastructure?

•Symbolic: Character of local residents, profile of visitors?

•Experiential: Relaxed/ Excited/ Fascinated (Visitors’ feelings)?

•City Experience: vibrant/ peaceful?

•Built Environment: historic/ modern/ green/ spacious?

•Brand Ambassador Strategy: Formal and Informal

•UGC/ Viral/ WOM/ Buzz/ Road-shows: Bring the brand to the consumers

•Brand Communities (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter)/ Did You Know Facts in Portals

•Interactive elements active on portal

•Reality driven Brand Identity

•Low Cost Events & Festivals to be highlighted

 

These findings will be imperative to create a single, clear and uniform road-map for Pokhara Tourism and to provide it with a positioning branding statement. Next, it will assist in preparing the communication strategy and plan to be adapted, and the targets and costs estimates for the same. 

 

At a practical level, this research will assist in assessing answers to more imperative but ground level questions like: 

 

Whether to re-design the Pokhara Street Festival? Should  Pokhara International Festival be organized? Which smaller industry-specific events/expos/seminars should be organized? How to have uniform positioning, but creative messaging through multiple channels? Best means to ensure Online, Offline, On-ground, On-air media use. Best strategies to use Advertising, PR, events, direct marketing, and cyber media. Best strategies to generate viral word of mouth of marketing, formal and informal brand ambassadors: WOM/Viral/Buzz? How and which ethical and professional tourism/hospitality practices to be followed?