CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
In hospitality industries promotion is a key ingredients in marketing campaign. Promotion has contributed a lot to boost a better image of both major and minor hotels in every part of the world. It does communicate to its publics; the type of services it renders, and also believes in fair deals and considers the interest of its customers and various publics. Hospitality industries services, pricing, as well as promotional policies and strategies constitute elements of its promotion – mix.
Hotels provide meals, drinks, attractions, accommodation etc., to the general public or persons in transit especially people traveling to places where they have neither their own homes nor any relation to cater for their needs. Such persons will like to know few things about the hotels in their transitory area. In other words, they may like to know about available hotels, the categories of such hotels, the room and suit fares, and the type of food served, the necessary comfort customers are accorded – with, the game that is both indoor and outdoor games available and perhaps and other special feature that make such hotels appealing to the sojourners in transit.
These characteristics of hotels are boosted by promotions of various types in so many countries of the world. In Nigeria, major hotels live like Sheraton, Eko Hotels, Federal Palace Hotels, NICON NUGA, to mention just a few of them, have made impressionable image both nationally and internationally and the praises go to promotions that have heralded their various characteristics, class placement status to the public generally. Without promotion, the image of their hotels and their excellent services would not be so diffused to the public. For instance recently in Enugu, some hotels have come up with incentive – type promotions to attract new terriers, to reward loyal customers and to increase the patronage rates of occasional users. One of such hotels is Hallmark Hotel situated in Enugu, promoted its hotel as (10%) Ten percent discount awaits customers that patronizes its hotel superbly built, and lavishly furnished with ultra-modern guest houses, with about sixteen (16) air conditioned rooms each with its exclusive toilets, cold/hot shower, stand-by water storage tanks to ensure uninterrupted water supply; a lounge with well stocked bar and assorted types of edibles including Chinese foods available; a well cemented car park adorned with beautiful flowers, and powerful stand-by generators to ensure uninterrupted power supply..