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Taiwan
Taiwan is a country with diverse cultural and
natural resources. Most inbound tourism is
generated from its neighbouring countries and
North America. In 1999 over 2.4 million international
tourists visited Taiwan, with business trips
and participation in conferences having a giant
share. Elimination of entry visa for many nationalities
in 1994 has contributed to the growth of
international tourism in this country. Because of
its economic strength, Taiwan's outbound tourism is
also sizeable, with Hong Kong, mainland China,
Japan and Singapore favoured for pleasure and
business purposes. Domestic tourism is also well
developed in Taiwan, with weekend holidays and
festivals adding much to its popularity.
target marketing
YEONG-SHYANG CHEN, TAIWAN
An enterprise or organisation focusing its activities to
one or several market segments is exercising
target marketing. The first step of this strategic
process is market segmentation. Consumers or
tourists are subdivided into meaningful groups with
respect to criteria such as number of trips, destination
preferences, intentions, choice of accommodation
or tour operator. The criteria for
determining market segments depends on the type
of business �such as hotels, restaurants, airlines,
tour operators and car rentals). However, it can be
organised in two different ways: classifying tourists
by one key variable �like age, purpose, amount of
spending, special interest group), or arranging
homogenous groups of tourists by typical profiles of
psychographic or behavioural characteristics
�including activities, benefits sought, motivation,
lifestyles or vacation styles).
During the second step, each segment has to be
evaluated according to normative criteria derived
from organisation goals, consumer needs, environmental
constraints and competitive forces. The
outcome of this stage can be a selection of one or
more segments to be served. Products and services
are commonly adjusted �see product positioning)
to fit the targeted segments. The last step of this
process refers to the adaptation and coordination
of the whole marketing mix. Communication,
distribution and pricing instruments have to be
integrated into the product decisions and additional
business activities.
See also: attitude; event marketing; perception;
strategic marketing; typology, tourist; values
tax
ANDREAS ZINS, AUSTRIA
Taxation is a system of raising money for public
expenditure, and taxes are the amounts paid by
individuals or organisations to local, regional and
national government agencies in accordance with
such a system. There is a variety of forms of taxes,
and distinctions are made between direct and
indirect types, as well as between personal and
corporate. Direct taxes are levied on income or