Zsuzsa Deli-Gray (ed.)

Cases in Tourism Marketing III

Around the World and Back Again

Zsuzsa Deli-Gray

Bence Prónay, managing director of Proko Travel, felt his heart skip a beat. “Finally, finally, finally!!! This is almost unbelievable!” With a quick motion, he set his coffee cup down on the desk and jumped to his feet. “Could this really be true, or is it just pure luck?”

For a moment, he didn’t even know what to do first. Should he call his brother, with whom he discussed every single matter related to the travel agency? He ruled that option out, since they had already planned a late-night gym session together, and he decided that he would share his excitement with him then. Should he take out the latest monthly industry reports and compare them with the feedback collected from the travellers on their most recent tours? That, too, he postponed – for now. Instead, he decided not to wait another minute and to call two travellers in their thirties who had taken part in their summer tours and who had not only given excellent ratings in almost every dimension but had also written this in the comment section: “We would never have believed it, but this trip was exactly what we had been dreaming of.”

“Finally,” thought Bence, “young people in their thirties have started joining our tours – and the feedback is fantastic! And not just from one or two of them…” Of course, everything is relative, he reminded himself. “We’re not talking about massive crowds here! But compared to the fact that until now we couldn’t reach or attract them at all – not even once, for any of our tours – these responses are truly encouraging!”

He thought long and hard about what questions he should ask the two travellers he would select from the group. It was clear to him, however, that he shouldn’t only ask them why they had chosen that particular trip (and, of course, Proko Travel itself) or what they had liked most about it – he also needed to find out what else these young travellers were longing for.

What would make them excited again, eager to return to the agency and book another tour?

Transforming entirely new, previously untapped market segments into target markets requires deep analytical and strategic work for any business. The company must attract the attention of the group’s members to its existing offerings, potentially adapt its products to meet the needs and expectations of the new segment, reconsider how to approach the cluster, and analyse how targeting new segments might affect existing customer groups ( Deli, 2006 ). Travel agencies respond to changing market conditions in a variety of ways: some modify their products and services, others adjust their processes and methods, and yet others set out to target entirely new customer segments ( Gorgoglione et al., 2024 ; Bigné et al., 2007 ).

Proko Travel was founded in 1993 by Gyula Prónay and his wife, Ildikó Kotvits. Prónay had previously been a branch manager at IBUSZ (one of the oldest travel agencies in Hungary), so he possessed extensive experience in the operation, organisation, and management of travel agencies. However, four years after the political transition in Hungary, he longed for something entirely new. He wanted to establish his own travel agency – one that would offer travellers opportunities far beyond the simple, traditional holidays they had known. He envisioned journeys where travellers would not merely visit a single city or seaside resort, but truly travel, moving between multiple destinations, gaining experiences and emotions, stepping for a while into the lives of locals, and getting to know the culture of the regions they visited.

He began his business with four tours: one Dutch, one Italian, one Spanish, and one Austrian. At the time, for these four types of tours, they advertised as many as 15–18 departure dates each season. The exceptionally high sales figures were the clearest proof of how much people were craving a new kind of vacation – something different from what had previously been available to them.

Prónay’s creative approach did not end with the founding of the company. He constantly kept in mind the needs and possibilities of travellers, studied technological developments, and analysed the macroenvironment of countries around the world. Over time, it became increasingly clear to him that travellers could not be treated as a single, homogeneous group.

There were:

First-time travellers, who had never before joined a round-trip tour. They tended to choose nearby destinations and most often signed up for Czech or Austrian tours.
Returning travellers, who had enjoyed these closer trips and recognised how different they were from other types of travel – they took a step up, eagerly choosing journeys to farther destinations such as France, Portugal, or Spain.
And finally, seasoned travellers, who, having already visited all these countries, moved on to the third level – booking northern or exotic tours.

Bence Prónay vividly remembered every word his father had told him when handing over the leadership of the company. Among those words was one particular insight: travellers who are “first-level” or beginner round-trippers rarely participate in “third-level” journeys. There had always been a clear progression between the three levels – meaning that passengers seldom began with long, exclusive tours. They usually started with a shorter, closer destination.

That was precisely why Bence was so surprised to see that the thirty-something travellers who had joined the agency’s tours this year – and whose feedback had been exceptionally positive – had all booked third-level trips right away, without exception. “All right, I’ll come back to this later,” he thought, “but I mustn’t forget to ask them about this during our conversation.”

Proko Travel was often the first to introduce new destinations into its portfolio. Today, many of these tours are considered mainstream, but at the time, they were true novelties: they were the only agency offering the “Midnight Sun in Norway” or “Where the Continent Ends – Portugal” trips – and they were also pioneers in introducing Albania as a discovery destination.

Another major innovation at the time was the combination of different modes of travel – organising tours that mixed coach and air travel, or coach and boat travel.

“Of course, there must have been more than just innovation behind this,” reflected Bence. “I remember Dad telling me that, back then, renting a coach in Norway would have been prohibitively expensive, so they quickly decided to use Hungarian coaches instead. But it wasn’t just about cost-saving – he never forgot to consider the diverse needs of travellers.” He knew that many passengers preferred bus tours: during the long or short journeys, they passed through scenic landscapes and made multiple stops.

But there were also travellers who would have preferred to fly to the destination country and only then join the tour, choosing speed and comfort for the initial leg of the journey. Of course, not everyone could afford that – some travellers had to stay with the coach for the entire trip. However, those passengers were well compensated with extra stops in beautiful cities, at natural wonders, or for special programmes – experiences that those flying directly would never have. In many cases, the inclusion of ferries and cruise segments made it possible to visit and explore places that had previously been inaccessible.

“Unbelievable,” Bence thought, “how much Dad managed to take into account at once when he was building this business!”

In 2005, Gyula Prónay added yet another creative service to the company’s offerings. He realised that passengers didn’t only want to start their tours from Budapest – bookings were increasingly coming in from all over Hungary. From that year on, Proko Travel offered free boarding options for their coach tours from multiple Hungarian cities. Today, travellers can join group tours from 15 different locations across the country.

“Speaking of travellers’ differing financial situations…” Bence mused. “It’s a good feeling to know that we can support less affluent passengers too, helping them join our trips.” Since 2016, every year on May 11th, the agency’s anniversary, travellers could book round trips with special promotional discounts. “Most of our regular customers prepare for that day well in advance.”

These thoughts ran through Bence’s mind as he decided to take out his notebook and jot down the topics he wanted to cover in his upcoming interviews. “There are so many aspects that could be interesting, critical, or important for us – and I think a lot will depend on these conversations. Now that we finally have travellers in their thirties among us, I can’t afford to overlook any relevant point. I need to think carefully about what and how I’m going to ask.”

Then another thought struck him – their loyalty programme. “Hold on, let’s not get ahead of ourselves! A minute ago, I was just happy that several travellers in their thirties finally joined our tours, and now I’m already thinking about how to turn them into loyal customers! Well… if I do it right, it’s not impossible,” he smiled to himself. Still, he thought it would be wise to take another look at what the market research said about travellers in their thirties.

“I saw an analysis on this a few months ago – I even printed it out. Let’s see… I think I put it on one of the top shelves.”

According to a representative survey by Kiwi.com, this generation consistently seeks travel experiences that allow them to feel deeply engaged, to find inner harmony, and to pursue unique opportunities (Turizmus Online, 2025). The analysis highlighted several emerging travel trends that influence how they choose their journeys:

Calmcationing – choosing destinations that promote self-discovery, slowing down, and focusing inward.
Off the Beaten Track – seeking places not yet discovered by mass tourism, where something entirely new awaits them.
Island Hopping – travelling between islands and immersing themselves in island life.
JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) – finding fulfilment through disconnection from external distractions.
Set-Jetting – visiting locations featured in favourite films or series to connect more deeply with their stories.
Nocturism – exploring foreign destinations by night.
Coolcationing – escaping the extreme summer heat by travelling to cooler climates.

“These trends could actually work in our favour,” Bence thought. “We just need to respond to them the right way. Sure, we’ll never convince those who seek complete solitude to join a group tour – unless, of course, we designed one that strings together precisely those kinds of destinations… hmm, that’s something to think about. Or rather, something my brother should think about – after all, he’s the marketing director! Still, most of these trends could be integrated into our tours quite easily – and very effectively.”

In another study – though Bence couldn’t quite recall where he had read it, since at the time he never dreamed he would one day attract travellers in their thirties – he had come across an important observation: this generation loves to organise their own trips. So many apps now support travel planning, and both this and the younger generation use social media so intensively that they can find solutions to their needs and ideas within moments. “Well, that makes things trickier… Of course, if we’re smart about it, we can even turn this to our advantage. But where do we stand in that regard?”

Proko Travel had been a pioneer in this area as well – developing a company website at a time when very few others even considered it important. They took it so seriously that, in 2003, they won the ‘Best Quality Website’ award. Since then, the website has been continuously updated to ensure it remains user-friendly and informative – not only for travellers but also for partner agencies.

In 2010, Gyula Prónay launched his own blog, where he regularly shared his opinions and thoughts about travel organisation, Proko Travel, and their various tours. Today, several of the company’s nearly fifty employees also write blog posts about their travel experiences.

“Hmm… that still might not be enough for this age group,” thought Bence, “especially considering that they’ve grown so used to planning everything themselves – booking their own flights, accommodations, and even tickets to specific attractions.”

“How on earth are we going to break down that barrier?” he wondered and added two more questions to his growing list. “We somehow need to help these young people see the advantages of letting someone else take on the burden and risks of organising a trip. After all, there are so many uncertainties when making bookings abroad!”

At Proko Travel, a fundamental principle is that before launching any new round trip, the organisers, tour guides, and local partners personally travel the full route. They test what programmes can realistically fit into a single day and assess their difficulty levels. Only after extensive observation, analysis, and planning is a new itinerary finalized – whether it’s a nearby or a faraway destination.

“Now this is exactly the added value we need to show the thirty-somethings!” Bence thought. “Since I’m part of that age group myself, I know we plan things more responsibly – and we simply don’t accept anything that doesn’t meet our standards. I also see that there are areas in life where I’m less skilled and gladly hand things over to professionals.” “For me, that’s cooking! – He smiled at the thought. By doing so, I free up a lot of time for other things, and I know the service will be done the way I want it – and if not, I can ask for changes until it matches my vision.”

“Essentially, that’s exactly what we do when designing our tours,” he continued in thought.

“We plan everything precisely in advance, we test all aspects multiple times, and we refine the tours based on travellers’ feedback.”

He also reminded himself that their itineraries always included free time alongside the scheduled programmes. There were always a few participants who preferred to skip certain organised activities and plan something on their own instead. That was allowed – but departure times had to be respected, since even small delays could disrupt the entire programme.

“This is what we should combine with the thirty-somethings’ need for independence in organising their own activities,” Bence reflected. “The framework would already be there – we’d still handle the time-consuming and risky parts of organising – but within that framework, we could offer them the freedom to personalise their own experiences.”

“Of course, we’d need to guide that process – ideally through something accessible on a smartphone: an app or platform where they could create their own schedule for the free portions of the trip, choosing from our recommended programmes, routes, restaurants, entertainment options, and more, in the cities where our official tours stop. Oh, that would be brilliant! I’m sure my brother could come up with an immediate solution – he’s so creative!”

Bence glanced at the sheet of paper on which he had written down all the questions he wanted to ask the two travellers in their thirties who had joined separate Proko Travel tours. He suddenly realized that the entire A4 page was already filled. “Oh… that’s a lot,” he thought. Then he slapped his forehead. “The participation fees! I haven’t thought about those yet.

I absolutely need to find out how much travellers in their thirties are willing to spend on a round-trip tour. We can all feel the pressure in the industry – some competitors are clearly trying to gain market share fast by offering extremely low prices. But we still don’t know how potential travellers actually respond to that.

We’ll need to study this across our entire customer base soon – but it seems life has now given us the opportunity to start with this new, potential target group first. Oh… this will be a tough one! How can I ask about that diplomatically?” He sighed.

“Maybe I won’t call them just yet. I’ll talk to my brother tonight. We’ll go over the topics together and phrase the questions carefully. Yes – I’ll call him first, so we can meet for a latte at our favourite café before our late-evening gym session.”

Tartalomjegyzék

Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2026

ISBN: 978 963 664 217 4

Marketing Turizmus

The publication of the third volume of Cases in Tourism Marketing is truly welcome news from both an educational and a professional perspective. Through real-world, timely, and thought-provoking cases, this collection helps readers – students and practitioners alike – gain a deeper understanding of the complex world of decision-making in tourism marketing. The case studies not only convey professional knowledge but also develop analytical skills, problem-solving abilities, and critical thinking. One of the volume’s key strengths is its focus on issues that define contemporary tourism, including the role of digitalization, artificial intelligence, destination branding, and stakeholder collaboration in tourism marketing. Long-awaited and highly relevant, this third volume is a worthy continuation of the previous collections and will undoubtedly serve as a valuable resource in higher education in tourism, while also being highly recommended to professionals who enjoy reflecting on challenges and opportunities beyond their own immediate field of expertise.

Tamara Ratz PhD

Director, Centre for International Relations, Kodolányi János University

Head of Tourism Department, Professor of Tourism

It is an honor for me to recommend this volume to everyone who wishes to understand tourism marketing not only in theory, but also through its real business and human dimensions. The worlds of tourism and hospitality have undergone fundamental changes in recent years, which makes case studies based on real market situations, decision-making dilemmas and current challenges especially valuable in supporting both learning and critical thinking. This book provides not only professional knowledge, but also encourages a complex mindset, creative problem-solving and the ability to think in connections — exactly the skills today’s tourism professionals need most. I wholeheartedly recommend this volume to students, educators and tourism professionals alike.

Judit Fodor (Liptai)

Group Director of Sales and Marketing, Danubius Hotels

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/deli-gray-cases-in-toursim-marketing-iii//

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