Statement of Work

USAID Trade and Competitiveness

Title of Assignment: To provide technical support to develop and deliver digital marketing training to hotels and hospitality enterprises in Sauraha, Chitwan leveraging on OTA integration and business enhancement leading to increased bookings and sales.

Type of Consultancy: Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA)

Period of implementation: January 3rd to January 10th 2023

LOE: 1 week

Background

USAID Trade and Competitiveness Activity is a five-year activity that will provide opportunities for the Nepali economy as it recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Activity will enable Nepal to capitalize on global integration to diversify toward higher quality and higher value exports, foster sustainable job growth and income-generating opportunities for those that have previously been left behind by economic growth, and create greater sustainability and resiliency. The activity will also deliberately promote the integration of women, youth, and marginalized groups into markets to participate in economic opportunities created as Nepal’s economy grows. It will increase jobs and exports while supporting the private sector in managing risks from climate change, COVID-19, and other threats.

The goal is to accelerate firm and sector level competitiveness, generate employment opportunities, and increase sales of firms through interventions that incentivize public and private sector actors across the ecosystem to adopt new behaviors driving outcomes across three objectives: 

• To increase access to market-based financial and non-financial services; 
• To increase productivity in sectors with high growth and employment potential; and 
• To improve the investment climate and business enabling environment (BEE), especially for targeted sectors.

Purpose

The tourism sector is characterized as having the most opportunities to scale, both vertically and horizontally. It has an immense capacity to capitalize on sector-level opportunities, generate employment and business opportunities, and translate benefits to all the actors involved in the sector. The constraints are poor infrastructure and connectivity; lack of skilled human resources; and limited promotion and market access. The Activity’s key interventions in improving the sector are to increase the value of its destination offering, including diversification of product, upgrading facilities and services, and upgrading the skills of tourism stakeholders.

Digital marketing has emerged as an impactful and cost effective tool to not only maintain a competitive edge but also to thrive in a highly dynamic and competitive tourism market in Nepal. Online marketing media platforms have become integral parts of travelers' decision-making processes and are considered as a one stop solutions for booking, seeking travel information, accessing reviews and recommendations for potential travelers. Hotels and hospitality enterprises are eagerly harnessing and leveraging on the potential of digital marketing to enhance their visibility, engagements with their target audience which ultimately is expected to drive bookings and increase sales and revenue.

To enhance the capacity of private sectors of hospitality and tourism sector, the Activity coordinated with regional Hotel Association of Nepal (HAN) and Restaurant and Bar Association of Nepal (REBAN) and assessed their needs. Constraint has been identified in digital marketing specifically leveraging on integration with Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to increase direct bookings without going through intermediaries such as tourist portals and aggregators.

For the assignment, the Activity is looking for firm to provide technical support to develop and deliver digital marketing training leveraging on integration with OTAs and business enhancement for increased bookings and sales to selected hotels, restaurants, and hotel operators affiliated with regional HAN and REBAN specifically in the areas of Chitwan to prepare them for the upcoming tourist season. 

Objective:

1. To provide comprehensive understanding of digital marketing concepts and strategies relevant to the hospitality and tourism industry in Nepal.
2. To improve hotel and hospitality enterprise’s ability to leverage on various digital marketing channels, including integration with OTA’s to enhance their online visibility and engagements with their target audience ultimately driving bookings and increase sales and revenue.

Tasks:

1. In consultation with the Activity, identify and select 30 hotels and restaurants, in the Activity’s geographic focus, associated with HAN, and REBAN for provision of digital marketing and OTA integration training.
2. Design and develop customized engaging and interactive training curriculum based on the outlined objectives.
3. Provide relevant training materials, resources, and tools including hands-on exercises, and case studies relevant to the developed training module.
4. Conduct assessments and evaluations to measure participant progress and training effectiveness.

Deliverables & Timeline

Required Qualifications:

1. 5+ years experience in development and delivery of business development services training in tourism and digital sector.
2. Previous experience in execution of training module specific to OTA integration and digital marketing. 
3. Experience delivering high-quality, interactive and engaging training module to relevant stakeholders and clients.
4. Familiarity with budget preparation and understanding of basic business financials.
5. Strong communication and presentation skills, including oral and written.
6. High degree of independence, flexibility, and ability to meet strict deadlines.
7. Fluent in spoken and written English, Nepali, and the local language.
8. Individual pan account number registered in the inland revenue department in Nepal.
9. Should be able to provide the invoice stating the daily rate of the previous consultations. 
10. Business training/education/background preferred.

Reporting Requirements:

The consultant will report to Tourism Value Chain Manager All interested applicants shall submit their resume to info@tc-udhyamnepal.com no later than COB 5.00 pm 19 December 2023.