This case study was commissioned as part of the Higher Education Academy Subject Centres for Hospitality Leisure Sport and Tourism (HLST) and Business Management Accountancy and Finance (BMAF) Enhancing series which focused on International Learning Experience.
This case study provides an illustration of how relationship marketing can influence programme development and delivery. Relationship marketing is an ongoing process that is created by an organisation to develop and maintain enhancement of value over time (Kotler Armstrong Saunders and Wong 1996). We chose to use relationship marketing to illustrate developments in the relationship between academics and cohorts of Hong Kong (HK) students studying on Manchester Metropolitan University's BA (Hons) Leisure Management Extension Degree programme. Changes within this relationship over time have led to a greater understanding of the needs both academic and non-academic of Hong Kong students which the programme team have sought to address. Relationship marketing is enhanced through trust-based long term relationships (Trim 2003) and it in this context that the chapter ends with an illustration of future curriculum developments arising from the maturing relationship.
