Information communication technology revolutionizing tourism

Authors: Buhalis, D. and O’Connor, P.

Journal: Tourism Recreation Research

Volume: 30

Issue: 3

Pages: 7-16

ISSN: 0250-8281

DOI: 10.1080/02508281.2005.11081482

Abstract:

This paper identifies a number of key changes in Information Communication Technologies (ICT) that gradually revolutionize the tourism industry. E-tourism and the Internet in particular support the interactivity between tourism enterprises and consumers and as a result they re-engineer the entire process of developing, managing and marketing tourism products and destinations. All stakeholders related to tourism and hospitality, therefore, gradually see their role being changed and new opportunities and challenges emerging. The paper demonstrates that future of e-Tourism will be focused on consumer centric technologies to ensure that the new sophisticated and experienced consumers are served. Therefore, agile strategies are required at both strategic and tactical management levels to develop the ‘infostructure’ for tourism organizations to manage their internal functions, their relationships with partners and their interactions with all stakeholders including consumers. Only those organizations that appreciate the opportunities which ICTs bring and manage their resources successfully will be able to enhance their innovation and competitiveness in the future.

Source: Scopus