Destination management systems: creation of value for visitors of tourism destinations

Considering the important role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in tourism, a growing number of destination management organisations (DMOs) have been adopting more complex destination web-applications/websites to tourism destinations – destination management systems (DMSs). However, the concept of DMS is far from being consensual. The present study aims to clarify the concept of DMS by identifying the main differences between DMS and other DMO web-applications/websites regarding functionalities targeted at potential visitors of destinations. This study is carried out based on a comparison between DMS-specific and DMS-non-specific sources (papers and book chapters). The results suggest that the major difference between DMS and more traditional DMO websites relies in the transaction dimension. While DMS-non-specific reviewed sources tend to focus more on informational functionalities, DMS-specific studies clearly highlight transaction tools. The study highlights the need to develop DMS including a more varied range of transactional and communication/relationship functionalities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sistemas de gestão de destinos turísticos: contribuições para a sua adoção e implementação

The growing competition between tourist destinations, the progressively demanding tourist source markets, as well the complexity of the strategies to attract them, has led Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) to expand their attributions to assume themselves as central actors in the coordination of the stakeholders of respective destinations. Thus, some DMOs have implemented collaborative online networks, referred to as Destination Management Systems (DMSs), which connect all relevant tourist agents in a destination, facilitating communication and cooperation between them. These systems also provide online tourist portals for tourist destinations that offer more personalised travel planning experiences, including the possibility to purchase tourist products. However, only a residual number of tourist destinations has ever tried to adopt a DMS and a considerable portion of the them were unsuccessful. The challenges to the success of a DMS require a careful analysis of the factors that influence the willingness of the tourist agents of a destination to adopt them, as well as of the factors that determine the importance that these agents attribute to the functionalities of those same DMSs. However, research in this area is still limited. The main objectives of this thesis are to obtain an in-depth knowledge about the factors mentioned above, as well as on the characteristics and role of DMSs, in order to promote the implementation of these systems in tourist destinations. To achieve these objectives, a mixed methodology was adopted, starting with an extensive review of the literature on DMSs, exploratory interviews with the main companies providing DMS solutions and with DMOs that have successfully implemented these systems. At content analysis of those same DMSs was undertaken. This qualitative approach provided an in-depth knowledge regarding the characteristics of DMSs, the current business and management models of these systems, as well as their recent developments and future perspectives. Then, a quantitative approach was used to identify the factors that explain the willingness of destination-based stakeholders to adopt a DMS, as well as those influencing the importance attributed by these agents to the specific functionalities of DMSs. Thus, a questionnaire survey was applied to different types of tourist agents from a regional destination lacking a DMS: The Portuguese Centre region. The results of the quantitative investigation indicate that the predisposition to adopt a DMS is positively influenced by factors such as: (i) cooperation within the destination; (ii) pressure from the external environment (e.g. from competing destinations); (iii) perceived benefits and usefulness of the DMS; (iv) DMO's leadership and strategic vision; (v) resources and strategic vision of the tourist actors in the destination. On the other hand, two factors which are still absent from research on this topic were found to negatively influence the predisposition to adopt a DMS, namely: (i) alternative online platforms and (ii) the lack of a DMS in neighbouring regions or at the national level. The results also demonstrate that the importance attributed to the specific functionalities of a DMS by destination-based stakeholders is positively influenced (i) by its resources and strategic vision, (ii) by its knowledge on the DMO’s initiatives in the field of the Information and Communication and Technologies, (iii) the condition of affiliated member of a DMO; and (iv) by the tourist agent sub-sector, since it was found that tourism accommodation providers value collaborative functionalities of a DMS less than others. The thesis ends with conclusions and implications for the tourism sector, mainly for agents responsible for the development of tourist destinations.A crescente competição entre destinos turísticos, bem como a progressiva exigência da procura turística e da complexidade das estratégias para a atrair, levou as Organizações de Gestão de Destinos (OGD) a ampliarem as suas atribuições para se assumirem como atores centrais na coordenação dos stakeholders dos respetivos destinos. Assim, algumas OGDs implementaram redes colaborativas online, designadas de Sistemas de Gestão de Destinos (SGDs), que interligam todos os agentes turísticos relevantes de um destino, facilitando a comunicação e a cooperação entre eles. Estes sistemas também proporcionam à procura turística portais online de destinos turísticos que oferecem experiências de planeamento de viagens mais personalizadas, incluindo a possibilidade de comprar produtos turísticos. Porém, apenas um número residual de destinos turísticos tentou adotar um SGD e uma parcela considerável dos SGDs não tiveram sucesso. Os desafios para garantir o sucesso dos SGD exigem uma análise cuidada dos fatores que influenciam a predisposição dos agentes turísticos de um destino para os adotar, bem como dos fatores que determinam a importância que estes agentes atribuem às funcionalidades dos SGD. No entanto, a investigação neste âmbito é ainda limitada. A presente tese tem como principais objetivos obter um conhecimento aprofundado sobre os fatores anteriormente referidos, bem como sobre as características e papel dos SGD, no sentido de promover a implementação destes sistemas nos destinos. Para alcançar os objetivos estabelecidos, adotou-se uma metodologia mista, começando com uma extensiva revisão da literatura sobre SGD, entrevistas exploratórias às principais empresas fornecedoras de soluções de SGD e a OGD que implementaram estes sistemas com sucesso, bem como análises de conteúdo de SGD. Esta abordagem qualitativa permitiu um conhecimento mais aprofundado relativamente às características dos SGD, aos atuais modelos de negócios e de gestão destes sistemas, bem como aos seus recentes desenvolvimentos e perspetivas futuras. Seguidamente uma abordagem quantitativa foi utlizada para identificar os fatores que explicam a predisposição dos agentes turísticos de um destino para adotar um SGD, bem como os fatores que influenciam a importância atribuída por estes agentes às funcionalidades específicas dos SGD. Assim, um inquérito por questionário foi aplicado a diferentes tipos de agentes turísticos de um destino regional que não dispõe de um SGD: a região Centro de Portugal. Os resultados da investigação quantitativa indicam que a predisposição para adotar um SGD é influenciada positivamente por fatores como: (i) cooperação no destino; (ii) pressão do ambiente externo (ex. de destinos concorrentes); (iii) benefícios percebidos e utilidade do SGD; (iv) liderança e visão estratégica da OGD; (v) recursos e visão estratégica dos atores turísticos do destino. Por outro lado, dois fatores até agora ausentes da investigação influenciam negativamente a predisposição para adotar um SGD, nomeadamente: (i) as plataformas alternativas online e (ii) a falta de um SGD em regiões vizinhas ou a nível nacional. Os resultados demonstram ainda que a importância atribuída às funcionalidades específicas de um SGD pelos agentes turísticos de um destino é influenciada positivamente (i) pelos seus recursos e visão estratégica, (ii) pelo seu conhecimento sobre as iniciativas da OGD no âmbito das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação, (iii) por ser membro afiliado da OGD; e (iv) pelo subsetor do agente turístico, observando-se que os fornecedores de alojamento turístico valorizam menos as funcionalidades de cariz colaborativo do que outro tipo de agentes. A tese termina com conclusões e implicações para o setor do turismo, principalmente para agentes responsáveis pelo desenvolvimento turístico.Programa Doutoral em Turism

Projeto de Desenvolvimento de um Sistema de Gestão de Destinos (SGD): O Caso das Entidades Regionais de Turismo em Portugal

Enquadramento: O presente projeto de investigação surge num contexto onde as tecnologias estão cada vez mais enraizadas nas sociedades e onde a web se tornou no canal preferido de distribuição para uma boa parte das Organizações de Gestão de Destinos (OGDs) e dos consumidores finais (Butler, 2002; Gretzel, Yuan, & Fesenmaier, 2000; Kramer, Modsching, ten Hagen, & Gretzel, 2007). As novas Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação (TICs) afiguram-se, assim, como uma das áreas mais críticas para o sucesso do turismo, no presente e no futuro, sendo vitais para a forma como se promovem os destinos turísticos (Machado & Almeida, 2010). Descrição: Pretende-se apresentar uma proposta extensiva de desenvolvimento de um Sistema de Gestão de Destinos (SGD), de âmbito regional, devidamente orçada e economicamente viável, para ajudar as OGDs na gestão, promoção e distribuição holística do destino turístico Portugal. Objetivos: Desenvolvimento sustentável e integrado dos destinos turísticos portugueses, a nível regional; aposta nos canais digitais como forma de adaptação às novas tendências de mercado no setor do turismo; envolvimento de todos os stakeholders no projeto (entidades públicas e privadas), por forma a aumentar os índices de coesão nos destinos turísticos; satisfação das necessidades de planeamento e de reserva dos potenciais turistas/visitantes; e incremento da qualidade geral da experiência turística no destino Portugal. Investigação Empírica: Parte 1 – Realização de um estudo Delphi, com a participação de um painel de 12 especialistas nas áreas do turismo e das TICs, para aferição e hierarquização das principais barreiras à adoção de SGDs; Parte 2 – Estudo avaliativo da eficácia dos websites oficiais das 5 Entidades Regionais de Turismo (ERTs) portuguesas, por intermédio do modelo adaptado de ICTRT (na versão de Charoula et al., 2014), aplicado por um avaliador externo recrutado para o efeito. Resultados e Conclusões: Identificaram-se e hierarquizaram-se 55 barreiras à adoção de SGDs, para a realidade portuguesa; apresentaram-se e escrutinaram-se os índices de eficácia dos websites oficiais das 5 ERTs em Portugal; e apresentou-se uma proposta de desenvolvimento de um SGD devidamente orçada e economicamente viável. No final, discutiram-se os principais resultados, teceram-se considerações gerais sobre o projeto e enunciaram-se as principais limitações e possíveis futuras linhas de investigação

Destination management systems : towards a holistic effectiveness evaluation

This study aims to enhance the understanding of destination management system (DMS) effectiveness and its evaluation. Upon review of the literature, it was established that DMS effectiveness and its evaluation has not yet been researched adequately. Informed by an interpretive approach, this study contributes to research particularly by investigating what constitutes effectiveness and explores the aspects (factors and relationships) that need to be considered in a holistic DMS effectiveness evaluation. Based on a qualitative case study strategy, this study adopts a comprehensive approach that considers multiple stakeholder groups’ perspectives. The research evidence is collected through a case-study of the Egyptian DMS experience (the Touregypt project). The Touregypt project gives insights to the understanding of three DMS cases that have not been researched before in DMS literature: first, an actual DMS application in a developing country; second, a public and private sector partnership experience; and third, a failed DMS experience (the system has failed in the course of this research).Prompted by the interpretive approach, this study tried to explore DMS effectiveness based on the perspectives, attitudes and experiences of the multiple stakeholder groups (Hesse-Biber and Leavy 2010). Accordingly, the empirical data was collected through a multi-method approach that includes interviews, observation, archival document analysis (including Touregypt forum analysis), and website analysis. Data has been analyzed guided by discourse analysis, complemented with the general inductive approach of Miles and Huberman (1994). Following an interpretive theory-building strategy, the analyzed data has been further interpreted in the light of prior theories of DMS and information systems research, particularly the Delone and MacLean IS effectiveness theory (1992, 2003, and 2004).The main contribution of this study to knowledge is a theory based model that enhances the understanding of DMS effectiveness evaluation. The suggested model identifies the aspects (factors and relationships) that need to be considered when evaluating the effectiveness of DMS. Also, the results of this study give insights to the understanding of DMS effectiveness by shedding light on what constitutes effectiveness and the possible relationship between such constructs

Conception d’un outil de gestion de la performance d’un système de gestion de la destination touristique

Cette recherche porte sur la performance des systèmes d’information inter organisationnels dans le domaine du tourisme et, plus particulièrement, sur la performance des systèmes d’information utilisés par les organismes de gestion de la destination touristique. La démarche suivie dans l’élaboration d’un outil d’évaluation de la performance d'un système de gestion de la destination représente la principale contribution de la thèse. Cet outil analyse les effets du système de gestion de la destination sur les processus opérationnels et de gestion et ensuite, établit un lien entre l’amélioration de ces processus et la satisfaction des détenteurs d’enjeux. L’outil d’évaluation de la performance du système de gestion de la destination devient un outil de gestion qui met en évidence les possibilités d’amélioration du système de gestion de la destination.Abstract: This research focuses on the performance of inter-organizational information systems in the field of tourism and, more specifically, on the performance of information systems used by destination management organizations (DMOs). The interest for these systems, the destination management systems (DMS), comes from the importance of investments and the challenges they represent for the tourism industry and for the development of the regional economy. Empirical research analysis revealed the limited success of DMS, the disappointing participation of tourism product suppliers and destination promoters in DMS, and the key challenges faced by managers at the destination management organization, resulting in the following managerial question: "How to help managers of tourist destinations manage the performance of a destination management system, taking into account the achievement of the objectives of the stakeholders? ". Given the diversity of its theoretical foundations, the research on the evaluation of information systems presents several models and still reports difficulties in assessing the impact of information technologies. To evaluate the performance of DMS, the conceptual framework of this thesis combines a process model of IS business value (Melville, Kraemer and Gurbaxani, 2004) with an integrated method of organizational performance measurement (Neely, Adams and Kennerley, 2002). The prism of the performance of Neely et al. (2002) was designed to take into account a significant number of stakeholders. The research framework was developed to produce rich data for discovery purposes. It uses an exploratory qualitative approach based on inductive reasoning and favors the case study method to answer a descriptive question. The choice of a single case with multiple groups (Embedded Case Study Research) facilitates a new understanding of the performance of a given DMS, from different perspectives, being those of the stakeholders involved. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted, of which eighteen were conducted within the DMO and eight were conducted with the tourist SMEs of the destination chosen for the study. The data were coded using CAQDAS Atlas.ti reflective software and aggregated using a matrix analysis. […