E-TOURISM: CONCEPT AND EVOLUTION

Tourism has closely been connected to progress of ICTs for over 25 years. Nowadays, the Internet and ICTs are relevant on all operative, structural, strategic and marketing levels to facilitate global interaction among suppliers, intermediaries and consumers around the world. This paper provides a review for the key aspects of ICT that influenced and influence the tourism sector activity. Two themes were identified as forming the basis of researching in the e-tourism domain: the technological progress and the impact on the touristic market. The paper also presents future developments in eTourism that will influence the tourism industry structure

The Value of Social Media Advertising Strategies on Tourist Behavior: A Game-Changer for Small Rural Businesses

Nature-based tourism represents a growing sector within the tourism industry, and these interests could help improve the conditions of economically disadvantaged rural communities. The new digital landscape, including Internet and social media usage, represents a critical strategic opportunity to inform, educate and reach these tourism segments. The present research examines the impact of social media advertising on nature-based tourism within rural communities. In this research, we utilize the COBRA (Consumers’ Online Brand-Related Activities) model (Muntinga et al., 2011) of consumer behavior to assess the impact social media advertising plays in generating Pre-Consumption, Consumption, Creation, Contribution, and Engagement in rural business. The results are significant, finding that incorporating digital strategies within rural firms is beneficial. According to our research, the careful placement of a social media advertisement can statistically increase engagement components by more than 50%. In theory, this can increase tourism and economic activity in these rural, economically disadvantaged areas

The Value of Social Media Advertising Strategies on Tourist Behavior: A Game-Changer for Small Rural Businesses

Nature-based tourism represents a growing sector within the tourism industry, and these interests could help improve the conditions of economically disadvantaged rural communities. The new digital landscape, including Internet and social media usage, represents a critical strategic opportunity to inform, educate and reach these tourism segments. The present research examines the impact of social media advertising on nature-based tourism within rural communities. In this research, we utilize the COBRA (Consumers’ Online Brand-Related Activities) model (Muntinga et al., 2011) of consumer behavior to assess the impact social media advertising plays in generating Pre-Consumption, Consumption, Creation, Contribution, and Engagement in rural business. The results are significant, finding that incorporating digital strategies within rural firms is beneficial. According to our research, the careful placement of a social media advertisement can statistically increase engagement components by more than 50%. In theory, this can increase tourism and economic activity in these rural, economically disadvantaged areas

Developing a Strategic Marketing Plan in Tourism Industry : Case: The Tourism Market of Henan Province in China

ABSTRACT PING, HHUIJUN 2010. Developing a Strategic Marketing Plan in Tourism Industry. Case: The Tourism Market of Henan Province in China. Bachelor’s Thesis. Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences. Business and Culture. Pages 66. Appendices 1-3. The objective of Thesis is to develop a strategic marketing plan for the tourism market of the Henan Province in China. The new strategic marketing plan for the Henan’s tourism market is developed in order to attract more tourists to travel to this destination for the purpose of developing and consummating the tourism market in Henan. This Thesis uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Interviews and the questionnaire are the main data collection techniques in this Thesis. I interviewed four managers of four tourism companies in order to understand more about the Henan’s tourism market. Furthermore, I distributed a questionnaire in June and July 2010 to 200 tourists traveling in the Henan province to collect and analyze the tourists’ consuming behaviors. The theoretical framework discusses the concept and nature of tourism, the characteristics of tourism, the motivation of tour, factors that impact on tourists’ consuming behavior and the ways to compile a strategic marketing plan in tourism industry. The sources of information consist of books dealing with the topic and selected Internet articles. The result of this Thesis is a feasible strategic marketing plan based on the analysis of the tourism market in Henan province. The new strategic marketing plan is developed in accordance with the seven ‘Ps’ and it puts forward new ideas and marketing strategy suggestions for the development of the Henan’s tourism market. Key Words: tourism market, Henan province, strategic marketing plan, seven ‘Ps

ICTs, disruptive forces and the production paradox in tourism: Present and future issues in the Visitor Attraction sector

En el marco de colaboración entre la Glasgow Caledonian University (Escocia, Reino Unido) y la Universidad de Alicante (España) y con el objetivo de dar a conocer la producción investigadora de docentes e investigadores involucrados en el convenio de colaboración entre ambas universidades, publicamos este libro como medio de difusión científica para visibilizar, compendiar y compartir las investigaciones. El valor fundamental de la obra es el carácter internacional y multidisciplinar de las investigaciones en el área de ciencias sociales y económicas, enfocadas en temáticas tan diversas como el marketing, la economía, la comunicación o la moda, entre otras.As part of the cooperation between Glasgow Caledonian University (Scotland, United Kingdom) and the University of Alicante (Spain) and in order to publicize the research production of teachers and researchers involved in the collaboration agreement between the two universities, we publish this book as a means of scientific dissemination to visualize, summarize and share research. The fundamental value of the work is international and multidisciplinary research in the area of social and economic sciences, focused on topics as diverse as marketing, economics, communication and fashion, among others

Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—The state of eTourism research

This paper reviews the published articles on eTourism in the past 20 years. Using a wide variety of sources, mainly in the tourism literature, this paper comprehensively reviews and analyzes prior studies in the context of Internet applications to Tourism. The paper also projects future developments in eTourism and demonstrates critical changes that will influence the tourism industry structure. A major contribution of this paper is its overview of the research and development efforts that have been endeavoured in the field, and the challenges that tourism researchers are, and will be, facing

ICT diffusion and the digital divide in tourism: Kazakhstan perspective

No abstract available

Regional tourist destinations - the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in collaboration amongst tourism providers

The tourism industry can be seen as one of the first business sectors where business functions are almost exclusively using information and communications technologies (ICT). This has impacted on the way in which regional tourism destinations are promoted. The method of promoting regions via the development of regional tourist destination websites or portals using Internet technologies is increasingly being adopted both in Australia and around the world. This paper investigates whether this approach is the most effective to achieve increased awareness and subsequent visitation of a region. Are there other ways to achieve a similar outcome? One such alternative is via a bottom up approach achieved through co-opetition or collaboration established within the group of local tourism industry operators. This cooperative networking is made possible via the use of ICT to facilitate the establishment of virtual business networks amongst tourism operators in a local community, cascading into an informal secondary tourism network within that region. In many Australian regional areas the tourism bureau has been the key node for local tourism, but this structure has been fraught with many problems. Little is known about their effectiveness in delivering services to local small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs). The role of tourism bureaus in local tourism networks is changing and a study of this dynamic is provided here as an example of the interaction between top down and bottom up approaches. Published case studies from around the world are considered demonstrating alternative approaches to using ICT to promote a region and communicate with potential visitors. Future empirical research is required to more fully understand the effectiveness of the different approaches