E-tourism: Definition, development and conceptual framework

E-Tourism is an objective reality. Its dynamics and fast-accelerating development cause significant change to the traditional model of the classical tourism system. The creation of an e-tourism system is a logical sequence of the digitalization of all processes in the value chain of the travel and tourism industry. The purpose of the article is, based on analysis of the factors and conditions of emergence and development of e-tourism, to construct and perform a conceptual framework of an e-tourism system. Specialized sources of secondary data have been studied and conceptual basis of the theoretical framework has been defined. E-tourism is identified as a process and key characteristics of its nature have been performed. The following research methods and scientific approach have been applied: theoretical exploratory approach; systematic and chronological approach; systematic screening of academic publications; analysis and synthesis; content analysis. The result of the scientific research is construction of a conceptual (theoretical) framework of the e-tourism system, introducing basic groups (subsystems) and integrated components and identifying the specific interactions between them

Desenvolvimento do Turismo Urbano Baseado na Tecnologia da Informação

Information for tourism and transportation industries is as vital as blood for the human life. According to tourism experts, Iran ranks among ten top countries with the most touristy attractions. Iran's share from the income of international tourism markets was about 1 unit from a total of 700 units in the year 2000. A major problem on the way of tourism development is the weakness of information systems and their supporters. This has led to providing insufficient information on the attractions and capabilities and service preparation, much lower than expected level. This is while for tourism planning and dynamism exact and updated information system is needed; IT is very effective in this respect. IT can play a great role in managing, planning, and marketing for tourism development. Emphasizing IT usage in tourism, some main applications of this technology like fast, cheap, and on time informing of electronic systems for service provision such as computer reservation systems (CRSs), global distribution systems (GDSs) and Internet have been regarded in this paper.A informação para a indústria do turismo e do transporte é tão vital quanto o sangue para a vida humana. De acordo com especialistas em turismo, o Irã encontra-se entre os dez países com maior número de atrações turísticas. O Irã recebeu do mercado turístico internacional cerca de uma unidade em cada 700 unidades no ano de 2000. O maior problema para o desenvolvimento do turismo é a baixa qualidade dos sistemas de informação. Isto tem conduzido a informações insuficientes acerca das atrações e capacidades do setor. Tal situação é relevante para o planejamento turístico, sendo necessária a atualização dos sistemas de informação; a tecnologia da informação é bastante efetiva neste aspecto. A IT pode desempenhar um importante papel na administração, planejamento e propaganda para o desenvolvimento do turismo. Neste estudo é enfatizado o uso da IT no turismo e algumas das principais aplicações desta tecnologia, tais como a informação atualizada, rápida e barata através de sistemas eletrônicos como CRSs (computer reservation systems), GDSs (global distribution systems) e Internet

An Ethnorelative Framework for Information Systems Design

IT artifacts are connected to our lives in significant and complex ways. The consideration of culture in designing information systems for a global context will become increasingly important. This paper develops the concept of cultural values in relation to information, technology, and people (ITP). In an effort to facilitate a more robust analysis of culture with respect to information systems design, I develop an ethnorelative framework in which designers can begin to assess the “cultural geography” of the target audience in relation to their own. This framework has implications for the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), but it is not focused on the evaluation of user behaviors in terms of perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use, per se. Its goal is to provide a heuristic for designers to understand their own cultural values relative to users of other national cultures

Design Issues of a Distance Learning Course on Business on the Internet

The paper presents the main design issues of a distance learning course on Business on the Internet. The instructional design is based on a learner centered instructional stratedy allowing learners get opportunity to construct their own knowledge while solving real business problems and transfer their knowledge to other learners. They learn autonomously taking the responsibility for their learning and following their individual cognitive styles, interests, preferences. The learners have access to the Internet being members of a global cooperatively learning community. The learning community involves students and tutors who collectively take responsibility for the design and evaluation of the course content and the teaching methods to be applied. Both students and tutors inhabit a virtual learning environment that offers different virtual places and services: virtual university, virtual enterprise, auditoriums, workshop rooms, cafes, libraries, etc., where students from different locations can meet, interact, learn and work together, as if they were face-to-face

Price asymmetries in European airfares

This research analyses airlines' pricing decisions in response to changes in the market conditions. We estimate the effects of jet fuel price changes on European airfares at airline/route level by discriminating on the grounds of supplied capacity and markets’ competitive structure. Our results show that airlines tend to adjust fares asymmetrically following a “rocket and feather” behaviour. The asymmetric pricing is marked in periods of decreasing capacity when the increases of fuel price are passed at a higher degree than fuel cost savings. In contrast, when capacity increases the asymmetry is lowered. Moreover, we show that highly competitive markets are characterized by a lower price asymmetry compared to low competition markets. Finally, our results show that airline price asymmetry reaches its maximum when capacity is reduced and competition is low

The concept and regime of the exclusive economic zone under the law of the sea convention and in State practice

This thesis attempts to study, in a comprehensive manner, the EEZ rule in both the LOS Convention and in state practice. Its central aim is to try to establish with exactitude the scope of the rule that has been taken into international custom.In this respect, after giving in chapter one a short exposé on the prevailing rules of the law of the sea that had governed all maritime spaces before UNCLOS III, serving as a background against which a better apprehension of the LOS Convention's EEZ provisions can be attained, an analysis of the rights of both coastal states and third states in the EEZ and their corresponding duties is provided in chapters two and three respectively. It has been asserted that, although a coastal state by claiming an EEZ would only enjoy specific functional rights, viz., the fields of activities they are connected with are explicitly defined, the vagueness often found in the wording of the Convention makes the situation not clear in all respects. While such a phenomenon may widen the functional limitations placed upon the general right of freedom of the high seas, it does not seem, however, to have any bearing on the high seas quality of the principal freedom of overflight, of laying cables and pipelines, and the freedom of navigation.Chapter four is a thorough examination and analysis of state practice as evidenced in EFZ and EEZ claims against the yardstick of LOS Convention. This is followed by a last chapter determining the scope of the rule that has been picked up in the new custom relating to the EEZ. In this connection, it is asserted that state practice gives strong evidence that a general right to claim a jurisdictional maritime zone as defined in Articles 55 and 57 of the LOS Convention, viz., extending seaward up to 200 miles from the baselines, is firmly established in international customary law

CROSS-CULTURAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH: THE CASE OF EASTERN EUROPE AND THE USSR

This paper discusses the specific problems and issues involved in studying information technologies in Eastern Europe and the USSR in the more general context of cross-cultural information technology (IT) research. The results reported are based on eight years of research into international information technologies by the Mosaic Group at the University of Arizona. The problems of doing this kind of work, where field and empirical studies are often impractical, are examined. Four analytical techniques, supported by a computer-based research environment, are advanced as means to solve these problems

An institutional development policy framework for growth in the non-hydrocarbon sectors of Oman : a systems approach

Collective action involving public and private actors (e.g. public institutions, foreign and domestic investors) faces difficulties even in developed economies, let alone in economies that are still developing their institutions. Especially for the latter this lack of collective action in bringing public and private actors together in order to enhance policy making processes for viable and better policymaking performance is paramount. Oman is one such economy which, like many other economies endowed with natural resources, is trying to grow its non-hydrocarbon (non-oil-gas) sectors. Although there is a growing literature concerning the use of systems approaches in enhancing public and private sector governance there is a gap concerning the availability of such approaches in their simultaneous policymaking process; especially in developing economies and Oman in particular.Accordingly, the aim and objectives for this thesis were laid down to develop a methodological framework, based on a systems approach (viz. the viable system model-VSM) that could aid policymaking processes in Oman, respective institutional developments (ID), and ultimately growth in the non-hydrocarbon sectors. Developing in particular the kind of institutions required to foster collective action between the relevant public institution representatives (PIRs), foreign, and domestic investors.To investigate the above empirically 30 face-to-face interviews were held with foreign and domestic investors; whereas two focus groups were held with a 14 government institutional representatives. Their results are used to demonstrate the operation of the aforementioned methodological framework.This thesis is thus making an original and substantial contribution to the body of knowledge concerned with ID, collective public-private action, through the successful use of VSM. Filling thus the aforementioned gap identified in the literature, within the Omani context

Multiple Criteria Decision Support; Proceedings of an International Workshop, Helsinki, Finland, August 7-11, 1989

Multiple Criteria Decision Making has been an important and active research area for some 20 years. In the 1970's, research focused on the theory of multiple objective mathematical programming and on procedures for solving multiple objective mathematical programming problems. During the 1980's, a shift in emphasis towards multiple criteria decision support was observed. Accordingly, much research has focused on the user interface, the behavioral foundations of decision making, and on supporting the entire decision-making process from problem structuring to solution implementation. Because of the shift in research emphasis the authors decided to make "Multiple Criteria Decision Support" the theme for the International Workshop, which was held at Suomen Saeaestoepankkiopisto in Espoo, Finland. The Workshop was organized by the Helsinki School of Economics, and sponsored by the Helsinki School of Economics and IIASA, Austria. This volume provides an up-to-date coverage of the theory and practice of multiple criteria decision support. The authors trust that it will serve the research community as well as the previously published Conference Proceedings based on IIASA Workshops