Daily Deals in the Mediterranean Region: A Data Analytics Approach

Daily Deal (DD) websites have established themselves as an inventory distribution channel for hotels, yet they remain a largely underexplored topic in tourism. This paper seeks to provide insights into the nature of high-end DD websites through data analysis of individual offers’ attributes, obtained by direct observation of three main hotel-focused DD websites and one review website. The preliminary analysis of the data reveals that specialised DDs are a marketplace for quality hotels that can be considered as a semi-permanent form of a distribution channel. The outcomes challenge the currently established literature by offering a novel perspective and a more in-depth understanding of DDs and their use by the hoteliers as a marketing tool and inventory distribution channel

Rethinking digital foci-what are the real digital needs of Welsh tourism organisations?

The use of digital technologies is becoming more evident within the tourism industry, however it is characterised by different levels of usage between rural, small and medium organisations versus large, urban ones. This paper reports on findings of quantitative and qualitative research focussing on the mapping of the current digital proficiencies and future digital skills of tourismrelated organisations in Wales. The results show that whilst the highest projected digital skills gaps in 2030 relate to emerging technologies such as AI, AR and VR, more pressing digital needs relate to the use of social media and online marketing. The study identifies lack of need, time and/or budget as main reasons for lack of digital engagement and training

A business model approach towards the understanding of daily deals within Internet distribution systems

The business model approach is making a slow, but steady footprint in tourism research, and can offer a fresh perspective and a viable level-of-analysis for broader networks of internet distribution systems. Among those, the researchers have devoted limited attention to studying the daily deal providers and their position next to the online travel agencies. More importantly, the daily deal providers developed a unique business model whose characteristics, contrary to early predictions, enabled them to proliferate post-recession and maintain their position. The current study uses the business model approach to observe the original dimensions and business model elements, to identify distinct characteristics of generic and niche daily deal providers, and to benchmark them against the established online travel agencies. The business model approach enhances the understanding of the overlooked niche daily-deal providers in internet distribution systems. Further, the paper provides a comparison of the distinct business model characteristics in internet distribution systems to help facilitate the formulation of a unique value proposition for each of them. Ultimately, the authors acknowledge limited possibilities for cooperation between the providers and discuss substantive directions of daily deal and internet distribution systems business model transformations of the future