rls263 6. technology

information technology (IT)

The collective term given to the most recent developments in the mode (electronic) and the mechanisms (computers and communications technologies)

• used for the acquisition, processing, analysis, storage, retrieval, dissemination and application of information.

information and communications technology (ICT)

refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunication. It is similar to IT but focuses primarily on communication technologies.

• includes the internet, wireless networks, cell phones and other communication mediums.

the 4 C’s of social media and tourism

• communication

• cooperation

• collaboration

• connection

communication

multimedia-enabled conversations in various formats and timing (e.g. many-to- many, one-to-many, simultaneously or asynchronous)

cooperation

sharing of content in a structured (e.g. by collaboration of using tags) or unstructured way. (no shared goal)

collaboration

individuals working with others to solve a specific problem (has common goal)

connection

making decisions with and between both content and other people (with travellers, travel agencies, other tour guides, anyone related to the tours)

what do travellers act as?

co-marketers, co-designers, co-producers, co-consumers

ICT in tour management and value chains

they provide tourism firms with the capability to digitize the operation of their value chain (Figure 6.3- page 122) in order to increase their performance by automating, increasing information flows by migrating value chain operations to Internet platforms by adopting e-business applications (aka they provide good, fast and digitalized formats for organizations and travel agencies so they can sell and compete with other companies)

e-tourism

integration of ICT into the entire tourism value chain

roles of e-tourism

• Migration of operations to Internet platforms → e-commerce, e-marketing, e-procurement, e-learning, e-recruiting

• Creates virtual firms through interoperable standards and global networks.

important factors of e-tourism

• customization and personalization

• real time management and flexibility

• customer participation

• collaboration

• global sourcing and partnerships

customization and personalization factor of e-tourism

services are adapted to individual tourist needs; creating things based on WHO your customers are i.e., language, design, etc.

real time management and flexibility factor of e-tourism

rapid response to market trends and competitive pressures. Being able to manage sudden changes and adjustments in order to compete with other companies and stay at the top

customer participation factor of e-tourism

tourists as co-designers, co-producers, and co-marketers. If you provide a good digitalization for travel in your travel agency, you can give a good interaction with tourists and can work with them as co-designers or co-producers

collaboration factor of e-tourism

inter-firm networks and supply chain integration. Using etech makes it easy to collab with other companies and services

global sourcing and partnerships factor of e-tourism

access to broader markets and suppliers (going international!)

future technology developments in tourism

Coping with change by being able to react to changes and also able to create them has always been the critical success factor of any tourism actor, namely tourism operators, destinations, workers and researchers, but also tourists.