. E-Tour Operators
Leisure travellers often purchase “packages,” consisting of charter flights and
accommodation, arranged by tour operators. Tour operators tend to pre-book these
products and distribute them through brochures displayed in travel agencies. Recent times
in India, the tour operators realised the benefits of utilising communication technology in
organising, promoting, distributing and coordinating their packages.
Gradually, all major tour operators developed or acquired databases and established
electronic links with travel agencies, aiming to reduce their information handling costs and
increase the speed of information transfer and retrieval. This improved their productivity
and capacity management whilst enhancing their services to agencies and consumers. Tour
operators also utilised their CRSs for market intelligence, in order to adjust their supply to
demand fluctuations, as well as to monitor the booking progress and productivity of travel
agencies.
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Webpage of SOTC – Example for e-tour operator
Few players realise the major transformation of the marketplace, while the majority
regard communication and information technology as an exclusive facilitator of their
current operations, and as a tool to reduce their costs. However, several tour operators in
have embraced electronic brochures and developed their online strategies. The electronic
mode enables them to concentrate on offering customised packages and allows them to
update their brochures regularly.
Although a partial disintermediation seems inevitable, there will always be sufficient
market share for tour operators who can add value to the tourism product and deliver
innovative,
personalised and competitive holiday packages. However, many key players in
Indian market have started disintegrating their packages and selling individual components
directly to the consumers. In this sense they will be able to re-intermediate, by offering their
vast networks of suppliers through their channels.
Innovative tour operators use the Internet extensively to promote their products
and to attract direct customers. They also use the Internet to de-compose their packages
and sell individual products. Thomson.co.in for example has developed a comprehensive
online strategy to provide media rich information on its web site. The company supports
podcasting and video casting and also has integrated Goggle Earth geographical information
data on its website. It also distributes branded content on a wide range of Internet sites such
as youtube.com to attract consumers to its web site and to encourage them to book. It is
evident therefore that tour operators that will use technology innovatively will be able to
provide value to their clientele and safeguard their position in the marketplace.
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d. E-Travel Agencies
Information and communication technology has become a major tool for travel
agencies as they provide information and reservation facilities and support the intermediation
between consumers and principals. Travel agencies operate various reservation systems,
which mainly enable them to check availability and make reservations for tourism products.
Until recently GDSs have been critical for business travel agencies to access information
and make reservations on scheduled airlines, hotel chains, car rentals and a variety of
ancillary services. GDSs help construct complicated itineraries, while they provide upto-date schedules, prices and availability information, as well as an effective reservation
method. In addition, they offered internal management modules integrating the “back
office” (accounting, commission monitor, personnel) and “front office” (customers’ history,
itinerary construction, ticketing and communication with suppliers).
Multiple travel agencies in particular experience more benefits by achieving better
coordination and control between their remote branches and headquarters. Transactions
can provide invaluable data for financial and operational control as well as for marketing
research, which can analyze the market fluctuations and improve tactical decisions.
