ICTs provide innovative strategic tools for tourism organisations and destinations
to improve both their operations and positioning. Hence, the visibility and competitiveness
of principals and destinations in the marketplace will increasingly be a function of the
technologies and networks utilised to interact with individual and institutional customers.
Unless the current tourism sector utilises the emergent ICTs, and develops a multi-channel
and multi-platform strategy they will be unable to take full advantage of the emerging
opportunities (Buhalis & Licata, 2002). It is safe to assume that only creative and innovative
principals and destinations which apply continues innovation in using intelligent e-tourism
applications and adopt their processes accordingly will be able to achieve sustainable
competitive advantages in the future (Buhalis & Jun, 2011).
Conclusion
This lesson revolves around the significance of ICT and its usefulness to the tourism
industry. The role of information and communication technology has gaining its importance
in tourism industry at a rapid pace in the recent times. Electronic tourism signifies the
paradigm-shift practised in the tourism industry due to the adoption of Information and
Communication technology and the electronic media. There has been lots of changes in the
way tourism products and services were offered and the apart from operational changes.
The fundamental process of interaction and interface between the consumer and service
providers and evolved and become customer friendly. Planning and consuming travel and
tourism related service variable have become very easy as the information technology has
paved way for creation of multiple channels that can help customer to accomplish task
in less with very less effort. The information technology has brought in numerous other
players apart from traditional players. One of the most important changes brought in by
ICT is the empowerment of tourism customer. The current electronic tourism structure
allows the customers to have lots of information and does not have to rely on the any of
the tourism players. On the whole the emergence of Information and Communication
Technologies has brought transparency in the tourism system, and made the system rapid
and customer centric. But, it is also important that the players need to understand that the
challenges and threats are going to be higher as the technology grows. The tourism players
46
need to be proactive in understand the rapid and changes and also be willing to the newer
technologies to ensure survival and gain competitive advantage. The ICT based tourism
has challenges and opportunities to operate with so, the success of the services completely
rests on the ability of the players to strategically tackle the challenges and capitalise on the
opportunities offered by the modern industry.
Self Assessment Questions
1
. Explain the adoption of ICT and its significance to Indian tourism industry.
2. What are the IT initiatives of Indian Ministry of Tourism?
3. How does the ICT impact on the structure of Indian Tourism?
4. Compare the traditional tourism structure with e-tourism industry structure.
5. How does internet impact on the tourism service providers?
6. Discuss in detail the strategic, tactical and operational usage of ICT on tourism
industry on tourism.
7. Elucidate the Buhali’s Multi-Dimensional strategic framework.
8. Validate the role of ICT in the Tourism Value chain.
9. List down the intermediaries of e-tourism?
10. Discuss the imperatives of successful e-tourism System.
11. Explain various concepts of electronic tourism.
12. What is the relevance of e-tourism in India?
13. Who are the players involved in e-tourism? List down their key activities.
14. Explain the historical development of electronic tourism.
15. Write short note on GDS and CRS.
16. How does electronic technology support data processing and communication for
tourism?
17. List down some of the online travel agencies and the services offered by them in
India.
