ETourism

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The correct title of this article is eTourism. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.

eTourism is defined as the use of information telecommunication technology (ICTs) in the tourism industry. This include all intranet, extranet and internet applications as well as all the strategic management and marketing issues related to the use of technology.

Dimitrios Buhalis (2003) in his eTourism book [1] concluded that ICTs include the entire range of electronic tools, which facilitate the operational and strategic management of organisations by enabling them to manage their information, functions and processes as well as to communicate interactively with their stakeholders for achieving their mission and objectives. Thus, ICTs emerge as an integrated system of networked equipment and software, which enables effective data processing and communication for organisational benefit towards transforming organisations to eBusinesses.

ICTs and the Internet enabled tourism organisations to develop their processes and adapt their management to take advantage of the emerging digital tools and mechanisms to:

Increase their internal efficiency and manage their capacity and yields better. For example an airline’s reservations system allows the company to manage their inventory more efficiently and the managers to increase occupancy levels. They also incorporate sophisticated yield management systems that support organisations to adjust their pricing to demand fluctuations in order to maximise their profitability.

interact effectively with consumers and personalise the product. For example, British Airways has launched a strategy to enable passengers to undertake a number of processes, including booking, ticketing, check-in and seat and meal selection, from the convenience of their computer.

Revolutionise tourism intermediation and increase the points of sale. For example, Expedia , Lastminute.com, Orbitz and Opodo have emerged as the most dominant electronic travel agencies, offering an one-stop-shop for consumers.

Empower consumers to communicate with other consumers. For example www.virtualtourists.com or www.igoyougo.com supports the exchange of destination information and tips, whilst www.untied.com or www.alitaliasacks.com enable dissatisfied customers to make their views available.

Support efficient cooperation between partners in the value system. For example Pegasus enables independent hotels to distribute their availability through their web sites and other partners online.