Tourism ConceptTourism and travel are two terms that are used by
separately or in unison to describe three concepts: - a sector of
the economy or an industry - the movement of people - a broad
system of interacting relationships of people, their need to travel
outside their communities and services that attempt to respond to
these needs by supplying products (Page Conell 2006). Accordingly,
within the published literature on tourism, the terms tourism and
travel are often intertwined and used in different contexts to mean
similar things. To make the distinction between these terms clear
one can say that all tourism involves some type of travel, but not
all travel involves tourism (Page, Conell 2006). When defining
tourism, researchers often talk about a technical definition of
tourism and a more abstract conceptualization of tourism. The
concept of tourism refers to the broad framework that identifies
tourisms unique characteristics and distinguishes it from similar
phenomenon. According to Page and Conell (2006) a researchers
interpretation of the concept tourism is often influenced by their
social science perspective (e.g. geographical, economical,
sociological or political approach). What services provided to
tourists have in common is that almost all have to be delivered at
the time and place where they are produced (Urry 2002). Therefore
the social interaction between the tourist and the tourism service
provider such as the waiter or tour guide etc is a part of the
product being purchased. The quality of this social interaction
affects the experience of the service. If the interaction is
unsatisfactory then what is purchased is in fact a different
service product than expected (Urry 2002).Concepts Of Tourism Some
common concepts of tourism are as follows: 1. Tourism as a social
system Although tourism is an individual human experience, it is
usually shared with other people. A tourist is a person from other
culture. S/he does not belong to visiting society. They come in
contact with local people and social institutions. The
socialization process may be short, informal to intense
interpersonal interaction. Friendship may be formed or conflicts
may be created. This approach tries to study tourism from social
perspectives. 2. Tourism as geographical phenomena Tourism is
studied as a relation between two places, origin to destination in
this concept of tourism. Travel from the origin to a destination is
an inherent and distinctive characteristics of tourism. For
participation in tourism, a person must travel certain distance
from normal place of residence. Tourism management is to link two
places. 3. Tourism as a resource Many communities, local
governments and even central government prefer to define tourism as
a resource. The most common saying is that ' a tourist brings
money'. Their tourism management is related to revenue management.
Local bodies and communities are interested in adding tourism into
their system, because of its potentiality to bring money from other
regions with minimal effort and environmental impact. Tourism can
also be a positive force for the preservation of local sites,
traditional skill and cultural activities. 4. Tourism as a business
This is the most popular approach among the businessmen and to the
people who work in the tourism industry. Under this, tourism is
related to business. This approach assumes that tourism is related
to improve business efficiency, marketing and improving manpower.
5. Tourism as an industry This approach of tourism believes that
tourism is not just several businesses but is an industry. It is a
group of several related businesses: transportation,accommodation,
food service, attractions and events and many retail
activities.
Tourism - DefinitionTourism is a collection of activities,
services and industries that delivers a travel experience,
including transportation, accommodations, eating and drinking
establishments, retail shops, entertainment businesses, activity
facilities and other hospitality services provided for individuals
or groups traveling away from home. The World Tourism Organization
(WTO) claims that tourism is currently the worlds largest industry
with annual revenues of over $3 trillion dollars. Tourism provides
over six million jobs in the United States, making it the country's
largest employer.Definition of TourismMathieson and Wall (1982)
created a good working definition oftourismas "the temporary
movement of people to destinations outside their normal places of
work and residence, the activities undertaken during their stay in
those destinations, and the facilities created to cater to their
needs."According to Macintosh and Goeldner (1986)tourismis "the sum
of the phenomena and relationships arising from the interaction of
tourists, business suppliers, host governments and host communities
in the process of attracting and hosting these tourists and other
visitors.""Tourism is a collection of activities, services and
industries which deliver a travel experience comprising
transportation, accommodation, eating and drinking establishments,
retail shops, entertainment businesses and othe hospitality
services provided for individuals or groups traveling away from
home"
"The sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from the
interaction of tourists, business suppliers, host goverments and
host communities in the process of attracting and hostin these
tourists and other visitors"UNWTO Definition of TourismIn order to
prevent the disaccords to define"Tourism",UNWTO defined it as
indicated below;"Tourism comprises the activities of persons
traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment
for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and
other purposes."TOURISM DEFINED: "T - totality of duly organized
service systems required by tourists, with O - objective to
experience and enjoy, the U - uniqueness of an undisturbed
environment, in a R - resting place complimented with activities,
where I - income is generated from infrastructure, and S -
sustained services rendered by persons, M -motivated to nurture and
preserve the natural resources, in order to pamper people of today
and the future". To read further and learn more please visit this
link:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141203080204-109977700-what-is-exactly-the-meaning-of-tourism?trk=pulse-det-nav_artEssential
Requirements for TourismA. Time, as the hours for leisure increase
so does the opportunity for travel. Changes in work days or hours,
school calendars will affect how and when people can travel. The
overall travel pattern has moved from a two week vacation to 6-8
three or four day mini-vacations per year.B. Money, the majority of
travel requiresdiscretionary income.Discretionary income is money
left over after all monetary obligations (food, rent and taxes)
have been paid.C. Mobility, is the access to transportation (car,
bus, plane, train or ship) and the hours required to get to their
destination.D. Motivation, is the reason people travel. Motivations
may include seeking novelty, education, meet new people, adventure
or stress reduction.
Dimensions of TourismAll tourism activities are related to one
or more of the following dimensions of tourism.Attractions: Are the
primary motivation for traveling. They may be aprimary
destinationsuch as Disney World orsecondary destinationwhich are
interesting places to visit on the way to your primary destination.
Most tourist traveling from the east to go to Las Vegas will
stopover at the Grand Canyon national Park on the way. Attractions
usually focus on natural resources, culture, ethnicity or
entertainment.Natural Resources: Natural resources are the
combination of physical features (Yosemite National Park,
California), the climate (Vail, Colorado), and the natural beauty
of the area (Acadia National Park, Maine). The challenge to
managing natural resources based tourism is to preserve the natural
resource from the impact of the tourist's.
Culture: A way of life which is observed through a peoples
religion, history, government and traditions.
Ethnicity: To visit family and friends.
Entertainment: Tourism developments of all sizes from Disney
World, Universal Studios, Las Vegas to local community Special
Events and Festivals such as the Bloomsday Road Race in Spokane,
Washington.
X-treme Tourism: Tourism based on high adventure activities
(SeeWhirlwind Tourism)
Facilities: When tourists arrive at attractions they require
facilities to provide services.Lodging: Represent a variety of
services from campgrounds, RV parks, motels and five star
resorts.
Food & Beverage: Not only provide basic sustenance for
tourists but an important factor in the overall tourism
experience.
Support Services: Usually are represented by small retail
businesses providing souvenirs and personal services. Shopping is
an integral part of the travel experience. Tourists seek unique and
novel items which represent the area and cultures they visit.
Infrastructure: The basic services on which all tourism depends.
These systems include water and sewer systems, communication
networks, medical facilities, electricity, police and fire
protection and roads.
TransportationTime and Money: This is the critical component to
tourism, the ability to get from Point A to Point B and back, or to
Point C, D, E.... The variables of Time, how long it takes to get
to a specific destination, and Money, how much it costs to get to
your destination. Tourism developments are dependent on the ease of
access and types of transportation available.
HospitalityHospitality: The community's attitude which permeates
every tourism location that makes the tourist feel welcome and
safe. It is the result of the interaction between the tourist and
the local population.Importance of Tourism National Economy: It
directly helps in developing the economy of the country as the
tourists spend money while staying, coming and visiting a country.
National Integration:It helps in development of peace, oneness and
unity among the people of a nation. Environmental Awareness: People
become aware on environmental neatness, protection and peace in
order to develop tourism. Employment OpportunitiesTourism industry
is also one of the influential sectors. It generates employment
opportunities. It provides employment to unskilled, semi-skilled
and skilled manpower. Guide, load man etc are the personal or
labour required in Tourism industry. Sources of public as well as
private incomeTourism is the source of income for both public also
well as private sector government charges tax, sales tax, service
tax etc. which is known as government revenue is the income of
public. And handicraft, arts etc are the things that attract
tourist and most of them buy them and the seller makers some profit
which is called private income. Cultural ExchangeTourism facilities
cultural exchange tourist carry over various cultural concepts of
other countries where they visit. Local people can learn their
language, art, skill, culture etc and vice versa. Publicity of
nationTourism helps to publicize the country in different parts in
the world. It helps to publicize art, skills tradition, cultural
beauty and hospitality of a country to the world.
Type of Tourist:Excurionist: Persons traveling for pleasure in a
period less than 24 hours (Macintosh and Goeldner, 1986).Foreign
Tourist: Any person visiting a country, other than that in which
he/she usually resides, for a period of at least 24 hours
(Committee of Statistical Experts of the League of Nations,
1937).Travel: The act of moving outside one's home community for
business or pleasure but not for commuting or traveling to or from
school (Macintosh and Goeldner, 1986).Visitor: Any person visiting
a country other than that in which he/she has his/her usual place
of residence, for any reason other than following an occupation
remunerated from within the country visited (United Nations
Conference on International Travel and Tourism, 1963).
Important Types of Tourism1. Domestic Tourism:It is also known
as internal as well as national tourism. However, in ancient India,
it as known as Deshatan. As in earlier period of human civilisation
the people were free to move any place without prior information,
restrictions and other formalities.Obviously, the modes of travel
were different as compared to todays. Generally, Domestic tourism
means the movement of people outside their normal domicile to other
areas within the boundaries of the nation.In fact, they find it
easy to do so because there was neither currency nor language or
document problems. Domestic Tourism does not involve any balance of
payment implications; however it may be a substitute for
international tourism and therefore results in saving of foreign
currency.Thus, a domestic tourist may be defined as a person who
travels within the boundaries of his/her country to a destination
other than his/her usual residence and stays at commercial
accommodations, with relatives, friends, and uses sightseeing or
enjoyment facilities for a duration of not less than 24 hours or
one night and not more than 6 months at a time, and the purpose
lies within pilgrimage, pleasure, business, health and study etc.2.
International Tourism:Today, tourism has been recognised as an
industry worldwide. Every nation irrespective of its size and
structure is inclined to develop international tourism. As it have
multifarious advantages to the national economy in terms of foreign
exchange earnings, balance of payments international understanding
and intra-regional and inter-regional development.International
Tourism involves the movement of people among different countries
in the world. In other words, when people travel to a nation other
than their own country in which they normally live and which has
its separate identity in terms of political, economic and social
set up.International movement of people requires various types of
legal and financial formalities to be met before departing from
his/her country. In international tourism, the country of origin
(tourist generating country) and the country of destination
(tourist receiving or the host country) are different.Practically,
international tourism has two types i.e. Inbound tourism and
Outbound tourism. Inbound Tourism means when the foreign tourists
are received by a country. This type of tourism has direct impact
on the economy of host country, in terms of employment generation,
foreign exchange earnings, balance of payments, destination
development and infrastructure development.Outbound tourism may be
defined as when the people of a country visit the other countries
for various purposes such as, leisure, business, education,
pilgrimage, political conferences and conventions etc. In fact,
inbound international tourism brings travel receipts while outbound
tourism implies travel cost.3. Intra-Regional and Inter-Regional
Tourism:Practically, international tourism is known as
intra-regional tourism, because the tourist traffic flows to and
from countries within the same region of the globe, forms an
important component of international tourism.It is relatively more
significant in developed regions (Europe, America) as compared to
developing region (Africa, South Asia). However, the significance
of intra-regional tourism is likely to vary between different
regions and from one country to another.Both inter-regional and
intra-regional tourism increases the seasonality of regions and the
development process within the regions. It has direct impact on the
development of social, political and economic environment in the
less developed regions.Furthermore, inter-regional tourism
concentrates on integrated development and equitable distribution
of income.Domestic and International Tourism the two aspects of
tourism coined on geographical and other bases like citizenship,
travel documents and currency involved certainly have much in
common and so may be considered essentially the same activity
having the same sphere.But, in depth, there is something more
important that distinguishes Domestic tourism from International
Tourism. The difference is reflected in the magnitude and intensity
of the impact on the economy, the socio-cultural values, and the
environmental equations in the country of destination.4. Mass
Tourism:Mass tourism is the product of 20th century for developing
countries. The concept of mass Tourism emerged with the
introduction of paid holidays, development of transportation,
communication and information technology.Mass tourism is primarily
a quantitative notion and refers to participation of very large
numbers of people in tourism activities. It is an agent of profound
economic and cultural changes.And, economies of tourism industry
have played an important part in the emergence of Mass Tourism.
Technically, growth of mass tourism has been facilitated by travel
revolution and by the growth of international understanding and
relations among nations.However, mass tourism adversely affects the
image of the tourist destination, as in some cases, carrying
capacity of the destination may ill-afford mass tourism.5. Outbound
TourismOutbound tourism is what you may be most familiar with. It
involves the people going from British Columbia to other provinces,
territories or countries. For example, going to Hawaii for a
holiday is considered outbound tourism.6. Inbound TourismThe
tourists coming to BC from other places are called inbound
tourists. BC competes in a global market to attract tourists from
the United States, Japan, Germany and many other countries. The
industry also implements marketing campaigns aimed at attracting
travellers from other parts of Canada, as well as from within
British Columbia.
The different forms of tourists in tourism industryHow will you
define a tourist? Tourist can be defined as a person, who makes a
tour away from home for leisure, business or other purposes for
more than one day but less than a year. Based on their various
needs and reasons for traveling, tourists are classified in the
following categories:Forms of Tourism in IndiaAll types of tourism
in India have registered phenomenal growth in the last decade ever
since the Indian government decided to boost revenues from the
tourism sector by projecting India as the ultimate tourist spot.
The reason why India has been doing well in all types of tourism in
India is that India has always been known for its hospitality,
uniqueness, and charm attributes that have been attracting foreign
travelers to India in hordes. The Indian government, in order to
boost tourism of various kinds in India, has set up the Ministry of
Tourism and Culture. This ministry recently launched a campaign
called Incredible India! in order to encourage different types of
tourism in India.The result was that in 2004, foreign tourists
spent around US$ 15.4 billion during their trips to India. Being a
country with tremendous diversity, India has a lot to offer in
terms of tourism and related activities. The diversity that India
is famous for, ensures that there is something to do for all
tourists in India, no matter what their interests.Incentive
tourists:Incentives tourists are those few lucky individuals, who
get a holiday package as a reward from his company, for good work
or achieving targets, set by the company. Incentive tourists draw
inspiration from such tours to work harder, improve work relations
and focus on team bonding. A salesman who is awarded with a nice
holiday package for accomplishing the target sales is a perfect
example of incentive tourist.Health or medical tourist:Those who
seek special medical treatment, which is only possible away from
home, make trips to other places and are called Health or medical
tourist. Some of these tourists avail medical assistance in other
countries, for they may be expensive in their own country. Many
health or medical tourists also make trips simply to stay for few
days in healthier climate. Hoards of medical tourist fly to South
Africa from oversee countries to undergo plastic surgery.Tourists
from all over the world have been thronging India to avail
themselves of cost-effective but superior quality healthcare in
terms of surgical procedures and general medical attention. There
are several medical institutes in the country that cater to foreign
patients and impart top-quality healthcare at a fraction of what it
would have cost in developed nations such as USA and UK. It is
expected that medical tourism in India will hold a value around US$
2 billion by 2012. The city of Chennai attracts around 45% of
medical tourists from foreign countries.Business tourist:Tourist
traveling with relation to business is known as business tourist.
Business tourism is part of the business world. Most of the cities
feature conference centers that cater to the needs of business
tourists. A proper example of a business tourist is a salesman, who
makes trips to different places to attend trade shows, to display
and promote his own products also.Education tourists:Tourists
traveling to a particular place in another town, city or country
for further study in order to improve his or her educational
qualification are termed as education tourist. There are also group
of people, who travel to attend workshops to upgrade skills. A
clinic nurse, who makes trip to another province to attend a
particular workshop, qualifying individual about infectious
diseases is an example of an educational tourist.Adventure
tourists:Adventure tourists look for some unusual or bizarre
experience. They seek adventurous activities that may be dangerous,
such as rock climbing, river rafting, skydiving, shark cave diving
and bungee jumping.As a kind of tourism in India, adventure tourism
has recently grown in India. This involves exploration of remote
areas and exotic locales and engaging in various activities. For
adventure tourism in India, tourists prefer to go for trekking to
places like Ladakh, Sikkim, and Himalaya. Himachal Pradesh and
Jammu and Kashmir are popular for the skiing facilities they offer.
Whitewater rafting is also catching on in India and tourists flock
to places such as Uttranchal, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh for this
adrenalin-packed activity.Cultural tourist:These types of tourists
travel to experience the essence of assorted cultures, such as San
rock art, or cultural festivals such as the National Art Festival
in Grahams town, or the International Jazz Festival in Cape Town.
Cultural tourists also prefer to witness the World Heritage Sites
of the traveled country.India is known for its rich cultural
heritage and an element of mysticism, which is why tourists come to
India to experience it for themselves. The various fairs and
festivals that tourists can visit in India are the Pushkar fair,
Taj Mahotsav, and Suraj Kund mela.The types of tourism in India
have grown and this has boosted the Indian economy. That it
continues to grow efforts must be taken by the Indian government,
so that the tourism sector can contribute more substantially to the
nations GDP.
Eco-tourists:Nature loving tourists, who love to go green like
traveling to Bonita Gardens in Bloemfontein South Africa or similar
destinations are called eco-tourists. They travel throughout the
world in search of destinations not affected by pollution or much
human intervention.Among the types of tourism in India, ecotourism
have grown recently. Ecotourism entails the sustainable
preservation of a naturally endowed area or region. This is
becoming more and more significant for the ecological development
of all regions that have tourist value. For ecotourism in India,
tourists can go to places such as Kaziranga National Park, Gir
National Park, and Kanha National Park.Leisure tourist:These
tourists want to rejuvenate and revitalize with comfort, while
enjoying a break from mundane routine of life. Examples of this
type of tourism are cruising while vacationing or simple relaxing
on a beach.Religious tourist:Religious tourist travel to sites of
religious significance. World is dotted with a number of religious
locations like Hajj in Mecca, Jerusalem in Israel, Varanasi in
India, and the Vatican in Rome. During Easter, a huge
conglomeration of Christian pilgrimage takes place in Zion
City.India is famous for its temples and that is the reason that
among the different kinds of tourism in India, pilgrimage tourism
is increasing most rapidly. The various places for tourists to
visit in India for pilgrimage are Vaishno Devi, Golden temple, Char
Dham, and Mathura Vrindavan.Sport and recreation tourist:These
sorts of tourists either take active part in or just watch sports
events. Some of such popular sport events are the Soccer World Cup,
Wimbledon Tennis Championship, Comrades Marathon, and Fisher River
Canoe Marathon.Backpacking or youth tourist:This group of tourist
is of young age and they travel with minimum luggage and on a
limited budget. But they are very passionate and love excitements
and adventures, while traveling. They generally have no specific
travel schedules and tend to travel independently.Special Interest
Tourist (STI):They nurture particular passion in different things
like bird watching, nature, fishing during the Sardine Run, food
and wine or attending the Cape Town Book Fair.
Wildlife tourismIndia has a rich forest cover which has some
beautiful and exotic species of wildlife some of which that are
even endangered and very rare. This has boosted wildlife tourism in
India. The places where a foreign tourist can go for wildlife
tourism in India are the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary, Keoladeo Ghana
National Park, and Corbett National Park.
Senior Tourism:According to most publications,senior citizen
touristis a retired person over the age of 60 years oldwho are
still active and have money and time to travel. Western population
is getting older and older, so that the importance of these seniors
is growing and is a booming market. Therefore, the tourist industry
focuses on these travellers for their winter campaigns, when sun
and beach tourism is over. Other authors, such as Chris Ryan
(1995), consider senior citizens from the age of 55 years old,when
some people are pre-retired. But most of these people do not
consider themselves as senior or elderlyuntil their 70thbirthday
rolls around. Senior citizens are active in many ways and stay busy
most of their time. They travel in more ways than previous
generations.
Ethnic Tourism Ethnic tourism is "travel motivated by search for
the first hand, authentic and sometimes intimate contact with
people whose ethnic and /or cultural background is different from
the tourists". Ethnic tourists are driven by the desire to see
something different where curiosity is the ultimate factor. The
travelers choose to experience first hand the practices of another
culture, and may involve performances, presentations and
attractions portraying or presented by indigenous communities. In a
broader perspective, it includes cultural, heritage,
anthropological, tribal, village and similar forms of tourism.
Ethnic tourism, if properly planned and managed, can be promoted as
sustainable form of tourism and can be utilized as a tool for the
preservation and conservation of culture and heritage as well as
poverty alleviation. India, rich with its cultural diversity, grand
heritage and inimitable history, is a world famous cultural tourism
destination. The focal point of India's attractiveness as a
destination is it's diverse ethnicity.Ethnic tourism is when
travellers choose to experience first hand the practices of another
culture, and may involve performances, presentations and
attractions portraying or presented by small, often isolated
Indigenous communities. Examples of communities that attract
tourists for this reason include the Amish communities of the
United States, the First Nation societies of Canada and North
America, the Maori of New Zealand, Australias Aboriginal
communities, the Bushmen of South Africa and the Ibo tribes of
Indonesia. VFR TourismVFR is an abbreviation for visiting friends
and relatives. The purpose behind travelling is to meet friends and
relatives. Beside this base activity, the tourist can also enjoy
the other tourism facilities of the area visited.In India, this
form of tourism is areal booster for domestic tourism as a large
segment of society travels every day for the sake of visiting
friends and relatives.This form of tourism is of high importance
when it comes to transportation but on the other hand accommodation
sector is not benefited with this activity as a person travelling
for VFR enjoys the staying facility to the respective friends and
relatives. But the other recreational activities may be performed
by the tourist that offers him/her range of tourist attraction in
the city/place.Tourist DestinationA tourist destination is
basically a travel destination that attracts large numbers of
travelers, or tourists. Travelers may visit these destinations to
see historical sites, natural wonders, or buildings. Some tourist
attractions also have activities, such as rides or games, or
unusual novelties. Souvenirs are often sold at these destinations,
and many of these areas rely on the income generated by the
travelers that visit.Tourist destinations can be defined by their
geographical location, scope for tourism activity and different
characteristics of their sites.
Tourist Destination
Tourist DestinationNatural Interest AreaWildlife
SurroundingHeritage Culture AreasAdventure SportsMountain and
HillsBeachesWildlife SanctuariesNational ParksPilgrim CentresArt
GalleriesMountain Trekking AreaSea- Side ResortsSnow SportingWater
SportsPara Gliding AreaRiver Side Resorts
Tourism and travel-related servicesTourism and travel-related
services includes services provided by hotels and restaurants
(including catering), travel agencies and tour operator services,
tourist guide services and other related services.One of the most
crucial aspects of international tourism is the cross-border
movement of consumers. This permits even unskilled workers in
remote areas to become services exporters for instance, by selling
craft items, performing in cultural shows, or working in a tourism
lodge.
General tourism Trends
Current developments and forecasts International tourist
arrivals grew by 5% in 2013 to 1.087 billion In 2013, international
tourism generated US$ 1.4 trillion in export earnings UNWTO
forecasts a growth in international tourist arrivals of between 4%
and 4.5% in 2014
International tourism in 2013 - key trends and outlook
International tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) grew by 5%
worldwide in 2013, reaching a record 1087 million arrivals, after
topping the 1 billion mark in 2012. Asia and the Pacific recorded
the strongest growth with a 6% increase in arrivals, followed by
Europe and Africa (both +5%). In the Americas, international
arrivals grew by 3%, while in the Middle East they were flat.
International tourism receipts reached US$ 1159 billion worldwide
in 2013, up from US$ 1078 billion in 2012. With a 5% increase in
real terms, the growth in international tourism receipts equalled
the growth in arrivals. China has consolidated its position as the
number one tourism source market in the world, spending US$ 129
billion on international tourism. Forecasts prepared by UNWTO in
January 2014 point to growth of 4% to 4.5% in international tourist
arrivals in 2014 above The Tourism Towards 2030 long-term forecast
of 3.3% a year. By UNWTO region, prospects for 2014 are strongest
for Asia and the Pacific (5% to 6%), followed by Africa (4% to
6%).
E Commerce and Online Communication in TourismOnline Tourism has
been defined as a new form of travel product distribution where a
supplier/service provider offers products/services mainly through
the medium of Internet to a group of customers, irrespective of
their physical location (Singh 2003). Online tourism equips a
tourist, tour operator or travel agent for convenient exchanges
using electronic medium. User groups globally are finding online
technologies supportive indecision making for availing tourism
products and services. Even in its introductory stage, Tourism
Industry has largely been benefited by online tourism in certain
countries. The domain of onlinetourism has gained significant
strength withthe arrival of internet. Ina short span of time,
Internet has proved its worth successfully in taping tourism
opportunities utilizing modern communication technology. It has led
to electronic marketing popularly known as e-marketing or internet
marketing. Online tourism is one such natural outcome of online
marketing that boomed in last two decades. The concept has gained
much attention among modern business organizations. Savvy
organizations are observing their every move while marketing
services to their customers and are combining traditional business
acumen with new technology for forging stronger ties with
customers. These organizations have started using online marketing
tactics for five main reasons that can be expressed with 5Ss viz.
sell, serve, speak, save and sizzle (Smith and Chaffey 2001). These
5Ss equip tourism organizations in increasing sales, adding value,
getting closer to customers by creating a dialogue, saving costs,
and extending the brand respectively. It has been found that a
strong network of online technologies helps in developing an
environment of spontaneity and convenience. Customized websites,
value-added services, focused marketing, easy-to-use self-service
tools, and sophisticated contact-center solutions attempt to
provide higher user-awareness, accessibility and autonomy. This
further provides several ways to build loyalty. Companies that
develop a well-conceived strategy for boosting customer loyalty
through technological advancements can achieve8impressive outputs
resulting primarily in reduced customer turnover,
cultivated(high-margin) customers, and long-term relationships all
set to benefit the bottom line(Samuel 2003). In addition, internet
marketing also embraces information management, public relations,
customer service, and sales under the broader umbrella of
e-commerce. Online Tourism has caused several changes in the
tourism industry out of which the main impact has been on the
interrelation between service providers and traditional
intermediaries (Antoioli & Baggio, 2002). It has offered
Tourists, across the globe, a tool to express their needs, to seek
details on destinations, facilities, availabilities, prices,
geography, and climate information for diverse tourism products and
services. More over, it has given an upper hand to travel agents
while looking for information or details about tourists, market
trends, service providers, destinations, facilities,
availabilities, prices, tour packages and also in maintaining
direct contacts with their partners. With its virtue, it has become
increasingly convenient for tourism offices to search for industry
trends, size and nature of tourism flows, policies, and plans for
the developmental concerns. Unarguably, online tourism has
successfully emerged as a platform that enables direct bookings,
electronic payments, Business to Business (B2B) and Business to
Consumer(B2C) trading among product marketers, travel agents,
resellers and customers. Internet and related developments have
been quite instrumental in growth of online tourism and online
economy. For securing better propositions, emerging technology has
always given big leaps to tech savvy organizations from time to
time. Its contribution in Computerized Reservation System (CRS) of
70s, Global Distribution Systems (GDS) of the 80s and the most
flexible internet and intranet based systems of the present days is
highly significant (E Business Watch March 2005).Internet enabled
portals launchedby various government as well as private
organizations have offered a wide range of tourism products and
services, viz. airlines, hotels, restaurants, adventure tours,
activity centres, concerts, festivities, shopping and many more
assortments of services. More advanced technologies and
developments, e.g., Interactive Digital Television(IDTV), Mobile
Networks and Intranets have helped modernorganisations in carving
new interfaces on consumer services in tourism industry. With the
increasing popularity ofGPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and
GIS (Geographic Information Systems), the efficiency and
effectiveness of tourism processes has significantly increased.
With these9capabilities, tourism is going to incorporate advancer
dimensions such as M-commerce(Mobile commerce stands for electronic
commerce made through mobile devices) and L-commerce
(Location-commerce is the practice of using technologies which
provide location information such as GPS for business purposes).
The diffusion of these technological advancements has, however, not
been similar geographically or nationally.