Many unexpected challenges not only for tourism businesses but also for travellers emerged when current shifts in economic, technological, social, and political factors led to a sudden and quick growth of e-intermediaries. Although it was anticipated that the Internet would open new opportunities in the tourism industry, especially as regards more choices and a closer cooperation between consumers and suppliers, this, in fact, is not the case. The appearance of e-intermediaries, but mainly their consolidation and strengthening have led to a series of major rearrangements in the tourist sector. Online distribution channels have changed the existing traditional marketing structures of tourism (e.g. travel agencies and tour operators) but have also had a catalytic effect on the composition of the hospitality sector (e.g. hotels and Airbnb rentals). It is essential for tourism professionals to be aware of new opportunities and threats within tourism distribution channels so that they will be able to remain competitive and successful. This paper examines the hoteliers’ opinions on recent changes in tourism distribution in the digital era.

The increasing international competition in the touristic sector as well as the particular conditions in the trade of touristic services have made it impelling for hotel enterprises, among other things, to focus on extroversion and on the mechanisms that are linked with the market, highlighting the catalytic role of tourism marketing channels. The decisions of marketing managers regarding the formulation of Multichannel Marketing Mixes acquire vital significance in the contemporary enterprising environment, since they are determinately conducive to hotels enterprises' succeeding or failing ventures. The quality of the marketing managers' decisions is interlinked with providing them with the appropriate information regarding the effectiveness of the diverse resources and procedures used. In the current paper, through in depth personal interviews with sales and marketing decision makers an exploration is attempted of the factors as well as the criteria for the evaluation of the performance of channels used by 5* hotels in Attica (Greece) in order to reach decisions in reference to the formation of Multichannel Marketing Mixes. As a result, delimitation is obtained of an initial framework of financial and non-financial factors and criteria for evaluating the performance of touristic marketing channels in the Hotel sector, in order to efficiently support the decision making process. According to informants an eclectic approach in choosing a mix of factors and evaluation criteria, which responds to the various business targets, contributes to decreasing insecurity and improving the terms of decision making processes regarding the formulation of an overall Multichannel Marketing Mix.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract