The effect of ICT on relationship enhancement and performance in tourism channels

Abstract

ICT have provided new paths for relationships across tourism distribution channels. It is accepted that both competitiveness and efficiency in the sector have increased, improving business performance. Since there are no validated models in the tourism literature covering this, our objective with this research is to confirm a positive relationship between the growing use of ICT by tourism intermediaries and their business performance. To this end, a structural equations model (RE-BP Model) is estimated, using data from a survey of tourism intermediaries conducted in Spain. The estimation confirms two latent variables, one for the relationship enhancement brought about by ICT in the sector, and the other for business performance. There is a cause-effect association between the two variables. O u r c o n c l u s i o n i s t h a t tourism intermediaries should intensify their relationships with suppliers and tour operators whose strategies allow for improved effectiveness of the entire value chain.

The Impact of ICT in Business in Tourism-Improving Efficiency, Productivity and Business Performance

“…It is not clear how ICT influence business performances of tourist enterprises. As (Berné et al, 2015) point out, up to now there is no valid model in literature dealing with tourism, which would explain this relation. Also, besides the fact that there is uneven effect of influence of ICT on different types of tourist enterprises inside distributive channels of tourist services, there are significant gaps in the published surveys.…”

“…Most of the literature on tourism does not give sufficient valid empirical analyses, and there is no specific formal, reliable framework of the survey. Therefore (Berné et al, 2015), in order to find empirical proofs about the variety of the ways in which relations inside distributive channels and ICT influence the improvement of business performances, it is necessary to include surveys outside the tourism sector. The authors develop RE-BP model, based on the presentation and analysis of two basic elements, shown through the improvement of relationships under the influence of ICT, and improvement of business performances of enterprises under the influence of ICT.…”

Prospective Development of the Tourism Online Distribution Channel

“…The application of technology has driven the emergence of the Internet channel (online) and altered the participation of the different agents within it and the relationships of power among its members [2,7,8]. This effort to adapt leads, at the same time, to the re-of activity being developed within the tourism framework and the necessity of more dynamic and competitive channels [9,10].…”

“…The tourism industry has experienced tremendous development in terms of power shifts between different agents and their benefits [1,2]. In Spain, the business of online reservations accounts for approximately 5.8 billion euros and online travel agencies take in one third of the total billing [3].…”

Comunicación y branding en los sitios web nacionales de turismo

“…The tourism sector has witnessed huge changes in recent years, largely due to the application of new technologies (Gretzel & Fesenmaier, 2003;Buhalis & Law, 2008;Berné, García-González, García-Uceda & Múgica, 2015). As some authors have highlighted, tourism is an industry that intensively uses information and communication technologies (Standing, Tang-Taye & Boyer, 2014).…”