INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN TOURISM

Abstract

Information technologies (ITs) prevail in all functions of strategic and operational
management. As information is the lifeblood of tourism, ITs provide both opportunities and
challenges for the industry. Despite the uncertainty experienced in the development of ITs in
tourism, the ‘only constant will be change’. Increasingly, organizations and destinations, which
need to compete will be forced to compute. Unless the current tourism industry improves its
competitiveness, by utilizing the emerging ITs and innovative management methods, there is a
danger for exogenous players to enter the marketplace, jeopardizing the position of the existing
ones.