ICT and sustainable tourism development: an innovative perspective

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this research is to foreground information and communication technology (ICT) as an innovative approach for sustainable tourism (ST) development of destinations. ICT is the technology required for information processing which facilitates data processing, information sharing, communication, searching and selection. This paper concentrates on the Abernathy and Clark model and its usefulness in applying ICT as innovative in managing ST. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to destination managers and to eTourism experts. Destination managers were selected as they were identified as the person responsible for the overall management of a Destination Management Organisation. eTourism experts were identified as someone who possesses special expertise, knowledge and skills on ICT applications to tourism and offered expertise on which ranged from such areas as electronic distribution, recommender systems, user-generated content, online communities, mobile technology, technology acceptance, tourism networks and Web 2.0. This was followed by semi-structured interviews. Findings – These ICT tools were found to be innovative for information management and distribution for critical decision-making. Innovation was fostered through the use of ICT for ST by leading to a better understanding of the tourism product, monitoring, measuring and evaluating, forecasting trends, developing partnerships and engaging and supporting stakeholder relationships. ICT would provide novel ways of approaching marketing, energy monitoring, waste management, and communication for destinations. Originality/value – This research is important in demonstrating the value that technology can have to ST and further develops the work on tourism innovation theory.

Prioritizing marketing research in virtual reality: development of an immersion/fantasy typology

“…Recently, VR has helped marketers obtain customers, build relationships, and create excitement (Ali and Frew;2014;Li and Buchtal, 2012). For example, Lowe's (2018) introduced the Holoroom (in participating stores), which utilizes smartphone-compatible headsets to guide customers through home improvement lessons.…”

Innovative development models of the hospitality and tourism sphere in Scandinavian countries in the conditions of new economy

“…Technological innovations and new methods of providing services. 4. Institutional innovations as the basis for the development of the hospitality and tourism sphere in the new economy conditions.…”

“…The best examples can be studies aimed at the development of domestic tourism, namely, the construction of a cable car for the development of sports recreation in one of the regions of Norway, scientist Mayer (2013); the organization of an innovative tourist camp by the Swiss explorer Blichfeldt (2013); Dane Ronningen (2015) addressed the role of tour operators in innovation in the market for small and medium enterprises. Other recent examples draw attention to specific innovations and innovative spread in the hotel and restaurant sector [4].…”

Site Management and Use of Social Media by Tourism Businesses: The Case of Quebec

“…Businesses must constantly adjust in order to thrive in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment (Buhalis & O'Connor, 2005), and only creative and innovative providers will be able to survive the competition (Buhalis, 1998;Longhi, 2004). According to Ali and Frew (2014), the perpetual innovation in the tourism industry also participates in the development of a more sustainable tourism.…”

“…Moreover, although the technology is a cornerstone and catalyst for innovation, it must necessarily be accompanied and supported by important organizational changes in terms of circuits of production and distribution, as well as combined with other strategic measures such as capacity building and human resource management (Blake et al, 2006). Research revolving around innovation in the tourism industry is also in its infancy and continues to grow (Aldebert et al, 2011;Ali & Frew, 2014;Buhalis & Law, 2008;Caccomo & Solonandrasana, 2001;Carvalho & Sarkar, 2014;Hjalager, 2010;Stamboulis & Skayannis, 2003).…”