Hsu, A., King, B., Wang, D., Buhalis, D., 2016, In-destination tour products and the disrupted tourism industry: progress and prospects, Information Technology & Tourism, Vol.16(4), pp 413–433 (original) (raw)
Related papers
Information technology advances provide alternative distribution and marketing strategies for tour product suppliers in the destination. Technology-enabled innovations empower tourists to deal directly with tour component suppliers and to pursue more customized and experience-based tour products. Disintermediation between consumers and suppliers has threatened the business sustainability of incumbent inbound tour operators (ITOs), which are still reliant on an economic logic of information asymmetry and the multi-layered distribution system. While established companies in conventional mass tourism may be concerned about the trade-off between technology investment and financial return, start-up entrepreneurs grab market opportunities to serve unmet tourist needs with innovative business models and technical expertise. This qualitative research explores how tourism entrepreneurs perceive the impact of technological innovation and how their solutions for visitor needs may replace traditional functions of ITOs in the industry value chain. The results indicate that the proposed progression of this sector is supported with the supplement of a platform business model and open innovation.
In-destination Tour Products and the Disrupted Tourism: Progress and Prospects
Established inbound tour operators (ITOs) are being challenged by emerging competitors that have embraced technology-enabled innovations, including aspects that are associated with the collaborative or sharing economy. A variety of suppliers across the supply chain are now able to form a direct connection with customers through platform websites, thereby providing tech-savvy tourists with the capacity to create customized trips. Incumbent ITOs are now competing with emerging entrants that are responsive to customer needs because of their digital expertise. As the various provider categories have become less clear and as barriers to entry have fallen, tour service suppliers must consider the contemporary tourism ‘‘ecosystem’’ when formulating strategies. In the face of declining consumer demand for standardized tour products, there is an urgent need to consider changing tourist habits or tastes when introducing new in-destination options. In exploring the evolving features of the inbound tourism ecosystem, this paper draws upon the recent literature to focus on the distinguishing characteristics of innovative tour service and experiences. It identifies how tour suppliers respond to competitor actions, or embrace these features themselves. The authors adopt a multiple case study approach and assemble evidence from 17 examples of tourism start-ups in Taiwan. The paper concludes with implications for practitioners and suggestions for future research.
Journal of tourism-studies and research in tourism BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN TOURISM AND TECHNOLOGY
The paper presents the relationship between the development of tourism business and the technology developed through the concept of innovative business model, as illustrated in the literature as a particularly important concept in the world where technological change presents new ways to do business and as an Instrument to obtain the competitive advantage. It is presented the The structure of the business model for the traditional tourism operator and for the online tourism operator based on the Canvas Business Model introduced by Osterwalder and Pigneur. The paper illustrates the influence of new technologies in building innovative business models in the tourism sector by considering the impact of the social and technological factors. Tour operators need to constantly innovate to meet the needs of increasingly experienced customers and to maintain themselves in a strong competitive market. From the case studies presented, namely the business model of a traditional agency-Thomas Coo...
Technology as a Catalyst for Tourism Entrepreneurship: A Critical Insight
International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention
The purpose of the present article is to highlight the importance of technological advancement and the role of travel technology providers in the tourism industry. The present study also highlighted the current technological changes and trends in the tourism and hospitality industry. A systematic study of the existing and emerging technologies in the tourism sector and how travel technology providers help entrepreneurs to organize and automate the travel business is presented in the form of a viewpoint. Travel technology providers help tourism enterprises by providing services like API integration, customer relationship management (CRM), portal and website designing, and more. Covid-19 has scaled up the technological changes and boosted digital entrepreneurship worldwide, bringing various technological trends to the tourism and hospitality industry. To meet the needs of modern-day travelers, travel agents and tour operators are considering taking their travel business online and opt...
Annals of Tourism Research, 2010
This article examines the innovations of a tourism company in the particular context of French ski resorts. Actor-Network Theory, applied to the tourism sector, constitutes the conceptual framework of the study. The results, following a multi-methods qualitative approach, show that the company's growth is related to the implementation of new associations between actors and non-human entities. Thanks to its ''leader translator,'' the company manages to interest and enrol actors in its project. The analysis helps ultimately understand how, within a tourist destination, existing resources can be reconfigured to create unique and innovative products that will ensure a company's success. Keywords: winter sports resorts, destination management, SME, case study research, qualitative research. Ó
Tourism Entrepreneurship – Review and Future Directions
Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, 2015
Entrepreneurship has received increased attention within tourism research, reflecting the important role of entrepreneurs and new firm start-ups within the tourism industry for innovation and value creation. Although it is expanding, the literature on tourism entrepreneurship remains dispersed. It embraces a number of different issues, perspectives and approaches, and thus far, little congruent knowledge has been developed. This paper addresses this gap by reviewing and analysing the current literature on tourism entrepreneurship. We examine the development in published articles from 2000 to 2013 and discuss how the literature on tourism entrepreneurship relates to the mainstream entrepreneurship literature in terms of research questions, theoretical perspectives and applied methods. We differentiate between a convergent approach in which studies build on mainstream entrepreneurship theorising to examine the context of tourism and a divergent approach in which studies consider tourism entrepreneurship to be different from other types of entrepreneurship, thus needing specific theoretical insights. Trends reflecting convergent and divergent approaches are identified. Furthermore, we discuss potential contributions from tourism entrepreneurship research to the mainstream entrepreneurship literature and vice versa. Based on the findings from the review and analysis, we suggest future directions for research on tourism entrepreneurship.
Business Development in Tourism and Technology
Revista de Turism: Studii si Cercetari in Turism, 2017
The paper presents the relationship between the development of tourism business and the technology developed through the concept of innovative business model, as illustrated in the literature as a particularly important concept in the world where technological change presents new ways to do business and as an Instrument to obtain the competitive advantage. It is presented the The structure of the business model for the traditional tourism operator and for the online tourism operator based on the Canvas Business Model introduced by Osterwalder and Pigneur. The paper illustrates the influence of new technologies in building innovative business models in the tourism sector by considering the impact of the social and technological factors. Tour operators need to constantly innovate to meet the needs of increasingly experienced customers and to maintain themselves in a strong competitive market. From the case studies presented, namely the business model of a traditional agency -Thomas Co...
American Journal of Tourism Research, 2013
The design of tourism products is changing due to factors such as the growing importance of the Internet and the ability of tourists to be involved in the production of their own products/experiences, (namely the emergence of the 'prosumer'). This paper reports a study into the responses of Tour Operators and On-line Travel Agencies to the evolution of the tourism sector. The case-study analyzes the use of marketing mix variables for outbound tourists from the United States booking tours to Italy. A comparison between operators and the five main on-line travel agencies is then made. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate an ongoing repositioning of these tourism players along the long-tail theory curve and a reversal of the Tour Operator's role, from that of a general mass market orientation to the supply of a niche market demand by promoting customized travel packages based on specific requirements. Implications of this process for the marketing of destinations and SMEs are discussed in the final part of the paper.
South Asian Journal of Tourism and Hospitality, 2021
The rapid emergence and vast adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) have transformed tourism marketing strategies from a conservative, static marketing model to an emerging, transformative conception. The transformative power of ICT has created a paradigm shift in the tourism industry by providing an opportunity for tourism service providers and tourists to co-create value. Moreover, recent technological developments have paved the way for new markets, product/ service innovations, management practices, and competitive strategies, thus forming a complex socio-technical tourism ecosystem. Meanwhile, postmodern, digitally savvy tourists expect tourism service providers to be more active in digital platforms. Consequently, a burgeoning research stream has started looking into these new developments, capabilities, and changes driven by ICT advancement in the tourism and hospitality industry in recent times. Moreover, to better understand and anticipate these fundam...