Chapter 1: Information Technology in Tourism and Hospitality PDF

CHAPTER 1 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE TOURISM and HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY  Learning Objectives: At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to: 1. To know the definition of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry 2. Unders...

CHAPTER 1 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE TOURISM and HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY  Learning Objectives: At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to: 1. To know the definition of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry 2. Understand the areas of responsibilities of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry 3. To know the importance of Information Technology 4. To know the advantages and disadvantages of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry 5. Differentiate Internet to World-Wide Web (WWW) 6. Determine the benefits of using Internet and World-Wide Web  INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN THE HOSPITALITY and TOURISM INDUSTRY Information technology (IT) is the use of any computers, storage, networking and other physical devices, infrastructure and processes to create, process, store, secure and exchange all forms of electronic data.  Most IT staff have different responsibilities within the team that break into several KEY AREAS including: 1. Administration - Administrators handle the day-to-day deployment, operation and monitoring of an IT environment, including systems, networks and applications.  Most IT staff have different responsibilities within the team that break into several KEY AREAS including: 2. Support - Help desk staff specialize in answering questions, gathering information and directing troubleshooting efforts for hardware and software.  Most IT staff have different responsibilities within the team that break into several KEY AREAS including: 3. Applications - Businesses rely on software to perform work. Some applications are procured and deployed from third parties, such as email server applications.  Most IT staff have different responsibilities within the team that break into several KEY AREAS including: 4. Compliance - IT staff play a major role in securing and monitoring access to business data and applications to ensure that such resources are used according to established business governance policy that meets regulatory requirements.  Why is information technology important? It's been said that data is what powers industries worldwide. That may be hyperbole, but few businesses -- large or small -- can remain competitive without the ability to collect data and turn it into useful information. IT provides the means to develop, process, analyze, exchange, store and secure information. 5 common examples of Information Technology (IT) and teams at work: 1. Server upgrade - One or more data center servers near the end of their operational and maintenance lifecycle. 5 common examples of Information Technology (IT) and teams at work: 2. Security monitoring - Businesses routinely employ tools to monitor and log activity in applications, networks and system IT staff receive alerts of potential threats or noncompliant behavior 5 common examples of Information Technology (IT) and teams at work: 3. New software -The business determines a need for a new mobile application that can allow customers to log in and access account information or conduct other transactions from smartphones and tablets. 5 common examples of Information Technology (IT) and teams at work: 4. Business improvement - A business requires more availability from a critical application to help with revenue or business continuance strategies. 5 common examples of Information Technology (IT) and teams at work: 5. User support - Developers are building a major upgrade for a vital business application. Developers and admins will collaborate to create new documentation for the upgrade. Advantages of Information Technology in the Hospitality Industry 1. Reduce Operational Cost. The use of information technology can replace the role of human in performing some routine tasks. The labor cost can be reduced in the long run. Advantages of Information Technology in the Hospitality Industry 2. Reduce Workload of Staff Some IT applications are also designed to reduce the staffs’ workloads by assisting them in performing their job duties. Example: by installing CCTV’s (closed-circuited televisions) in different locations of the hotel will allow the security staff to monitor the key areas in the control room without patrolling in person.  Advantages of Information Technology in the Hospitality Industry 3. Increase Efficiency. ∙ As customers always expect quick services to be provided by the service staff, some applications have been specifically designed to simplify some time-consuming procedures. Advantages of Information Technology in the Hospitality Industry 4. Increase Revenue. It helps the hotel to generate extra sources of income if such a system is installed.  Advantages of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry 5. Access and Share Information. Computers and some hotel interfaces enable sharing of information among departments. ∙ Example: while a room attendant has finished cleaning a vacant room, he/she can change the room status by a telephone input. ∙ This action will simultaneously update the room status in the front desk's computers. ∙ Front desk receptionists would then be able to tell if the room is ready for sale afterwards  Advantages of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry 6. Achieve Better Planning and Management. Customer information, including their preferences and consumption records are kept in the customer database. Disadvantages, Issues and Concerns of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: 1. Lack of Knowledge ∙ Without much IT training in their work experiences, top management normally has limited knowledge of the most updated IT being applied in the accommodation sector. ∙ They tend to be more conservative and would like to keep the old ways of doing business instead of implementing changes. Disadvantages, Issues and Concerns of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: 2. Huge Investment Cost. Although the applications of IT may improve the service efficiency and lower down the operational cost in the long run, some applications may involve huge investment in installation and long-term maintenance. Disadvantages, Issues and Concerns of Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: 3. Resistance to Change of Personnel. ∙ There are two potential problems to be faced by the existing staff worked in the accommodation sector. ∙ On one side, staffs that are doing fine in their own ways of practice would be reluctant to change and learn new technologies that they are not familiar with. ∙ On the other side, there would be pressure given to staff once they think IT can easily replace their roles in performing services to the customers. ∙ All these can lead to low motivation and high turnover rate of staff in the industry.  The Internet and the World-Wide Web World-Wide Web The World Wide Web usually called the Web for short is a collection of different websites you can access through the Internet. A website is made up of related text, images, and other resources. Websites can resemble other forms of media like newspaper articles or television programs or they can be interactive in a way that's unique to computers.  The Internet and the World-Wide Web Internet The Internet is an increasingly important part of everyday life for people around the world. The Internet is a global network of billions of computers and other electronic devices. With the Internet, it's possible to access almost any information, communicate with anyone else in the world, and do much more.  How does the Internet work? It's important to realize that the Internet is a global network of physical cables, which can include copper telephone wires, TV cables, and fiber optic cables. Even wireless connections like Wi-Fi and 3G/4G rely on these physical cables to access the Internet.  Other things you can do on the Internet One of the best features of the Internet is the ability to communicate almost instantly with anyone in the world. Email is one of the oldest and most universal ways to communicate and share information on the Internet, and billions of people use it. Social media allows people to connect in a variety of ways and build communities online.  Other things you can do on the Internet There are many other things you can do on the Internet. There are thousands of ways to keep up with news or shop for anything online. You can pay your bills, manage your bank accounts, meet new people, watch TV, or learn new skills. You can learn or do almost anything online.  Benefits of the Internet and the World-Wide Web 1. Connectivity, communication, and sharing In the past days, if you sent a letter or someone sent you, it could take days and sometimes even months to a reach letter at the destination. In modern times, you can send a letter or important information to anyone in the e-mail all over the world through the Internet.  Benefits of the Internet and the World-Wide Web 2. Information, knowledge, and learning The Internet allows people to learn information about any topic and offers an answer to any type of question, as it contains endless knowledge and information. Example: Google, Google Chrome & Mozilla Firefox  Benefits of the Internet and the World-Wide Web 3. Address, mapping, and contact information The Internet can help users to provide information almost every place/location in the world on the map with the help of GPS technology.  Benefits of the Internet and the World-Wide Web 4. Selling and making money If you want to sell products and services or run a business, the Internet is the best place to sell goods. Because anyone can find and access your website all over the world with the help of the Internet. With online business, you are able to sell goods every day at all times as the Internet is always on and always available.  Benefits of the Internet and the World-Wide Web 5. Banking, bills, and shopping If you want to view your bank balance without leaving your home, the Internet offers you the benefit to access your bank account to view the balance. Also, you can send money, pay bills electronically, or many other services can complete through the Internet. Another advantage of the Internet is online shopping, which allows people to find products of interest and buy them without having to visit a store.  Benefits of the Internet and the World-Wide Web 6. Donations and funding With the help of an Internet connection, anyone can help fund projects and ideas that interest them or quickly donate to their favorite charity. Also, if you want to donate and looking for charity services, you can find many online services on the Internet that help make it easier to support their causes or help donate.  Benefits of the Internet and the World-Wide Web 7. Entertainment The Internet provides people to access endless entertainment. With the Internet, you can watch movies, videos, play games online, listen to music, etc. There are many sites available on the Internet, which contain different entertainment material like music, videos, and more. Also, you can watch online videos on a platform like YouTube.  Assignment/Activity Kindly search for the 14 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES in Information Technology in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Microsoft Word give a little art on it.  Next meeting, we will be st having our 1 quiz.