Tourism Information Systems: Chapter One

Chapter one ‫انفظم األول‬ Information system and information technology overview 5 Information systems (IS): ‫“ َظى انًؼهىياث‬A group of components that interact to produce information” The five components of an information system are hardware, software, data, netw...

Chapter one ‫انفظم األول‬ Information system and information technology overview 5 Information systems (IS): ‫“ َظى انًؼهىياث‬A group of components that interact to produce information” The five components of an information system are hardware, software, data, network, and people. These Interrelated components working together to collect, analyze, store, and distribute information to support decision making, control and coordination in an organization. 6 Information Technology (IT)‫ﺗﻜﻨﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺎ ﻟﺍﻌﻤﻠﻮﻣﺎﺕ‬ falls under the information systems umbrella. IT deals with the technology and new development involved in the systems themselves. For example, IT is a term given to the recent developments in software, hardware, and communications and networking within an information system. It is used to facilitate the collection, storing, analyzing, and distributing of information. 7  Role of IT in the tourism industry Tourism is an information intensive and highly networked business, based on world-wide cooperation of various types of local and international stakeholders............................................................................... IT and IS facilitate collecting, restoring, analyzing, and distributing information of tourism through the development of Information systems. 8 The information may be: ‫ﻟﺍﻌﻤﻠﻮﻣﺎﺕ ﻗﺪ ﺗﻜﻮﻥ‬ Data Text graphics Voice Images  Videos. Information Technology Requirements ‫ﻣﺘﻄﻠﺒﺎﺕ ﺗﻜﻨﻮﻟﻮﺟﻴﺎ ﻟﺍﻌﻤﻠﻮﻣﺎﺕ‬ Infrastructure ‫ثُيخ رحزيخ‬ Access Education & Awareness ‫رؼهيى و وػي‬ Legislative Environment ‫ل ب َ ى َ ي خ د ا ػ ً خ‬ ‫ثيئخ‬ Policy & Regulatory.ٍ‫سيبسبد و لىاَي‬ 9  Why is it important for tourist organizations and tourists? The new developments in Information technology in the last decade develop the abilities of tourist organizations. the Internet and IT/IS developments have provided tourists, tourist destinations and tourist organizations with opportunities and new channels through which to empower their communication process while reducing search and distribution costs. Benefits to tourists ‫ﻓﻮﺍﺋﺪﺍ ﻻﺘﻧﺮﻧﺖ ﻠﻟﺴﺎﺋﺤﻦﻴ‬  Access information easily at any time ‫انىطىل نهًؼهىيبد ثسهىنّ ثبي ولذ‬  Up-to-date and rich information ‫رىافز انًؼهىيبد انًحذثخ‬  Offer greater choices with massive travel websites ‫رىفيز اخزيبراد اكجز ػٍ ؽزيك يىالغ انسفز االنكززوَيخ‬  Increase the satisfaction of tourists as they organize their trips from A to Z according to their interest and budget.  Reduce costs such as commissions of intermediaries. ‫خفغ انزكبنيف يثم ػًىالد انىسطبء‬  Enjoy greater discounts for last-minute, targeted offers and special promotions ‫ و انؼزوع انخبطخ‬، ‫انزًزغ ثخظىيبد انهحظخ األخيزح‬  Can compare and shop for lowest prices ‫إيكبَيخ إجزاء انًمبرَبد و انشزاء ثبنسؼز األلم‬  Empower tourists to communicate with other tourists ‫إيكبَيخ رىاطم انسبئحيٍ يغ ثؼؼهى انجؼغ‬ Access to effective communication system can provide reliable information on facilities and service. Today, efficient, and inexpensive communications already allow travelers to stay in touch with the service providers. 10   Benefits to Organizations ‫ﻓﻮﺍﺋﺪ ﺍﻻﺘﻧﺮﻧﺖ ﻠﻟﺸﻛﺮﺎﺕ‬ 1. The internet not only helps in marketing the products, but also in sales process. 2. Improve customer service and relationship through direct interactions with customers 3-Locating customers and/or suppliers worldwide at reasonable cost 4-Develop a better understanding of consumer‟s needs. And reduce the gap between consumer expectations and perceived experience 5-Business always open (24/7/365); no over time or other cost. 6. Reduce costs such as commissions of intermediaries, and operational cost ‫خفغ ركبنيف يثم انؼًىالد نهىسطبء‬ 7.IT developments and Internet helps small companies to compete against large ones in the e-market 11  The Change of the traditional tourism business ‫حغُز‬ ‫انىضغ انخقهُذٌ نظُاػت انسُاحت و انسفز‬ Nowadays, millions of people worldwide rely on the Internet for working, learning, socializing, entertainment, leisure, and shopping. The influence of IT development and the internet on the traditional tourism distribution mechanism: The technological revolution has dramatically changed the way in which the tourism business is done. The establishments of the Computer Reservation Systems (CRSs) in the 1970s, Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) in the late 1980s and the Internet in the late 1990s have transformed operational and strategic practices dramatically in tourism. 12 The tourism industry at first focused on utilizing computerized systems (e.g., CRS, GDS) to increase efficiency in processing of internal information and managing distribution. Nowadays, the Internet and IT are relevant on all operative, strategic, and marketing levels to facilitate global interaction among suppliers, intermediaries, and consumers around the world. To conclude, a whole system of IT is being rapidly diffused throughout the tourism industry and no player will escape its impact 13 Before GDS 14 15  The internet facilitates and empowers the direct relations between tourists and tourism suppliers. It enables the tourism suppliers and the inbound travel companies to enter the market without paying fees to third-party intermediaries (outbound tour operators). Perhaps, small and medium sized travel companies gain more advantages by using IT. Using IT enables small size companies to develop “virtual size on the internet” and empowers their competitiveness. Smaller firms can therefore develop and deliver the right product, to the right customer, at the right price and place, without over -depending on intermediaries (outbound tour operators). This would enable small firms to enhance their position and increase their profit. The following figures demonstrate the difference between the traditional and new tourism distribution mechanism 16  Outbound Tourism Producers Accommodation, Inbound tour Tour airlines, restaurants, etc. operator (tour operators Potential tourist companies) and travel agents Figure (1): The traditional tourism distribution mechanism 17  The internet Figure (2): The new tourism distribution mechanism (After the UNCTAD, 2008) 18  Limitations of the Internet and IT ‫ﻣﻌﻮﻗﺎﺕ ﺗﻘﻒ ﺣﻴﺎﻝ ﺍﻻﺘﻧﺮﻧﺖ ﻭ ﻧﻈﻢ ﺍﻟﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎﺕ‬ Turban et al. (2008) classified such barriers either technological or non-technological Technological Limitations ‫ﻣﻌﻮﻗﺎﺕ ﺗﻜﻨﻮﻟﺟﻮﻴﺔ‬ Lack of universal standards for quality, security, and reliability ‫ االيبٌ و انًظذاليخ‬، ‫ػذو وجىد يمبييس ػبنًيخ يىحذح نهجىدح‬ The lack of standards in technology and its application ‫ػذو وجىد يمبييس ػبنًيخ يىحذح نهزكُىنىجيب و رطجيمبرهب‬ As a result, small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs) struggle to integrate the systems due to a shortage of financial sources. ‫َمض انًىارد انًبنيخ‬ In some places, Internet accessibility is still expensive and/or inconvenient Software development tools are still evolving. 19  Non-technological Limitations ‫يؼىقاث غُز حكُىنىجُت‬ Security and privacy concerns discourage customers from buying ‫يؼىلبد يزؼهمخ ثباليبٌ و انحًبيخ‬ Online fraud is increasing ‫اَزشبر انززويز و االحزيبل اإلنكززوَي‬ Lack of trust in e-commerce and in unknown sellers hinders buying ‫اَؼذاو انثمخ ثبنزجبرح اإلنكززوَيخ‬ Many people do not yet sufficiently trust paperless, faceless transactions, as some customers like to feel and touch products. Also, customers are resistant to the change from ordinary face-to-face shopping to a virtual store From some consumer perspective, the increasing number of alternatives or attributes in a choice set increases uncertainties and risks in consumer choices Many legal and public policy issues, including taxation, have not yet been resolved or are not clear National and international government regulations sometimes get in the way ‫انمىاَيٍ انًحهيخ أو انذونيخ‬ In many cases, the number of sellers and buyers that are needed for profitable e-commerce operations is insufficient, especially in the less developed countries 20  According to the above facts on tourists and the internet usage, it is evident that the usage of internet is increasing in the travel industry and travel organizations need to understand the new trends in the e-market and keep up with them. 21 The information sources used by European travelers (2006): 22 While in 2018 23  Conclusion: Advantage of applying IT in tourism business ‫ﻓﻮﺍﺋﺪﺍﻻﺘﻧﺮﻧﺖ ﻓﻲ ﻟﺍﻘﻄﺎﻉ ﻟﺍﺴﻴﺎﺣﻲ‬ Increased access to information. Accurate knowledge. Reaching New Customers and Increase in Bookings. A better way to sell services. Enhanced image. Expanded customer communications prior to arrival. Efficient Management Improved Competitive position 24  chapter two ‫ﺍﻟﻔﺼﻞ ﺍﻟﺜﺎﻧﻲ‬ The new of travel intermediation: threats and opportunities ‫ ﺍﻟﻤﺨﺎﻃﺮ ﻭ ﺍﻟﻔﺮﺹ‬: ‫ﺍﻟﻮﺳﻄﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺎﺣﻦﻴ ﺍﻟﺠﺩﺪ‬ 25 Travel intermediaries ‫ﺍﻟﻮﺳﻄﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺎﺣﻦﻴﻴ‬ Those who are between consumers (Tourists) and suppliers. Tourism industry has been traditionally characterized by its use of intermediaries Supplier ‫ﻟﺍﻤﻮﺯﻉ‬ Customers ‫ﻟﺍﻤﺴﺘﻬﻠﻚ‬ Intermediaries Hotel, Airline ‫الوسطاء‬ 26 Various intermediaries that are included in the travel and tourism industry are: ‫ﺍﻣﺜﻠﻪ ﻠﻟﻮﺳﻄﺎﺀ‬ Travel agencies, Hotel marketing and booking system, Sales representatives, Computerized reservation system (CRS), global distribution system (GDS) etc. Tour Operators 27 IT changed the traditional ‫ ﺍﺘﻟﻘﻴﻠﺪﻱ‬tourism business mechanisms: Tourists Local Outbound tourism Tour Operators Inbound providers Travel (e.g. hotels) And travel companies agent Ouound s T.O A Online Tourists travel Local the internet tourism Providers (e.g., hotels) The new Tourism distribution mechanism ‫انجذيذ‬ 28  Inbound Tour Operators )Incoming) ‫ﺍﻟﺸﻛﺮﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻠﺔ‬ These are also known as incoming tour operators. They are operators who receive guests, clients/tourists, and handle arrangements in the host country are called inbound tour operators. For example, a group of American Tourists is coming through to India and the company makes arrangements and handles the group in India then This company is called an inbound tour operator. Outbound Tour Operators ‫ﺍﻟﺸﻛﺮﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺼﺪﺭﺓ‬ Tour operator who promotes tours for foreign destinations, maybe business tour or leisure tour is called outbound tour operators. For example, a group of American tourists going to a trip of India and Thomas Cook handle arrangement in America like as ticket reservation, hotel booking etc. Thomas Cook is called Outbound Tour operators in the context of America. 29  Centralized “computer “Reservation System (CRS) CRS is a database which enables tourism organizations to manage their reservations‟ records and make it accessible to its partners. Developed and first used by airlines companies in the early 70s. Then, hotel chains and tour operators have followed airlines companies by developing centralized reservation systems. CRS are developed to enhance the customer services by providing travel agencies with direct access, prices, and reservations. 30 CRS connects travel agents with suppliers’ databases (e.g., airlines and hotels) Both the travel agent and the airline company can view the same online page, check the prices, make reservations and get immediate confirmation Travel agents Airline company 31  Global Distribution Systems (GDS) CRS has developed into GDS. Airline company Tourists other partners and online travel companies Travel agents 32  Global Distribution systems (GDSs): GDSs are systems which distribute reservation and information services to sales outlets around the world, owned by a group of airline companies. Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, and World Span are some GDSs. These world‟s leading GDSs are computers that are connected on the one side to many different supplier systems and on the other side to many end users (travel agents) GDS systems are capable of booking: One way and roundtrip airline seats Hotel rooms Rental cars Tours and packages Cruises Insurance Restaurant reservations Theatre tickets Rail 33 The 4 famous GDS 34 The new intermediaries Online travel agencies “OTAs” 35 What is an Online Travel Agent (OTA)? An online travel agency, or OTA, is a website or online service, which sells travel related products to customers. These products may include hotels, flights, travel packages, activities, and car rentals. Crucially, OTAs are third parties, reselling these services on behalf of other companies, including those in the hotel industry. Most of the hotels work with the agent model, which guarantees a fixed commission per booking to the OTA. It is almost impossible for hotels not to work together with an OTA as most of the business comes from an OTA. The costs of commissions when using OTA can rise up to 20 %. For example, when a guest makes a transaction of € 100 via an OTA, the hotel only gets € 80 euro due to the 20 % OTA commission. 36  Why Are Online Travel Agents Important? ‫ﺍﻫﻤﻴﺔ ﺷﻛﺮﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺎﺣﺔ ﺍﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮﻭﻴﻧﺔ‬ Online travel agents are increasingly important for hotels, because: 1-They serve as both a marketing and a distribution channel. A growing number of potential guests now turn to OTAs to search for their hotels, because they function as a kind of ‘one stop shop’, allowing them to easily search for hotels, read reviews, and compare prices. 2 -Hotels that are listed on online travel agent websites can also benefit from what is sometimes referred to as the ‘billboard effect’. This refers to the fact that OTAs can provide a form of advertising, making their users aware of the hotels on their platform. After gaining this awareness, users may then decide to research a hotel and perhaps even go on to make a direct booking through the hotel website. 3-They can provide the final consumers with cheaper solutions 4-They apply different business models, which enable them to provide better deals than hotels on their websites. 5-OTAs take advantage of knowledge they gain through data mining allowing them to tailor direct mail campaigns and loyalty programs accordingly Even though OTAs can help to fill your rooms, accommodation businesses must try to maximize revenue through their own website 37  1-Booking Booking is one of the oldest online travel agents, having been originally founded in 1996. The business has its headquarters in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, and the website has listings which cover close to 200 different countries around the world. Like many OTAs on the market, Booking.com offers users the ability to book hotels, holiday homes and other similar accommodation types, while also functioning as travel aggregate ‫انجحث ثبنًىالغ ػٍ أفؼم انؼزوع و ػزػهب نهًسزخذو‬ 2- Expedia It is a Microsoft travel agent. It is an Internet site. Expedia is one of the most important examples of new generation of travel intermediaries it was launched in USA 1996 Expedia is also linked to the World span GDS via a booking engine 38  3- Trip advisor The TripAdvisor.com platform is an online travel and restaurant service, which is primarily focused on reviews ‫ ﺍﻷﺮﺍﺀ‬and other user-generated content. However, it also has a built-in hotel booking service. The company was founded in 2000. The website also has an advertising partnership with Expedia. 39 4- Hotels.com Hotels.com is a service which allows users to book hotels, B&B accommodation. It is based in the United States and is owned by the Expedia Group. The platform operates on an international scale and a huge part of its business model is based on repeat business. Indeed, a major component of the company‟s offering is the ‘Hotels.com Rewards’ system, where users can claim a price reduction after every 10 overnight stays that are booked through the service. 40 5-Google In fact, Google has all the tools, including the biggest search engine, to take the lead as a hotel search and booking platform and its competitors are starting to feel anxious. 41 42 Nowadays, there is an argument between researchers and practitioners on the importance of the traditional travel agents role in the travel distribution system With or Against ‫مع أم ضد شركات السياحة التقليدية‬ 43  Argument against the travel agent’s role ‫ضد شركات السياحة‬ ‫التقليدية‬ Travel agencies add little value as they act as booking offices. ‫ﻻ ﺗﻀﻴﻒ ﻗﻴﻤﺔ ﻠﻟﻘﻄﺎﻉ ﻟﺍﺴﻴﺎﺣﻲ ﻛﻮﻧﻬﺎ ﺗﻤﺜﻞ ﻜﻣﺎﺗﺐ ﻟﺠﺤﺰ ﻟﺍﺘﺬﺍﻛﺮ ﻭ ﻟﻴﺲ ﺃﻜﺜﺮ‬ Commissions ‫ انؼًىالد‬to travel agencies increase the total price of travel products ultimately. Visiting travel agencies is time consuming and restricted to office hours ‫ﺿﻴﺎﻉ ﻟﺍﻮﻗﺖ‬ 44  Argument for the importance of travel agents role ‫مع وجود شركات السياحة‬ ‫التقليدية‬ Inexperienced travelers need the advice and experience of travel agents ‫انسبئح انذي يفزمز نهخجزح في يجبل انسيبحخ و انسفز غبنجب يب يهجأ نؼبيهي انشزكبد انسيبحيخ ؽهجب ً نهًشىرح و انُظح‬ The more complex computers and the Internet become, the more people need experts to use them. Travel agencies reduce the insecurity ‫ ﻋﻡﺪ ﺍﻻﻣﺎﻥ‬of travel, as they are responsible for all arrangements. Internet transactions are not much secured or reliable yet. 45 Motivations factors to purchase online on OTA websites 1. Better Prices 2. Online secure transactions 3. Ability for cancellation easily 4. Easy to compare 5. Ability to get answers online 6. Better information, better content 7. Brand loyalty 38% „ 8. Use of local language 9. Loyalty award programs 10. Easiness to order 11. Familiarity with internet purchasing 46 Conclusion IT and IS innovations changed the traditional travel business and provided travel intermediaries with opportunities to rethink their operations and develop their online business strategies. Traditional intermediaries reengineer their processes to up-date their offering, improve customer satisfaction and remain competitive. 47  Chapter three ‫انفظم انثانذ‬ The Internet: Threat or Opportunity? ‫االنترنت تهديد أم فرصة‬ 48  The internet was deemed a threat ‫ ﺗﻬﺪﻳﺪ‬to traditional travel agents, especially with younger travelers who tend to plan their travel independently, have lower budgets, and who are not attached to any brand Younger generations are used to gathering the information that they require through the internet and would not typically consider having a travel agent plan their trip. Furthermore, there has been a change in travelers' behaviour with many travelers' option for Do-It-Yourself travel, meaning that they plan, manage, and book their travel reservations Ø Low-cost airlines have tried and succeeded in exploiting the opportunities set forth by the internet in selling flight tickets directly to customers Ø The larger airlines soon followed them and started offering flights online. It is estimated that airlines save around 90% on costs when selling flights online rather than over the phone. Ø Hotels also started offering the option of online booking to customers. Furthermore, the internet also provided the means for hotels to compare the services being offered vis-à-vis prices of competitors. 49  With regards to travel agencies, they had to change their role from that of selling trips to providing information and managing trips. Indeed, travel agencies had to specialize in specific markets, such as luxury, business ,Such markets tend to be made up of travelers who value personal relationships and contact and are not usually driven by saving money. 50  The five stages of travel ‫يزاحم انسفز انخًس انزئُسُت‬ The travel cycle can be broken down into 5 main phases: Dreaming, Researching, Booking, Experiencing, and Sharing. 1-Dreaming stage ‫يزحهت االحالو‬ Every holiday starts with a dream. Where travelers carry out online searches to decide where they are going to travel. During this stage, travelers refer to blogs and reviews and watch online videos. Once travelers short-list their potential destinations. 51  2-Researching stage ‫يزحهت انبحذ‬ Where travelers spend a lot of time planning their travel. Nowadays, they seek information from multiple channels, such as suppliers‟ websites, social media networks, and online travel agents (OTAs) At this stage, businesses must ensure that travelers come across their name. In this regard, and it is highly recommended that businesses diversify their online presence and ensure that they are on the most popular channels. Businesses should also update the key search to optimize their website for search engines to ensure high ranking when research is carried out. Apart from this, OTAs have gained a lot of importance and travelers make extensive use of them when planning their trips. Thus, businesses need to be present on the main OTAs to increase the opportunities for potential customers to come across the business. It is also recommended that businesses sign up for alert services such as Google Alerts so that they are immediately alerted whenever they are mentioned. However, it was also highlighted that monitoring alone is not enough and businesses need to provide feedback on comments (both positive and negative) that are posted online, on websites such as TripAdvisor. 52  For customers searching on the Internet for the lowest room rates, the websites of travel agents are likely to be the best choice. In the Internet era, search engines play an important role in information searching and in the Google search engine is perceived to be the most important tool.  More recently, mobile technologies that provide a new and convenient way for tourists to gather information from any location and perhaps more significantly at the destination, have been introduced 53  3 -Booking stage Indeed, Google witnessed searches with much more detailed requests and an intensification of the research, with more websites being visited before making a booking. Once travelers conclude their research, they place the required bookings 54  4-experiencing phase ‫ﻣﺮﺣﻠﺔ ﺍﻟﺘﺠﺮﺑﺔ‬. However, research continues even while they are experiencing their travel Travelers frequently use mobile devices (laptops, smartphones, and tablets) while they are on their travels and make the necessary bookings for excursions, restaurants and so on. 5- Sharing phase ‫ﻣﺮﺣﻠﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺸﺎﻛﺭﺔ‬ With social media networks having become part of our daily routine. travelers share photos and information on their experience while travelling Such posts become information to other potential travelers during their dreaming phase 55 The five stages of travel 56  The new online tourists: characteristics ‫ ﺧﺼﺎﺋﺺ ﻭ ﺳﻤﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﺴﺎﺋﺢ ﺍﻹﻟﻜﺘﺮﻭﻧﻲ‬:  As a result of internet and the new IT applications, tourists become experienced and more demanding, requesting high quality products and value for their money and time.  New consumers are more culturally and environmentally aware and they often like a greater involvement with the local society.  Increasingly, the new, experienced, demanding travelers seek rich and accurate information and require interacting directly with suppliers to satisfy their specific needs and wishes  Travelers often compare prices and offers available on-line and make more complicated travel arrangements with different suppliers within one tour.  The online tourist is not willing to wait or put up with delays, to the point where patience is a disappearing  New tourists are online information producers (forums-blogs and social media) 57  Business travel Characteristics: Frequent business travelers are more familiar with travel arrangements having considerable experience. Business trips are often classified into Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) categories. Tourists demand dramatically more information than experienced travelers. Experienced travelers, however, require greater in-depth information as well as being sure that their previous experiences will be addressed. Often bookings are not made by travelers themselves, but rather by their secretaries or travel managers in their organizations. Business travel represents the highest proportion of on-line travel bookings, not only because it is often quite straightforward, but also most variables, such as time & places are set. Besides, business travelers are better educated and more independent and familiar with computers. 58  New Tourists are online information producers ‫( طاَؼٍ انًؼهىياث‬online tourist communities) The internet has not only changed the characteristics of tourists, but also has changed the way in which travel information reached tourists. Thanks to the reviews and different feedbacks of tourists on the internet, tourists are now information producers. ‫ﻣﺘﻨﺠﻲ ﻟﺍﻌﻤﻠﻮﻣﺎﺕ‬ The internet has enabled tourists to generated travel information through different ways such as: 1-Travel forums: ‫ث ا ز‬ there are different travel forums on the internet. Travel forums enable tourists to communicate with each other and exchange information about a particular product or destination. There are forums created to only produce information on different tourist attractions. There are forums created to produce information not only on attractions but also on hotels, flights... etc. For example, www.tripadvisor.com, www.virtualtourist.com supports the exchange of destination information and travel tips. In order to gain tourists trust, the administrators of travel forums should not Market for or against a particular company or destination. Also, they should not delete tourist comments as long as they do not hold viruses or harmful content. ‫ال ﻳﺠﺐ ﻟﺍﺘﺴﻮﻳﻖ ﻟﺼﺎﻟﺢ ﺃﻮ ﺿﺪ ﺷﺮﻛﺔ ﻌﻣﻨﻴﺔ‬ 59  2-Blogs ‫ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﻭﻧﺎﺕ‬: is a website on which an individual or group of users record opinions and information on a regular basis. Blogs create accessible content for online consumers that increase the level of information available on a global basis. The following figure is for a website that enables people to create a blog and publish it for them. You may notice the highlighted traffic on the figure; it gives an idea on the numbers of users that reviews such websites. 60 Difference between blogs and vlogs: No. Blog Vlog 1. The blog is used to write content like text, gif, pictures, and Vlog is used for Videos. many more. 2. Most of the time, blogs are hosted on WordPress, Blogger, Vlogs are hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, Facebook, and Drupal, and many more. many more. 3. Blogs were initiated in 1990 and became popular in 2003. Vlogs started in 2000, but after 2004 they became famous. 4. Maintenance for blogs is cheap, as we have to pay the web Vlog hosting can be free or inexpensive, but buying equipment such hosting fees. Blogs can be hosted for free most of the time.as a camera, microphone, tripods, etc. needs a lot of expense. 5. In the blog, the written content behind the visual content is In the vlog, much faster than written content, visual content gains missing. popularity. 6. In the blog, we cannot stream any online event. In the Vlog, we may stream any live event and reach a wider audience quicker. 7. In the blog, the number of visitors is comparatively less In the Vlog, the number of visitors is comparatively more than the than the Vlog. blog. 8. We need to do content writing so that more and more To make a great Vlog, we have to be clever enough to pick good people come to our blog every day. phrases, use facial expressions effectively and have a nice voice to hear. 61 Why social media is so Effective???? Word of mouth has long been the most effective form of marketing. Why? ‫أﻫﻤﻴﺔ ﻟﺍﻜﻠﻤﺔ ﻟﺍﻤﻨﻄﻮﻗﺔ‬ Because people buy from brands they trust. Whereas someone could very easily overlook your ad, a peer recommendation or review on social media could very easily get them thinking about how they could follow in their friend‟s footsteps and live the same exciting experience they read such great things about. 62  Social websites: such as Facebook, twitter and Instagram. For example, the following is a screen shot to a travel Group on Facebook “Travel secrets Club “. The number of the visitors on this page highlights the importance of social websites as a source of information to potential tourists. Therefore, travel organizations may need to use such social websites for marketing, promotions, and marketing research to understand tourist‟s need. Look at the followers 63  The Internet and ITs have furthermore changed travel markets from a customer- centric market to a customer-driven market in which consumers play a stronger role in creating and sharing travel information through community/networking websites and review websites. In the past, product information has traditionally been produced, distributed, and controlled by tourist suppliers (e.g., hotels, and airline companies) to promote their products. Now, Information is easily created/recreated, distributed, and fortified by consumers through the networking/review websites (e.g., TripAdvisor, Twitter). 64  Conclusion: Consumers are more likely to trust information generated by consumers rather than product suppliers. Therefore, the tourism industry is required to treat consumers as partners in producing information and power network resources to successfully operate their businesses. 65  Chapter four ‫انفظم انزابغ‬ Applications of e-tourism: Destination Management Systems (DMS) ‫رطجيمبد انسيبحخ اإلنكززوَيخ‬ 66  What is Destination Management System (DMS)? DMS is a web-based information system used to market and manage the destination as a whole. DMS:  Provides tourists with comprehensive and accurate information to facilitate the preparation of their vacations, and  Provides booking facilities for tourism services and products. So, what is the difference between DMS and any other tourist website It is owned and managed by a governmental authority, the Destination Management Organization (DMO). ‫يًهىن نجهخ حكىييخ‬ DMO is either a public sector or a public and private partnership. And it is a non-profit organizations ‫لذ يكىٌ ربثغ نمطبع ػبو‬ ‫خبص‬ 67 68 69 Importance of DMS for tourists? ٍُ‫االهًُت نهسائح‬ 1..DMS provides tourists with all-in-one website,  Comprehensive information about sightseeing, flights, hotels, restaurants  Include products of all large, medium, and small travel companies and suppliers  Online booking 2.Tourists are more willing to trust DMS as it is an e-governmental system Importance for destinations? ‫االهًُت نهًقاطذ انسُاحُت‬ 1. DMS support the role of the DMO:  Marketing the destination both overseas and locally as one entity  Increasing tourism revenues through providing online booking facilities  Enabling the co-ordination of its activity with overseas offices  Co-ordinating and managing the tourism business with partners and system members 70   2. Supporting small and medium tourist companies which lack the capital and expertise to undertake a comprehensive marketing strategy and rely on tour operators for the promotion of their products. Who needs the other more, DMS or Small and medium tourism companies? ‫؟‬............. ‫يٍ َحخاج نألخز أكثز‬  DMS needs the support of Small and Medium Tourism (SMT) companies: Most of the destination is SMT. So, to provide a comprehensive information, DMS needs the participation of SMT  The Small and medium tourism system need the support of DMS: To enhance their online business and to help competing in the e- market place 71  Conclusion DMS is a web-based information system that help in marketing and managing the tourism in a destination as WHOLE. It provides benefits for:  Tourists  DMO  Small and Medium Tourism companies  Tourism suppliers 72