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This paper describes a meta-analytical research study that has explored and assessed the development of e-mediaries (online intermediaries) in travel and tourism. The work is an addition to knowledge in this area in its own right but also seeks to lay a solid foundation for an in-depth study of business models and business performance in online intermediation in this sector. The paper identifies the major e-mediaries in the American, European and Asia Pacific markets, examines their business models and growth strategies and finally discusses the possible implications of this growth, in relation to impacts on industry structure. The paper concludes by suggesting key areas for further research including proposed work from the authors on analysis of determinants of competitive advantage for e-mediaries and their networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web sites play an increasingly important role for tourist destinations. This is confirmed by the number of papers in the literature that deal with the topic of quality of this type of site. The managers of a destination have need of tools that can support the process of decision making regarding the management and redesigning of the destination's Web site. Decision making problems exist at two levels: which data to collect and how to interpret them. In this paper we present an innovative conceptual framework that responds to these two questions. In particular, a flexible approach can be adopted for data collection, depending on the aim of the evaluation, while statistical methods are suggested for data interpretation, which would allow for maximum effectiveness of any interventions on the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on experiences of implementing a knowledge management system for the front desk domain in hotels, tourist offices and travel agencies. The strategic importance of explicit service knowledge is underlined, particularly for small and medium sized tourism enterprises. The main hypothesis that the paper tries to affirm is that tourism knowledge can be conceived of as symbolic action. The paper outlines the economic, social, industry and technological issues of building knowledge management systems for the front desk domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of the mobile Internet is still quite small. However, with GPRS and MMS, the anticipated growth has started. Still very few have tried location based services, but survey results indicate that there is a clear interest in location based services, particularly travel services that make use of location information. A key issue in this paper is who should control access to location information according to the users of mobile services and advanced mobile phones? This has implication for services such as a prototype for controlling access to location information described in the second part of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduces a series of articles on tourism derived from the papers presented at the 11th annual ENTER conference in Cairo, Egypt.

Online learning (eLearning) systems can help to deliver ICT training to small and medium-sized tourist enterprises (SMTEs). SMTEs need to maintain and understand the importance of utilising new information technologies dynamically and to incorporate training and education into their overall strategy via online learning. They need to be innovative and adopt systems that will allow them to explore their potential. This paper investigates SMTEs in the European Hotel sector, their utilisation of the Internet and their perception of online learning systems. The paper aims to demonstrate to SMTEs that training is imperative and that by utilising ICTs. it can enable them to improve their inventory management, strengthen their marketing and communications strategies and develop their internal business processes. Some conclusions are that SMTEs primarily see the Internet as a mechanism for promoting their hotel rather than for training and eCommerce purposes, SMTEs have recognised that integrating technology with training will become a management challenge in the future, but for many at the present time it is not considered a priority. The realisation that online learning opens the door to a learning revolution that can help to create unprecedented opportunities within SMTEs needs to be understood as they can become crucial determinants of their success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In traditional tourism countries, SME (small and medium enterprise) hotel structures still dominate. Previous research has shown the structural problems that this type of company have in terms of a reduced ability to learn and improve competence. E-learning offers new potential to provide knowledge to SMEs. This paper contributes to the understanding of the use of interorganisational c-learning that has been developed and run by hotel industry associations and the hospitality industry in collaboration. The paper builds on research on the success factors for internal company e-learning concepts and on inter-organisational learning. Empirically, it draws on a case study that covers the marketing and the use of the SMART-up platform, an inter-organisational e-learning platform subsidised by the EU, which was designed to improve the competence of SMEs in the hotel and restaurant industry. Results show that high learner involvement in development and in marketing activities is a major motivational factor that encourages the use of an e-learning platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an overview of a selection of previously published literature and focuses on the diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the hospitality and tourism sector, with particular reference to small and medium-sized hospitality enterprises (SMHEs). It specifically evaluates the critical internal and external factors that influence the diffusion of ICTs in this sector from a baseline of Gamble's 1984 model of diffusion. It builds towards populating a new model that takes into account the emerging internal and external factors that emerge not only from these works, but also from other sources that impact on this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop an automatic collection system that can extract some accommodation websites in a certain region and detect whether a website is an official one. First, we show that the system can gather a lot of Web pages by using the search engine Google and extract only the Web pages of accommodation facilities among them, and then classify some accommodation websites by the facility name and rank them in order of probability that the website is an official one. To implement the system, we used the Web crawling and data mining techniques. To evaluate our system, we applied the system to the Hokkaido region, which is one of the most popular tourism areas in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and discusses the application of various state-of-the-art techniques to improve the design and usability of a web application in the B2C area. It is illustrated by the ongoing project of developing an intelligent destination recommender system (DieToRecs). These techniques comprise four particular evaluation steps: I. a concept test, 2. a cognitive walkthrough, 3. a heuristic evaluation, and 4. an experimental evaluation by system users. Each section (i.e. evaluation step) addresses three areas of interest: a) the starting situation and objective, b) a short description of the applied method and the procedure, c) a brief summary of the results and the lessons learned for the general use of evaluative techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current efforts in destination recommendation systems research and design are based on the assumption that user preferences have to be captured in the most accurate way possible in order to be able to provide useful recommendations. However, leading the user through a series of mind-puzzling diagnostic questions is often cumbersome and, therefore, discourages use. This paper explores travel personality categories as a possible shortcut to classifying users. The results of this study suggest that travel personality types selected by the survey respondents can, indeed, be matched up with certain travel behaviors. Implications for future research as well as systems design are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the use of 'co-operative evaluation' to investigate tourists' decision making behaviours when using Internet resources. Co-operative evaluation is a qualitative 'think-aloud' technique used to investigate usability problems in interactive systems. In this study, the technique is adapted to examine both interaction problems and decision-making activities of subjects attempting to plan a weekend break to Paris, The results show that existing general accounts of decision-making in e-commerce are not sufficiently rich to describe decision behaviours in tourism. Also, these accounts may be enhanced by reference to descriptions of tourism decision-making that pre-date the development of e-commerce. The findings also suggest that many existing web-based tools to support tourism decision-making are poorly matched to the needs of Internet users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information sources play a pivotal role in tourists' holiday decision-making by providing a wide range of information types and fulfilling different roles. It is argued that with ever increasing advances in technology and diversification of tourism communication and distribution channels, traditional and new information sources need to be considered in relation to each other and how they then fit into the holiday decision-making process. Using a natural quasi-experimental design, this paper investigates how independent travellers evaluate traditional and new interactive information sources in planning overseas holidays on temporal and utility dimensions. It concludes with a discussion of the results and how these may be extrapolated into the market especially for long-haul destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning and executing a trip requires assembling a wide variety of interacting information from a large number of sources, including information on flight schedules and prices, hotel locations and reviews, ground transportation options, weather conditions, airport delays, flight cancellations, etc. Much of this information is now available on the Internet and it can be used to enable travelers to better plan and execute their trips. This paper describes the use of software agents for extracting, integrating and mining online data sources to improve the ability to plan, monitor, and optimize travel. These agents can dynamically extract data from online travel sources, integrate this data to support interactive travel planning, continuously monitor all aspects of a trip to ensure a trip goes smoothly, and exploit data mining to make predictions that can either save a traveler money or improve the likelihood of a successful trip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of ICTs in tourism has produced a new way of conducting business. Distribution strategies were reformulated and business processes reengineered. The eCommerce growth has been substantial, with tourism companies being among those who have invested heavily in technology during the Internet escalation. The Internet enhances the marketing function of most tourism organisations significantly, as the new channel provided companies with a wealth of opportunities to enhance their business operations and to stimulate sales. However, the significant amounts of money invested, prompted management teams to evaluate their Return On Investment (ROI). Hence e-metrics has emerged as tools for measuring online performance and calculating on line ROI. However, following the Internet 'bubble burst', organisations have been very cautions about further investments. This paper examines the issues related to e-metrics implementation in the tourism sector and identifies best practice in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a contribution to the literature on the future of travel agents in the industry supply chain. It reports on WebMAIL -- a communication-distribution model that is an adaptive response to the threat of disintermediation (and associated challenges) in Australia. The initiative is unique in that it is a response by the sector's industry body rather than by the individual enterprises which comprise the sector. Also, while the technology underlying WebMAIL is relatively simple, its business model is innovative in making the suppliers, (the source of various economic threats), fund the entire system. Success with this business model suggests that in Australia the travel agent sector still adds sufficient value to retain its important role in the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the current heterodoxy of tourism-SME and micro-business approaches to customer relationship management (CRM) on the Web and analyses websites of a purposive sample of Welsh tourism-SMEs selected from VisitWales, the new Wales Tourist Board Destination Management System (DMS). The study evaluates the appropriateness of applying the Nassar (2003) model to Welsh tourism-SME websites. Modifications to Nassar's model reduce the number of features, focusing on three levels of functionality. Level 1 is fundamental comprising Access, Information and Design. Level 2 relates to e-commerce functionality which requires consideration and cost-benefit analysis by individual businesses. Level 3 considers approaches to CRM, which is notably absent from the websites surveyed. The development of customised CRM solutions appropriate to the heterodoxy of tourism-SMEs enabling product development in the minds of potential customers and the enhancement of customer loyalty is a major business opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly the Web, can enhance the role that Meeting, Incentives, Conference/Convention. and Exhibition (MICE) properties play in local economic development (LED) processes. The complex links between ICT, MICE, and LED, are explored through an extensive literature review, a website audit, and in-depth interviews with key players in the New Zealand (NZ) MICE industry. Our findings reveal that the Web has considerable, but largely untapped, potential to facilitate links between MICE properties and local economies. We argue that for this potential to be met effective strategies must be adopted, based on careful planning, and the fundamental realisation that the Web is much more than simply a marketing tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decipher is an online clearinghouse for tourism business intelligence and research. It has been developed collaboratively by the Cooperative Research Centre for Sustainable Tourism and various State Tourism Commissions in Australia since 1999. The Decipher system will be ready for public launch at the end of 2003, with the principle target markets being: small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs); local tourism associations (LTAs): and regional tourism organisations (RTOs). Decipher itself represents a substantial technological innovation for the Australian tourism industry, and now faces the challenge of adoption by its markets. This paper argues that there are systemic and structural inhibitors to innovation diffusion in Australia's (primarily regional) tourism systems. While Decipher can clearly be shown to represent improvement on current methods for research distribution, technical and functional soundness are not sufficient attributes to ensure widespread uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hotel companies have recognized that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasingly important not only in minimising costs and maximizing revenues but also in facilitating guest experiences and enhancing operational efficiency at all levels. Despite the significant ICTs investments during the last decade, the actual business benefit of better technology continues to be questioned by hoteliers, The key objective of this paper has been investigated the perception of the actual impact of hotel managers' own view on ICT investments. The result shows the comparison of expected and actual benefit achievement for each type of investment objectives. With the help of factor analysis a Benefit Scorecard has been proposed as an appropriate strategic and operational tool for evaluating ICT investments in the hospitality industry thereby enhancing the ability of hotel operators to realise the full benefits in order to maximise the value of ICTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a case study on cybergeography of Chinese Tourism Web sites (CTW). With investigation and statistics in 1999 and 2002, the spatial distribution of CTW in mainland of China and the influence factors were analyzed. It is proposed that the distribution of CTW in China is spatially differentiated, and the total number of regional CTW is related to the levels of regional social economic background, Internet techniques and the status of regional tourism development. Provinces and regions were classified into 4 groups based on the regional tourism and CTW. With regression analysis, the total number of CTW is correlated to the total number of regional domains, regional hotels, regional travel services and regional creativeness index with testified efficient linear regression model. Finally, based on these analyses, some regional strategies for the development of CTW were proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper outlines a theoretical framework for the discussion and identification of indicators measuring the properties of web sites. In this framework we distinguish between the web site as a medium for describing an object, the web site as an object of description and the normative judgement of a web site. The framework is the basis for a project currently carried out. It aims to establish indicators for tourism web sites and use them in an open benchmarking process to enforce the improvement of the set of independent web sites marketing a given tourist destination both individually and as a resource in the collective presentation of the destination. The case studied is the Sognefjord region in Western Norway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the factors that influence adoption of destination marketing systems (DMSs) by tourism operators. Destination marketing systems are used by destination marketing organisations (DMOs) in distributing tourism products, functioning as marketing intermediaries. In consideration of this, this research aims to examine the influence of marketing channel relationships on the adoption of destination marketing systems. Results of seven expert interviews confirmed the existence of technology barriers to adoption, while also highlighting a number of factors concerned with marketing channel relationships. As well as technology barrier, three themes relating to marketing channel relationships emerged: the relationship of the tourism operator with the DMO, the relationship of the tourism operator with the DMS, and the particular characteristics of tourism operators. Implications of these findings are that DMOs need to contemplate the value that they are presenting to operators, and consider the trust, communication and social networks in their relationships with operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EnglandNet Ltd, owned by England's 10 Regional Tourist Boards (RTBs) and VisitBritain, is developing a national distribution system for England's tourism product. The concept is to utilise the ability existing at the local level, to market and sell tourism product using subregional Destination Management Systems (DMSs). Integrating information collected locally through interoperability of local, regional and national DMSs, will enable England's tourism product to be channelled to resellers and distributors, providing information and bookabilty to holidaymakers worldwide. This paper aims to document the Destination Management Organisation (DM0), Marketing Manchester's transition from one business model to another, by examining differences between local and national systems, identifying competitive advantages and evaluating critical success factors, problems and issues arising from interoperability and data harmonization. From the study it will be possible to outline the initial and potential outcome of this field experiment and analyse how these findings/experiences can be extended to other projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Travelers who access the Internet through currently available web information systems often experience difficulty in selecting interesting products. This is especially true for on-the-move travelers who browse information repositories using mobile devices with poor user interfaces. Travelers suffer from an overload of information and options to consider, and they lack system support in filtering information and comparing products. In this paper, we propose an innovative approach to the problem of mapping travelers' needs to a convenient set of travel products or services. In particular, we present an on-the-move restaurant recommender system (mITR) integrated with a pre-travel planning aid system (NutKing). In this approach, firstly, the knowledge contained in a repository of past user choices is exploited to initialize the recommendation process with a set of implicit preferences. Secondly, to minimize user efforts in building a precise search query, we do not require the user to formulate a query at the beginning of the interaction, rather we involve her in a dialogue where the traveler is encouraged to provide critiques and feedback to the system recommendations. These critiques are then incorporated by the system into a new query that tries to better model the user preferences. The approach has been validated empirically by a set of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developments in search engine technology increasingly focus on helping users define/refine their queries. However, such search support approaches typically employ either content-based or user-driven algorithms. It is argued that a mixed approach that derives word associations from pages contained within the search domain but also takes user behavior into account can potentially provide a more suitable solution. This paper presents a mixed approach developed within the context of a tourism domain-specific search engine. It further outlines a research program that seeks to evaluate the quality of the query refinement solutions the system provides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper outlines the experimental evaluation of travel recommendation systems. First, theoretical concepts concentrating on the influencing factors for human-computer interaction, system usage and satisfaction are reviewed. An introduction of various methods dealing with usability evaluation is given and an overview of different "standard" survey instruments is provided. Second, a case study, the assessment of a travel recommender system currently under development, is presented. The evaluation considers aspects such as design and layout, functionality or ease of use. These measures obtained by a user questionnaire arc combined with user interaction logging data. Different variants of the travel recommendation system and a baseline system were used for the assessment. This promising approach complements subjective ratings by objective tracking data to obtain a more thorough picture of the system's weaknesses. Finally, findings are presented and an explanatory model for user/system satisfaction is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present a natural language interface that allows for easy and intuitive access to tourism information. In particular, we describe the knowledge representation model underlying the information retrieval system based on associative networks and that allows the definition of semantic relationships between domain-intrinsic information items. The network structure is used to define weighted associations between information items and we show how the system is enriched by a fuzzy search strategy. A constrained spreading activation algorithm implements information retrieval on the associative network. Strictly speaking, we take the relatedness of information items into account and show how this search strategy yields results highly associated to users' queries. Furthermore, determining appropriate associations between information items is crucial. Thus, we propose an approach based on past user interactions for identifying semantic relations between information items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer science technology allows us to create fabulous special effects in films and television advertisements. Computer games are becoming more and more detailed and realistic, and the graphics hardware is improving faster than PC chips. This, added to the presence of internet connections almost everywhere has allowed for the incredible explosion in the number of things that can be done remotely from home. Today it is possible to do the shopping, book the tickets for a flight or a theater performance, and to get the weather forecast thousands of miles away. In this paper we present a set of techniques that can be used to improve tourist information that can be delivered through the Internet. We concentrate on museum's web sites. We propose some tools that can help to improve the information quality the users receive through virtual navigation inside the actual museum or through the repository of non exhibited art works. We also propose a method for gallery design through the construction of a virtual model of the architecture of the museum and the pictures or sculptures that can be exhibited, this may allow the designers to see in advance the visual effects of possible changes in museum distribution or decoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interface metaphors are credited with the capability to facilitate interface usability and Iearnability from the human-computer interaction perspective. In tourism, they can help travelers' carry out online information tasks, and also make the information search process more entertaining and engaging. This paper discusses interface metaphors and their roles in traveler's online information experience. A conceptual model is proposed in order to evaluate interface metaphors. Finally, implications for travel website design are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the case of the consumer adoption of an air travel service innovation, namely delivering electronic tickets (Etix) for air travel, which may be viewed as an innovation in service delivery. The qualitative study reported here adopted Rogers' model of perceived innovation attributes and was augmented by Bauer's framework of perceived risk. Participants in focus groups were categorised according to their attitudes towards buying electronic tickets for air travel through the Internet. The perceived innovation attributes were identified to be significant determinants of consumers' adoption decisions and practices. In addition, two more dimensions were found to influence consumers' adoption decisions, stressing the high complexity of the adoption decisions for Internet-based air travel ticketing innovations. The findings have practical value for organisations in the air travel sector as well as for traditional travel agents and Global Distribution Systems (GDSs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Users of European inland waterways require diverse information about the waterways: information on navigation, tourism, leisure activities and more; before, during and after their trip. Today, information and communication technology is used in this sector only to a limited extent, but there is tremendous potential for using IT products to enhance the waterways experience for all types of users. This paper presents an architecture for a European Waterways Networked Information System, which realizes an open scalable platform for providing up-to-date, location-based information and services for waterway users on mobile devices. In particular, the proposed architecture addresses issues of location awareness in information provisioning, service discovery, and integration of content and service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we introduce the idea of enhancing the audio presentation of a multimedia museum guide by using the PDA screen to travel throughout a fresco and identify the various details in it. During the presentation, a sequence of pictures is synchronized with the audio commentary and the transitions among the pictures are planned according to cinematic techniques. The theoretical background is presented, discussing the language of cinematography and the Rhetorical Structure Theory to analyze dependency relationships inside a text. In building the video clips, a set of strategies similar to those used in documentaries were employed. Two broad classes of strategies have been identified. The first class encompasses constraints, imposed by the grammar of cinematography, while the second deals with conventions normally used in guiding camera movements in the production of documentaries. The results of a preliminary evaluation are also presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless technologies are being rapidly diffused in the market worldwide. The gradual implementation of 3G networks and the expansion of wireless LANs transform the way people communicate and provide new opportunities for companies and organisations. As tourism and travel imply mobility by definition, these developments will have great effects and arc expected to revolutionise all aspects of the tourism products, processes and industry structures. These developments bring a new set of opportunities and challenges for tourism destinations and the way they are being managed. This paper is a first attempt to define all the stakeholders, whose participation is required for wireless services to become available on destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of tourism as a hedonic product, demands that narratives, which project destination images, represent the richness of tourism experiences and reflect multisensory, fantasy and emotional cues. Only a strong representation of the real identity of place and how it can be experienced, will build the perceived destination images that lead to visitor satisfaction. As a case study, the online textual representations of Dubai are content analysed in order to identify the central concepts promoted online by the Dubai based tourism industry. Results show that private sector players still focus on facilities and activities and that the promotion of the rich culture, heritage and identity of Dubai is clearly left to the destination marketing organisation. There is a general lack of sensory or emotional cues and as a result the experiential nature of the product is hardly reflected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visitor Information Centres play a significant role in information provision for visitors at tourist destinations. Information and communication technology, particularly the Internet and the World Wide Web, has brought about a major shift in the information seeking behaviour of tourists. The provision, use and effectiveness information resources in visitor information centers as well as the role and impact of web based resources needs to be measured and evaluated. An approach integrating the measurement of uncertainty reduction and the fit between information resources and outcomes is proposed to enable destination managers to best fit and manage information services to types of consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of Internet technologies to tourism activities has led to the emergence of virtual networks in the tourism industry. This trend is particularly evident at the destination level. where the proliferation of destination management systems has produced substantial improvements in time, costs, quality, and flexibility of destinations' supply. However, despite these significant progresses there still appear to be some limitations, which raise the question of whether, and to which extent, the emerging virtual tourism networks are leveraging the full potentialities of Internet technologies. To try to answer this question, the results of an empirical analysis of thirty destinations web sites is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy concerns are threatening the growth of e-commerce. Online travel agencies have the potential to collect significant amounts of personal data as part of their normal operations and thus are at the forefront of such concerns. This study examines the quality of, and compliance with, the privacy policies of the largest online travel agencies operating internationally. While all post a privacy statement of some kind, in many cases the content of such policies is lacking and fails to comply with internationally recognised fair information practices. Transgressions most often occurred in terms of Onward Transfer, Integrity and Enforcement, indicating an unsophisticated approach to the management of personal information by the online agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the emerging new economy, tourism firms are trying to adapt to situations of rapid and unpredictable change. This continuous mutation of the tourism market has drawn the conceptualization of new types of Destination Management Systems (DMS) based not anymore on business models but on e-business models. Today, even if tourism firms adopt a network integrative perspective, the biggest challenge remains in their ability to manage effectively the knowledge detained in their information systems. This research develops a framework named Knowledge based Destination Management Systems which aims at overcoming actual shortcomings in DMS system design, and this through integrating the different components of DMS e-Business model with Knowledge Management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accessible Web site is one that can be accessed in a variety of ways and does not rely on a single sense or ability of the user. Regardless of any visual, audio or physical-mental impairment users should be able to access Web sites, particularly from the public sector. This is among others an objective of the European Union. Within the framework of an analysis done in the summer of 2003, the accessibility of the tourism web offers of the National DMOs within the European Union were evaluated. The research was based on the 14 guidelines of the Web Accessibility Initiative. The evaluation took place by means of a criteria catalogue reflecting the users' point of view. The results demonstrated a bandwidth regarding the implementation of accessibility. On the one hand specific guidelines were more successfully implemented than other parameters. On the other hand there were significant differences in the overall evaluation of the National European DMOs Web sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although e-service quality (e-SQ) is vital for online purchase and loyalty and the Internet is globalising services, limited knowledge exists on the cultural impact on e-SQ. In tourism, this is crucial as websites target multicultural users and firms are trying to develop localised webstores. This study addresses this gap by examining the link between cultural dimensions of website users and their e-SQ expectations. Based on an extensive literature review, research hypotheses are formulated and tested by gathering data from a multi-national student body. Findings provide useful implications for users segmentation and website globalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the Internet as a growing channel for travel services distribution, sophisticated travel services aggregators are increasingly in demand. A travel services aggregation platform should be able to manage the heterogeneous characteristics of the many existing travel services. It should also be as scalable, robust, and flexible as possible. Using multiagent technology, we designed and implemented a multiagent platform for travel services aggregation called NADIM-Travel. In this platform, a planner-coordinator agent manages users' requests as well as the response aggregation process. Service agents, on their part, act as gateways to external service providers, and are utilized to retrieve the responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the emerging age of Ambient Intelligence wherein the customer will become ever more demanding, businesses must be innovative and apply advanced technologies to meet and exceed customers' expectations. The relationship between information and communication technology embedded in a global net and tourism offers an excellent basis for innovation. It served as a departure point for the development and testing of the Rent-A-Mobile Guide (RAMG), which leverages distributed capacity through the application of a personal digital assistant (PDA), enabling users to co-create the content of their personalized travel experience derived, in part, from lifestyle research and their spatial interaction with tourist destination Stakeholders. The identification of the customers' lifestyle allows the RAMG and its network stakeholders to sense and respond to individual customers' expectations and take measures that provide exclusive access to any source of information, at any place and lime, resulting in increased purchase volumes and user loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical evidence is presented, which suggests that current approaches to IT in tourism are dominated by the assumptions of the Postpositivist paradigm and are failing to meet the objectives they have set for themselves. A theoretical critique of three cases is undertaken highlighting the IT planning implementation problems in tourism. Critical Theory is presented as an alternative to Postpositivism and, in order to address current problems, an evaluative framework is proposed based on Habermas's Theory Of Communicative Action and his theory of System and Lifeworld. The framework is tested in the context of current issues involving the distribution of packaged leisure travel in the UK. Initial findings indicate the need for the UK holiday industry to engage in further communicative action in order to develop a system of online, real time distribution, which can enable its members to meet the changing needs of the consumer, A tentative schema is presented for facilitating this communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing choice of location-based service (LBS) solutions available to the tourist replicate the traditional map and guidebook paradigm, using a two dimensional geometric model of the landscape. We argue that this docs not reflect the instinctive ways by which most people orientate themselves to features of interest within their environs, or navigate between them. To overcome the shortcomings of existing LBS, the terraVX(™) system uses a true three dimensional data model, allowing the delivery of information to be prioritised on the basis of whether a feature is visible rather than whether it is simply nearby. The 3-D representation within terraVX(™) can also deliver navigational guidance across open terrain irrespective of whether a network of roads or tracks exists. We discuss how the extended functionality offered by the terraVX(™) system design particularly suits the queries posed by tourists and illustrate this using a prototype database generated for visitors to a heritage tourism site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is increasingly applying innovative technological solutions regarding communication with tourists. A project of the Industrial Section and the Office for Industrial Innovation of South Tyrol developed a Tourist Information Technology cluster within the Cluster Alpine Network (CAN) as South Tyrolean companies still possess idle potentials which could be pooled and improved within the framework of clusters and competence centers, CAN South Tyrol is lo build an economic network which will offer small- and medium-sized companies especially in outlying areas the opportunity to co-operate with other companies in the region. One cluster was developed within the field of Information Technology and tourism: three startup enterprises specialized in destination management system (DMS), geographical information systems (GIS) and 3D/360 grade picture animation, have integrated their competencies for creating an innovative product for the tourist sector called DESTOUR. DESTOUR is an interactive information, communication and distribution system for tourist destinations based on geographical maps integrating tourist information, such as accommodations and tourist services, and online booking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The next generation mobile technologies have very important implications in the travel and tourism sector. Tourism presents great potential for the use of new mobile technologies and constitutes an area of ample opportunity for deploying the state-of-the-art mobile Internet technologies. A survey has been conducted on a random sample of Italian university students, one of the most important segments of cellular telephone users, in order to analyse the main determinants for the building of a critical mass of adopters of 3G mobile technologies. This critical mass is fundamental in guaranteeing a "mass" diffusion. Students' networks exhibit non-random structures, therefore the speed with which an opinion or a piece of information spreads is very high. A possible growth pattern is modelled. The largely positive attitude toward the adoption of 3G technology shown, allows the modelling of a short term build-up of a critical mass of users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]