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The collection of customer and guest satisfaction data is an essential element of quality assurance in the field of tourism, particularly as we are witnessing a dramatic change in demand behaviour along with increasing differentiation and individualisation. In this connection, surveys conducted with the help of touch-screen terminals present an alternative to conventional methods of data collection (face-to-face interviews or self completion questionnaires) as this innovative method reduces time and costs. We describe the technical, organisational and economic benefits of this new system and discuss the methodical characteristics of touch-screen surveys. Comparing the touch-screen method with oral and paper&pencil-interviews has shown that the data collected at the terminals are of high quality and comparability to those resulting from other forms of surveys. In this context, there is a difference, for instance, in the reaction to the rating questions. All in all, surveys conducted by means of touch-screen terminals have proved to be an adequate and innovative method, in particular regarding the polling situations in question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five papers specifically dealing with the science or engineering of baseball were submitted to the conference. Four of these papers deal with topics associated with issues related to the ball-bat collision. The fifth paper deals with the aerodynamics of a baseball in flight. All of the submitted papers address issues of practical importance to the game of baseball. What follows is a brief summary of each paper, followed by a synopsis of other activity in the field not reported at this conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six papers under the broad banner of biomechanics were submitted to the conference. Two of these papers deal with footwear/surface interactions, while the others deal with a unique aspect of the application of biomechanics to a sport or physical activity. All of the submitted papers address issues of practical importance to sport and exercise. What follows is a brief summary of each paper, followed by a synopsis of other activity in the field not reported at this conference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The theme of Modelling Systems in sports includes a range of diverse papers presented at the ISEA Conference in Munich in July, 2006. Systems in sports are typically complex and include interactions between the athlete, equipment and sport which frequently result in unique outcomes. For this reason, it is necessary to develop models that represent a form of idealisation of the physical problem, but which nevertheless through manipulation and simulation provide greater insight into the particular questions of interest. The papers included in this theme involve interesting analytical, computational and experimental system models in a range of sports such as gymnastics, tennis, handball, alpine skiing, rowing, cricket, skydiving, figure skating, volleyball and football. The following section aims to provide an overview of the main research and development issues presented in these papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic analyses for impact of sports balls almost exclusively are based upon rigid-body dynamics. At impact speeds representative of ball games, this paper obtains effects of finite deflections and a finite contact area on the changes in velocity and angular velocity of a thin-walled, inflated ball. Momentum flux associated with the evolving contact region is shown to be non-conservative and a significant source of energy dissipation during impact of thin-walled balls against a court surface. Nevertheless, changes in both angular speed of the ball and direction of bounce are modest for coefficients of friction that are representative of sports surfaces. This paper obtains results from a large deflection theory that calculates changes of bounce that result from the finite contact area that develops during impact. These changes in rate-of-spin and rebound velocity of basketballs, soccer balls, ect are related to the structure and material properties of inflated thin-walled spherical balls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews two current and two emerging test methods for the impact assessment of sports surfaces for a variety of different sports including field hockey, soccer/rugby and sports hall floors. A good quality sports surface should enable a player to demonstrate and develop their skills, and limit the risk of injury. To ensure surfaces meet these requirements (in part) many sports governing bodies stipulate a series of (impact) tests to assess the surface shock absorption. Current industry standard impact tests have some shortcomings for either routine use and/or for research purposes. In this paper the impact performance requirements of a surface are briefly reviewed, and the four measurement methods explained. The emerging test methods are contrasted to the conventional ones, via a series of comparative data from several programmes of research. The paper concludes that there is a place for both simple `ranking΄ tests, suitable for routine use and that are comparable to the more complex sport performance tests, and for a more sophisticated engineering test that is both a suitable substitute for the industry standard methods and that better describes the behaviour of the sports surface under test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal pressure in a tennis ball controls its rebound characteristics but it is known that there can be a pressure loss from the ball resulting in them becoming unusable. This is annoying to many players who are thus continuously sustaining the costs of ball replacement. This paper describes a series of experiments conducted to evaluate this pressure loss. These included taken samples of balls from long-term storage, from actual use in tennis and also subjecting balls to short-term high frequency bouncing. A standard rebound test was used to evaluate the characteristics of the balls. It was concluded that the period of storage is probably the major factor in causing pressure loss. It is assumed the loss is a result of the permeability of the rubber used for the shell of the ball. An experimental pressure vessel was constructed that would enable balls to be externally pressurised for varying periods of time at varying levels of pressure to recover their internal pressure. The paper describes the results of these tests and sets out conclusions that can be used for the design of a player friendly device to rejuvenate tennis balls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results from a study where 3D city maps is used on mobile computers. The aim of this study is to get feedback from the users on how they experience the use of 3D maps as an interface in search for tourist information. To do this an application is developed that use a 3D map for routing and way finding. The application is tested on a group of boat tourists in the harbour of Tønsberg (Norway). The results showed that a rather large group of people found the use of 3D maps valuable both as a navigational tool and as a tool for geographic orientation. In the paper, also some technical issues that enable the transmission of 3D maps in a wireless network and its use on mobile devices, is also discussed. The research is carried out as part of the EU-Project TellMaris (1ST 2000-28249) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teamwork in cycling plays an important role, not only during competition to push a cyclist, but also in training to maximize individual training effects. In this paper, we present a fully operational prototype of the Assisted Bicycle Trainer, a distributed ambient intelligence system to enhance outdoor group training of cyclists. The prototype is designed to run on different hardware platforms and communication technologies, in particular, embedded PC communicating via WLAN and Bluetooth, and light-weight micro controllers using ZigBee for inter-bicycle communication. A focus of the paper is on the tailored communication solutions and different broadcast schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has shown wear to affect ball performance during play, but contributing factors to wear differences have not been well identified. A framework has been developed to aide a systematic investigation into these factors. Several of these features are investigated in this paper, including repeated impacts, racket impact conditions, precipitation, and natural pressure loss. The results from these investigations are intended not only to give players a better understanding of what occurs during play, but also enable manufacturers and governing bodies to address specific areas of importance in ball wear and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Swimming is a suitable sport for the physically disabled, since the buoyancy provided by the water enables the whole body to be trained through it. However, physical disability may worsen the swimming form and affect body balance. In this paper, the effect of upper-extremity amputation on the crawl swimming was firstly analyzed by simulation, since crawl is the most common stroke, and its thrust is mainly generated by the upper limb motion. Next, a swimming prosthetic which compensates for the amputated limb was designed using an optimization method. Finally, a swimming prosthetic was manufactured based on the results of the optimization, and the prosthetic΄ validity was confirmed by a preliminary evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool called Fin Designer has been developed at the University of Wales, Swansea for three-dimensional design of surfboard fins. This tool has been developed as part of a larger project aiming to facilitate design of fins and surfboards for manufacturers with user-friendly software and direct linking into manufacturing processes such as CNC machines and injection molding. This type of tool also provides the basis for in-depth scientific and engineering studies, using engineering software for stress analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), giving deeper insights into potential improvements from design and material modifications. Previous papers (Lavery, Foster, Carswell and Brown 2005; Carswell and Lavery 2006) have dealt with the description of the geometrical models used in the software as well as preliminary computational results made possible by the software. In this paper the emphasis is on the correlation between drag and lift forces for surfboard fins as predicted and measured in a flow tank. Drag and lift forces predicted by the CFD were fed into a specially coded Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to obtain displacements of the fin undergoing these hydrodynamic forces. This paper presents preliminary validation of fluid-solid coupling on the standard benchmark of a cylinder, as well as some results for a single fin. While further verfication of the models are required, the current results appear to suggest that the displacements are of a couple of orders of magnitude smaller than those expected by current fin manufacturers, and hence that fin stiffness remains a strong candidate for fin design improvements. [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]

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]

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]

Information technology in hospitality and tourism education has gained popularity as a research topic since the first few conceptual papers appeared at the end of the last century, particularly focussing on curriculum issues. This paper diverges slightly from the existing research stream and examines how industry specific hospitality information technology can be integrated into a hotel school's IT-infrastructure, creating a live learning environment where systems are not just used in "standalone" training sessions, but also in operations where students can get "real" hands-on experience with the systems themselves as well as how these systems interface. The authors developed a prototype based on the IT-infrastructure that they developed at their own institution, and tested this externally against the practice and opinion of their peers (other schools) and internally with students and colleagues, based on the experience that they had with the system infrastructure during its first year of operation. The results show that the developed prototype is quite advanced compared to other hotel schools, but that challenges still lie in the traditional problem of how to integrate the technology into the curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism industry is dynamically evolving, responding to significant environmental changes. Information Technology (IT) applications constitute a major contributor to the industry's evolution. This paper reviews several popular tourist destination analysis and planning instruments. Specifically, evaluation matrix techniques and simplified diagrams for landscape analysis are covered. It then attempts to develop such an instrument, namely the Tourism Destination Analysis Card, The card belongs to the section elevation diagrams type of simplified diagrams for landscape analysis and its philosophy is based on the presentation of related geographic areas. The data base management system, the architecture of the proposed IT application and the information flow diagram are finally presented analytically. The overall objective of this paper is to introduce a "coordination and communication" scenario among the involved players of the tourism industry (the public sector included) based on technology challenges upon which information flow and transactions will be accelerated and the value of the end consumer enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional electronic commerce models just enable the online offering, ordering, payment, and delivery of goods. One common characteristic of the different models is their isolation. Though they are connected to the Web, they still are isolated islands in the online universe, as they cannot interact with each other without media-breaks. The isolation is enforced by the limited support of coordinating interactions among partners in today's marketplace. This work provides an infrastructure for modeling and coordinating ad-hoc relationships among partners involved in the market for buying and selling goods or services. Support for these relationships, called trading alliances here, is what this paper about. It provides opportunities to bundle complementary needs of partners according to unpredictable requirements to the market. This paper augments existing electronic commerce models by defining an infrastructure for collaborative electronic market. It considers an example of trading among a travel agency and partners. It also describes the underlying technologies for implementing the proposal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on New Zealand (NZ) small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTE) and their use and adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly the Internet. An overview of the research that has been conducted in this area reveals a number of gaps in our understanding of issues facing small operators. We argue that these limitations are due, in part, to an over emphasis on survey based research. The paper then reviews key findings from a qualitative, multi-sectoral, program of research based around over 250 in-depth interviews conducted between 1998 and 2002. The core aim is to provide a deeper understanding of the major factors that hinder or enhance prospects for ICT uptake that have remained largely hidden from the survey based research. The ability of technology to foster improved competitive performance through network and alliance formation is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service quality is argued to be a crucial success factor for ASP's, but yet an empirically validated instrument for measuring the service quality of ASP vendors needs to be developed. This paper aimed to fill in this gap. After synthesising previous literature on the service quality construct within the context of IS, e-commerce, ICT outsourcing and ASP effectiveness, the paper proposes a set of dimensions and model for measuring ASP service quality. The model is tested within a set of Greek tourism and hospitality businesses. Directions for future research as well as suggestions for improving the practices of ASP suppliers and users are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service-driven architectures promise a new paradigm providing an extremely flexible approach for building complex information systems. However, at the current moment, service architectures go little way beyond standardized remote procedure calls and textual directories to locate and describe a service provider based on human intervention. In this paper we consider three important dimensions for building next-generation service-driven systems building on enabling technologies such as Web services, Peer-2-Peer and Semantic Web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of tourism various market research data from guest surveys is available. However, this valuable information cannot be compared as each entity uses different survey designs and therefore obtains heterogeneous data. Hence, extensive data is available but wise use of this data is impossible unless the information is harmonized in a comprehensive database. In this paper a comparable database is suggested that serves as a marketing information system and offers new opportunities for analyzing data from different sources. It discusses various comparability problems and shows how to harmonize heterogeneous data. Final result is a proposal of a quantitative model that integrates guest survey data from several European cities and allows access to a comprehensive database via the Internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a model supporting intelligent interactions of tourists with other tourists and locals and the tourism information of a particular Destination before, during and after the trip. The approach tries to bridge the "Community Gap" which is the lack of interactions among tourists and between tourists and locals at a particular Destination. Community interactions are very important both for prospective visitors and for Destinations for many reasons including, greater independence and self-planning in the visit's design, exploitation of the local society knowledge about the Destination, as well as promotion of regional policies and collective purchases of services from prospective visitors. Modem information technology has become ubiquitous, supporting visitors with a variety of devices ranging from handy devices, to Community Walls, to paper interfaces, to home PCs. The paper focus is the description of the knowledge bases and their capabilities for intelligent interactions for supporting tourism communities at Destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role, which a Value Added Network Provider could play in creating a Virtual Organisation in the travel industry. There is much hype surrounding the VO concept but very little in the way of empirical data. Subsequent to reviewing the theory relating to VO the author reviews two examples of VO, which are operational in the manufacturing sector and reflects on how this practice outside the travel industry could be applied within it. The paper presents an overview of what form a VO in the travel industry might take and concludes that the VANP occupies a pivotal role in the travel value chain and is in a natural position to assume the role as a broker of VO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of lawn sports could arguably include any sport that is played on natural or synthetic turf, including those as diverse as lawn bowls, tennis and American football. The sports that are included in this section are related to only three: cricket, field hockey and rugby football, as the subject of soccer has generated enough papers to warrant its own section. However, the research areas covered in this section demonstrate the wide variety of expertise applied in the field of sports engineering, including soil mechanics, impact modelling and optimisation, amongst others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article highlights the contribution of the field of information and communication technology (ICT) to the growth, development, and diversification of the tourism industry. At the same time tourism represents a challenging field for ICT specialists to develop new applications. For the field to continue to mature, more applications of information technology to tourism situations are needed, as are more studies of their impacts and more creative ways to explore the vast potential of research in this area.

Cycling, as a sport, encompasses a range of types from the reproducible conditions prevailing in indoor velodrome track cycling through road racing to the very variable conditions experienced in mountain or all-terrain biking. All of these aspects of the sport are represented by the papers presented in this section of the conference. Indeed, by covering the performance of helmets the paper by Alam et al. is also relevant to everyday commuting by bicycle. The papers presented also cover a number of aspects involved in circular development from design through performance to improved design, with a strong concentration on sensor development and analysis to optimise performance and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

This paper investigates the sequential transfer of kinetic energy from proximal to distal segments in the golf swing. Forty five male, scratch golfers performed driver swings before a multi-camera motion analysis system. Position data recorded from the trials were used to scale and update the movement of a kinematic golf model. The rigid bodies of the golf model were assigned basic, homogenous, geometries with known inertial properties. The rigid bodies of the human-golf club system were subdivided into 4 linked segments. Translational, remote rotational and local rotational kinetic energy was calculated for each segment throughout the swing. It was found that the peak magnitudes of total kinetic energy increased sequentially from proximal to distal segments, while the timing of these peaks did not follow a sequential pattern. This paper describes the use of a novel method of kinetic energy calculation in the golf swing, and its application in club head speed generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What are the features of the optimal kicks in rugby? What is the best way to achieve satisfactory kicks? The objective of this paper is to provide the answers to these questions by optimizing the initial velocity and angular velocity vectors for three kinds of kick – the punted kick, the kick into touch and the kick for goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the testing of a ˵simple″ and relatively inexpensive method of monitoring crew performance during on-the-water rowing. Direct oar force measurement is utilised and the results obtained are compared with alternative measurable parameters. The data derived not only allows real time comparison of the useful power being delivered by each oarsman in the boat, but also enables direct observation of blade control, synchronisation, cleanness of catch and finish etc. The purpose of this paper is not necessarily to present ˵new″ information (although where to actually find current published ˵on-the – water″ data is still a mystery), but to demonstrate that useful feedback information for coaches can easily be obtained by very simple and relatively cheap use of basic strain gauge application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to guide readers through the development of equipment and related testing procedures at the RMIT University Industrial Wind Tunnel facility designed to replicate and assess flow mechanics relevant to motorcycles. The paper particularly addresses design and development of the preliminary test rig to support both motorcycle and rider. A Cobra probe, the University΄s own 13-hole probe and various surface pressure measuring devices are used to analyse near wake and other basic flows pertinent to stakeholders associated with the development of supersports class motorcycles. The test matrix addresses not only various rider configurations but seeks to assess the effect of appendices such as mirrors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibration levels are of major concern in tennis racquet design. If the racquet structure is to be dynamically tuned so that negative consequences of racquet vibration are alleviated, the parameters defining the degree to which vibration is transferred to the athlete must first be quantified and fully understood. This paper investigates some of the main parameters contributing to vibration transfer in tennis racquets via the hand grip. The work presented here allows for a correlation to be established between grip characteristics and vibration response of the racquet. In-order gain more insight into the mechanics of vibration transfer to the athlete the tennis grip is quantified here in terms of pressure distribution and its relationship with amplitude of vibration in frequency and time domain. The pressure distribution in the grip is determined using hydrocell pressure sensors. Grip anticipation times have been measured and assessed giving a comprehensive understanding of the tennis grip dynamics. The gripping characteristics during ball impact are related to the dynamic response of the tennis racquet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the previous ISEA conference (in Davis 2004) we reported on our work measuring a ski athlete. Each summer we add new functions to the measuring system and each winter we test the functions on the snow field. This paper is a description of the system as it was in March 2005, and is meant to provoke discussion of measurement and design issues. Developments since 2004 include Redesigned load cells for the forces between the binding plate and each skiNew strain amplifiers for all channels including automatic systems to balance the load cells and set the range˵ShapeSnakes″ – a new kind of goniometerA vertical gyroscope to assist with measurement of the absolute angle of a backpack worn by the athleteCustom acquisition of signals from foot-shaped FSA pressure sensors; andSoftware to display the acquired data in a virtual 3D world. Another paper in these proceedings, Yoneyama (2006), describes some results obtained with the new equipment Although not everything worked perfectly during our latest tests, some good results were obtained. We will also present our vision for the next generation of the equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teams of employees at firms innovate. Scientists and engineers at universities and research institutions innovate. Inventors at private labs innovate. Regular people consume. Wrong! Regular people innovate, too. Users have been the source of many large and small innovations across a wide range of product classes, industries, and even scientific disciplines. In this paper I describe the contributions made by user innovators in the windsurfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of sports equipment is primarily performance driven. As a consequence of this approach the sports equipment industry has eagerly adopted new materials and processes over the years that provide the competitive edge but which have unintentionally placed additional burdens on the environment. With the introduction of more rigorous environmental regulations in the developed countries there has been a further shift of manufacturing operations to areas of the world where such policies are more relaxed. There is much evidence that such practices have caused further global environmental degradation. With around 80% of the environmental burden of a product determined during the design stage it is clear that new design practices and tools are required in order to address this problem in a more sustainable way. Environmental concerns need to become a design objective rather than a constraint. This paper discusses the principles and strategies for environmentally sound design of sports equipment and in particular the eco-design approach based on life cycle assessment (LCA). A case study is presented involving comparative environmental life cycle assessment of carbon fibre and glass fibre composite tennis racquets using software EcoScan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper the authors describe the first stages of developing a genetic algorithm for optimising hockey stick design. The final iteration of this algorithm optimises the mass distribution and total mass of the hockey stick, and ranks the performance of each design based on its modelled ability in hitting and perceived performance in dribbling. The fitness function used draws on player performance testing results, validated models and implied human perception data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Science and football are two different worlds that nevertheless deal with each other in an increasing manner. Decisions about the effective and efficient use of football΄s most important human capital, the players, are taken not any more solely on the base of intuition and common sense, but are supported by advanced computer systems. These systems allow the club management to measure and analyze the effectivity of the decisions in a more objective and sound way, resulting in a decrease of wasted money, such as `bad buys and transfers΄. Indeed, football is arrived in the process of professionalization, although – like in all sports – emotion and work of man will never be excluded! In this paper two computer support systems are introduced, namely Coach&ScoutAssistant and EffectivityInAction. The first system is used to track and trace the development of (youth) players and to calculate the value-added and best position in the team of a scouted player. The second system is used on-line during the match and generates graphs that reflect the effectivity of the competing teams. Both systems are answers to the intriguing question about the discrepancy between individual and team performance: what is the relation between the performance of an individual player and the performance of his team as a whole? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]