Internet-based tourism services: business issues and trends

This paper assesses the current state of development among the Internet-based providers of tourism services. The study focuses on leading intermediary businesses and enabling groups: travel agents; specialist service providers; reservation technology providers; and public agencies. In studying some 50 leading web sites, spanning a range of differing groups of intermediaries, we examined how travel agent sites seek to differentiate themselves, how public tourist information bodies are harnessing the Internet, and the role of computer reservation technology providers. We also examined factors shaping the future of the Internet: institutional tensions; competition for end users and investors; and end user expectations. The conclusions highlight a number of implications for the further development of tourism services provision within Europe, where the Internet plays a significant role. For example, the extent and pace of social and economic change that Internet derived information is facilitating. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.