ICT FOR EXTERNAL USE IN CROATIAN FOUR- AND FIVE-STAR HOTELS

The Purpose - The objective of the paper is to examine the implementation of advanced technology and promotional supports in hotel companies and to compare their performance in four- and five-star hotels. More specifically, ICT for external use are analysed, i.e. customer relationship management (CRM), communication with customers, promotional supports, and online order receptions. Design/Methodology/Approach - The empirical research took place in 38 upscale (26 four and 12 five-star) hotels located in Croatia, in the regions of Dalmatia, Istria, and Kvarner, and in the city of Zagreb. The data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered mainly during personal interviews with hotel and marketing managers. The SPSS software was used for data analysis. Findings - Findings reveal a relatively high implementation of technology solutions, reaching promotional supports the highest scores. Four-star hotels perform significantly better than five-star hotels in most of the ICT items. Originality - The study provides insights into the external role of ICT for upscale hotels from the standpoint of customer relationship management (CRM), communication with customers, promotional supports, and online order receptions as tools for enhancing hotel promotion. These can be used as a valuable source of information between academics and can be additionally useful to marketing managers in hotels that intend to find as more as innovative ways for hotel promotion.