Information Technology And Consumer Behavior In Travel And Tourism

TRV303 Tourism Research and Development

Implications of Internet and Social Media Usage

The authors Xiang, Magnini and Fesenmaier (2015) in their article entitled “Information technology and consumer behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet” attempts a discussion on the usage of the internet among the numerous American tourists for the purposes of tourism. The concerned article tends to discuss the heavy usage of the various travel agencies that operate over the internet. The authors of the article state that these agencies are observed to have been dominating the tourism market in the modern times, especially in the developed countries. The authors claim that the usage of the internet had gained popularity among the travelers since long. However, there has been observed a growth in the matters that are related to the use of the social media in the tourism industry. The article aims to discuss the implications that have resulted from the increased usage of the internet and the social media among the present generation of travelers, especially the millennials. The article further puts forth the identification of the fact that the concerned millennials further demonstrate a differentiation in the usage of the internet for the purpose of travelling. The article further states that a certain section of the millennials depict a trend of engaging in the payments through the various transaction methods that are available online.

The authors state that the growth in the usage of the internet has led to the conditions wherein the given clients of the concerned tourism organization can interact directly with the organization without the intervention of the various intermediaries in between. This has helped in the matters related to the disintermediation in the industry thereby enabling a freer and clearer connection between the service provider and the end-clients of the service. The article states that the use of the internet has emerged as one of the major tools for the planning of the travel among the given millennials as well as the other members of the society who have been using the social media and the internet for the purpose of gathering information on the given area of travel. The article states that the selection of the proper channel of advertisement and the proper language for the attraction of the clients of the concerned organization. The use of the internet has become one of the major sources of information for the people who have been involved in the tourism industry. The major focus of the articles lies on the various advertising techniques that are adopted by the concerned agencies.

The authors in the article state that the “Travel and tourism businesses must find ways, particularly optimal combinations of channels and sources, to distribute their products and better communicate with their prospective and returning customers in order to develop sustainable competitive advantages” (Xiang, Magnini and Fesenmaier p. 4). The article majorly focusses on growth in the use of the internet among the various members of the millennial generation. The article has been useful in the educating the people in the regarding the use of the internet for the purposes of travel and tourism. The article might be improved by implementing a wider research in the given fields. This might have helped in the enrichment of the article. The article might also have been improved by incorporating data from the actual clientele of the travel organizations rather than relying on the American Travel Survey for the data on the given study.

Disintermediation in the Tourism Industry

I am by birth a citizen of the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan. I have been interested in travelling and tourism since my childhood days. I have already travelled to various places all over the world. The various countries and places where to I have travelled till date include the countries of Alberta, Colorado, Hawaii, Korea and Seattle, an area situated in the western coast of the United States. One of my favorite hobbies is to travel the world and learn about the different cultures and the other habits that define the various practices of the people residing all over the world. I myself like to travel and explore the world and also want to assist the other people like myself to travel the world and gather knowledge about the various cultures that are present in the world.

I would like to help the Japanese people to travel the world as well. the activity of travelling helps in educating the concerned people regarding the various cultural activities that are maintained by the residents of the given locality. The travelling also helps in gathering knowledge about the various practices and habits of the people residing at the various geographical localities of the world. The travelling to the various places also helps in the widening of the knowledge bases of the people who have been travelling as compared to those who have been stagnant at a particular locality within the country.

One of my favorite pastimes have been clicking pictures of the various scenic beauties in nature. The travelling activities help me to have the opportunity to click pictures of the various scenarios that are available all over the world. The major advantage of travelling lies in the fact that the activity of travelling has helped me in amplifying my desire to click pictures of the various sceneries at various locations. I also love to click pictures of the famous architectures and monuments that speak of the rich cultural heritage of the given area. This helps me to gather knowledge on the cultural heritage of the concerned area.

My future goal in the tourism industry is to serve the cruise line of Disney. I have been working at a Disney store at present and, at the same time, pursuing a course in tourism in the present times. This course will help me in developing my skills and expertise in guiding as well as helping the various tourists who have been visiting the cruise. The Disney cruise line is known for the fleet that serves at the various destinations like Alaska, British Isles, the Bahamas, the Bermuda, the Canadian coastal areas, the Caribbean areas, the Panama Canal, the Transatlantic areas and other such places that might serve the purpose of exciting vacations.

The activities of tourism refer to the activities of travelling for the purpose of business or the pleasurable purposes. The term tourism also refers to the theory and the various practices of travelling or touring. The tourism business is inclusive of the attraction, accommodation and the entertainment of the various tourists who have been visiting a certain place with the intent of the travelling and gathering knowledge on the various matters that are related to the various business activities that are related to the operation of the various tours within the given activities (En.oxforddictionaries.com). The tourism industry might involve the tours that have been organized within the territorial boundaries of the country of the concerned tourist. It might also include the international tours that have been undertaken by the given tourist.

According to the World Tourism Organization, the activities related to the tourism might not only be related to the activity of holidaying. The concerned activity might also relate to the activities that are undertaken by the people including the travelling to as well as the stay in the various places that do not belong to their usual environments (Cf.cdn.unwto.org). The World Tourism Organization states that the activity of tourism to take into consideration the residence of the concerned tourists at a place for over a year or even consecutive years. The World Tourism Organization suggests that the purpose of tourism is not always limited to the travel in the concerned areas. The tourism might also be undertaken for the business purposes and other purposes.

The definitions stated above discusses that the tourism activities involve the business and other purposes in addition to the leisurely activities of the travelling and other such activities. The tourism business is inclusive of the attraction, accommodation and the entertainment of the various tourists who have been visiting a certain place with the intent of the travelling and gathering knowledge on the various matters that are related to the various business activities that are related to the operation of the various tours within the given activities.

Conclusion

Thus, from the above discussion, it might be concluded that the travelling also helps in gathering knowledge about the various practices and habits of the people residing at the various geographical localities of the world. The tourism industry might involve the tours that have been organized within the territorial boundaries of the country of the concerned tourist. It might also include the international tours that have been undertaken by the given tourist. The above discussion has helped me gain insights on to the new trends in the tourism industry and the ways in which the concerned industry might flourish further. The findings as discussed above might help me in my future career in the tourism industry.

References

Cf.cdn.unwto.org. Cf.cdn.unwto.org. N.p., 2018. Web. 23 Sept. 2018.

En.oxforddictionaries.com. “Tourism | Definition Of Tourism In English By Oxford Dictionaries.” Oxford Dictionaries | English. N.p., 2018. Web. 23 Sept. 2018.

Mariani, Marcello M., et al. “Managing change in tourism destinations: Key issues and current trends.” Journal of Destination Marketing & Management 2.4 (2014): 269-272.

Samori, Zakiah, Nor Zafir Md Salleh, and Mohammad Mahyuddin Khalid. “Current trends on Halal tourism: Cases on selected Asian countries.” Tourism Management Perspectives19 (2016): 131-136.

Xiang, Zheng, Vincent P. Magnini, and Daniel R. Fesenmaier. “Information technology and consumer behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet.” Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 22 (2015): 244-249.