Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

Eugenia Ruiz-Molina, Maria ; Gil-Saura, Irene ; Šerić, Maja

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-Oct-2011-0033

Purpose – Information and communication technologies (ICT) may represent an important source of advantages for service companies. However, the literature suggests that ICT need to be adapted to the demands of the company and its customers. The purpose of this paper is to compare the ICT use in hotels situated in established (i.e. Spain) and emerging (i.e. Croatia) tourist destinations. Design/methodology/approach – Non-hierarchical cluster analysis is performed. Clusters are internally validated by a K-Means cluster analysis and a discriminant analysis. Analysis of variance is applied and contingency tables between cluster membership and hotel characteristics are created. Findings – The results reveal significant differences in the degree of ICT implementation, identifying “traditional” and “technified” hotels. However, these differences are better explained by the hotel category rather than by its location. Practical implications – ICT may be useful for both hotels located in established tourist destinations and for those in emerging tourist areas. However, reasons for making use of ICT may differ: while hotels located in established tourist destinations may use technology in order to differentiate themselves from the competition in the local market, hotels in emerging destinations may try to attract Western tourists who are looking for something different. Originality/value – It is known that hotels in established tourist destinations can use technology as a renewal tool. Nevertheless, there is little evidence about the ICT use in hotels in emerging tourist destinations, which intends to be approached by this study.

Egger, Roman

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-04-2012-0014

Purpose – Near field communication (NFC) is currently perceived to be one of the most promising technologies for the future and will most likely become the standard in mobile devices in the years to come. Due to the novel nature of this technology, the assessment of its importance for the tourism industry is still relatively unclear. The author is one of the first to focus on NFC in tourism, with the aim of introducing NFC technology and drafting first responses to the following questions: what benefit can NFC technology have for tourism and what functionalities can it trigger? What are the possible future applications in tourism and what challenges will tourism be faced with in this respect? Design/methodology/approach – The potential of NFC for the tourism industry is outlined in an extensive literature research, as well as in the presentation and discussion of several pilot projects and case studies. Findings – The paper provides an overview of NFC functionalities and presents a first insight into the range of application for this technology in the tourism industry. The NFC ecosystem is examined and operative and strategic effects for companies, as well as the impacts for tourists, are analysed. Practical implications – NFC has a huge potential and offers a vast field of possible applications for the tourism industry. The technology must be seen, however, as an enabler that cannot solve problems from a supplier perspective, or increase convenience from a consumer perspective by itself. This paper helps to understand the complexity of NFC as a technology, the need for a common understanding and vision of its ecosystem, consistent business models which generate additional benefit, as well as the combination of market push-and-pull effects with regard to adoption and diffusion. Social implications – Modern society is virtually inconceivable without mobile devices and the consequent use of mobile services. The multitude of technologies incorporated in the tiniest space has turned mobile phones, and smart phones in particular, into the Swiss knives of our times. NFC could change the way we interact, share, exchange and retrieve information. Originality/value – Little research has so far been carried out on this topic and the author is one of the first to focus on NFC in tourism so far.

Virginia Phelan, Kelly ; Chen, Hsiang-Ting ; Haney, Matthew

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-Jul-2012-0020

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how effectively hotels are using Facebook as a marketing tool and how consumers are interacting with the property by measuring the number of fans, customer comments, and accuracy of information provided. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based upon a content analysis, inquiring into 100 hotels' Facebook pages. Findings – Findings demonstrate that the use of Facebook features by hotels varied widely. Some hotels utilize Facebook solely as a means for posting property information, whereas others focus on facilitating customer engagement. Research limitations/implications – Literature related to the effectiveness of social media as a marketing tool within the hospitality industry is severely limited, thus this research highlights the challenges some hotels are experiencing with maximizing the reach of their Facebook pages, suggests possible approaches for improvement and makes recommendations for structuring social networking strategies. Practical implications – Results demonstrated many hotels failed to interact with customers, provide accurate and timely information, and entice prospective purchasers by showcasing the property through photos and videos. Practitioners would be well served to improve upon these aspects to better appeal to consumers and recognize a significant return on investment. Originality/value – This study investigates the extent to which Facebook is being utilized by the top 100 domestic US hotels. Evaluation criteria included three aspects: content information, property details, and interactions between hotels and customers. Literature related to social network marketing is sparse, thus the present research is intended to provide a basis for future research and guidance for industry professionals to best maximize technological marketing channels.

Nabil Almunawar, Mohammad ; Susanto, Heru ; Anshari, Muhammad

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-05-2012-0015

Purpose – The emergence of innovative internet-based reservation systems (iReservation systems) is threatening the sustainability of retail travel agencies (TAs) in Brunei Darussalam. With the friendliness and convenience offered by iReservation systems, many customers nowadays prefer to book their tickets and accommodations online. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of iReservation systems on TAs in Brunei Darussalam. In other words, the authors are interested to find out how TAs and customers react to iReservation systems. Design/methodology/approach – To fulfil this objective, surveys were conducted on both the responses from TAs and their customers regarding iReservation systems in Brunei Darussalam. Findings – Most individual customers prefer to book their tickets and accommodations through iReservation systems. However, government and corporate customers still prefer to book tickets and accommodation by TAs. Most TAs are affected by iReservation systems either negatively or positively, depending on how TAs respond with their sustaining strategies such as segmentation, targeting and positioning in the market. Originality/value – It is clear that without proper strategies in facing turbulent changes in the tourism industry, eventually traditional TAs will be disintermediated.

Anne Coussement, Martha ; J. Teague, Thomas

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-12-2011-0035

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that the use of technology by the “always connected” guest has changed the dynamics of the relationship between the hospitality entity and customer. Today's mobile customers have begun to create their own customized value with an organization. This transformation has caused a paradigm shift in a relationship once built on static, episodic periods of communication. Design/methodology/approach – This paper conceptualizes a framework to support the claim of technological change begun with the internet and migrating to the present use of mobile technology. This change has fundamentally altered both business and leisure lives of travellers. The design of the article pivots around customer-facing technology as the principal engagement factor in developing a new model for decision making by industry. Findings – Customers now access information as they need it; they are no longer tethered to a desktop device. This freedom has allowed the consumer to create value when and where he/she chooses. The duration of time for potential interaction has expanded, as the company can push information more frequently to their customers; however, the guest can still choose how often, when and where to pull the details. The customer has become his/her own “host” with the solutions provided by mobile technology. Research limitations/implications – With the accelerating adoption of customer-facing devices, the issues of privacy and security have gained greater importance. Another research extension of this paper includes the impact of customer-facing technology on the guest life cycle and the impact of location-based services and “Near Field” communications on the customer experience. Practical implications – Customers want their travel experience to be a seamless one; hospitality companies will need to begin a new customer-facing dialogue with their visitors. This industry can benefit from understanding the customer's greater power by comprehending the timing and duration of messages based on this mobile environment. Originality/value – Mobile technology has allowed the untethered, always available consumer, to have control over his experience and the ability to customize his experience. This paper demonstrates that as the hospitality industry has moved away from management-facing technology to the new customer-facing technology, this paradigm shift offers the industry enormous opportunity to continue its development of newer and better mobile technologies.

S. Yilmaz, Semih ; D.A. Tasci, Asli

2013 Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology

doi: 10.1108/JHTT-10-2012-0026

Purpose – Findings of previous research imply that virtual contact with other social groups, such as the internet, may have an impact on sociocultural dimensions such as social distance; however, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting this implication. To fill this void in the literature, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between social distance and the internet as an information source. Design/methodology/approach – A self-administered survey was conducted on tourists from several different European countries, through random sampling, in select popular tourist destinations of Turkey. Findings – A direct relationship between the use of the internet as an information source about the host community and social distance was not revealed within the scope of this study. Originality/value – There is limited research on the relationship between Internet and several sociocultural aspects in tourism. This study investigates the relationship between social distance and internet empirically.