Which are more important for tourism industry?
Software, Hardware or Netware?
Nowadays, tourism industry is the fastest developing sectors worldwide, which are impacts affecting most economies for each country. Tourism industry is information intensive because of the nature of its services and products. Tourists are able to make personal decisions regarding travel subsidiaries, accommodation, food and activities provided at destination just sitting at home with the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). ICTs include not only the hardware and software but also the groupware, netware and humanware to develop, program and maintain equipment. In my opinion, the triple software, hardware and netware are important for tourism industry. They need to each other as to complete the task. Hardware means the physical equipment such as mechanical, magnetic, electrical, electronic or optical devices as opposed to computer programs or method of use. The software is prewritten detailed instructions that control the operation of a computer system or of an electronic device. Software coordinates the work of hardware components in an information system. Software may incorporate standard software such as operating systems or applications, software processes, artificial intelligence and intelligent agents, and user interfaces. For netware, it means the equipment and software required to develop and support a network or an interconnected system of computers, terminals and communication channels and devices.
As a result, the use of ICT has made travel and tourism business easier, cost effective, productive; profit-able and customer service centric. ICT is the major part of service operation in tourism industry. The rapidly changing trends in consumer behavior and technology have opened new market and opportunity for new software to be developed. Intangible tourism services and products need a show case of technology which can make them