New technologies have affected every aspects of the world in the recent decades. IT, e-commerce have used in many industries to help their development; while internet has become a necessary for our everyday life. Most of the industries have set their new value propositions to adjust themselves to the new technologies. Without exception for tour operating industry, they are experiencing a big impact from those technologies and also responding to them and trying to develop in the trend. This assignment will discuss the influence for UK tour operating industry from new technologies and also the industry’s adjustment to the technologies.
2. Context
2.1. Economic background
Though the world tourism market has been in downturn since the 9.11, 7.7 and following acts of terrorism, The UK outboard holiday continues to grow in both volume and spend (Mintel, 2006). Between 2003 and 2006, total spending on holidays abroad by UK residents increased by a strong 18% to £23.3 billion (MBD, 2007). In the five years to 2012, MBD (2007) believe UK expenditure on holidays abroad will increase year on year culminating in an overall increase of 15% to £28.4 billion. MBD (2007) believe demand for holidays abroad by UK residents will continue to develop at a faster rate than domestic tourism due to a range of factors that are making travelling abroad cheaper for customers, including low cost airlines and the introduction of budget brands by many companies e.g. Sunstart from First Choice. However, the overall market is now much more competitive.
2.2. New technology in tourism industry
The most dovetailed industry with tourism was travel agencies. With the rise and development of electronic commerce, it had become a trend that travel agencies used information technology to trade and communicate. Most of the software companies already caught this international tendency to develop or bring in all kinds of applied software to assist industries leading in
References: Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2005, by Andrew J. Frew. Springer-Verlag, New York, 2005. http://www.marketresearchonthe.net/Press-Release/Tour-Operators.htm http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/pdf_res_brief/sb02-93.pdf http://cipa.icomos.org/fileadmin/papers/olinda/99c102.pdf http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/pdf_res_brief/sb02-93.pdf http://www.propoortourism.org.uk/17_industry.pdf