Information technology plays an important role in the tourism and hospitality industry. It helps reduce costs, increase performance, and enhance customer engagement. Some key ways IT is used include internet marketing, computer reservation systems, mobile apps and communication tools. While technology provides benefits, it also presents risks like data privacy, security issues, and online fraud that require effective risk management strategies. New digital trends are shaping the customer journey into a 5 stage process of dreaming, planning, booking, experiencing and sharing experiences online.

1. Chapter 5

2. Learning Objectives
• Define Information technology
• List the different uses of IT in the Tourism and
Hospitality Industry
• Describe the Network and Scurity Issues in
Tourism
• Describe the concepts of E-business

3. What is Information Technology?
Information technology (IT) refers to everything that
businesses use computers for. Information technology
builds a company's communications networks,
safeguards data and information, develops and
maintains databases, helps workers solve issues with
their computers or mobile devices, or performs a number
of other activities to ensure the reliability and protection
of business information systems.
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4. Digital tourism landscape
Tourist organizations are starting to
understand that, dictated by the actions of
consumers themselves, the essence of the
sector is shifting. Whether it's a family
vacation or a business trip, the manner in
which customers schedule their trip is now
an experience in itself, and it begins well
before getting on a plane.
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5. Dreaming - Everyone has a perfect holiday
destination that they'll be looking for hours, even
days in advance. Before they even think about
booking their travel, modern tourists will take
their time to carefully read online reviews, watch
videos and check out advice forums.
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This new customer journey is shaped by digital, and
falls into a 5-stage process

6. Planning - A report in the journal Applied
Research in Quality of Life noted that at the start
of the holiday process, the preparation phase,
the highest levels of satisfaction occur. Most
holidaymakers now consider the internet to be
their main source of holiday planning
information.
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This new customer journey is shaped by digital, and
falls into a 5-stage process

7. Booking - Digital has made customers even more
conscious of the choices available to them. With
this trend, there is an ability to express value and
deliver an experience that simply does not offer
price comparison sites.
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This new customer journey is shaped by digital, and
falls into a 5-stage process

8. Experiencing - The consumer needs to have
good experiences to build good memories. For
good experiences to take place, tourism is all
about building the environment.
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This new customer journey is shaped by digital, and
falls into a 5-stage process

9. Sharing - Travel is influenced by Social Media.
Around 70 percent of tourists on Iceland,
standing on top of a frozen waterfall, can
encourage others to dream of doing this on their
own; something they might never have thought
before.
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This new customer journey is shaped by digital, and
falls into a 5-stage process

10. Over the last decade, Information Technology has
played an important role in the hospitality and
tourism industry. Technology has helped reduce
costs, increase operating performance, and
enhance customer engagement and services.
Improved communication, reservations, and guest
service systems will support both clients and
companies.
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Using Information Technology for Tourism

11. Here are some
examples of the ways
that IT continues to
improve the hospitality
and tourism industry.
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12. Internet and Marketing
The internet has a powerful hospitality and tourism
effect. A visit to your website is a client's first encounter
with your business. This involves looking at photographs
from previous visitors and feedback. For a company, it is
important to use online ads, social media, blogs, and
online shopping effectively to help its customer’s
comfort, particularly when your competitors do the same
thing
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13. Computer Systems
Computer systems make it easier to connect between
larger hotel chains with multiple locations. They also
help keep workers on the same page and make it easier
to access data, making it much better for the guests to
experience it. Guest requests, housekeeping records, and
reservations can all be found on one system.

14. Mobile Communication
Large desktop computers have been replaced by
handheld tablets and smartphones, thereby rendering
them virtually extinct. This is useful, since many
travelers on a trip carry some sort of mobile device with
them. This allows hospitality companies to keep clients
aware of changes and delays to their reservations, offer
discounts, and use GPS monitoring to advertise.
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Mobile Communication
In all tourist destinations, safety is an integral aspect,
which include transport routes, z00s, parks, restaurants,
bathrooms, hotels, malls or religious sites for visitors.
Safety can also be seen as the nature of the physical
environment (such as mountain climbing or beach
surfing), the chances of involving in criminal activity (such
as pickpocketing or stealing), the possibility of a tourist
being attacked.

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Information Systems in Tourism: Application and Strategy
Information systems also provide value chain managers
with the capacity use organization data to perform online
transactions, it offers various internal management
applications which facilitate strategic as well as
operational management. It also provides marketing
applications for value chain managers.

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Terms and concepts of e-business
In order to support and optimize business processes, e-
business is a general term that encompasses all forms of
using digital information and communication
technologies. E-commerce, on the other hand, only
describes the online trading of goods and services and is
therefore only a subsection of e-business.

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Function of electronic business
Electronic value creation," the generation of electronic
added value, is the most important role for electronic
business." Electronic value added forms are generally
distinguished in the following ways:

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Mobile Communication
In all tourist destinations, safety is an integral aspect,
which include transport routes, z00s, parks, restaurants,
bathrooms, hotels, malls or religious sites for visitors.
Safety can also be seen as the nature of the physical
environment (such as mountain climbing or beach
surfing), the chances of involving in criminal activity (such
as pickpocketing or stealing), the possibility of a tourist
being attacked.

20. Value of structuring - an online offer achieves an overview of a
large amount of information.
Selection value - an online offer provides, upon request, specific
database information.
Matching value - an online offer makes it possible to more
effectively merge supplier and purchaser inquiries.
Value of transactions - an online offer makes a company more
effective.

21. Value of coordination - an online offer enables various providers
to better combine their services.
Value of communication - an online offer enhances
communication among different consumers.

22. Strategic and
tactical e-
Business tools
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Strategy for Product and Service
Market rivalry requires the organization to constantly
present new and updated goods and services in order to
keep up with changes in consumer demand. Microsoft and
Apple, both makers of computer operating systems, have
been waging a tactical war for consumer desires since
both businesses came into being.

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Operational Efficiency Strategy
Reducing operating costs by implementing the latest
software for computer equipment and enterprise resource
planning, hiring contract staff to stop paying benefits,
setting up multiple plants close to your target customers,
investing in improved plants and equipment, moving to
less expensive quarters and altering the corporate
strategy of reducing costs to achieve higher profit.

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Finance and investment strategy
While running your company, you should develop a plan
that requires investing capital that you don't have. This is
where financial policy gets into effect. Factoring o
leveraging against your receivable accounts, obtaining
payroll financing to be able to pay your employees at
times when you have large capital outflows, finding
investors or publicly bringing your company, may be
strategies or achieving the adequate cash strategy to
finance growth.

26. Customer focus
and Management
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How to Create a
Customer-
Focused Brand?

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Create a customer-focused culture
Building a client culture is a concentrated activity that,
most notably, starts with leadership from the top of the
company. Strong attention to customers stems from
policies and technologies that make it easier for
employees to build customer relationships.

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Gather and share customer data company-wide
Every business is different and the manner and type of
data it collects on customers will vary. Whether it's
personal data, interaction patterns, transactional details,
or client feedback, data will help you be more customer-
centric.

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Invest in the user experience of online channels
In order to achieve success in your customer-centric
initiatives, it is necessary to understand your customers'
motivations and expectations. Consumer tastes grow and
shift with the user experience as the share of online
purchases grows.

30. Risk and Risk
Management
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31. E-commerce business risks include those arising
from:
•The personality and essence
of ties with trading partners
in e-commerce;
•Transaction integrity;
•Production of transactions
electronically;
•The Reliability of Systems;
•Issues with privacy,
•Goods return and product
warranties,
•Taxation and problems of
enforcement
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32. The following are
the most relevant
risk management
techniques in
eCommerce
transactions.
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33. Understand the dangers and educate the workers.
The likelihood of exposure to ecommerce
depends on your market strategies, operating
processes, fraud detection and prevention tools,
protection measures, and the kinds of products
and services you sell.
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34. Create critical content on websites.
On your website, your privacy, mailing, return
and refund policies must be included. It needs
to be secure and to provide quick and fast
navigation for clients. Concentrate on risk
mitigation.
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35. The creation and implementation of an internal
framework for fraud prevention.
The sustainability of your eCommerce store depends on
your internal strategies and controls to prevent fraud. A risk
management structure, combined with smart transaction
controls, will help you avoid losses due to fraud. Use fraud-
prevention tool. There are a number of methods of fraud
detection to help reduce your exposure to risk. Among
them, the most widely used are the Address Verification
Service (AVs), Card Security Codes, Checked by Visa, and
Master Card Secure Code.
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36. Enforce screening for fraud.
Online card payment monitoring will help you
minimize fraud when correctly applied for large-
ticket items and for high-risk transactions.
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37. Secure against interference from your merchant
account.
Implementing protective measures will mitigate
the danger of criminals access sing your
shopping cart or payment gateway and making
fraudulent deposits of funds.
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38. Build a stable authorization routing method.
You need to set up a secure and efficient
process for submitting authorization requests
over the internet before you can start accepting
card payments online.
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39. Set up a post-authorization transaction handing
procedure.
You need an appropriate process in place to
deal with approved and refused authorizations
before completing an order.
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40. Protect details about card holders via PCI
enforcement.
The Payment Card Industry's Data Security
Guidelines include eCommerce merchants'
practices, protocols, and data protection tools.
In order to protect stored card information and
cardholder information, you will need safe data
transfer encryption capabilities and strong
internal controls. You will need to review the
security procedures on a regular basis as well.
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41. Stop unfair chargebacks.
Chargebacks represent increased processing
time and expenses, harm your profits, and may
result in a loss of income. Through adequately
tracking and treating charge backs, you will be
able to take steps to avoid future chargebacks.
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Chargebacks track. Effective charge back control systems
can help you detect excessive chargeback activity, identify
the triggers, and take corrective measures to minimize the
charge back frequency.
Using collection efforts to reduce losses. A well-
designed method of collection can help to recover
unwarranted charge back losses.

43. Technological advances and advantages
Technology has made our access to knowledge very
convenient. We have the ability to pull out a phone or
laptop and look up almost anything. The internet lies
at our feet. Almost everywhere we can access the
internet, whether it's 40,000 feet in the air on an
airplane or traveling by car or even just sitting or
sleeping, we have direct access to everything we
want or need.
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44. Travel Intermediaries and Information Technology
To thrive and prosper in an information-intensive
industry, travel intermediaries must learn about and
embrace all aspects of IT, Travel intermediaries now
rely on computerized booking terminals and need to
learn other hardware and software applications now.
This involves close analysis of when and how IT can
deliver value-added services to their clients.
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45. The Impact of Technology on the Travel Agency
Business
The influence of technology on travel agents
has been important, with the availability of
personal computers, mobile phones and the
Internet. Although many travel agents have had
to alter the way they do business, travel
agencies continue to flourish and provide both
leisure and business travelers with important
services.
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46. Technology Tools used in Hospitality and Tourism
Software reservation systems revolutionized the travel and
hospitality market. The growth of the internet, smartphones
and other technologies are no offering customer’s enormous
comfort and travel savings. Travel websites are no standard
travel tools that allow travelers to find the best offers, self-
guided audio applications and real-time flight time and
arrival information, available both travel professionals and
customers alike.
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47. Stop unfair chargebacks.
Chargebacks represent increased processing
time and expenses, harm your profits, and may
result in a loss of income. Through adequately
tracking and treating charge backs, you will be
able to take steps to avoid future chargebacks.
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48. Travel Websites
and Apps
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There's a plethora of websites,
including applications for online
travel that can be used for
several different purposes:

49. Research: Individual vendor websites, third party
booking sites, an online travel publications
provide information, reviews, and price
comparisons for travel items, including
transportation, accommodation excursions and
car rental. Travelers who prefer not to work with
a travel agent will easily complete the research
needed and select the suppliers with the best
rates.
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50. Booking: Without ever needing to speak to a
salesperson, both travel agents and clients will
book online travel.
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51. Travel updates: Travelers can now check-in
about their fight status through a website or
mobile app. Furthermore, several airlines now
have updated flight information through text or
automated calls. In addition, using one systems,
family and friends can also track their visitors'
arrival.
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52. Loyalty points: Most airlines and hotels have
Reward Point Programs. Apps and websites
allow loyalty point program participants to check
their status and, if they wish, redeem points.
Boarding passes: Some time after, passengers
were able to check-in and print boarding passes
from their phones online for their flights.
Travelers will, however, only add a boarding
pass to their wallet for mobile phones these days
and skip the printing process.
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53. Peer-to-peer systems: Apps like Airbnb directly
connect travelers with temporary rental space
with homeowners and others, bypassing
traditional services such as hotels.
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54. Customizable, interactive maps: For Google
Maps and related online mapping systems, user
feedback is now available. You can add your own
favorite restaurants, museums and other tourist
attractions to a local map and even see the
places added by your circle of friends.
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55. Tour Information
and Guiding
Systems
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New technology helps people
get the data they need while
experiencing historical
landmarks, architecture, and
artifacts on group or self-guided
tours:

56. Self-guided tours: Travelers can download an
app to their smartphones, which provides expert
analysis, as they pass through a museum show,
attraction or neighborhood.
Group tours: Guides often fail to make
themselves understood during the party get
jostled around so that they can hear what the
guide ha to say.
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57. Smartphone Communication Apps
When things go wrong while traveling, it is important to be able
to communicate with individuals who can help, such as customer
service representatives and travel agents. Some travel agents
use apps to ma themselves open to travelers who may need to
reschedule a missed flight or reserve a new hotel. In fact, some
resorts now use mobile apps, enabling guests to bring
management problems to attention so that they can be resolved
immediately.

58. Thanks!
Any questions?
You can ask queries now
or e-mail me your
questions at:
✗ marianeleelineses@
gmail.com
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