Tourism, Technology and Competitive Strategies

Tourism, the world s fastest growing industry, is now entering a more mature phase. During the 1970s and 1980s mass tourism, with its rigid, standardized packages, developed rapidly and provided many consumers with their first experiences of international travel. Today, a complex and multi-faceted industry, tourism faces growing pressures - consumer demand for more individually tailored holidays, an increasingly competitive operational environment, opportunities provided by new technology and growing environmental concerns. This book analyzes the major challenges facing tourism today. The author highlights the central role of information technology in creating mass tourism by the mid-1970 s, and how this technology and innovation is creating a new best practice of flexibility, market segmentation and diagonal integration within tourism. The book demonstrates how companies in the industry can enhance their competitiveness in the market place. Aimed at both academics and industry practitioners, this original and challenging work will attract a wide readership.