Ken-Air Tours—The volatile tourism market in Singapore

Tourism is a key industry in the economy and it is expected to play a key role in the service industry sector. Because of the growing adoption of information technology in the world, the tourism industry too, has been in utilizing the information highway to redefine and deliver the tourism product to the end consumers.Because of the shift towards information technology, the travel agent's traditional roles as an intermediary has come under severe pressure and is currently challenged to its existence. The demise of Ken-Air Tours, a large player in the travel agency industry in Singapore, is the focus of this report and the impact of the emphasis on technology is investigated and discussed.     

The Impact of the Internet on Travel Agencies in Hong Kong

Abstract

In recent years, the travel and tourism industry has begun to develop Internet applications more extensively. Many travel service suppliers, such as hotels and airline companies, already use the Internet as a direct channel for customer reservations. The integration of the Internet into the travel and tourism industry, however, presents a challenge towards the traditional role of travel agencies. The purpose of this study is to find out what impact the Internet has on travel agencies in Hong Kong. Outcomes of this research indicate that travel agents generally have positive attitudes towards Internet applications, and the potential threat-disintermediation-has not yet affected the travel industry. Travel agents believe that they can take advantage of the Internet technology to provide value-added services for their customers. Outcomes of the present study also indicate that there are significant relationships between company size, age and some Internet attributes. Travel agencies should therefore pay more attention to these attributes when adopting Internet technology.     

Information technology: changes in the travel trade

The travel trade, as a major service industry of the new ‘information age’, is an eager user of information technology. This article considers what happens when information technology is adopted by the travel industry. Certain impacts are identified including changes in working practices, recruitment policies, the level of employment, an increase in the rationalization and centralization of the communications and distribution networks and the emergence of electronic funds transfer.     

Beyond Adoption of Travel Technology: Its Application to Unplanned Travel Behaviors

The ultimate goal of information distribution for a destination marketer is to stimulate travelers to make a purchase decision. Today, travel information can be obtained by travel technology, which enables travelers to exploit on-the-move information. Navigation services for travel technology are being more broadly used across the globe by providing a wide range of en route information. This study evaluates the effects of travel information disseminated by navigation services on unplanned behaviors during trips. The results of the study illustrate that travelers who use navigation during trips are more likely to be involved in unplanned activities and, hence, will have an increase in unplanned travel expenditures. Destination marketers can partner with travel technology providers to encourage better travel experiences for tourists and generate more travel revenues for the tourism industry.     

New technology and the future of tourism

Throughout the 1980s, the travel industry has undergone rapid technological change - the introduction of interactive videotex by over 80% of the retail travel agencies is just one example - and this trend is likely to continue well into the 1990s. This article reviews some of the main technological developments in the travel industry and considers various trends in terms of their opportunities and threats. The role of technology as part of the strategy of some principals and agents in their attempt to gain and sustain a competitive advantage is discussed. Finally, projections are made of some possible technological developments in the 1990s which open up opportunities for the future.     

How to catch their attention? Taiwanese flashpackers inferring their travel motivation from personal development and travel experience

Backpackers first appeared in the seventeenth century. The twenty-first century has witnessed the rise of a new backpacker subculture given the changing times: one that is closely related to technology use is called flashpackers. The research discussed in this article explores the relationships between travel experience, personal development, and travel motivation of flashpackers. The study uses convenience sampling taken in the lobby of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. A total of 400 questionnaires were issued and 375 valid questionnaires were recovered; the rate of return was 93.8%. The results of this study are the following: (1) there are differences between travel experience and travel motivation for Taiwan’s flashpackers; (2) there is a relationship between personal development and travel experience of Taiwan’s flashpackers; (3) there is a correlation between personal development and travel motivation for Taiwan’s flashpackers; and (4) personal development moderately affects the relationship between travel experience and travel motivation for Taiwan’s flashpackers. This study contributes to the tourism industry by enhancing direct targeting of customers, and it provides hospitality and travel agency managers with the means to determine appropriate marketing strategies for flashpackers.     

越南旅游业快速发展的基本现状分析

越南自1986年改革开放以来，旅游业飞速发展，成为越南经济增长点，也是一个让越南进一步融入世界的桥梁。越南旅游业得到政府的高度重视，制定出一系列有效可行的旅游业发展的措施，并不断发展和完善旅游交通业、旅行社业和旅馆业，保障旅游业的稳定发展，目前虽仍有不少困难，但因拥有自身的发展优势，必将成为亚大地区重要国际旅游目的国之一。     

The consequences of forty years of tourism growth

Leisure travel has become a major lifestyle in the United States since World War II. This paper describes the social, economic, and technological changes that have been adopted by the industry and society during three eras of travel evolution. A synoptic view of the development of travel is provided by a review of five travel industry components: transportation, attractions, facilities and services, information, and the consumer. Emphasis is placed on the consequences of the adoption of major social and technological innovations that have impacted this vibrant industry and will continue to do so in the future. The paper concludes with eight observations on the present and future status of leisure travel in the United States.     

Blockchain technology framework: Current and future perspectives for the tourism industry

Blockchain's ability to increase the level of disintermediation in tourism represents this technology's most effective influence on the industry. The advent of online travel agencies has changed tourism's market structure by transferring power from suppliers to consumers. This paper aims to develop a blockchain-based framework for the tourism industry by employing a qualitative method that uses the semi-structured interview to determine how domain experts conceive the future of intermediaries were the tourism industry to adopt blockchain technology. The results show that when taking into account blockchain's influence on businesses, blockchain is considered an appropriate technology for eliminating mediators from the tourism industry's supply chain and also for banning new mediators from gaining access to this industry, thereby removing intermediaries from the tourism market.     

Factors Affecting the Adoption of E-commerce for the Tourism Industry in Taiwan

The tourism industry has successfully pioneered the adoption of e-commerce with respect to its online trading systems. Given the potential for the tourism industry to impart knowledge to other industries, this study examines the acceptance of online trading systems for travel agencies in Taiwan. According to the results of a literature review, this study uses six critical factors that were identified in the literature review as formative influences on the adoption of e-commerce. These factors are then incorporated into a questionnaire designed to verify empirically the extent of their ability to be generalized. This survey reveals that 80% of the travel agencies in the sample have adopted online trading systems. Particularly noteworthy is how the adopters and non-adopters hold different viewpoints on the following factors; “compatibility of adopting innovative technology”, “centralization of organization”, “organizational scale” and “correctness of website transmission”.     

Travel frequency of seniors tourists

Current demand for tourism is characterized by more frequent, shorter trips throughout the year. Such trends may have adverse effects on the hospitality industry but benefit the travel industry. Most current literature assumes that the variables that determine travel participation are identical to those that influence travel frequency, though there is no evidence to support this assumption. Therefore, the current study seeks to identify variables that influence travel frequency among Spanish senior tourists, who represent a key target market for the tourism industry. The results specify that gender, self-perceived economic status, and self-perceived time available variables strongly determine Spanish seniors' travel frequency.     

境外信息技术与旅游的交叉研究进展——基于ENTER会议文献集(2005~2012)的统计分析

在信息通信技术与旅游业发展日益紧密结合的背景下,国际信息技术与旅游业联盟(IFITT)应运而生,并展开了一系列相关交叉研究。作为探讨信息和通信技术在旅游行业中应用与影响的组织,IFITT每年召开的ENTER会议是西方相关学者交流的重要平台。文章以ENTER会议论文集(2005～2012)为研究对象,从文献的时间分布、作者及机构、所属国家/地区、研究议题、演进规律等方面来展现国外信息技术与旅游的交叉研究现状和发展轨迹,并进一步归纳出国外旅游与信息技术交叉研究发展特点,并提出研究展望,以期为国内相关研究提供参考。     

Partnerships in International Travel and Tourism Marketing: A Systems-Oriented Approach Between Australia,New Zealand,Germany and the United Kingdom

Abstract

Little empirical research has been conducted about international partnerships between travel and tourism organisations, airlines and their intermediaries such as wholesalers and travel agents. Nevertheless, these partnerships are important because tourism is becoming more international and most destinations have to compete at a global level. Moreover, both producers and intermediaries are increasingly using information technology to increase their knowledge and relationship with customers. Thus this research set out to develop and empirically confirm a systemic model of these partnerships and four related research objectives. The methodology involved multiple case studies based on in-depth interviews with key players in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Germany. The first outcome is a confirmation of the systemic model. In addition, the findings show the reasons for engaging in partnerships and the scope for further partnerships among the industry players. As well, the findings show that while ‘disintermediation’ may occur because of the advancement of communication technology, the linkages between travel and tourism organisations, airlines and intermediaries are still significant. Our framework can assist public and private travel and tourism organisations to mutually develop and manage marketing strategies and tactics for overseas markets.     

法制化管理和行业自律相结合——旅行社业健康发展的必然选择

随着中国旅游业市场机制的确立,旅行社行业在发展中出现了很多问题,如何解决?笔者通过比较中国和日本旅行社管理的异同,得出结论：法制化管理和行业自律相结合是旅行社业持续健康发展的必然选择。     

‘It Does Not Harm the Environment!’ An Analysis of Industry Discourses on Tourism,Air Travel and the Environment

While a substantial part of the population in Europe seems well informed about the phenomenon of climate change, uncertainty seems to prevail in terms of its seriousness, its consequences for society and action that needs to be taken in order to prevent ‘dangerous interference with the climate system’. Many people seem to believe that there is no scientific consensus about climate change and that individual behavioural change is irrelevant in the face of uncertainty. Such a ‘psychology of denial’ seems particularly strong in the context of air travel, the fastest growing transport sector. This paper seeks to understand this phenomenon by analysing the discourses surrounding air travel. Four major industry discourses are identified: air travel is energy efficient and accounts only for marginal emissions of CO₂; air travel is economically and socially too important to be restricted; fuel use is constantly minimized and new technology will solve the problem, and air travel is treated unfairly in comparison to other means of transport. The validity of these claims is evaluated based on data and material presented in the scientific literature. Results show that there are substantial gaps between the discourses and the reality of aviation's environmental performance, which might partially explain the controversial understanding of air travel and its environmental consequences among the public.     

Tourism and information technologies

The apparent mismatch between tourism and technology can be reconciled by a closer examination of the tourism production system (TPS) and the technologies likely to affect it. It is found that a whole system of information technologies (SIT) is being adopted by all segments of the travel industry. The SIT, however, will not attack the human content of tourism. Rather, it will affect the core information-intensive areas of management, organization, product blending and packaging, marketing, distribution and industry linkages. Factors likely to affect the diffusion of the SIT in tourism are identified. Implications of technology adoption for future organization, management, and distribution of tourism services are drawn out.     

中国旅游业产业关联的定量分析

本文利用<2002年中国投入产出表>定量测度旅游业对国民经济发展的地位与作用,并提出相应的政策建议.研究结论如下:(1)旅游业对国民经济的推动作用远大于受到国民经济发展后的拉动作用;(2)我国旅游业对交通运输、住宿业和餐饮业的直接拉动能力最大,但非基本旅游消费占旅游消费的比率比较低,我国旅游消费还有很大增长空间;(3)旅游业是劳动密集型产业,"乡村旅游"能就地转移大量农村富余劳动力,这对构建和谐社会、促进社会主义新农村建设将发挥重要作用;(4)我国旅游业发展八分靠国内旅游,二分靠国际旅游,旅游业发展的重点应该放在国内旅游上.     

欧美旅行社行业分工进程与内在机制研究

旅行社的产生和发展是社会分工和发展的结果。随着旅游市场的发展,旅行社业在规模扩大的同时,内部形成了水平分工和垂直分工。节省交易费用、提高市场效率、避免加入激烈的市场竞争、提高企业的市场竞争能力是旅行社业分工得以深化的主要原因所在。