Journal articles on the topic 'Tourism business networks and ICT'

Small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) face the challenges of renewing business models to maintain competitiveness in the global economy. SMTE networking and product innovations are typical responses to these challenges. SMTE innovation processes and networking dynamics were analysed in the Saimaa Holiday network in the Savonlinna region of Finland. The Finnish Nationally Networked Centre of Expertise for Tourism (CET) networking model was used for the analysis. It was confirmed that innovation in SMTE networks was a synthetic process consisting of product, process and resource innovation. The network and its links to the university increased innovation potential and creativity in product innovation. Problem areas included business process development and ICT utilization.

This paper describes the conceptualization of Old Oyo National Park seeking an intervention for improve collaboration and communication internally across functional and departmental boundaries through the use of ICT. Eighteen natural and cultural heritage resources of ecotourism values were indentified in the Park, in addition to the nine art and craft practiced in these communities and eight annual cultural events. A detail assessment of the level of development of the cultural and natural features in the Old Oyo National Park was carried out based on the three component of tourist destination, viz; attraction, amenities and accessibility. The gridded map of the locations of these ecotourism features was also presented. An e-tourism designed for the park has the basic component of catalog of product, shopping cart, and check out, payment gateway (payment processing network), customer account, internet merchant account and business account. Customers can browse the catalog of tourism product and shops cart it. The gateway component accepts credit card details and sends to the payment gateway for authorization on the premise of adequate security using the SSL primitives. Funds are reserved into the customer account and later transfer to merchant account, and then to the business account of the park.

The traditional tourism model has changed with the appearance of new technologies. The traditional marketing tools used by Travel Agencies are disappearing, giving way to improved methods of marketing to promote tourism products which are based on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Buying habits have changed due to the fast development of the Internet in the last 10 years. With Web 1.0, websites were static and not very interactive but now Web 2.0 allows content creation and on -line communication between users as creators and consumers of information. In recent years, tourism companies have begun to create direct marketing channels with the client to avoid dealing with intermediaries, to improve efficiency and to reduce costs. This allowed users to book a trip or a tourism service by themselves through the network and at a significantly lower price. Advice previously found in Travel Agencies is now provided by users who have used the service and whose experience brings an unique and different point of view. This whole phenomenon has forced Travel Agencies into the background because now the tourist is more experienced, more informed and familiar with these new tools born from the Web 2.0. Although interaction between the customer and the travel agent generates added value, many traditional Travel Agencies have closed their businesses and could disappear as they are known today. However, many possibilities could be opened to them if they adapt to the current market, an environment which encourages the use of new technologies from Web 2.0 to Social Networks to keep and attract new customers.

Purpose – Stabilizing business in highly competitive and volatile business-to-business (B2B) markets is a strategic imperative for many companies. In such a context, customer retention through the creation of switching barriers (i.e. by increasing switching costs) is a common strategy. The purpose of this paper is to develop a network of relationships among customer switching experience, customer satisfaction, perceived switching costs, and behavioral loyalty intentions. Design/methodology/approach – Survey data were collected from 327 business customers (very small enterprises with fewer than nine employees; customers included physicians, lawyers, tax advisors, consultants, civil engineers, etc.) of an information and communications technology (ICT) company. The research model was tested using partial least square structural equation modeling. Findings – The results show that switching experience negatively influences customer satisfaction and behavioral loyalty intention. Furthermore, the influence of customer satisfaction on behavioral loyalty intentions is partially mediated by financial and relational switching costs. Practical implications – In saturated markets, companies often try to grow by acquiring customers from competitors. This study reveals that this strategy can backfire. The customers that can be most easily acquired may be those that are the most difficult to retain because customers experienced in switching are difficult to satisfy – and low satisfaction means lower perceived financial and relational switching costs and, in turn, lower loyalty. Originality/value – This research contributes to theory and practice by shedding further light on the satisfaction-loyalty link by investigating the often widely neglected role of switching experience. Furthermore, the study seeks to add to the discussion of how to specify the role of switching costs: as a mediator or as a moderator.

This article studies the influence of ‘coopetition’, that is, cooperation between competitors, on the innovative behaviour of restaurant firms. The analysis is based on data gathered from a representative survey conducted on Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the restaurant industry. A binary logistic regression specification is used to test the core hypotheses in the article. The results confirm that coopetition fosters product innovation in restaurant companies. Coopeting restaurants also introduce more process innovations, although this effect is not found to be statistically significant. However, participation in restaurant chains and commercialization networks is found to stimulate process innovation. Likewise, business owners with intrinsic entrepreneurial motivation favour product innovation in their restaurants. Notwithstanding, investments in ICT and in staff training are observed to be the main determinants of product and process innovation in the restaurant industry.

The industry of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism continues to grow, and social media can serve as an essential tool to promote this trend. Although ICH tourism development is outstanding in China, the language structure and restricted use of social media render ICH difficult for non-Chinese speakers to understand. Using content analysis, this study investigates the structure and relationships among cognitive elements of ICH tourism based on 9074 blogs posted between 2011 and 2020 on Weibo.com, one of the most popular social media platforms in China. The main analysis process consisted of matrix construction, dimension classification, and semantic network analysis. Findings indicated that the cognitive image of ICH tourism on social media can be divided into seven dimensions: institutions, ICH and inheritors, tourism products, traditional festivals and seasons, tourism facilities and services, visitors, and regions. This network vividly illustrates ICH tourism and depicts the roles of organizers, residents, inheritors, and tourists. Among these elements, institutions hold the greatest power to regulate and control ICH tourism activities, and folklore appears to be the most common type of ICH resource that can be developed into tourism activities. Practically, the results offer insight for policymakers regarding ways to better balance the relationships among heritage protection, the business economy, and people’s well-being. Such strategies can promote the industrialization of ICH tourism. In addition, through content analysis, this paper confirms the effectiveness of social media in providing a richer understanding of ICH tourism.

The digitalisation in the manufacturing and industrial sectors has been fast ‘exported’ in tourism industry as well. The technological revolution has highly affected both the supplier and the consumer of tourism products and services. There is recently an increasing attention from the industry and academia in order to highlight the challenges of ICT use in tourism and the drivers of “smart tourism” in world level. Our study joins these efforts with the goal to observe the use of information and communication technologies in Albanian tourism and detect the elements of smart tourism in it. The survey and interviews with a sample of experienced medium size tourism companies were used to assess the expansion of ICT in their overall activity. The data collected and processed did enable to point out the penetration of digital technologies in Albanian tourism. Further on, some features of smart tourism are highlighted and some drivers of digitalization in Albanian tourism are brought to the attention of stakeholder groups.

Abstract ICT progress and dynamics has been changing human behavior and life. Thus, tourism industry has changed drastically because of the new media development. The changes in organizational order or structure, society, trend, and culture based on technology development become the signifier of postmodern era. ICT is responsible for the drastic change of tourist consumer behavior, tourist service companies, tourism marketing, and tourism business. That’s called as deconstruction. Tourism business must be sensitive to the consumer behavior and consumer culture deconstruction in this digital era that occurs in the tourism trend by following the ICT usage trend. Tourism entrepreneurs must deconstruct their mindset from competition to collaboration.Keywords : ICT, postmodern, deconstruction, tourism, apps, startup

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of the Information and communication technology (ICT) on the competitiveness of the republics of former Yugoslavia (Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia) as tourism destinations. This paper relies on the correlation analysis and panel regression method. Regression analysis has examined the impact of the ICT on the competitiveness of the republics of Former Yugoslavia (Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia) as tourism destinations. The destination competitiveness is measured by international tourist arrivals and international tourism receipts, while the ICT is measured by the ICT Development Index (IDI). The results indicate that the IDI use has a significant impact on the number of international tourist arrivals and an indirect positive impact on the international tourism receipts. The originality of the research lies in the fact there are no previous studies about the impact of ICT on the competitiveness of the republics of former Yugoslavia as tourism destinations. This study contributes to a better understanding of the impact of ICT on the competitiveness of a tourism destination by linking the IDI with tourist arrivals and tourism revenues.

The rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has a wide application in numerous activities today. It is necessary to look at the possibilities of implementation and impact of ICT on development of rural tourism. Bearing in mind that rural tourism in Serbia is in the initial stages of development, it is expected that the implementation of ICT could contribute to the increase in tourism, reducing the costs of promotion and business, strengthening the competitiveness of rural tourist destinations, etc. The paper examines the character and dynamics of the current development of rural tourism in Serbia and Europe. Previous experiences in the application of ICT in tourism have been analyzed. Examination of the impact of ICT on the competitiveness of Serbia as a tourist destination by correlation analysis has been carried out. The necessity of forming a unique database of accommodation facilities of rural tourism and the importance of linking them to some of the global distribution systems (GDS) have been pointed out. It is expected that the application of ICT in rural tourist business will increase farmers? turnover and their income. Furthermore, it can contribute to better promotion of rural tourist destinations and enable better monitoring of the character, dynamics and intensity of development of rural tourism. Given the positive impact of ICT on the business results, it is expected that the competitiveness of Serbia as a tourist destination will increase.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Tourism development are interlinked. ICT provide the tools and promote tourism demand and supply, by facilitating the existence and development of tourism and in resolving the needs inherent to the tourism activity. Consequently, tourism increases ICT requirements, since technological developments facilitate the tasks of economic agents in this sector. ICT enables the tourism industry to become more flexible, because it allows for faster and more efficient responses to requests from customers, while reducing operating costs and enabling more competitive prices. In this article it is presented an overview over the opportunities, emerging features and trends that ICT brings from electronic distribution in tourism, this can help and support the decisions of the various actors in the value chain of this business as well as researchers in the tourism field. Namely, it focus on the opportunities granted to tourism distribution by electronic means, the particularities of electronic tourism and the description of the technologies and trends that the tourism organizations have to consider in order to ensure competitiveness. Finally, it is presented a study using 18 Western European countries showing empirically the importance of the ICT to the tourism activity, by focusing how the number of internet users positively affects tourism demand in those countries.

Nepal is a country blessed with natural beauty, diverse culture, majestic Himalayas, religious destination which attracts thousands of tourists every year making the tourism industry progressive to flourish. Information Communication Technology (ICT) proves to be an effective tool for strengthening the tourism industry. Thus, the purpose of this research study is to analyze about the past scenario of tourism industry, advent of ICT in tourism industry, positive impacts of ICT in tourism industry through in-depth interview with tourism experts and people who have worked for tourism since decades. This study is a form of qualitative research where narrative inquiry has been selected and the scenario has been analyzed through themes developed from the narratives. The result reveals that the emerging technology brings positive impacts to tourism industry assisting branding, promotion of the country, enhancing networks through communication and easily booking tours. The proper utilization of ICT helps to welcome tourists and to give identity of our country Nepal to the world.

Indonesia is a nation that ethnically and culturally unique and diverse. It has potentials to leverage the growth of its tourism sector. The sector has become important to boost not only regional and also nation- wide economic development. It can be growth further to a much larger scale by effectively utilising the pervasiveness of the information and communication technology (ICT). For example, ICT may facilitate the growth with e- tourism, which is an Internet-based marketing method. This work intends to understand the potential of using e-tourism and its effects on the development of the sector. Specifically, the study evaluates how the aspects of marketing, business, and e-tourism are affected by the use of ICT and how they affect the growth of the tourism industry. A multivariate regression model is constructed to assess the case quantitatively. The empirical model suggests that the e-tourism may contribute the growth of the tourism sector by about 40%.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is increasingly playing an important role in developing a competitive economy based on knowledge and innovation. Use of ICT enables the provision of a higher quality of citizen’s life; it helps ease and efficiency of business processes and increase the efficiency and transformation of management. The use of ICT in different sectors of the Albanian economy has begun to be realized rapidly, improving economic and financial performance and expanding the range of services that are offered to users. ICT has been used massively also a sector which in Albania brings an important impact on GDP it is the tourism sector, however, it is noted that the use of ICT in this sector is at levels lower than in other countries of Europe as well as the region. The use of ICT and the Internet in the tourism sector in the world but also in Albania has enabled the creation of a new business environment, the global distribution of information as a very important element for the tourism sector and the creation of new channels of distribution, transforming the tourism sector globally. The tourism sector in Albania, which is competing strongly from neighboring countries after the period of its establishment and strengthening, currently faces the challenge of the massive use of ICT in the provision of information and the enhancement of services for its clients. The purpose of this paper is to evidence the level of use of ICT in the tourism sector in Albania, and based on analysis of data collected, presents recommendations on the use of ICT in the sector, aimed at increasing performance, expanding services and improving the quality of services provided to customers.

A small but growing body of evidence (SBS, 2004; Beckinsale & Ram, 2006) has indicated that Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs) have not adopted Information Communication Technology (ICT) at comparable rates to their non-EMB counterparts predominantly Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs). With EMBs accounting for almost 10% of businesses in the UK the economic impact as ICT adoption continues to further develop across mainstream markets could be highly significant. Existing UK ICT policies have also failed to engage with EMBs until the NW ICT Adoption Pilot in 2004. The current, limited body of research is fragmented, provides limited understanding and coherence on reasons of low ICT adoption and lacks exemplars upon which policy considerations may be made. Firstly, the chapter will examine and review the existing body of literature. Secondly, EMB cases that have developed ICT to a degree where they are engaging in eBusiness activity are analysed and discussed. The findings provide a number of options and guidance for EMB owners. Finally, the recommendations point to the need for improved ICT awareness, better business support provision nationally and the importance of generation and education as key drivers.

Purpose – The aim of this research is to foreground information and communication technology (ICT) as an innovative approach for sustainable tourism (ST) development of destinations. ICT is the technology required for information processing which facilitates data processing, information sharing, communication, searching and selection. This paper concentrates on the Abernathy and Clark model and its usefulness in applying ICT as innovative in managing ST. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was administered to destination managers and to eTourism experts. Destination managers were selected as they were identified as the person responsible for the overall management of a Destination Management Organisation. eTourism experts were identified as someone who possesses special expertise, knowledge and skills on ICT applications to tourism and offered expertise on which ranged from such areas as electronic distribution, recommender systems, user-generated content, online communities, mobile technology, technology acceptance, tourism networks and Web 2.0. This was followed by semi-structured interviews. Findings – These ICT tools were found to be innovative for information management and distribution for critical decision-making. Innovation was fostered through the use of ICT for ST by leading to a better understanding of the tourism product, monitoring, measuring and evaluating, forecasting trends, developing partnerships and engaging and supporting stakeholder relationships. ICT would provide novel ways of approaching marketing, energy monitoring, waste management, and communication for destinations. Originality/value – This research is important in demonstrating the value that technology can have to ST and further develops the work on tourism innovation theory.

Purpose In tourism, the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (hereinafter ICT) and variables concerning firms’ links with suppliers have been recognized as key determinants to improve companies’ competitiveness. From the perspective of efficient management of company resources, segmentation has become a key tool and is particularly significant and current in the business-to-business context. The purpose of this paper is to study the segmentation of firms in the tourist industry according to perceived ICT use and relationship value and benefits. In addition, from the management approach, the authors seek to describe the segments that enable the development of differentiated strategies aimed at consolidating relationship benefits in the long term. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 310 travel agencies who evaluated the relationship with their main supplier, the authors attempt to examine the utility of these variables as segmentation criteria for identifying heterogeneous groups. Findings The estimation of a finite mixture model suggests that these bases are able to discriminate firms into four latent segments with different levels of ICT use and relationship variables. Research limitations/implications This research contributes to the understanding of the role that ICT and relationship variables have in the segmentation processes of tourism companies. Literature on segmentation in the business-to-business (B2B) context is limited and it is hard to find studies which apply latent methodology using behavioral criteria related to the use of ICT and relationship variables. Practical implications Segmentation of the tourism organizational market based on valuations of supplier relations and ICT use can help suppliers to design or adapt differentiation marketing strategies. Since agencies place the most value on confidence and value, tourism service suppliers should focus their efforts on improving the elements of service provision that increase perceived trust/confidence and value (i.e. growing the number of contacts, proximity to customers or sincerity, etc.). If agencies feel they can rely more on their providers, they will value their relationship more positively thereby favoring its long-term continuity. Originality/value The novelty in this work lies in the application of latent segmentation methodology and the simultaneous use of bases associated with ICT and relationship variables in B2B tourism.

Our work is focused on the segmentation analysis in the Spanish tourist industry. Using a sample of travel agencies who evaluated the relationship with their main supplier (relationship value, relationship benefits and perceived information and communication technologies (ICTs) use), we attempt to examine the utility of these variables as specific and subjective segmentation criteria for identifying heterogeneous groups. The estimation of a finite mixture model suggests that these bases are able to discriminate firms into six latent classes with different levels of ICT use and relationship variables. The novelty in this work lies in the application of latent segmentation methodology and the simultaneous use of bases associated with ICT and relationship variables in business-to-business tourism.

This research aims to examine the opportunities of Information Communication Technologies (ICT) and its use for the rural tourism businesses. The study used purposive random sampling of presence of tourist villages product in the Online Travel Agency (OTA) application in Indonesia. From the OTA, it can be seen the rural tourism destinations product related offerings suggestion. From the recommended destinations, assessment and comparison is made with the village’s official website and other online resources.Tourism villages and their market need to be met comprehensively understanding with OTA app developers to get better future business results.

Purpose This study aims at characterizing and identifying the existing research on tourism business networks. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a systematic mapping study to identify and analyze related literature. They identified 225 primary studies, dated from 1997-2016, and classified them with respect to research focus, types of research and contribution. Findings Seventy four studies were identified and mapped, synthesizing the available evidence on tourism business networks. “Business networks” with 27 articles is the dominant research focus and “Network configuration” with 22 articles is the next dominant one. Regarding the research type, “Solution proposal” is the most frequently used research type. “Interview” and “Case study”, respectively, were the most used research methods. However, “Agent-based modeling”, “Delphi study” and “Non-linear time series analysis” were used less often. “Philosophical paper” was the most common research type between 1997 and 2002, and after that “Solution proposal” was the dominant research paper type. Further, the number of publications has declined between 2012 and 2014. Originality/value This mapping study provides the first systematic exploration of the state-of-art on tourism business networks research. The existing body of knowledge is limited to a few high quality studies.

Actual importance of study. At the beginning of the 2020s developed world countries and countries which are the leaders of world economic development faced up the challenges of radical structural reformation of social production (from industry to service system) which is based on digitalization. Digital technologies in world science and business practice are considered essential part of a complex technological phenomenon like ‘Industry 4.0’. Digitalization should cover development of all business processes and management processes at micro-, meso- and microlevels, processes of social production management at national and world economy levels. In general, in the 21st century world is shifting rapidly to the strategies of digital technologies application. The countries which introduce these strategies will gain guaranteed competitive advantages: from reducing production costs and improved quality of goods and services to developing new sales market and making guaranteed super-profits. The countries which stand aside from digitalization processes are at risk of being among the outsiders of socio-economic development. Such problem statement highlights the actual importance of determining the directions, trends and strategic priorities of social production digitalization. This issue is really crucial for all world countries, including Ukraine which is in midst of profound structural reformation of all national production system. Problem statement. Digital economy shapes the ground for ‘Industry 4.0’, information, It technologies and large databases become the key technologies. The main asset of ‘Industry 4.0’ is information, the major tool of production is cyberphysical systems that lead to formation the single unified highly productive environmental system of collecting, analyzing and applying data to production and other processes. Cyberphysical systems provides ‘smart machines’ (productive machines, tools and equipment which are programmed) integration via their connection to the Internet, or creation special network, ‘Industrial Internet’ (IIoT) which is regarded as a productive analogue of ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) that is focused on the consumers. ‘Internet of Things’ can be connected with ‘smart factories’ which use ‘Industrial Internet’ to adjust production processes quickly turning into account the changes in costs and availability of resources as well as demand for production made. One of the most essential tasks for current economics and researchers of systems and processes of organization future maintenance of world production is to determine the main strategic priorities of social production digitalization. Analysis of latest studies and publications. Valuable contribution to the study of the core and directions of strategic priorities concerning social production digitalization was made by such foreign scientists as the Canadian researcher Tapscott D [1], foreigners Sun, L., Zhao, L [2], Mcdowell, M. [3] and others. Yet, the study of issues concerning social production digitalization are mainly done by the team of authors as such issues are complicated and multihierarchical. Furthermore, the problem of social production digitalization is closely linked to the transition to sustainable development, which is reflected in the works by Ukrainian scholars like Khrapkin V., Ustimenko V., Kudrin O., Sagirov A. and others in the monograph “Determinants of sustainable economy development” [4]. The edition of the first in Ukraine inter-disciplinary textbook on Internet economy by a group of scientists like Tatomyr I., Kvasniy L., Poyda S. and others [5] should also be mentioned. But the challenges of social production digitalization are constantly focused on by theoretical scientists, analytics and practitioners of these processes. Determining unexplored parts of general problem. Defining strategic priorities of social production digitalization requires clear understanding of prospective spheres of their application, economic advantages and risks which mass transition of social production from traditional (industrial and post-industrial)to digital technologies bear. A new system of technological equipment (production digitalization, Internet-economy, technology ‘Industry 4.0’, NBIC- technologies and circular economy) has a number of economic advantages for commodity producers and countries, as well as leads to dramatical changes in the whole social security system, changes at labour market and reformation the integral system of social relations in the society. Tasks and objectives of the study. The objective of the study is to highlight the core and define the main strategic priorities of social production digitalization, as they cause the process of radical structural reformation of industrial production, services and social spheres of national economy of world countries and world economy in general. To achieve the objective set in the article the following tasks are determined and solved: - to define the main priorities of digital technologies development, which is radically modify all social production business processes; - to study the essence and the role of circular economy for transition to sustainable development taken EU countries as an example; - to identify the strategic priorities of robotization of production processes and priority spheres of industrial and service robots application; - to define the role of NBIC-technologies in the process of social production structural reformation and its transition to new digital technologies in the 21st century. Method and methodology of the study. While studying strategic priorities of social production digitalization theoretical and empirical methods of study are used, such as historical and logical, analysis and synthesis, abstract and specific, casual (cause-and-effect) ones. All of them helped to keep the track of digital technologies evolution and its impact on structural reformation of social production. Synergetic approach, method of expert estimates and casual methods are applied to ground system influence of digital technologies, ‘Industry 4.0’ and their materialization as ‘circular economy’ on the whole complicated and multihierarchical system of social production in general. Basic material (the results of the study). Digital economy, i.e. economy where it is virtual but not material or physical assets and transactions are of the greatest value, institutional environment in which business processes as well as all managerial processes are developed on the basis of digital computer technologies and information and communication technologies (ICT), lies as the ground for social production digitalization. ICT sphere involves production of electronic equipment, computing, hardware,.software and services. It also provides various information sevices. Information Technology serves as a material basis for digital economy and digital technologies development. Among the basic digital technologies the following ones play the profound role: technology ‘Blockchain’, 3D priniting, unmanned aerial vehicles and flying drones, virtual reality (VR). Augmented reality (AR), Internet of Things (IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Internet of Value (IoV) which is founded on IT and blockchain technology, Internet of Everything (IoE), Artificial Intelligence (AI), neuron networks and robots. These basic digital technologies in business processes and management practices are applied in synergy, complexity and system but not in a single way. System combination of digital technologies gives maximal economic effect from their practical application in all spheres of social production-from industry to all kinds of services. For instance, in education digital technologies promote illustrating and virtual supplement of study materials; in tourism trade they promote engagement of virtual guides, transport and logistics security of tourist routes, virtual adverts and trips arrangements, virtual guidebooks, virtual demonstration of services and IT brochures and leaflets. Digital technologies radically change gambling and show businesses, in particular, they provide virtual games with ‘being there’ effect. Digital technologies drastically modify the retail trade sphere, advertisement and publishing, management and marketing, as well as provide a lot of opportunities for collecting unbiased data concerning changes in market conditions in real time. Digital technologies lie as the basis for ‘circular economy’, whose essence rests with non-linear, secondary, circular use of all existing natural and material resources to provide the production and consumption without loss of quality and availability of goods and services developed on the grounds of innovations, IT-technology application and ‘Industry 4.0’. Among priorities of circular economy potential applications the following ones should be mentioned: municipal services, solid household wastes management and their recycling, mass transition to smart houses and smart towns, circular agriculture development, circular and renewable energy, The potential of circular economy fully and equally corresponds to the demands for energy efficiency and rational consumption of limited natural resources, so it is widely applied in EU countries while transiting to sustainable development. In the 21st century processes of social production robotization draw the maximal attention of the society. There is a division between industrial and service robots which combine artificial intelligence and other various digital technologies in synergy. Industrial robots are widely used in production, including automotive industry, processing industry, energetic, construction sectors and agriculture Services are applied in all other spheres and sectors of national and world economies –from military-industrial complex (for instance, for mining and demining the areas, military drones) to robots-cleaners (robots-vacuum cleaners), robots-taxis, robots engaged in health care service and served as nurses (provide the ill person with water, tidy up, bring meals). Social production robotization is proceeding apace. According to “World Robotic Report 2020”, within 2014 – 2019 the total quantity of industrial robots increased by 85 %. By 2020 in the world the share of robots in the sphere of automated industrial production had comprised 34 %, in electronics – 25%, in metallurgy – 10 %. These indicators are constantly growing which results in structural reformation of the whole system of economic and industrial processes, radical changes in world labour market and the social sphere of world economy in general. Alongside with generally recognized types of digital technologies and robotization processes, an innovation segment of digital economy – NBIC – technologies (Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, Information technology, Cognitive Science) are rapidly spread. Among the priorities of NBIC-technologies development the special place belongs to interaction between information and cognitive technologies. As a material basis for its synergy in NBIC-technologies creation of neuron networks, artificial intelligence, artificial cyber brain for robots are applied. It is estimated as one of the most prospective and important achievements of digital economy which determines basic, innovational vector of social production structural reformations in the 21st century. The sphere of results application. International economic relations and world economy, development of competitive strategies of national and social production digitalization of world economy in general. Conclusions. Digital technologies radically change all spheres of social production and social life, including business and managerial processes at all levels. Digital technologies are constantly developing and modifying, that promotes emergence of new spheres and new business activities and management. 21st century witnessed establishing digital economy, smart economy, circular economy, green economy and other various arrangements of social production which are based on digital technologies. Social production digitalization and innovative digital technologies promotes business with flexible systems of arrangement and management, production and sales grounded on processing large Big Data permanently, on the basis of online monitoring in real time. Grounded on digital technologies business in real time mode processes a massive Big Data and on their results makes smart decisions in all business spheres and business processes management. Radical shifts in social production digitalization provides businesses of the states which in practice introduce digital technologies with significant competitive advantages - from decrease in goods and services production cost to targeted meeting of specific needs of consumers. Whereas, rapid introduction of digital technologies in the countries-leaders of world economic development results in a set of system socio-economic and socio-political challenges, including the following: crucial reformatting the world labour market and rise in mass unemployment, shift from traditional export developing countries’ specialization, breakups of traditional production networks being in force since the end of the 20th century, so called ‘chains of additional value shaping’, breakups of traditional cooperation links among world countries and shaping the new ones based on ‘Industry 4.0’ and ‘Industrial Internet’. Socio-economic and political consequences of radical structural reformation of all spheres in national and world economy in the 21st century, undoubtedly, will be stipulated with the processes of social production digitalization. It will require further systemic and fundamental scientific studies on this complicated and multi hierarchical process.

This study deals with the estimation of the changes that occur in the Business-to-Business (B2B) networks in the Japanese textile and apparel industry by applying datasets of about 2000 companies from 2011/2012 to 2015/2016. Network analysis was used to examine the properties of the B2B networks. A factor of innovation in information and communications technology (ICT) and logistics technology was introduced into an agent-based model to demonstrate changes occurring in the related structures of B2B networks. The agent-based model was designed and tested based on qualitative information on Japanese textile and apparel industries. Consequently, network analysis revealed power-law properties and the structures of centralized hub companies. Moreover, in the simulation experiments, the centralizations of the networks generated by the agent-based model due to innovation in ICT and logistics technology were illustrated. Therefore, one of the predicted cases regarding changes that occur in the B2B networks was explained as centralizations to hub companies.

One of the industrial sectors that can increase foreign exchange in Indonesia is the tourism industry. In 2019, the tourism industry in Indonesia is projected to be the largest foreign exchange earner through oil and gas, coal and palm oil. One aspect that supports the development of industry is the readiness of ICT. Bandung is one of the cities in West Java, which has sought to develop ICT, but needs to be improved further from the central / regional government, to the executant of the tourism industry. Bandung has a tourism potential that consists of natural attractions, culture, shopping, and culinary interesting to explore both by domestic tourists and foreign tourists. Thus, information technology that contains relevant and interesting information by using the right business model. Research methodology in data list technique which is measurement, interview, and literature study. Mobile apps are one of the information technology tools used by today's society, therefore interactive and can be used via mobile devices. Creative concepts applied to the 360​​° Virtual reality Panorama app. Through Virtual reality Panorama will create a different visual location, which can attract potential tourists to visit Bandung city destinations directly. In addition, the appropriate business model will be used on the system as part of the activity. It is expected that this research can support previous research in the field of visual communication design, ICT, and management.

Deployment of ICT has been changing the way companies in every industry conduct their business. The most impacted is the marketing department. Marketers need to constantly study the market and the rapid changes in technology to continue satisfying the new-age customers. These customers have access to multiple sources of information due to increased usage of ICT. The present study analyses the evolution of Indian tourism industry, focusing on its marketing strategies over the years. The author reviews various sources to study the disruption caused by deployment of ICT in the marketing strategies used by the industry. Tourism industry is a combination of various interrelated industries, such as food industry, transport industry, hotel industry, etc. It was found that the information and communication technologies have revived the Indian tourism industry like never before. The impact can be noted in the form of price competition, changes in consumer behaviour, demand for customization, reduced barriers to entry and increased bargaining power of buyers.

Although e-commerce and related technologies are regarded as tourism business' natural partners, opportunities emanating from their use may not be fully realized unless users are equipped with required information and communication technologies (ICT) knowledge. A need for capacity building is thus critical to providing developing countries with opportunities to capitalize on the opportunities offered by ICT. This study was carried in Zanzibar and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to investigate ICT training level and current ICT training needs among the micro-small and medium tourism enterprises (MSMTEs). Using snowballing non-probability sampling technique, data was collected from willing 69 MSMTEs. While quantitative data was analyzed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS), descriptive answers were contently summarized. Activities identified include tour operating, souvenirs, Tingatinga drawings, Maasi carvings, boutique selling, hotel operation, animal zoos, backpacking and information services provision. Areas that revealed importance and urgency for training include internet usage, purchasing and selling products via the Internet, basic web designing and maintenance and troubleshooting. Others are basic software applications such as Microsoft word, spreadsheet, report processing and presentation. Need for government support in laying out infrastructure, supportive policies that favor sponsored trainings and subsidized investments in ICT was exposed as important ingredients for tourism competitive advantages.

To reach this interoperability visibility and common understanding must be ensured on all levels of the interoperability pyramid. This includes common agreements about the visions, political and legal restrictions, clear descriptions about the collaboration scenarios, included business processes and-rules, the type and roles of the Documents, a common understandable vocabulary, etc. To do this in an effective and automatable manner, ICT based concepts, frameworks and models have to be defined, that have to be known and understood, accepted and that have to provide additional e-benefits for all participating partners. In addition, ICT systems, tools and other instruments must be compliant with all the restrictions defined by the interoperability pyramid and they have to support the work properly and efficient, and last but not least they have to ensure trust and minimize e-business risks. Nowadays, many profitable and well working individual solutions on the market may be found. But there still is a gap for more general and well working interoperability solutions. This article shows the state of the Art in Research and Practice in building, managing and maintaining E-Business solutions under the focus to enhance interoperability based on standards, protocols and other helpful concepts, instruments and examples. To provide better understanding for non-specialists, also, the authors systemize the complex and interdisciplinary content and offer additional helpful explanations.

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a framework for benchmarking the eTourism capability of a destination’s tourism industry, understanding the eTourism capability of a destination’s industry as the contribution that the information and communication technologies (ICT) uptake of that industry makes to its own performance. The impact of ICT in tourism has been suggested through extensive research. Previous work has urged the development of wide-angle studies to enable benchmarking of destinations and their industries. However, relevant research is limited. Macro-level studies in the area tend to focus on a single aspect of technology to evaluate adoption, are not sector-specific nor take into consideration the different levels of contribution that systems may bring to performance. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the literature on tourism, eTourism, benchmarking and technology adoption provided the baseline for developing this benchmarking tool. Findings – The literature supported the selection of key tourism industry sectors, i.e. accommodation establishments, visitor attractions and food and beverage; the most suitable methodology, i.e. intermediary performance measures; and the business characteristics that need being taken into consideration when assessing ICT adoption by tourism businesses, e.g. size, type of establishment and area of location. Research limitations/implications – The framework has not been tested yet. It is based on a review of the literature and needs to be validated through primary research. The framework was developed based on the context of Scotland. Further work should be done to adjust the framework to other destinations worldwide. Practical implications – The framework enables destinations to benchmark the eTourism capability of their industries. Originality/value – It provides a comprehensive framework for benchmarking tourism destinations’ industries, which takes into consideration elements of technology adoption, the characteristics of the tourism industry and the particularities of the different ICT elements.

The study aims to explain the economic impact of Internet implication in tourism sector by taking sample of mega project listed countries (which provide big pitch to boost tourism business). Our work find the volatility cause of tourism revenue at country i, by examining the inbound tourist expenditures as a factor of technological infrastructure. We deploy data ranging from 1990 to 2017 and uses error correction model as representative of Autoregressive-Distributed Lag (ARDL) model after addressing diagnostic tests (for data reliability concern). We found long- and short-run association between tourism expenditure and information and communication technology (ICT) proxies in case of developed economies, while only short-run association in underdeveloped countries. The startling scenario about underdeveloped economies are also confirmed by one-way causation in our analysis. After sensitive analysis at each slot, the study concludes that tourism revenue is streaming low across those boundaries where tourists are suffered by paying more due to technological inaccessibility and its underdeveloped infrastructure. The suffered economies are recommended to upgrade their ICT sector to facilitate inbound tourist.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of using information and communication technology (ICT) on retail property in Malaysia. It also examines what listed property companies perceive in terms of the implications of using ICT in the retail property sector in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from sample surveys completed by 79 property companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia (formerly known as the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange). An ICT retail impact matrix was then developed to assess the significance of ICT on retail property in Malaysia. Findings – The findings of the study revealed that ICT would have only a minor impact on retail property in Malaysia and that there would still be a need for the traditional means of conducting a retail property business. It also found that the listed property companies were ready to implement ICT applications and that the demand for retail property would still increase in Malaysia in the future. Research limitations/implications – Only 66 percent of listed property companies in Malaysia (the respondents) participated in the study. Originality/value – This paper seeks to look at the impact ICT has on retail property in Malaysia. For this purpose, an ICT retail impact matrix was developed to assess this impact. As such, this study will be used as a benchmark for future ICT studies relating to retail property and the real estate sector in Malaysia.

The motivation for this study is to assess the managerial performance in Taiwanese international tourist hotels based on the two-stage NDEA performance mechanism with ICA technique for enhancing the discriminatory power of performance evaluation model. The two-stage managerial performance structure is applied, incorporating the service production and service operation stages, as a reduced form to introduce the relatively complex business environment of modern enterprise. However, we have need to be considerable of dimensionality curse problem in NDEA performance model. A modified NDEA-based evaluation model, therefore, is proposed to integrate the network slacks-based measure (NSBM) with a dimensional reduction technique, the independent component analysis (ICA). The results indicate that the performance of the profit dimension significantly hampers operational performance, and that both regulators and managers must adjust their market orientation business strategy. Moreover, compared with the NSBM model, this modified ICA-NSBM performance model has a high discriminatory ability to measure the relative performance of the selected hotels.

Africa is viewed as the next business frontier worldwide. In the last decade, we have been witnessing increased investment operations in Africa by US, Chinese, Japanese and European companies. The restrictions of African agricultural production and tourism as a prosperous industry are possible to overcome. The future prospects are favorable. The economy of Mauritius is based on sugar, tourism, textiles and apparel, and financial services, and is rapidly expanding into fish processing, ICT, hospitality and property development. The aim of this paper examines the environment for developing agro and tourism business in Mauritius, which in turn strengthens the private sector. It also identifies opportunities that can stimulate the countries’ broader reform efforts with the ultimate goal of poverty reduction.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that make the adoption of interoperability solutions for online tourism distribution (OTD) more likely by small operators and to develop an evaluation framework for this solutions. Research identifying these determinants is missing. The resulting evaluation framework is then applied to evaluate a number of extant technological solutions focused on interoperability solutions for OTD. Design/methodology/approach – In an attempt to address this gap of research, this paper undertakes a series of interviews and focus groups of the European tourism industry. Findings – Findings partly aligned with the suggestion made by previous research about technology adoption by micro, small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs), they also highlighted some issues which are specific to the adoption of interoperability solutions for OTD. These related to the scarcity of information and communication technology (ICT) applications specifically designed for mini and micro enterprises, the very limited capabilities available for using efficiently ICTs in business-to-business (B2B) operations and the difficulty in collaborating with other companies due to the number of different solutions used in the industry, especially when dealing with large aggregators (global distribution systems (GDSs) or large online travel agencies) and lack of standardization for data. Research limitations/implications – The study has important theoretical implications. It provides a better understanding of issues affecting the adoption of interoperability solutions for OTD by SMTEs, such as the scarcity of ICT applications specifically designed for mini and micro enterprises, the very limited capabilities available for using ICTs efficiently in B2B operations and lack of standardization. Practical implications – It facilitates making decisions about adopting interoperability solutions for online distribution solutions, both by suppliers and destination managers. Originality/value – Limited work has focused on understanding issues affecting the adoption of interoperability solutions for OTD solutions among SMTEs.

The Information Technology and Communications (ICT) have revolutionized the way to promote and interpret the cultural heritage in the world of tourism. Currently any destination that aims to be competitive must continually update all information that may be of interest to the visitor. The tourist whose main motivation is the culture is characterized by requiring large amount of consumer information and ICT. Users have transformed into a 2.0 users, characterized by being highly connected and be creators of information and put their opinion on all social networks, blogs, etc. All of this contributes in reputation systems on-line. This article analyzes and classifies ICT related to the interpretation, implementation and promotion of cultural tourism resources exploitation. So, the more traditional tools such as technology news manifests in the area of the promotion and enhancement of cultural heritage will be addressed. These instruments besides being a vehicle for the promotion, marketing and even for planning tourist destination, offering the opportunity to improve the interpretation and management of cultural heritage in such spaces.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify the progress of research of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the restaurant industry. More specifically, this paper reviews the main academic contributions from the area of hospitality and tourism over the past 18 years by addressing the adoption and implementation of ICT in restaurant activities. Design/methodology/approach This study analyses 68 full-length ICT research articles that were published in the period 2000-2018 in 29 journals (with Science Journal Citation Reports or Scimago Journal Rankings impact) and eight subject areas. Findings The review reveals a number of significant findings. It highlights the scarcity of contributions within academic research related to the area of hospitality and tourism focused on addressing the issue of ICT in restaurants. Moreover, and predictably, several dimensions clearly emerge from the consumer and supply perspectives as being the most prominent. On the one hand, the adoption of ICT has changed the behaviour of consumers in at least three dimensions: information search and evaluation of alternatives purchase decision and post-purchase behaviour. On the other hand, ICT has revolutionised the core business areas of restaurants by dramatically transforming the following areas: operational and strategic management, marketing and Web design, customer services, security, food and nutrition and human resources. Originality/value Given the fact that ICT in the restaurant industry remains a largely unexplored subject, this paper can offer a useful tool for researchers who pursue advances in this field, by providing an overview that outlines the main aspects that need further research.

The starting point of the text are different approaches that perceive ICT as an indispensable generally accepted trend in business, and which also introduce dynamic changes in the modern market-cultural tourist competition. In order to present more clearly the concept of cultural heritage as a marketable product, key elements of the cultural tourism industry will be discussed. The direct impact of the technological revolution on implementation of new operational modes adapted to new, fast and flexible generation of consumers within the sector of tourism will also be analysed. Aspects of ICT in cultural heritage as a development resource will be highlighted with a specific example of Art Nouveau cultural heritage through the S.O.S. Secession Tourist route Osijek - Subotica. The project is co-financed by European funds with the aim of developing and promoting a common cultural and tourist product based on secession. The importance of visual Art Nouveau identity as an integral part of local economic development and the associated application of ICT in project implementation will be presented.

The major objective of this article is to analyze the potentials of information and communications technology (ICT) for the evolution of smart cities, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by traditional public utilities in the areas of public transportation, energy, water supply, and wastewater management due to the entry of new players originating from ICT organizations and industries. The character of virtual networks for smart cities is demonstrated based on three pillars: (1) All-IP–based real-time and adaptive broadband communication networks, (2) global navigation satellite systems and their overlay position correction networks, and (3) the interoperability of ubiquitous sensor network applications, as they form the ICT basis for a multitude of applications that are important in smart cities. The heterogeneity of virtual networks for different smart city physical network services is based on these pillars, taking into account the different requirements for the quality of service (QoS) of data packet transmission, geopositioning, and sensor networks. It can be expected that prosumer activities and resultant networked commons become increasingly relevant for the smart city of the future. However, the increasing role of prosumer activities cannot replace the role of markets in solving scarcity problems within ICT networks as well as physical networks. The role of congestion pricing and QoS differentiation for network capacities in transportation and electricity markets as well as ICT is indicated. If, due to non-rivalry in usage, efficient congestion prices are pointless, the future role of subsidies from the state is considered.

Purpose - The aim of the research is to present the main challenges faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism industry, to build and enhance their value proposition within the framework of a digital environment. Design/methodology/approach - The authors carried out a review of the literature in databases using keywords. The selection of sources includes scientific articles and case studies based on different methods and contexts. Findings - The findings suggest that in a context characterized by the integration of the economy and the interference of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), commercialization has become flexible and accessible. The above has had a tangible impact on the structure of the market and in the way in which the SMEs in the tourism industry are managed. Research limitations/implications - The study offers an up-to-date and global vision for future researchers through the review of the literature on SMEs located in the tourism industry in the context of a digital environment. Social implications - The study shows that to survive and grow, SMEs in the tourism sector must differentiate themselves from their competitors, evolve in their business model and rapidly integrate ICT in their organizational fabric. Originality/value - The construction of a value proposition for SMEs in the tourism sector should be settled on an understanding of the position held, on the competence of the competitors and the needs of the market.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore mindfulness training as a viable intervention for frontline employees in tourism and hospitality as a way to aid in the regulation of emotions and reduce or prevent employee burnout while increasing levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach By reviewing related literature, the authors explored the relationships between mindfulness training and emotional labor, and mindfulness, burnout and work engagement. Findings The authors suggested the following propositions: mindfulness training can potentially help to regulate emotional labor of tourism and hospitality frontline employees, and mindfulness training can potentially reduce burnout and enhance levels of work engagement of tourism and hospitality frontline employees. Research limitations/implications This study can guide scholars to initiate empirical research to examine the influence of mindfulness training on diverse outcomes related to tourism and hospitality employees. Practical implications This study can help to improve the awareness of leaders and managers of mindfulness training as an intervention to alleviate emotional exhaustion of frontline employees in tourism and hospitality. Originality/value This study provides theoretical insights and useful practical implications for ways to establish a suitable work environment that encourages frontline employees to perform genuine or deep acting while minimizing incidents of surface acting and the consequences of emotional labor.