Module Descriptors
E-TOURISM
XXEM50005
Key Facts
Faculty of Business, Education and Law
Level 5
15 credits
Hours of Study
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities: 36
Independent Study Hours: 114
Total Learning Hours: 150
Assessment
- ASSIGNMENT weighted at 100%
Module Details
Module Learning Strategies
24 hours of formal lectures
12 hours of tutorials
The learning strategy for this module requires students to commit 150 learning hours (including assessments).
Of this, there will be 36 hours of class support and 114 hours of independent and self directed studies. Students will be required to undertake preparatory reading and research followed by further online analysis of ICT applications on assigned materials and/or case studies as part of their independent study. This will be the basis of tutorial discussions. Tutorial support activities will include individual and group activities, discussions and group presentations based on online research and case study analysis.
Learning support materials will be provided for the module. Lectures will provide students with a broad overview of the indicative content of the module.
12 hours of tutorials
The learning strategy for this module requires students to commit 150 learning hours (including assessments).
Of this, there will be 36 hours of class support and 114 hours of independent and self directed studies. Students will be required to undertake preparatory reading and research followed by further online analysis of ICT applications on assigned materials and/or case studies as part of their independent study. This will be the basis of tutorial discussions. Tutorial support activities will include individual and group activities, discussions and group presentations based on online research and case study analysis.
Learning support materials will be provided for the module. Lectures will provide students with a broad overview of the indicative content of the module.
Module Indicative Content
The purpose of this module is to provide students with an understanding of recent and contemporary developments in ICT, specifically the internet and the way in which these have transformed the tourism sector. The module will enable students to assess the effects and the impacts of ICT and the internet on tourism organisations and destinations and the management of tourism distribution channels as well as strategic tourism marketing. The module aims to demonstrate that ICT and the internet are an integral part of the strategic marketing and management of tourism.
The module attempts to bridge the gap in the contemporary developments by carefully examining the marketing issues of organisations that have successfully implemented eTourism solutions, including mobile technologies. Students will be able to explore the newest developments in the specific tourism sectors and come to appreciate the emerging trends and innovative approaches used by organisations to create new products, industry structures and marketing management practices. Students will be encouraged to undertake research to help stimulate further investigation in the specific tourism sector.
Students will be introduced to several case studies which will demonstrate organisations that have embedded technology in their operations and marketing strategy and show how these technologies have supported their expansion, competitiveness and profitability.
Topics covered in the module will include:
- Introduction to eToursim - includes impact of ICTs on tourism, the tourism system and ICTs and technological convergence and new ICT developments.
- Demand driven eTourism - includes leisure versus business travel demand and the Internet applications, barriers and catalyst for online consumers and travellers and quantitative and qualitative growth of tourism demand.
- Supply driven eTourism - includes eTourism and requirements of the tourism industry, SMTEs versus large tourism organisations, private and for-profit organisations, public and not-for-profit tourism organisations and destinations, ICT empowered strategic decisions and directions ¿ strategic alliances and partnerships, distribution strategies, customer relationship management and dynamic marketing and building and maintaining sustainable competitive advantage.
- ICT, internet and mobile communications and application in various tourism sectors including:
+ eAirlines - includes airline types and ICT utilisation, strategic and tactical role of ICTs for airlines, ICT-empowered strategic alliances and critical issues for future successes of airlines.
+ eHospitality - includes accommodation types and ICT utilisation, larger versus smaller accommodation properties, tactical and strategic role of ICTs for hotels, lessons and issues for future eHospitality.
+ eTour Operators - includes tour operator functions, types and structures, strategic and tactical role of ICTs for tour operators, disintermediation and re-intermediation of tour operators and issues for the future of tour operators.
+ eTravel Agencies - includes travel agency functions, types and structures, strategic and tactical role of ICTs for travel agencies, disintermediation and re-intermediation of Travel agencies and issues for the future of travel agencies.
+ eDestinations - eDestination types, SMTEs and ICT utilisation, strategic and tactical role of ICTs for destinations, destination management systems (DMS) and DMS challenges, critical issues and challenges for destinations and the future of DMSs.
+ Future development of eTourism - includes ICTs as tools for the tourism industry, developing interactivity between consumers and suppliers through ICTs, multi-channel strategies for tourism distribution, strategic implications of eTourism for tourism marketing for the consumer of the future, travel intermediaries, principals and STMEs, destinations and the public sector and the virtualisation of the tourism industry.
The module attempts to bridge the gap in the contemporary developments by carefully examining the marketing issues of organisations that have successfully implemented eTourism solutions, including mobile technologies. Students will be able to explore the newest developments in the specific tourism sectors and come to appreciate the emerging trends and innovative approaches used by organisations to create new products, industry structures and marketing management practices. Students will be encouraged to undertake research to help stimulate further investigation in the specific tourism sector.
Students will be introduced to several case studies which will demonstrate organisations that have embedded technology in their operations and marketing strategy and show how these technologies have supported their expansion, competitiveness and profitability.
Topics covered in the module will include:
- Introduction to eToursim - includes impact of ICTs on tourism, the tourism system and ICTs and technological convergence and new ICT developments.
- Demand driven eTourism - includes leisure versus business travel demand and the Internet applications, barriers and catalyst for online consumers and travellers and quantitative and qualitative growth of tourism demand.
- Supply driven eTourism - includes eTourism and requirements of the tourism industry, SMTEs versus large tourism organisations, private and for-profit organisations, public and not-for-profit tourism organisations and destinations, ICT empowered strategic decisions and directions ¿ strategic alliances and partnerships, distribution strategies, customer relationship management and dynamic marketing and building and maintaining sustainable competitive advantage.
- ICT, internet and mobile communications and application in various tourism sectors including:
+ eAirlines - includes airline types and ICT utilisation, strategic and tactical role of ICTs for airlines, ICT-empowered strategic alliances and critical issues for future successes of airlines.
+ eHospitality - includes accommodation types and ICT utilisation, larger versus smaller accommodation properties, tactical and strategic role of ICTs for hotels, lessons and issues for future eHospitality.
+ eTour Operators - includes tour operator functions, types and structures, strategic and tactical role of ICTs for tour operators, disintermediation and re-intermediation of tour operators and issues for the future of tour operators.
+ eTravel Agencies - includes travel agency functions, types and structures, strategic and tactical role of ICTs for travel agencies, disintermediation and re-intermediation of Travel agencies and issues for the future of travel agencies.
+ eDestinations - eDestination types, SMTEs and ICT utilisation, strategic and tactical role of ICTs for destinations, destination management systems (DMS) and DMS challenges, critical issues and challenges for destinations and the future of DMSs.
+ Future development of eTourism - includes ICTs as tools for the tourism industry, developing interactivity between consumers and suppliers through ICTs, multi-channel strategies for tourism distribution, strategic implications of eTourism for tourism marketing for the consumer of the future, travel intermediaries, principals and STMEs, destinations and the public sector and the virtualisation of the tourism industry.
Module Additional Assessment Details
An individual assignment length 2,000 words weighted at 100%
Module Resources
Library
Internet
TV
DVD/video
Computer/IT Lab for tutorial sessions
Internet
TV
DVD/video
Computer/IT Lab for tutorial sessions
Module Texts
Buhalis, D. and Egger, R. (2008), eTourism Case Studies: Management and Marketing Issues, Butterworth Heinemann
Buhalis, D. (2003), ETourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism Management, FT Prentice Hall
McDonnel, I. (2006), eTravel and Tourism, Butterwoth Heinemman
Buhalis, D. (2003), ETourism: Information Technology for Strategic Tourism Management, FT Prentice Hall
McDonnel, I. (2006), eTravel and Tourism, Butterwoth Heinemman