International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences, 2(10) October 2013, Pages: 859-863

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International Journal of Economy, Management and Social Sciences

ISSN
2306-7276

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The Effect of Information and Communication Technology in

Urban Tourism Development
Mohammad Zohdi Gohar Pour *1, Elham Ebrahimi 2
1
2

P.HD Student in Political Geography; Young Researchers and Elites Club, Since and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
M.A in Urban Planning Geography; Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran.

AR TIC LE INF O

AB STR AC T

Keywords:

Tourism is one of the most pioneering and economic activities of the world which allocates more
than 10% of the universal employment and national production. Additionally, world is inevitably a
global village nowadays with vast and profound communications. Today, the information
technology and its usage are of the most fundamental keys in countries' improvement, especially
developing nations. Necessity of paying attention to tourism and the usage of modern technology
for developing tourism to benefit from its numerous economic advantages for countries made it
essential to investigate the relation between improvement of information and communication
technology and tourism development. ICT is now the basic element in the world tourism arena and
has an impressive contribution in national and transnational competitions of the countries. The
outcome of the development of above issues about tourism caused on the one hand, the formation
of E-tourism and on the other hand, the formation of virtual tourism. By and large, the usage of
information and communication technologies and its development in the field of supply and
demand of tourism caused that tourists evaluate their destinations before traveling and get a virtual
experience in their mind about tourism framework. In addition, this issue made it possible to
publicize the process of choosing travels destinations. Findings of this research indicate Irans
weakness in the E-tourism arena. This article aims to determine the whole domain of tourism
system, its suitable ground of information, E-tourisms effects, challenges which exist in this field
and finally suggest some methods appropriate for its development. The researchs type is
qualitative and the method which has been applied is descriptive-analytic. Documentary and library
sources have been used in this research.

Tourism,
E-tourism,
Virtual tourism,
ICT

2013 Int. j. econ. manag. soc. sci. All rights reserved for TI Journals.

Introduction
Information and communication technology is essential for the whole departments of tourism system to make an information source for any
tourism organization and establish the information infrastructures required for them. Through such information sources, any department is
capable of stabilizing its job opportunity and improving its tourism participation and production. By and large, information and
communication technology is the basic factor of becoming globalized in supply and demand of tourism by offering efficacious facilities to
the customers for recognizing and purchasing the favorite products to develop their management and distribution on a worldly scale
(Buhalis, 2003, 82). World tourism organization defines e-tourism as following: e-tourism means applying e-business in tourism and
traveling. Considering the nature of tourism, ICT can be very beneficial in improving the efficiency of products delivery and transactions
and also predicting opportunities for gaining wide range of experiences in the field of tourism. All through the world arena, ICT has had an
extraordinary effects on tourism and traveling (Taj zade, Namin, 2003, 96). Therefore, the important questions which are brought up in this
research are as follows:
1- In the case of applying ICT, what are the strategic opportunities which can be useful in tourism?
2- In the case of applying ICT, which challenges and threats may exist in tourism?

Short Statement of the Problem

Tourism is nowadays in the rank of high-income, unblemished and economical industries. It can be foreseen that 200 billion dollars of the
countries income will be provided through tourism until 2010 and also 1 out of 15 will be employed in this field (Rahimi, 2008).
Considering this issue that world is inevitably a global village nowadays with vast and widely communications, and regarding that the
information technology and its usage are today of the most fundamental keys in countries improvement, Necessity of paying attention to
the usage of ICT for developing tourism has become twice as much. The intangible and changeable services of tourism cannot be evaluated
physically before their selling, and also tourism products are purchased usually before the time of their consuming and far from their places.
Therefore, tourism products are so dependent upon their introducing, describing and displaying which means through written, acoustic and
* Corresponding author.
Email address: Mohammad_zohdi@ut.ac.ir

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Int ernational Journal of Economy, Mana ge ment and Soci al Sci ences , 2(10) October 2013

video data, people can get informed. These introductions are mostly made by friends, relatives and travel agencies, so the suppliers of
tourism services and their managers do not affect on them. Consequently, the instruments of transferring information and establishing
communication can never be separate from the tourism industry. For that reason, this research is allocated to investigate the ICT application
in tourism development and the challenges existing in Iran. Lastly, since the advantages of ICT are essential for national countrys income,
some comments and suggestions have been made to benefit from these advantages in tourism development as much as possible.

The Meaning of Tourism and Urban Tourism

Gardeshgari is the Persian word for tourism which is used in English, French and German, and its commonly-used word in Farsi is
Jahangardi (Rezvani, 1995, 29). Tourism is the collection of phenomena and communications which has come into being as a result of
reciprocal actions between tourists, invest, nations, and countries which are hosts to the universities and nongovernmental organizations in
the process of attracting transportation, reception and control of tourists and other visitors. (Weave, 2000, 3) Considering another
definition, tourism is what the people do when they travel to a country except their own country to get some rest, work or etc. and stay there
at most for one successive year (Koushesh Tabar, 2008, 13). Tourism works in the form of particular environmental patterns. One of these
patterns is urban tourism. Cities regions are of the great importance because of their historical and cultural attractions (Timothy, 1995, 63).
In addition, even if the attractions are out of the cities, they are still involved in urban tourism because of the services which they offer to
their suburbs. Therefore, tourism is mostly centered in the cities. In other words, residence, serving food, communications, transportation
and other services applied by visitors of cities and suburbs are all located in the cities (Pearce, 2001, 927).Tourists activities in the city
such as various attractions, urban texture, purchasing, residence and secondary activities can lead towards visiting museums, theaters,
exhibitions, recreational centers and etc (Hall, 1999, 167).

Information and Communication Technology in Relation with Tourism Development

Electronics is one of the basic factors of modern information era. The other important factor is world communication. Computers and
satellites are so beneficial for these two factors which through data processing and exchanging have made a great influence on the factors
improvement. When satellites came into being, an extension of wide range of information got started. Common electronic switches did not
have the capacity of such huge information; therefore, computers became prepared for the new nervous system of worlds brain
(Henderson, 2002, 111). From early 1970, the small size of computers made them accessible for anyone. Through such an expanding
process, applying the computers electronic systems - became popular in data processing, exchanging and also saving. Computers, along
with satellites, led to an information revolution which resulted in some foundations for information and communication technology, so
that ICT became the most fundamental element of tourism industry. This revolution caused many developments such as e-tourism in
different nations (Paply Yazdi, Saghayi, 2006, 231-232). Internet has nowadays a noticeable effect on modern instruments in recording
products supply and demand and business in tourism industry.
Accurate and on time posting of the information, which is relevant to the customers needs, is the key factor of success in tourism supply
and demand. Experienced travelers are now able to get access to the information and reservation services. Information technology (IT) has
had an impressive effect on tourism industry, for they make this part to rethink of establishing business and behavioral norms and values.
The effect of tourism industry is also obvious in cooperation, distribution and marketing of governmental and private organizations. IT
raised tourism to a higher level of an electronic market place in which easy access to the information is possible. Consequently, the
interaction between customers and industrys proprietors has got increased (Armaghan, 2006:53-54).

E-tourism
The instantaneous progress of information technology in electronic system and tourism made the reduction of prices and accessing to the
new markets possible. Globalization also happens under the free dissemination of information. Therefore, tourism and ICT have close
relationship with each other which have formed and facilitated the process of tourism and caused numerous developments in both supply
and demand of tourism. E-tourism is the result of this close relationship and its consequent changes. Based on this fact, e-tourism can be
defined as following: E-tourism is the applying new instruments especially ICT in both supply and demand of tourism in which in addition
to presenting tourists services, some foregrounds can be prepared for marketing and tourism destinations.
With the reduction of mass tourism and creation of postmodern tourism, many changes have been made accompanying with altering the
motivations and tourists needs. The processing of tourism environmental patterns and intention to travel to different parts of the world with
a postmodern pluralistic view along with the dominance of interest and desire to have special mastery over all spaces caused that tourists
choose a kind of tourism system except mass tourism. Against mass tourism, experiencing and understanding the environment and its
indigenous cultures are very important for postmodern tourism. So, tourists use ICT to be informed of tourism destinations and their
demand conditions and choose their favorite destinations based on their motivations. Travel agencies, by using internet, try marketing and
offering specialized tourism designs, time of vacations and supplying facilities to the physical and mental needs of the tourists (Kako, 2002,
192). By and large, usage of ICT and its improvement in the field of tourism supply and demand made it possible for tourists to evaluate

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Internat ional Jour nal of Economy, Mana ge ment and Social Sciences , 2(10) October 2013

their destinations before travelling and get a virtual experience in their minds (Banadarvish, 2003, 88). Researches indicate that the amount
of people who have used internet before travelling have increased from 3.1 million in 1996 to 33.8 million in 1998 and 148.5 million in
2003. It is foreseen that until 2015, 45% of the whole activities of tourism will be done through internet. Based on the records, the volume
of internet activities in world tourism market has increased more than 6 times as much from 1999 to 2001 and it reached from 5 million
dollars in 1999 to 30 million dollars in 2001 (Banadarvish, 2003, 88). Another development is the formation of destination management
organization (DMO) which is the offspring of e-tourism. These organizations, through offering electronic services, made it accessible for
the tourists to program and search for their travels. These organizations duties are managing the tourism resources, programming tourism
activities, advertising and marketing, training the staffs and offering needed facilities to the tourists. As a matter of fact, these organizations
are intermediate layers between supply and demand of e-tourism (Buhalis, 2003, 78).

E-tourism in Iran
To recognize the position of e-tourism in Iran, we should first investigate the application of intranet, extranet and internet systems in the
active tourism offices. The staffs of airline transportation organizations mostly are skillful and familiar with computer and internet. They
use e-mail and know how to work with Fleet-watch, Amadeus and Gabira. These organizations usually use intranet network. But findings
prove that road transportation organizations do not benefit from these instruments (Rahbar Company, 1282). Statistics and observations
indicate that residential buildings still use telephone system to make reservation. Using CRS is not common and hotels are not still aware of
such tools. Travel agencies and airline organizations in Iran rarely use electronic sites. Most of the transactions take place through
traditional methods, and because of the shortage of shortage of appropriate infrastructures in the field of e-business, this system is not
popular in Iran (Rahbar Company, 2003).

Dissemination of Information
Governmental sites which are dependent upon the cultural heritage and tourism system, the municipalities and governor-generals offices,
nongovernmental sites and weblogs which have been made by interested people in the field of tourism have all helped to the dissemination
of information but we have not yet made any special improvement in the area of the world and the received information has been often
insufficient and similar to each other. It has not been upgraded for a long time, so its downgrade can be seen in the position of geographical
places, supporting the world living languages and not being in accordance with the users taste.

Giving Services
Services which are given to the tourists in Iran are provided mostly by governmental and sometimes nongovernmental websites. Services
such as electronic visa, web systems of destination and interactional smart maps are not still efficiently available. Many of the attractions
are not known for the tourists. Although virtual tours can be very efficacious in attracting and teaching tourists and in spite of numerous
historical and cultural monuments in Iran, few virtual tours of Iran museums posses a high quality to attract visitors. What is still applied in
Iran, as the method of reservation, is over the telephone. Airline and railroad organizations, some road passenger services and managers of
travel tours and hotels give internet reservation services. It should be mentioned that travel tours services are mostly given to the tours
whose point of departure is Tehran. So, these services are not distributed fairly all through the country and do not give sufficient
information to the users (Sajadi, Ayat, 2007).

Strategic Opportunities
It is necessary to investigate the following possible strategic opportunities to benefit from the maximum advantages of ICT in tourism:
1- Getting better position in marketing: Applying information and communication technology in packaging and distribution of popular
products made the regional organizations capable of distinguishing their propositions and presenting appropriate products with
discount price in accordance with their position in market place.
2- New job opportunities: using ICT has made some job opportunities in relation with ICT.
3- Income generating: using ICT has made it possible to get access to the new resources and generate more income along with
presenting products and services needed by tourists.
4- Easing the destination management: considering the destinations, ICT usage has eased the process of management and advertising in
production and distribution of products and tourism services.
5- Creating opportunities for small organizations: through using internet, even small organizations and destinations are able to
communicate to their customers and colleagues if they become present in electronic market.
6- Possibility of connecting to other departments: ICT facilitates the process of dissemination of information and intersectional
transactions. Generally speaking, the strong correlation existing between ICT and tourism has improved and facilitated the process of

Mohammad Zohdi Gohar Pour and Elham Ebrahimi

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Int ernational Journal of Economy, Mana ge ment and Soci al Sci ences , 2(10) October 2013

tourism and travelling and made a suitable space in which the growing demands of tourism can be dealt with. These technologies
have prepared an appropriate foundation for e-tourism (Tajzade, Namin, 2003, 97).

Challenges and Threats

1- Appropriate physical and technical infrastructure
Inappropriate physical and technical infrastructure is one of the main obstacles in the application of ICT in tourism; therefore, accessing to
the electronic and Tele communicative networks is essential if users intend to apply ICT.
2- Unsuitable information about the products and tourism services
The information, which is itself a potential source of generating income, is unsuitable in most of the countries. National and international
visitors are often unaware of destinations, services and facilities of tourism
3- Human resources
Technical and training knowledge is required for using ICT in the strategic, technical and operational levels. Lack of skillful staffs is
another important and serious problem for countries (Tajzade, Namin, 2003, 98).
The Most Fundamental Facilities in Relation with E-tourism Development
1- Focusing on the basic restraining factors of e-tourism development which, according to the researches, have been social, cultural and
technical factors.
2- Establishing a comprehensive organization of Iran tourism.
3- Promoting the quality of information given to the foreign users if tourism sites are professional and present appropriate services and
information.
4- Applying new methods of disseminating information like using visual effects in the tourism sites.
5- Establishing electronic banking as the fundamental section of all plans which are in the direction of electronic citizens development
in the country.
6- Offering electronic visa to the foreign tourists as a significant factor in easing their departure.
7- Producing a comprehensive data bank in hotels, tours and different centers which give services to the tourists.
8- Providing electronic markets whose whole steps of purchasing are done through internet and online.
9- Making a digital heritage department in the websites in which cultural products are published online in the form of films, pictures and
audio.
10- The most important one is presenting a real picture of Iran and Islam and its social growing condition to improve Irans reputation all
through the world (www.virtualmalasia.com).
11- Efficacious training and instructing in the innovative application of ICT are very noticeable in tourism. This instrument should be
prepared for all staffs of organizations which work in different levels. (Tajzade, Namin, 2003, 100).

Conclusion
In the present era which is called post-postmodern period, tourism has experienced many significant technological and economical
developments. It has been transformed into an economic key factor. Tourism has improved in both real and virtual spaces objectively and
subjectively and has exposed a new method of experiencing everything. Nowadays, tourists do not have to purchase a permanent house to
visit a country. They start travelling by making reservation in different places, times and continuous changing of their path. Tourism, in the
post-postmodern period and such compressed world, is dependent on the new technology more than any other thing. Recognizing the basic
elements which are effective in tourism development is dependent upon some other factors such as optimizing software and hardware
resources which can be established through a flexible management. Today, an appropriate and technical management is needed in tourism.
This management should be consist of training periods and apply the different consultants specialized in psychology, economy, history,
archaeology, geography, electronics and so on. Finally, it can be concluded that e-tourism is the lost link of the tourism chain in Iran. By
removing the old-fashioned policies and reestablishing them, we can make a significant improvement on the tourism industry. Iran can rise
to the higher ranks of tourism if we pay more attention to the grouped efforts of the expert and specialized in the development of Iran
tourism comprehensive portal, giving efficient services, upgrading virtual tours, offering electronic visa to the tourists, establishing digital
resources in accordance with the numerous cultural monuments in Iran and transparent dissemination of information.

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