Although 92% of enterprises in the tourism sector are micro-enterprises, it is distinguished by the development of ICT in terms of sales.
The latest report by the European Commission, covering research results from early 2005, also includes a characterization and assessment of the state of ICT advancement in the tourism sector. It covered ten economic sectors in seven European countries: France, Spain, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, and Poland. The subjects of the research were only entities possessing computers.
At this point, it should be mentioned that tourism is a very broad concept: from means of transport, restaurants, and accommodation to cultural and sports activities.
The European research covered entities according to the NACE Rev. 1.1 classification, marked as H55 and I63. The tourism sector is treated as particularly susceptible to the use of ICT tools. It also shows the fastest development, and the growth dynamics in it are higher than in the economy as a whole.
In 2005, in the EU, the tourism sector numbered over 1.4 million enterprises, employing approx. 8.1 million workers. High turnover growth in tourism also applies to new and associated countries of the Union, especially Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia. However, despite the sector’s susceptibility to the use of ICT, there is also a factor hindering this process. It is the size structure of enterprises, where
approx. 92% were micro-enterprises, 7.3% small, 0.6% medium, and 0.1% large.
A bit of history
Modern communication and information technologies appeared in the tourism sector quite a long time ago. It is generally accepted that their development occurred in three waves, namely when:
• in the 1970s, the Computer Reservation System was introduced, initially in airlines. Currently, it is used in travel agencies and hotel chains, allowing direct access for checking and booking as well as printing tickets
• in the 1970s, the Computer Reservation System was introduced, initially in airlines. Currently, it is used in travel agencies and hotel chains, allowing direct access for checking and booking as well as printing tickets
• in the 1980s, using the experience of the Computer Reservation System, the Global Distribution System was developed and implemented, providing better infostructure for entities in the tourism sector. It is currently used, among others, by the four largest airlines
• in the 1990s, the Internet developed, reducing the attractiveness of the above-mentioned systems. It provided companies in this sector with unrivaled information transfer and online transaction execution. The Internet will also be the main communication tool in the future, allowing for a significant reduction in the costs of tourism companies while simultaneously increasing the number of their clients.
On one hand, clients can communicate directly with agencies in this way and satisfy their increasingly changing needs regarding their services, and on the other – it is precisely this volatility of demand and the increasing segmentation of the tourism market that require agencies to have direct contact with clients.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka”, No. 2/2006.