Lois Burgess

Evaluating the use of the Web for tourism marketing: a case study from New Zealand.

Abstract The information-intensive nature of the tourism industry suggests an important role for the Internet and Web technology in the promotion and marketing of destinations. This paper uses the extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption to evaluate the level of Web site development in New Zealands Regional Tourism Organisations. The paper highlights the utility of using interactivity to measure the relative maturity of tourism Web sites.

Factors affecting adoption of electronic commerce technologies by SMEs: an Australian study

Using the Internet for electronic business has become an area of action for the Australian government. This paper presents research results from two regional areas, which indicate that while most manufacturing SMEs use e‐mail, very few are involved in electronic commerce activities. Major barriers are concern about security and privacy of transactions, cost of consultants, and lack of IT expertise of staff. Employing people with appropriate knowledge has been added to current training methods such as on‐the‐job training. Results from the two regional areas are found to be consistent. Comparisons between small and medium organisations highlight some differences.

To what extent are regional tourism organisations (RTOs) in Australia leveraging the benefits of web technology for destination marketing and eCommerce

The information-intensive nature of the tourism and travel industry suggests an important role for Web technology in the promotion and marketing of tourist destinations. The rapid development of the Internet and WWW is having profound impacts on the industry. In fact, according to Tourism Australia, travel and tourism has become the single largest category of products sold over the Internet (Tourism White Paper, Destinations online: approaches for regional tourism organisations, Centre for Regional Tourism Research, Southern Cross University, 2007). With reports of travel purchases being one of the fastest growing segments of the Internet community it is no surprise that the number of tourism operators on the Web has increased considerably over the past few years. This paper presents the results of a longitudinal study that seeks to determine if and to what extent, Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) in Australia are leveraging the benefits of Web technology for destination marketing and eCommerce. The study was undertaken over an eight year period from 2000 to 2008, using the Extended Model of Internet Commerce Adoption (eMICA) (Burgess and Cooper, International conference on telecommunications and electronic commerce, Dallas, November, 2000). A significant finding of this study is that despite assertions that the Tourism industry is leading the field in terms of eCommerce adoption (Buhalis and Law, Information and communication technologies in tourism, Ljubljana, Springer, Berlin, 2007), and this may hold true with some providers in the sector (for example, hotels and airlines) it does not appear to be the case with Australian RTOs who have been slow to embrace eCommerce. The results of the study also add support to the premise of eMICA, that is, in developing commercial websites, businesses (particularly, SMEs) in this industry sector typically start simply by establishing a presence on the Web and build on functionality over time, as their experience with and expertise in the use of Internet and Web technologies increases and they become more aware of the benefits the Web has to offer.

Encouraging SME eCollaboration - the role of the champion facilitator

Technology has done many things for small businesses. In one sense small business has been harmed through the advance of technology, which, from a competitive perspective, has made the world a much smaller place. To balance this, technology now provides the means for small busi- nesses to collaborate and build complementary skills to provide a better competitive standing in the world market. Electronically enhanced collaboration, or eCollaboration, allows firms to tran- scend the boundaries of space and time, permitting asynchronous communication and other In- formation Communication Technology (ICT) enablers. eCollaboration provides participants clear market advantages, not least among these is profit. Gains can also be realized in areas like knowl- edge management, increased customer service, optimized supply chains, and better inventory control. Participants from 70 Small businesses in Southern Sydney were interviewed, observed, and par- ticipated in focus groups. Data were collected and analyzed using NVivo and Grounded Theory; from this data an integrated model is developed which provides guidelines for optimum facilita- tion and management of eCollaboration. Two critical needs were developed - these were hard and soft needs; two value-add needs were found - these are marketing and feedback. By satisfy- ing these needs eCollaboration Champions - people or institutions who can facilitate, support, and guide collaborative relationships - can better ensure eCollaboration success.

A critical assessment of the role of fashion in influencing the travel decision and destination choice

While the word fashion is often associated with clothing and accessories, the objective of this paper is to argue that as a broader concept, fashion has relevance to tourism. It is argued that fashion can influence behaviour and both the decision to travel, and the destination selected may in some cases be a fashion statement by the traveller. Following discussion as to the meanings and explanations of fashion, a conceptual model is presented having the purpose of demonstrating how fashion can be a moderating variable in the travel decision and destination selection process. The model proposes the influence of fashion on leisure tourism, and is a foundation for future studies to further investigate fashion and tourism.

Information Systems for the Social Well-Being of Senior Australians

In most developed countries, the ageing population is placing a severe strain on health systems and national budgets. In meeting this challenge, e-health initiatives seek medically focused ICT solutions for improved health services that enable senior citizens to remain living at home longer. A literature review and interviews with healthcare providers reveal that significant factors affecting the well-being of the elderly are isolation and loneliness. In this paper we report on the first stages of a study on the digital literacy of seniors and the potential development of social media to meet the capabilities of people as they age. Focus groups with senior citizen computer club members tell us that older folk are becoming more digitally literate. As social media becomes more usable and acceptable, we propose that online communities for senior citizens may have significant health benefits. As this is a multifaceted emergent phenomenon, we apply concepts from Complexity Theory to our analysis and to the design of future research on this topic using an action research methodology.

The Evolution of eCommerce Strategy and Supply Chain Management Practices in the Steel Manufacturing Industry

A central concern of businesses who seek to be successful in e-commerce environments is: “ How are companies both old and new moving from traditional applications to the new breed of integrated, e-business application architectures?” (Kalakota and Robinson, 2000). A recent study undertaken at BHP Billiton Steel (Aust) explores how companies evolve from a traditional supply chain philosophy to one that utilises technologies such as the Internet and Web, adding non-traditional business practices that in corporate an end consumer link.