Impact of Digital Technology on Travel and Tourism Sector

Research Project

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Research project specifications..............................................................................................1
1.2 Elements which contribute in selection of research project..................................................2
1.3 Review of key references.......................................................................................................2
1.4 Project specification...............................................................................................................6
1.5 Procedures and plan for research specification.....................................................................6
TASK 2...........................................................................................................................................8
2.1 Resources for research question............................................................................................8
2.2 Research investigation as per the set specifications..............................................................9
2.3 Gather relevant data.............................................................................................................10
TASK 3..........................................................................................................................................13
3.1 Techniques of research evaluation.......................................................................................13
3.2 Analysis of research’s results with set specifications..........................................................14
3.3 Recommendations in research.............................................................................................25
RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................................25
REFLECTION...............................................................................................................................25
TASK 4..........................................................................................................................................26
4.1 Agreed format to present outcomes.....................................................................................26
Covered in poster.......................................................................................................................26
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................26
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................27

INTRODUCTION
Digital technologies are determined as electronic systems, tools, resources and devices
which generates, processed or store data (Badiru, Rusnock and Valencia, 2018). Some of the
examples of such technologies are online games, mobile phones, multimedia and social media.
Digitalisation have become common now a days and on daily basis it is coming with latest
technology which is improving the functioning of an organisation as a whole. It helps in
improving the collaboration, communication, accessment to analytics data , social marketing,
content management and also improves the customer and staff experience. This research report is
based upon Center Parcs, which is a UK based business entity that provides short holiday breaks
in United Kingdom and Ireland. This research report covers aims and objectives of conducting
this research and it also includes literature review based upon it. Further, a project management
plan is prepared that includes the time, quality, risk and resources required to formulate a
research in an appropriate manner. It also includes Gantt Chart and WBS for conducting this
research in more appropriate manner. It also includes research methodologies in which various
methods are used and data is collected from different resources.
TASK 1
1.1 Research project specifications
Background
Center Parcs is a short-break holiday organisation which operates in six holiday villages
in Ireland and United Kingdom, and each of its resorts covers around 400 acres of woodland. It
provides various services such as accommodations, food, travelling and tourism packages, and so
on. As this organisation deals provides certain services, it is important for it to use various digital
technologies to carry on its business activities (Burgess, 2019). For this purpose, this research
has been conducted which will aim to bring benefits of digitalisation upon this organisation.
Aim
The aim of this project report is, “To identify the impact of digital technology upon travel and
tourism sector.”
Objectives
There are certain objectives towards which this research is conducted. These objectives are
determined as follows-
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 To understand the concept of digital technology in modern marketing era.
 To identify the impact of digital technology upon travel and tourism organisation.
 To determine the benefits that can be attained by tourism sector with the help of digital
technology.
 To ascertain certain digitalisation techniques which can be utilised by travel and tourism
sector to improve its efficiency.
 To determine manner in which digitalisation can be used in marketing and advertising of
services of tourism sector.
1.2 Elements which contribute in selection of research project
Digital technologies has changes out the way in which people live, communicate, play and
work. The transformation in digital technologies can enhance the overall profitability, boosts up
the speed to market for company's products and services. It is important for an organisation to
use digital technologies in its various activities which will help in improving its overall
profitability and productivity (Burton and Cherry, 2018). This research is conducted in order to
understand the concept of digitalisation and its relevance in today's business. It will also help in
identifying different manners in which an enterprise can improve digitalisation and its
technologies to improve overall productivity and efficiency of an organisation.
1.3 Review of key references
A Literature review is determined as a research and evaluation regarding available
literature in chosen topic area and the given subject. It also helps to document art state in respect
towards subject or topic and surveys in respect of selected area of study. The literature review for
this research and its objectives are elaborated as follows-
To understand the concept of digital technology in modern marketing era.
As per the Vulliamy and Webb (2018), customers in today's world have vast content of
digitalisation and certain online information at their fingertips which helps them in self
navigating in form which is as per their convenience. This can be seen either regarding social
media, mobile marketing or carrying out certain information from websites that are information-
rich. It is known by customers what are required by them and when an action can be taken in this
regards. As against this backdrop, consumers are coming towards more sales conversations that
are invasive with enterprises at a later stage (Chodorow, 2018). For better engaging with
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customers, it is important for an organisation to know how to utilise their websites in more
effective manner and to identify the way in which advantage can be taken of potential customers.
According to Red Alekemi, (2019), there are many digital technologies in the modern
marketing era that can help the organisation in improving its overall productivity and efficiency.
Latest digital technology such as artificial intelligence helps an organisation in gathering more
insight into audience through offering certain recommended engines, Chatbots, predictive search,
and so on. By using such technologies, an organisation can offer better experiences to customers
and also promote their services in more better way. Artificial intelligence is beneficial to both
customers and organisation itself. Another digital technology is virtual reality which is providing
potential to customers for experiencing a service or product before even customers make a
purchase. Cloud computing have also became very common now a days which allows team
members of an organisation to manage, access and share data which is there on common cloud
and enables them in collaborating and communication simple. For instance, G Drive is utilised in
sharing information with customers who live overseas (Davies, 2019).
To identify the impact of digital technology upon travel and tourism organisation.
According to Williamson and Whittaker (2019), digital technology had played an vital
role in travel and tourism organisations in the past decades and in today's world. Technology
helped an organisation in reducing its overall costs, improvement in its services, improving
experiences of customers and increase the overall operational efficiency. Both organisations and
customers can get benefit from improved reservations, guest servicing and enhanced
communication. Technology has resulted in replacing costly human labour with technical labour.
It helped in reducing the costs of labour and also help in eliminating the issues of customer
services.
According to Richard Watts (2019), steep travelling demands for travelling which is
driven but growth in purchasing power in emerging marketing has increase the significance of
digital experiences that helps in indicating further digitalisation that is vital part. Travelling and
tourism organisations must enhance and innovate the customers and travelling experiences for
driving revenue, maximising infrastructure and assets value and in improving the operational
effectiveness (Edwards, 2018). Moreover, digital technology leads to improved customer
experience and in embracing digital transformation that can deliver important savings and
benefits within an enterprise that helps in driving cost savings and operational efficiencies.
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To determine the benefits that can be attained by tourism sector with the help of digital
technology.
According to Burgess, 2019, digital technology is very important in today's world and it
has various benefits which can help the organisation in achieving its overall business objectives.
The first benefit which can be enjoyed by an organisation with the help of digital technologies is
to promote its services in target market with the help of social media, email marketing, image
sharing and content marketing. Moreover, smart phones have allowed customers in receiving
certain details regarding travelling and can also book resort or travelling packages wherever they
want to travel (El-Emam and Khamis, 2019). Due to increase in online services in executing
travelling plans, online websites are required to visible enough for potential consumers in taking
access and notice. To meet objectives of travel and tourism sector, organisation must indulge in
appropriate digital technologies.
According to Chodorow, 2018, travel and tourism organisations can utilise opportunities
regarding sharing ideas of different businesses. It also helped in bringing people which are
before separated by certain geographical locations. Such business entities are dependent upon
information and in this regards technology has added a boast as people now are able to access
information regarding locations which can be visited by them in holiday relaxing and leisure
timings.
To ascertain certain digitalisation techniques which can be utilised by travel and tourism sector
to improve its efficiency.
According to Belen Vedal (2019), there are different technologies which are having large
impact upon travel and tourism organisation and these techniques has changed the overall
experience of travelling. Mobile technology is one of them which has become the tour guide,
best restaurant locator, travelling agency, map and more than it. When an reservation is made in
a hotel than this system sends the information to user regarding the tickets with the help of
Facebook messenger or gmail (Huffman, Leggett and Alves, 2018). By this customers have all
the detailed information about their trips in their hand's palms. Another technology such as Big
data which is used by hotel industries now a days in figuring out the best targets for the
marketing campaigns for their guests.
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According to Tony Joseph ( 2019), digital technology is growing day by day in today's
world and many digital techniques are there that are changing the overall condition of an
organisation and making certain changes in it. For instance, Internet of things had opened up
certain possibilities to improve the experience of customers considerably. The travelling and
tourism sector can also leverage potential of this technology for serving customers in more
effective manner. By this, hotels can offer smart room with environmental controls to visitors
and airlines can facilitate smoothness in boarding and check-in through beacons within the
airports (Konrad and Bakker, 2018). Voice technology is considered as another digital novelty
which begin for the purpose of disrupting tourism and travelling sector, as large number of
customers can switch from typed-in search towards the voice interactions. More hotels had now
started to experiment with many devices that are voice activated.
To determine manner in which digitalisation can be used in marketing and advertising of services
of tourism sector.
According to Syed Zainul Haque (2019), there are multiple manner in which digital
technology is helping to shape advertising future in each moment. One of the most common
advertisement platform now a days is social media marketing which helps the organisation in
promoting and advertising its goods and services in social media. Applications such as Snap
chat, Facebook and Instagram are used to promote services of travel and tourism sector which
helps in grabbing many customers.
According to Tushar Singh (2019), Digital marketing is determined as advertisement oif
product, service or brands on the various digital channels such as social media, mobile
applications, email and search engines. There are various strategies which can be used by
organisations in order to promote its products and services (Oakley, 2018). The most common
among them is social media platform which allows adding videos and photos and in writing
about features of the products for which promotion is required. The second technology which
must be adopted by travel and tourism organisation is content marketing. In this, an enterprise
can write about various contents in regarding travelling and holiday packages which are provided
by these enterprises to customers. In this, an organisation must ensure to form connection with
high authority websites.
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1.4 Project specification
It refer to the ways by which the investigator assemble information. There are two manner
primary and secondary in which primary source, the researcher collect pure and first hand
information by survey, questionnaire and interviews etc. Apart from it, in secondary source, the
information is already assembled by others for their own work. In it, the investigator can gather
information by articles, books, journals, company websites, government sites, magazines etc.
1.5 Procedures and plan for research specification
Project management tools helps in assisting a team or individuals in team to organise the
work in an effective manner and in managing all the tasks and project in an appropriate manner.
In this research, there are two tools which are utilised for conducting it, which are Gantt Chart
and WBS structure (Petrie, Jones and Murrell, 2018).
WBS Structure- Work Breakdown Structure is determined as hierarchical structure that is used
in outlining project and after it in breaking down it in small parts which can be manageable. This
also helps in elaborating and explaining project work in more effective and appropriate manner.
Gantt Chart- This project management tool is a technique which helps in scheduling a specific
project in an effective and appropriate manner (Polonsky and Waller, 2018). It also helps to
show the dependency relationship that is between the current schedules activities and status.
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