The Influence of Technology in the Travel and Tourism Sector: A Comprehensive Analysis

This research project delves into the profound impact of technology on the travel and tourism sector. It examines how digital technologies have transformed traditional tour operating practices, influencing customer behavior, decision-making processes, and the overall growth of the industry. The study explores the use of online platforms, social media, mobile apps, and digital marketing strategies in shaping the modern travel experience. Through a combination of primary and secondary research methods, including questionnaires, interviews, and literature reviews, the project aims to identify key trends, analyze the effectiveness of various technological tools, and provide recommendations for tour operators to leverage technology for enhanced profitability and customer satisfaction.

TASK 1
1.1 FORMULATE AND RECORD POSSIBLE RESEARCH PROJECT OUTLINE
SPECIFICATIONS
RESEARCH TITLE
‘The influence of technology in the travel and tourism sector’
INTRODUCTION
The introduction of digital technologies has completely changed the traditional way of
functioning of tour operating companies. With a large number of people using online facilities
to gather information regarding tourist destinations and using online facilities to book the
tickets online, the companies are developing online portals and dedicated mobile apps so this
growing demand of using digital mediums for booking holidays can be satisfied. The digital
technology also plays an important role in the decision-making process of the customers while
choosing a holiday destination. The first step to plan a holiday is to Google the details of the
tourist place and gather all the useful information about a particular tourist destination. The
websites of tour operator companies are also used for this purpose, attractive discount offers
and the beautiful pictures of the tourist destination on the website and e-brochures of the
company attract the tourist to purchase the holiday package. Travel blogs are also getting
popular these days where tourist shares their experiences regarding good and bad experiences
at the tourist destination. These travel blogs are read by millions of people daily and they
influence the decision making of the customers. The booking of tickets has also become
convenient and customers can book the holiday packages on their mobile phones. At social
media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and my space people post beautiful pictures of their
holidays which encourage people to visit those beautiful places with their friends and family.
This unit is prepared with an aim to study the influence of technology in travel and tourism
sector. The tourism sector is growing at a fast pace and at present; it is providing 1 out of 10
jobs on the planet. This growth is accelerated with the help of digital technologies. New
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applications on the mobile and the extensive use of social media are producing new business
models for the tourism industry. Before taking the buying decision the customers like to search
the complete details of the tourist destination on different travel websites and independent
blogs. The influence of these digital technologies is so strong that the tour operating companies
have to design new digital technology enabled systems to tap this huge market. The primary
purpose of this report is to identify different tools used by customers to gather information
regarding a holiday package and devise ways in which these tools can be used to increase the
profitability of the tour operating companies by providing easy and reliable access to
information and facilities to book the tickets online.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
To conduct the research for assessing the use of technology in travel and tourism sector, some
questions are asked with the customers and the professionals related with travel and tourism
industry, these questions are related with the use of technology by the users to plan and book a
holiday. Below given are some questions which are asked during the research.
 Which social media platform do you use to gather information regarding tourist
destination?
 Do you use online booking facilities for booking a holiday?
 Advantages and disadvantages of booking a holiday online?
AIM OF THE RESEARCH
The primary aim of this research project is to examine the influence of technology on the travel
and tourism sector. The research will be conducted by studying different journal and online
articles regarding the use of digital technology in travel and tourism. The travel and tourism
sector has registered high growth in the recent years due to the use of digital technologies
related to booking tickets online and modern mediums of transportation due to which
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travelling to distant places has become convenient. Social media platforms are helping tourists
to explore new places and share their experiences with a large number of people. Pictures of
beautiful landscape and fun activities motivate people to explore new places.
OBJECTIVES
 Analysing the buying behaviour of the customers and finding out the factors which
influence their decision making
 Examining the impact of digital communication tools on the growth of travel and
tourism industry.
 To determine the level up to which the use of social media, blogs and online reviews
influence the decision making of the customers.
 To evaluate the impact of websites, e-brochures and digital marketing efforts of the tour
operating companies on the buying behaviour of customers.
1.2 IDENTIFY THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROCESS OF
RESEARCH PROJECT SELECTION
SELECTION OF THE PROJECT
The topic selected for the present research in the role of digital technologies in the tourism
industry and how it is contributing to the growth of the industry. Tourism is one of the main
sources of revenue in various economies of the world and the use of technological innovations
related to the internet has revolutionized this industry and has created new employment
opportunities for the population. The project will analyse the influence of these technologies on
the buying behaviour of the customer.
DATA COLLECTION
Data collection methods provide reliable data regarding the opinion of the customers and the
current trend in the market. Two types of datacollection methods are going to be used in this
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research which is primary and secondary data collection. Primary data collection is done with
the help of the questionnaire and personal interviews and the secondary data collection is done
with the help of literature review in which the views of different writers are studied and the
discussion is provided with the help of these views of the writers expressed in different
journals, researchers and through online mediums. The questionnaire includes asking questions
regarding the use of technology in the tourism sector from the customers and
employeesandmanagers of tour operating companies.
INFORMATION AND MATTER
The information for the research project is to be collected from the literature reviews shared on
various journals, books, academic documents, magazines and newspapers. Online blogs and
websites are also an effective medium of data collection because these blogs contain real
experiences of the customers regarding places they visited and the experiences they had during
their visit. These travel blogs are gaining popularity and the reviews given in these blogs
becomes an important factor in the decision making of the customers regarding the purchase
of a holiday plan. The information collected through the journals, magazines and newspaper is
authentic and provides information regarding latest trends in the travel industry.
GOAL AND MISSION
The goal of this research is to identify the behaviours of the customers while choosing aholiday
plan and the role of technology in their decision-making process. The research will include
conducting questionnaires in which questionswill be asked regarding use of technologyin the
tourism sector and the views of the respondents regarding the influence of these tools on the
long-term profitability of the tourism industry. The survey questions are asked from the
managers and the employees of major tour operating companies like TUI and Thomas cook
which ensures the credibility of the data. In addition, questions are asked from the users of
services which will give an idea of the consumer psyche and the factors which affect their
buying decision.
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ETHICAL ISSUES
Strict measures of ethicality must be followed while collecting the personal data of the
respondents. Any unauthorised access to the personal datamay lead to the unethical use of this
data in fraud and criminal activities. In addition, the views expressed by the respondents should
be presented in the original form and there should be no misinterpretation or manipulation of
the data. The personal data of the respondents need to be protected and the misinterpretation
of the data should be avoided. While conducting interviews there should be no discrimination
on the basis of colour, religion, age or gender of the respondent. In addition, maintaining the
scientific rigour while collecting the data is also important.
TIME SPAN
The total time span for the research will be around 15 weeks. In this duration, the primary and
secondary research will be conducted after which the data will be evaluated and represented in
a presentable form to facilitate detailed analysis.
1.3 UNDERTAKE A CRITICAL REVIEW OF KEY REFERENCES
According to Ayeh (2015), the internet and the social media are providing new opportunities to
the travel companies to promote their services and present tour package in an informative and
attractive manner. The pictures of beautiful landscape and travel destinations influence the
buying decision of the customer and detailed information about the importance of these tourist
destinations are provided on the websites and e-brochures of the companies. Song and Yoo
(2016) found that the online booking facilities which can also be accessed via mobile phones of
the customers have made the holiday booking process lot more convenient and user specific.
These facilities come with a variety of flexible options; some websites also provide the facilities
of comparing the prices of the different tour operator and the prices of rooms at different
hotels. According to Balakrishnan (2014), the use of online social media platforms like
Instagram and Facebook share pictures of places they visit which encourages customers to buy
a particular holiday package. The promotion activities of tour operating companies have also
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been more focused on these digital mediums as reach to a wide audience can be ensured
through these mediums. In addition, promotion through these digital mediums is also cost-
effective (Hudson and Thal, 2013). The technology is greatly influencing the customer behaviour
in the travel and tourism industry and the customers spend a large amount of time researching
about tourist destinations on different sites. People watch online travel videos, read blogs and
visit the country-specific website before taking the buying decision and the positive and
negative reviews shared on these digital mediums make an impact on the decision making of
the customers (Fotis et al. 2012).
1.4 PRODUCE A RESEARCH PROJECT SPECIFICATION
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
This research has an aim to identify technological tools which are used in the travel industry by
the customers and by thetour operating companies. The research will evaluate the influence of
these digital tools on the long-term sustainability of the tourism industry. With the use of these
online platforms, companies have become able to connect with the customers in an interactive
and informative manner. The customers can get all the information regarding the historical and
cultural importance of tourist destinations on the websites and travel blogs which has increased
the knowledge base of the customers and they are better informed about a tourist destination.
METHODOLOGY
The methodology for the research will include conducting primary and secondary research to
assess the views of the customers as well as managers and the employees related to the tour
operating business. The primary research will be conducted with the help of questionnaires and
the secondary research is done by the literature review of the different journals, articles, travel
magazines and newspapers.
DATA COLLECTION METHOD
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The sample size of the survey will be of 50 respondents which include employees and managers
of the tour operating companies and the users of different social media platforms. The question
asked will be related to the influence of digital media on tourism and the digital medium used
by the respondents to get information and book online tickets.
DATA ANALYSIS
The data analysis is done with the help of SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences)
which is used for statistical analysis of data. This is a widely used tool by government
organisations, survey and marketing organisation to interpret and analyse the data. In current
research, the SPSS tool will be used to analyse the data obtained with the help of interviews
questionnaire and focus groups, so that evaluation of all these data can be done with
convenience.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
There is an increasing trend of doing an online research of the tourist destination before
purchasing a holiday package. The companies should identify this trend and should make
available reliable data regarding history and importance of the tourist destination on their
website. In addition, dedicated mobile apps should be developed to facilitate online booking on
the mobile phones of the customers.
1.5 PROVIDE AN APPROPRIATE PLAN AND PROCEDURES FOR THE AGREED
RESEARCH SPECIFICATION
S.NO. ACTIVITIES TIME SCALE (IN WEEKS)
1. DETERMINING AIM AND
OBJECTIVES AND THE AREAS FOR
RESEARCH
1WEEK
2. DETERMINING THE RESEARCH 3 WEEKS
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METHODOLOGY
3. CONDUCTION QUESTIONNAIRE AND
LITERATURE REVIEWS
5 WEEKS
4. DATA COLLECTION 2 WEEKS
5. DATA EVALUATION 3 WEEKS
6. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS 1 WEEK
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REFERENCES
1. Ayeh, J.K., 2015. Travellers’ acceptance of consumer-generated media: An integrated
model of technology acceptance and source credibility theories. Computers in Human
Behavior, 48, pp.173-180.
2. Balakrishnan, B.K., Dahnil, M.I. and Yi, W.J., 2014. The impact of social media marketing
medium toward purchase intention and brand loyalty among generation Y. Procedia-
Social and Behavioral Sciences, 148, pp.177-185.
3. Fotis, J., Buhalis, D. and Rossides, N., 2012. Social media use and impact during the
holiday travel planning process (pp. 13-24). Springer-Verlag.
4. Hudson, S. and Thal, K., 2013. The impact of social media on the consumer decision
process: Implications for tourism marketing. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing,
30(1-2), pp.156-160.
5. Song, S. and Yoo, M., 2016.The role of social media during the pre-purchasing
stage.Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 7(1), pp.84-99.
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