Computer Based Information Technologies and Their Impact on the Marketing of International Tourism Industry

By examining the diffusion process of CBITs, this papa intends to contribute to the topic of how the development ofCBITs will affect marketing in the tourism industry.

Abstract

The contemporary technological innovation is driven by computer based information technologies (CBITs). The emerging technology of integrating entertainment, information, and interactive services via the Internet ensures that its influence is not only on producers and middlemen but also on every consumer's life (Elmer-Dewitt 1993). Yet, the number of potential commercial applications is so great that the development of CBITs still has a long way to go. Bill Gates predicts that everything Microsoft represents today will disappear by the year 2000 (cited in Müller-Elmau 1997). Yet, marketing theory development that reflects the changes caused by CBITs is scarce. Discussions, especially relating to international tourism, are still at the exploratory stage. Thus, this papa: intends to contribute to the topic of - by examining the diffusion process of CBITs — how the development of CBITs will affect marketing in the tourism industry.