UNIT 7 ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TOURISM MARKETING

Transcription

1 New applications ae being discoveed almost eveyday. It is not possible to anticipate what discoveies may happen in the days to come. But all of them will incease expectations of the touists and make moe demands on the touism industy. The impact will be felt on the systems of hotels and estauants, tanspot oganisations, tavel sevices, entetainment aangements and in the ceation and maintenance of the attactions at the sites. Both, standadisation and customisation (adjusting to the needs of individuals) will become possible in ways neve befoe conceivable. New oppotunities aise to enich and stengthen Maket Analysis UNIT 7 ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN TOURISM MARKETING Stuctue Objectives Intoduction Implications of Technology Resevations Infomation The Expeience Communications Let Us Sum Up Keywods Answes to Check You Pogess Execises Afte eading this Unit you should be able to: lean about the developing technologies elevant to the touism industy, undestand the impact of these technologies on the vaious elements in the touism industy, appeciate the possibilities of upgading the sevices in the industy though the applications of new technologies, and know the poblems in using new technologies. 7.1 INTRODUCTION The last decades of the twentieth centuy ae maked by unpecedented developments in the aeas of science and technology Advancements in micochips and electonics, in computes and infomation pocessing tehnology, have poduced outstanding possibilities in tems of speed and accuacy in opeations. Computes have become "uie-fiendlyqq, making it possible fo pesons to use them without too much of taining. Thee is no need to lean compute language, as in the past. Communication between diffeent pats of the wold is nowadays almost instantaneous. Witten messages, documents and live pictues of events can be tansmitted in no time at all, acoss the wold. Millions of pieces of infomation can be stoed in memoy o pocessed within seconds. Netwoks ae being established between infomation systems within oganisations, between oganisations and acoss counties. Though such netwoks, it has become possible fo aiyone to access the memoies of othe oganisations, like banks o libaies, fo infomation o even fo tansactions. Such access is possible without the intemediation of individuals, and theefoe on a 24 hou basis. It is now possible to ceate images and sounds of any kind and to stat and stop opeations in pedetemined sequences though automatic systems. The films "Juassic Pak" and "Baby's Day Out" ae just two examples of the use of high'technology to ceate life like images fo geat cinematic expeience. This is paticulaly elevant to enhance the attactiveness of touist poducts.

2 the seven C's of tavel sevices maketing. This Unit takes into account the ole technology is playing o can play in touism maketing. Role of Technology in Touism Maketing Consistency Competence I Cedibility 7.2 IMPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY Technology efes to the ways of doing things, the know-how and techniques of tansfoming inputs (o esouces) into outputs (o esults). When the ways of woking change, machines, equipment, layout as well as pocedues will have to change. When technology changes, people will have to lean the new ways of doing - that is new skills. Some of thei existing skills may become edundant. With new skills and specialisations, communications and decision making pocesses and the intenal systems fo infomation flow, contol and coodination, planning o leadeship styles will also have to change. Fo example, with automatic dialing fo inte-city and intenational calls, telephone opeatos will cause ham and unnecessay cost to calles if they ae made to hold on fo long peiods listening to holding music. In an office, it was noticed that a message eceived on the Fax machine had not eached the peson's (addessee) table fo 3 days. The message also had been tansmitted on the Fax a few days afte it was eady. The new technology enabling speedy communication will delive speedily, only if thee ae appopiate methods which move papes speedily fom and to the machine. If ugency is not necessay, the Fax technology is ielevant. In anothe office, anyone wanting to send a Fw had to fist call up the office and equest them not to pick up the telephone and say "Hello" when the Fax numbe was being dialed. Fax machines enable automatic eception even when the eceiving office is closed, but the sende in anothe pat of the wold is woking. This is possible only if the Fax machine emains connected thoughout and not used fo voice tansmissions. Technology is efeed to as high and low. High technology may be undestood to mean use of new discoveies that acceleate the opeational pocesses, achieving eo fee, high speed, pecise esults. High technology also makes possible activities which cannot be done by nomal human capabilities. Electonics, computes, supe conductivity, chips and satellites, optic fibes and othe mateials that ae feathe weight but stonge than steel, capable of withstanding extemes of tempeatue and pessues ae some of the many advances that make fo high technology. This contibutes towads making opeations both bigge and smalle than eve befoe. Giant size tanspotation by ai and sea (the jumbo jet will look small by 2010 A.D.), is high technology in action, extending the boundaies of human capability. High technology demands moe utilisation of knowledge at wok compaed to use of muscle and body. It inceases the need fo technical skills. It inceases the need fo coodination among diffeent activities, which must be doue in pedetemined sequences and ways. The discetion to do one's own way, pactically does not exist. Systems will have to become defect fee, as defects will have its impacts at seveal othe places simultaneously. Enties must be made only in allotted slots in pescibed foms, none of which can be modified by anybody without the concuence of othe affected by the job. Intedependence inceases, absolute autonomy deceases. High-tech has big impacts on poductivity. Lage volumes, lowe costs, quicke pocessing and high levels of pecision become possible. Vaiations fom specifications, howeve slight

3 Maket Anelysis and infequent can be detected and eliminated. Moe people ae engaged in contol, monitoing, eseach, data analysis, planning, etc. opeations, instead of diectly in the poduction pocess. It is easy to intoduce the latest technology. But fo technology to get absobed and to become pat of nomal outines, some infastuctual facilities ae necessay. Fo example, scootes, mopeds, motocycles, etc. have become pat of the Indian ual scene, as much as the bullock cats ae. This has become possible because facilities like petol pumps, spae pat deales, sevice mechanics (fo punctue, epais, sevicing) have become available in avey wide scale in emote ual aeas. This indeed happened with the lage scale use of tactos and pumpsets. The building up of these facilities took yeas, duing which time pesons acquied skills, investos with money invested in land, stuctues and equipment, supplies set up facilities to supply egulaly into these outlets and communication facilities impoved. It is like building a new colony o township. Building houses and shops, oads and wate\electic connections will not bing people to occupy the houses and shops ovenight. Both will build gadually and togethe. Sevices like mi& supply, newspape distibution, taxis, buses, etc. will incease as people move and vice vesa. Afte some time, it will be a fully functional colony. Technology absoptions will not happen though installation of physical facilities and eqqipments alone. Concened people will have to lean appopiate habits. If a compute needs dust fee atmosphee, with contolled tempeatue, thee is need to estict enty into the compute oom. People used to move about feely in office, going to othe people with files, tea, notices, messages o meely to gossip, will have to stop these pactices. Not only those woking with the computes but othes also have to undestand and adopt new pactices. Until these pactices become.habits, the abqoption will be incomplete. When new technology is being intoduced, it is possible that the people may esist the changes being bought about. Such esistances may happen fo a numbe of easons, some of which ae listed below. 8 Discomfot in leaning new skills\methods, 8 Fea of loss of competence, influence, powe, status, fuele oppotunities fo gowth, 8 Fea that some othes may supecede o have bette advantage because of bette capability to acquie new skills o bette familiaity with new technology, 8 Loss of contol on wok, and 8 Distubance of social goupings and elationships. Check You Pogess-1 1) What do you undestand by 'Technology'? ) Is thee any ole of human- facto in the adoption of new technology?...

4 Role of Technology 7.3 RESERVATIONS in Touism Maketing In the touism industy one of the majo applications of technology is in the aea of esevations. Manual systems find it difficult to cope because of lage numbes and long lead times. Touist goups planning to visit seveal places in one o moe counties some time in the futue have to make esevations on ailines, ailways, cas, buses, hotels includmg aanging fo pick up h d dopping. Resevations ae made days o months in advance and will have to be executed without fail and theefoe come to notice on due time to ensue pefomances. With vaieties of goups at diffeent times and with diffeent equiements, manual systems ae likely to fail. A failue not only inconveniences many, but may mean spoiling the entie pupose of the tip. Seveal developments have taken place to make these sevices moe eliable and satisfactoy. In the Indian Railways, it has become possible fo a peson in Town A to make a esevation fo tavel fom Town B to Town C. Ai bookings can also similaly be done. In some places, the tavel agent can access the ailines mainfame and make a booking diectly. Ailines and hotels can, on thei own, make esevations on each othe's facilities diectly wold-wide, almost simultaneously. Seveal of these systems ae owned by ailines like SABRE by Ameican Ailines, APPOLO by United, WORLDLSPAN by Delta, AMADEUS by a combine of Ai Fance, Lufthansa and the Scandinavian Aiways, GALILEO by Bitish Aiways and Alitalia togethe. Some ailines make moe money though thei Centalised Resevation Systems than though ai tanspotation. Motels and ca entals ae also linked to these esenation systems. The computes would automatically geneate outputs of actions to be taken, make lists of passenges to be accommodated in each compatment in tains, sclledules of aivals and depatues in hotels, vacancies in hotel ooms o ailine seats, pesons to be met, cas to be aanged and so on. Some yeas ago, one could choose a seat on an aicaft only at the point whee the aicaft was oiginating. At othe stations, one had mostly to occupy the fee seats afte boading. On some intenational flights, the check-in counte may have a message fom the aicaft flying in, intimating the seats that would be empty on landiqg and one could make a choice theefom. Nowadays some ailines, allow choices of seats even at the time of booking, fom any station because infomation about bookings done and availability, can easily be known at evey point though teminals connected to the cental computes on eal - time bkis. Resevations ae not only fo places and equipment, but also fo food. Those who need special food, fo eligious, medical o othe pesonal easons, will find thei pleasues thooughly destoyed if these do not become available. Families ae known to have staved on long flights, because the ailine did not povide the special diet as equested and pomised. It is notceasy to take note of and povide fo such individual demands when aanging fo goups. Latest technology makes it possible fo such non-standadised, non-outine exceptions to opeations, like in an assembly line of ca poduction, it is possible to incopoate individual choices about colou, fende design, seats and upholstey, makes of tyes, bands of steeo system, and so on. It is also possible fo manages and waites to know pefeences of epeat patons in estauants (fo tables, spiciness of food, wines) o theates and.cinemas (seats and kinds of plays). Patons can be infomed and tentative esevations held, when pefomances of thei pefeences ae scheduled. Similaly tou opeatos can infom thei patons if the fothcoming schedules ae known to match the desies of thei customes. Infomation technology makes it possible to hold such data and bing it up automatically fo action Resevation netwoks need not only be acoss nations o cities. Touists sometimes each cities without confim esevations and ae lost without pope infomation on availability of suitable accommodation. Kiosks at aipots, ailway stations, bus teminals o othe cental points linked to hotels of some standing, can povide a vey impotant sevice of not only giving infomation but making a booking. Hotels that may not want to eveal details of thei patons, can still conceal details of thei guests and povide infomation on the netwok only on availability and occupancy of ooms. With use fiendly equipment, it would not be necessay to man these kiosks, povided tavelles ae made familia with usage though clea

5 Maket Analysis 7.4 INFORMATION Touists need infomation while planning a tou and also afte' aival at any cente. Infomation may elate to distances, climate, tavel and accommodation facilities, places to see, things to buy and so on. Taditionally, such infomation is available in pinted bochues pepaed fo pomotion. They ae aely upto date. Additional infomation would depend on the knowledge of the pesonnel meeting touists and theefoe vey often incomplete and uneliable. Use of compute memoies can povide complete and eliable infomation coected, upto date, on evey question, howeve uncommon the question may be. Technology exists wheeby the infomation stoed can be in the fom of pictues with even peceptions of depth. The best example of this is the CD-ROM. Hee enquiies can be answeed not meely by display of wods but also by pictues. Besides it povides a vaiety of infomation anging fom hotels to ats, cafts and cultue. Pinted bochues may cay only some views of some slights, while compute memoies can be moe complete. Continuous updating is also possible. If pope netwoks exist, the updating made by the concened authoity, (on mattes like hous of visit, chages, additions, closues, etc.) will automatically be available at evey teminal. Thee would be no need fo such authoities to send sepaate communications to all the infomation offices. They thus avoid eos of communication not having been eceived o noticed. Moe and moe tavel agencies, tou opeatos and touism depatments ae making use of CD-ROMs, video Nms, etc. fo pomotional puposes. In the touist geneating makets the pospective buyes ae shown the type of attactions and facilities available at the destination dong with a demonstation of the expeiences they have in stoe. Check You Pogess-2 1) Wite about the meits of technology fo esevation pupose in touism industy. 2) How application of techology can facilitate bette infomation? 7.5 THE EXPERIENCE The possibilities of using technology to enhance the expeience of the touism poduct, ae immense. Fo example, some touists may not be able to visit all the sights, because of shotage of time, physical weakness o othe easons. Fo example, the caves at Ajanta ae usually visited and seen fom the caves level. But thee is an entiely diffeent compehensive view fom up above and fom whee, a walking down to the caves is an exhilaating expeience. This is howeve stenuous, needs pesonal tanspot to each this point, which (the tanspot) must then move sepaately to the main gate. The authoities also do not encouage movement along this oute as thee ae isks of accident to pesons as well as damage to envionment. It is possible though the use of electonics to povide eveybody with this expeience without the physicalstains o individual and envionmental isks. It may then be possible to pemit those who may still want to walk down these slopes. The numbes may emain small o can be esticted though high fees. Guides ae not always pleasant to listen to o good at explaining the histoy and mythology. They usually talk to goups, not all of whom ae nea enough to hea popely. Language and accents also, intefee with pope undestanding. The commentaies on exhibits in the

6 museums can be taped and given to individuals with eaphones, at a chage to be collected back at exit. This allows each individual to adopt his o he pace depending on the pesonal inteests. Anothe method adopted is to be supplement the tou late, pehaps in an exhibition lounge, though exhibits, with sepaate commentay on audio o video tape, fo those who might be inteested. Similaly, sepaate monitos can be made available whee one can call up any exhibit and watch o listen to explanations in the pefeed language. Role of Technology in Towism Maketing One of the attactions nea Ahmedabad is the Swaminaayan Campus. The exhibits depicthe life of the saint. Afte a bief intoduction though slides and sounds, the visitos ae taken along a oute into spaces, which in sequence depict impotant stages in his life. His tavels though ain foests is shown though a dak aea which has lots of tees and bushes and ivulets and wate falling and sounds of animals, bids, ain, wind,'etc. The total effect is as if one is in a ain foest. This is made possible though synchonised light and sounds electonically geneated and electonically egulated. Any situation and atmosphee can be simulated making fo vey ealistic expeiences, moe intense and moe complete than the Son-et-Lumiee (Light and Sound) shows in Red Fot, Teen Muthi in Delhi, Golconda Fot in Hydeabad and othe places. A moe intense and complete expeience is made possible when visual pojections ae made. If one is at the cente of an enclosed space like hemispheical dome and coodinated moving pictues ae pojected all ound, one does get the expeience of eally movhg. Sensations of speed, sudden climbs, depessions etc. become eal. Though additions of light and sound, otle can be given the expeience of going along olle coastes, o amidst wild animals o though tubulent seas. Compute animation of the kind used in the film Juassic Pak is a futhe possible addition to enich the expeience of tavelling though pefeed outes while, infact, sitting immobile. One &n sit in a oom and have the expeience of a canoe ide fom Gangoti to the Bay of Bengal. One may be cuising along in a boat on shak infested wates and a shak comes in at high speed, jaws Nly open y d suddenly snaps at the boat to the sounds of cumbling timbe and ifle shots fom the sten of the boat. Visitos ae known to sceam in fight and at times even pass out duting these extemely ealistic simulated expeiences. Appopiate wanings have to be issued so that people with weak heats, fo example, do not ventue into such expeiences. Expeiences in paks can be made moe pleasant with lights and wate flows made to modulate accoding.to set hythms of music. One can cite hee the Vbdavan gadens nea Mysoe o the dancing fountains at Paithan. Woking models of sights can add to the attactiveness. One might ceate at popula touist spots like Aga o Khajuaho, cultual o theme paks, containing pefectmodels (may be diminished sizes) of the attactions at othe centes in India with authentic settings, colous, elevations, etc. The Taj Mahal fo example, could be shown in diffeent conditions of light including a full moon night. This could have a pomotional effect, ceating desies to visit the eal t.hings. This may also be satisfying fo those who may not be able to make a visit. The cuiosity of the histoical and\o cultual touists, could be met to some extent by the use of such technology. Japan has ceated indoo beaches in which the sun beats down, thee is eal wate and waves and tides. They have also ceated indoos, a snow bound mountain slopes in which people can ski o toboggan unde sevee cold and sometimes beezy conditions. Technically it is possible to eceate foest hikes, caves, etc. fo the adventue o spots oiented touists. Thus technology can enhance the value of the poduct fo touists whethe they be: ethnic touists - having concen fo the unique, often exotic customs of indigenous people, cultual touists - whose inteest is fo local colou, festivals, costumes, histoical o heitage touists - whose inteest is fo buildings, achitectue, museums, locales of histoic events, envionmental touists (eco touists) - who want to be with natue, watching o walking o living in it, eceational touists - who seek spots and physical activities, adventue touists - seeking spots that challenge the human systems with highe levels of uncetainty and isks.

7 Maket Analysis While these possibilities exist, it may take some time befoe they can become opeational in India. The main eason is that we do not yet have the necessay infastuctue. It is essential to have a steady and eliable souce of powe. The maintenance of the equipments will have to be stictly accoding to pescibed outines. Restictions egading load, tempeatue, humidity, time schedules, etc., will have to be igidlyegulated. Most of all, pesons associated with these systems will have to be'tained to pefom to a scipt without any scope fo deviation. These will develop as we get used to the equiements of the compute age. They cannot be and should not be ushed 7.6 COMMUNICATION Technology makes communication almost instantaneous. Documents tansmitted though FAX, infomation though adio links and satellite compute links can each specific points in emote aeas. Vey small towns have FAX, STD and Intenational Telephone Diect Dialing facilities, which can be hied at vey easonable costs. Contents in floppies can also be tansmitted electonically. The is anothe development that pomises to dominate office outines vey soon. Business documents ae tansmitted as Electonic data. Many executives who tavel continuously fo many days keep in touch with thei offices by the simple mechanism of connecting thei lap top potable computes to thei offices though the telephone in thei hotel oom, using modems. They can eceive all the messages and mail waiting fo them and issue instuctions to be seen by thei secetaies and dcted upon, when they come to office. With the incease in business tavelle taffic, hotels will not be popula unless the ooms povide the facilities fo such linkages though modems. Voice mail can also be eceived and esponded to just as witten mail can be eceived and esponded to. The Voice Mail Box digitises voice and stoes it in a magnetic disc fo late etieval by the eceive on equest. PBX and PABX systems (telephone exchange within offices) can be made to automatically ask questions (whom they want to speak to) and espond to hstuctions fom the calles. Telephones (voice), computes (electonic), fax (fascimile epoduction and tansmission) can all be made an integated netwok. Teletexts ae common in Delhi in India, poviding infomation elating to ailway schedules, ailine schedules, weathe news and stock maket movements. This is technology which can be used fo esevations. Notice boads and signboads, need not be static pieces of funitue on which the mateial is updated accoding to availability of the typist o the painte o the attendant who is to stick the notice. Electonic bulletin boads make it possible to have messages get eady, at one point to be simultaneously displayed at seveal select points even ove long distances. A notice put up at the Head Office can simultaneously be displayed at all the othe offices. Electonic boads ae moe attactive (they can be made to flash) easie to ead (big size lettes), colouful and can be vaied fequently (enabling multiple messages as well as updating). They also emain clean fo longe peiods. Many hotels handle gtoups of touists who may be moving out duing the days. If thee ae seveal such goups, wanting packed food and dinks to be wied, and ae leaving the hotel at diffeent times, the infomation about and adheence to menu, quantities and timings, becomes vey citical to the quality of the sevice. Manual systems with chits ticked on the boad befoe the supeviso, ae not foolpoof. Eos maybe taced to illegible handwitings, ovepinning (one above the othe) o gusts of wind that may wy the chits away fom the boads. The ailways in India ae planning to intoduce telephone sevices on some main line tains. Many ailines aleady offe these sevices to thei passenges. The ailway's objective is not only to povide a valuable sevice to passenges, but also to be able to get in touch quickly with contol stations in the case of beakdowns. Touists in foests o on mountains and ives (both envionmental and adventue touists) can benefit immensely fom the technological advances. With the use of mobile phones it would become easie to disct touists to ae species like tiges and lions, which ae difficult

8 to spot in foests. Innumeable touists now etun disappointed at being unable to watch these animals despite seveal days of elephant and jeep ides. Hence, the use of technology can add value to the touism poduct and povide bette sevices. n Check You Pogess3 1 I How can technology help the touists who ae inteested in histoical monuments? Role of Technology in oui ism Maketing... 2) In what ways El-Mail and voice mail contibute to the touism industy? 7.7 LET US SUM UP Temendous advancements ae taking place in technology, ensuing vey high speeds and accuacy in infomation pocessing. This will make it possible to offe much bette sevices in hotels and estauants, moe eliable and complete infomation about sites and attactions, and impove communications. Thee ae immense possibilities of using simulations and obotics, geneation of sounds and lights, the contol and coodination of movements of life - like models. These can enhance the expeience of touist attactions, at sites and even povide the expeience at some distances. Technologies ae still developing. Use of new technologies equies not only the installations of equipment, but calls fo changes in systems as well as in the skills and habits of pesonnel. Without pope absoption, the new technology will not delive to its maximum capabilities. 7.8 KEYWORDS Customisation Modem Netwok Technology Use fiendly : adjusting to the specific needs of individuals : an equipment that enables inte connection of computes at diffeent places, though nomal telephone lines. : +he inteconnection of diffeent systems by which they can access and inteact with each othe. : the ways of doing things. : computes esponding to use's language, avoiding need fo special compute language. 7.9 ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS EXERCISES Check You Pogess-1 1) See Sec ) Read Sec. 7.2 and then based on you expeience you have to explain the need fo taining, development of appopiate skill and positive attitude fo acceptance of new technology. Check You Pogess3 1) See Sec ) See Sec. 7.4.

9 Maket Analysis Check You Pogess3 1) See Sec ) See Sec 7.6. SOME 'USEFUL BOOKS FOR THIS BLOCK Coppe, Fletche, Albet and : Touism Pinciples and Pactice, Wanhill London, Khan, Olsen Va (ed.) Philip Kotle Philip Kotle Roges and Slinn Victo T.C. Middleton ACTIVITIES FOR THIS BLOCK VNR's Encyclopedia of Hospitality and Touism, New Yok, Maketing fo Non-Pofit Oganisations, New Jesey, Maket Management: Analysis Planning and Contol, London, Touism: Management and Facilities, London, Maketing in Tavel and Touism, Oxfod, Note: Discuss the activities with you Counsello at Study Cente. 0 Activity 1 Pepae a questionnaie to conduct a maket suvey fo any touism poduct. 0 Activity 2 Fo the pomotion of a poduct you have to do maket eseach. How you will plan you suvey? Activity 3 I In the light of vaious options discussed in the Unit to face competitos you give you own suggestions. u Activity 4 Make a list of vaious factos that may influence the inflow of touists. 0 Activity 5 Identify some key aeas in touism industy whee application of compute technology is vey essential.