ICT in Tourism and Hospitality Sector - Essay Example

 Introduction Information and communications technology has revolutionized the way organizations conduct their operations in their given industries. The tourism and hospitality sector has not been spared in this technologically motivated shift. ICT has continued to be used by various hospitality and tourism companies to be able to advance areas such as offering mobile tourism services, itinerary marketing, GPS tracking, website design and evaluation, social media advertisement and mobilization, decision support systems, among others (Gretzel et al 2010). The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the extents to which use of ICT has been embraced in the tourism and hospitality industries especially in small and medium enterprises. The paper will identify the various applications or innovations of information and communication technology that have been integrated into the mentioned industries and how they have helped in improving operations. This essay will point out the major areas of ICT advancement by use of a case study of one of the companies operating in the said industry. The selected case study is the Galle Fort Hotel in Sri Lanka. The hotel is a world recognized hospitality destination with a simplicity that has won the hearts of many people visiting the Galle Fort tourist attraction in the country. The beach hotel is owned by an Australian family with a total of 13 guest rooms and has won many awards among them the 2007 UNESCO heritage conservation award (UNESCO 2012) and the world travel award 2009 for being the country’s leading boutique hotel and many others (Galle Fort 2012). The hotel has embraced the use of ICT and has a fully functional website. This paper will closely examine its ICT use through the various applications it has employed in order to help it in the day to day operations. Literature Review From early times, Sri Lanka has been a major tourist attraction for visitors across the globe. The Galle Fort Hotel is one of the best boutique hotels in the country. The hotel is built on the fortified old town of Galle that was founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century. This points out to how it has been set out on a historical and world heritage site. To turn this around whilst ensuring that the area retains its rich historical and cultural heritage is definitely a great challenge. However, the hotel has adopted the use of ICT as evidenced by its presence in the internet through its official website and other social networking sites like face book. The government of Sri Lanka has engaged the private enterprises in the quest to enhance and promote the use of modern technology in it cultural heritage sites and other tourist destinations in the country so that there is a maximum benefit derived (Samarajiva 2012). These improvements’ campaigns have further generated and led to transformation of the area and consequently led to increased visits by tourists in the regions that are world beaters in the sector. For example, statistics have shown that in the month of October there was an upsurge of about 15.5% in the number of foreign visitors into the region. This has been has been a very significant because it means that additional visit figures have risen to the region of over 80,000 tourists (Samarajiva 2012). The use of ICT, therefore, has been of great significance to the place that has come along way with a rich historical background. To begin, one of the impacts of ICT use has been that of facilitating easy bookings by tourists who need to have some unique place to spend their vacation. The hotel’s website, for instance, has an area where visitors can enquire for room availability and place their orders for reservations among others. The availability of information to visitors who might be in different continents has been significant in the increase of number of visitors in the hotel and the region. The area of marketing the hotel as a tourist destination has been boosted by the information and communication technology revolution. Through social networks such as face book and YouTube, the hotel has created awareness of its unique location and the exquisite services it offers that has contributed to marketing it. The hotel’s website has pictures that portray its scenic location and attractive rooms that may be important for the hotel’s market awareness creation. Without the use of ICT enabled tools, this could have been a challenge for the hotel management. A good example is indicated by the hotel to outsource for ICT services in marketing its brand. The hotel has contracted Pyxle, which is one of Sri Lanka’s highly rated Software and Web Development Company. Through provision of internet marketing solutions to the hotel based in Sri Lanka, the company has competently provided solutions to the hotel through a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) project. This has resulted in a massive 470% increase of website visitors within a short span said to be around 3-4 months since the implementation of optimization for Galle Fort hotel (ITpro news 2010). To indicate his delight and significance of this ICT implementation, the chairman cum co- owner of the hotel, Karl Steinberg commented that their primary vision was to be able to significantly improve their search optimization and ratings in popular such engines such as Google (ITpro news 2010). He further indicates that they are amazed at what their contractor has done to enable their online presence which has been massive in terms of the effects it has had on the hotel’s marketing. Internet marketing is one of the online features that can be deployed by companies to enable them increase their online presence that translates to increased sales (Mc Cabe 2012). This can be achieved whether this is conducted in a full, part or offline basis because either way the company gets some traffic that is important for business. Internet marketing refers to the use of the worldwide web to communicate an organization’s information which may be about the organization’s services, attractions and other products. It is popularly emerging as one of the most cost effective methods of information relay and most expansive channel of efficient and effective communication between business organizations and their clients. With internet usage increasing rapidly in Sri Lanka, especially with Information and Communications Technology Association (ICTA) and Sri Lankan government’s e-Sri Lanka strategy, Sri Lankans too enjoy a lot of internet marketing potential since the active use of social media such as forum and community portals have become part and parcel of the Sri Lankan life style. The cost of operations has gone down with the adoption of modern technology in the hotel (Pablos et al 2011). The use of internet that is an avenue of reaching several people at once with minimal costs has helped in this area. The hotel has also employed the use of electronic messaging like e-mail that is a faster and cheaper alternative method of information transfer. This has had a positive impact in the reduction of costs associated with advertising and information transfer, which is important for the hotel that competes in a region that has several hotel chains. The use of ICT in its operations has facilitated improvements in the enterprise’s overall competitiveness. A good example is reflected in the listed achievement in the online page of the company that is a good idea of market promotion. Any user who comes across the website is bound to be convinced that there is quality offered by the enterprise judging by the positive reviews from major opinion shapers in the globe. The hotel has therefore been able to be unique in the in the Galle region that is a world heritage site. Mobile phone technology has been a major mover and facilitator of transformation in the sector. There have been great strides covered in the area of information transmission with the hospitality sector being on of the beneficiaries. For instance, previous visitors that have been pleased with say, room service are able to recommend that specific hotel for a friend or a relative who may be travelling in the same destination and the constant nature of communication facilitated by mobile phones has been a major contributor to this. Indirect marketing that the mobile phone use brings to the hospitality sector can therefore, not be overlooked. Apart from communication, the increased use of smart phones has broadened the scope of mobile communication through data transmission. Potential clients are able to browse company websites, blogs, social media and other online information guides that are beneficial to the hotel operators who have an online presence. Companies are also developing applications that provide services such as maps that may aid the clients to easily and independently reach their locations, which are healthy for the hotels and hospitality sector in general. Downloadable mobile applications of specific hotel chains may act as information supply and interactive tools between clients and organizations. In this way, hotels are able to get feedback on their services and hence make decisions based on customer satisfaction and quality enhancement. The mobile applications have therefore helped the sector in addressing the challenges of a highly globalised hospitality and tourism market. Another area where ICT has created a breakthrough is the area of security, monitoring and surveillance. The integration of GPS tracking systems into operations is a good example in this area (Bas et al 2007). Due to increased terrorism and insecurity that has affected the hospitality and tourism sector, close monitoring of movement around the hotel boundaries and tracking of clients in tours around itinerary attractions has helped management of the various hotels to enhance security for their clients and organizations in general. Remote sensing has also aided the security departments and a good example has been that of the installation of surveillance cameras in areas that are prone to security violations. This area of ICT has, therefore, helped to curb the problem of insecurity in the sector that translates to customer confidence hence increase in turnover. Hotels have also taken advantage of their surrounding environment to create awareness to potential visitors. With the rise of online presence, apart from listing the packages and room service, hotels have promoted their businesses by providing information on their surrounding attractions. Sandy beaches, scenic views, attractive terrain and favourable climate have taken a centre stage in promotion of hospitality sector as a value added advantage to clients who are likely to visit them. Tourists do not just want comfort associated with services offered, but want to move around and check out what might be interesting in the proximity of these hotels. This has even created a shift in advertising focus from the comfort of hotel rooms and the food to the serene atmosphere available for relaxation and excursion. The part played by ICT in the hospitality industry is one that is not easy to ignore. There are several areas of operations that have depended on new technology for the improvement of efficiency and effectiveness. There has been also an improvement in term of cost reduction which has been of great benefit to the hospitality industry and the larger business sector. Competition has been a major problem for most small and medium hospitality enterprises and the use of modern technology has been seen to aid them in cases where there is proper adoption and implementation in the applicable components of the day to day operations. Sri Lanka as one of the Asian giants has not been left behind in the adoption and development of the communications and information technology. This is despite the country having been faced with various natural and political uncertainties in the past. The hospitality industry in the country enjoys the benefits of this government supported initiative through adoption of modern technological trends. The scenic views of hilly terrain, sandy beaches and historical cum heritage sites all work to the advantage of the hospitality industry because it helps in promotion of the small and medium enterprises’ products and services. Small and medium tourism enterprises have the opportunity to break the domination of hotel chains that have massive investments and brand names globally by embracing the various components of information and communication technology as discussed above. Case Study Methodology This study used varied techniques to evaluate the use of ICT by the Galle Fort Hotel in Sri Lanka and the benefits derived. First, this study carried out a comprehensive website evaluation which forms the greater part of this evaluation. The website of the hotel has been evaluated in terms of general structure, the links, loading speeds and the use of search engine friendly contents. Apart from the website information that regards to booking, location and facility uniqueness, this study also looked at the various social media platforms and mobile applications the hotel has been involved in to improve its online presence and supplement its official website. The technique adopted here is that of web mining as illustrated by Main (2002). This was looked at in the manner in which the hotel has solicited for feedback, posted relevant information and the number of people attracted to the hotels’ social media accounts or in the case of multimedia; the number of views. This study also looks at the relevant secondary sources and the evaluation methods they propose for the purposes of further evaluation. The proven methods of evaluation are compared and contrasted or measured against those of the hotel and a conclusion arrived at. Other methods of evaluation include close examination of various communication, security and surveillance tools used within the premises of the hotel. They were looked at in terms of how effective they are to operations and the improvements and additions that were necessary to be added to improve efficiency. All these methods are a sum of technological observation and benchmark methods that are used to enable this paper arrive at a conclusive opinion for the subject of analysis. The Galle Fort Hotel is a world renowned industry player that needs this evaluation to enable it to retain its status as one of the most exiting and upcoming hospitality locations in the world today. Case Study Evaluation It is evident that Sri Lanka has been a major tourist destination for visitors across the globe. Galle Fort Hotel is one of the best boutique hotels in the country having received the certificate of excellence recently. The hotel is built on the fortified old town of Galle that was founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century. This evaluation looks at how effectively the hotel has adopted the use of ICT through its presence in the internet mostly by its official website and other social networking sites like face book and YouTube among others. To begin, the area of marketing the hotel as a tourist destination through the website is commendable. In a quick rejoinder, the website evaluation has identified key area that need to be retained, improved or replaced altogether for effectiveness. First, the website uses the welcoming window that redirects the user or visitors to the main site. This needs improvement so that information is supplied in the first click rather than through a redirecting link which may be a little bit complex for non technical users. Secondly, an entry into the main site will point out that there are good pictorials to attract the interest of potential clients but their sizes are a hindrance to loading especially for slower internet connections and this need to be rectified. The next area in the structure is the area of long scrolling instead of using highlights that can be attractive. The hotel has a good idea when they try to list their several achievements and reviews from reputable parties across the world but the presentation of that segment needs improvement in terms of the font colours, background and arrangement. Besides these weaknesses, the website does well to capture attention of the user by allowing flow in the content rather than sectioning the website that may create confusion. In terms of the three main criteria of evaluation that are: efficiency, effectiveness and user friendliness, the website does not rate highly. The website is user friendly but has not captured appropriately the areas of sociability and error handling because it has not been good in the content that it has provided to the users. The lack of depth in content has also meant that the criteria for website evaluation can not be effectively said to be exhausted. The website is likely to be simple for the user but this is not the only criteria that qualify it as a good. There is need for more additions and variations so that it can retain more users in terms of the time they spend in going through it. Through social networks such as face book and YouTube, the hotel has created awareness of its unique location and the exquisite services it offers that has contributed to marketing it. The hotel’s website has pictures that portray its scenic location and attractive rooms that may be important for the hotel’s market awareness creation. The face book page looks neglected given by the number of postings and the likes it has consequently generated. The hotel needs to reformulate and design the content in that page so that many people could be reached through this popular social network. The company does not have a dedicated forum like a blog or an interactive section in the main website, which should not be the case. Social media is an important communication and marketing tool that must be adopted (Muller et al 2011). Another application that has been properly used is the maps. The location of the company is well indicated in the maps online. A quick search of the hotel’s name will reveal the map of location. The directions should be more elaborate though. Even though map applications by Google will provide street level directions, the hotel should indicate its location so that it can be easily identified. A good example of how the hotel has embraced technology is indicated by the hotel’s contract with an ICT firm for the effective marketing of its brand. The hotel has engaged Pyxle, which is one of Sri Lanka’s highly rated Software and Web Development Company. Through provision of internet marketing solutions to the hotel, the company has competently provided solutions to the hotel through a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) project. This has resulted in a massive 470% increase of website visitors within a short span said to be around 3-4 months since the implementation of optimization for Galle Fort Hotel (ITpro news 2010). The use of search engine optimization is a good step by the hotel management evident by the key words it uses in its website, but there is more room for improvement. As discussed earlier, mobile phone technology is another important module of the ICT that needs to be adopted. Downloadable mobile applications of specific hotel chains may act as information supply and interactive tools between clients and the organizations. In this way, hotels are able to get feedback on their services and hence make decisions based on customer satisfaction and quality enhancement. The company has seemingly been left behind in this sector because of the lack of mobile applications for its brand. It does well by providing phone numbers and email addresses in the contact section but it should look into developing a mobile application for the smart phone users. The Company Needs To: Discussion and Conclusion With the end of ethnic war by the year 2009, there has been a massive growth in its tourism sector. From the discussion above, it is also evident that Sri Lanka as a major tourist destination for visitors across the globe has made steps in creating an enabling environment for the advancement of ICT. Galle Fort Hotel is credited and given positive review by several hospitality enthusiasts and organizations. The accolade it has collected positions it as one of the best boutique hotels in the country and in addition, it has recently received the certificate of excellence. The hotel is strategically located and historically rich fortified old town of Galle that was founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century. This location advantage is good for the image of the hotel because it has endeared to many visitors who are looking for extra treatment in the surrounding environment. However, with the growing need for development of ICT through integration into organization’s functions, the hotel’s management should be able to shift their strategy. This study through its evaluation of the components of ICT in the hospitality and related sector has several recommendations to make for the highly rated hotel. First, the manner in which the hotel has been marketed as a tourist destination in the region through the website is commendable. However, it is important to note the areas pointed out during the website evaluations that need appropriate adjustments. One area that needs improvement is the structure or design. The website uses a form of introductory window that redirects the user or visitors to the main site. This may be time consuming to the reader and therefore needs improvement so that information is supplied in the first click rather than through a redirecting link, which may be a little bit complex for users who might want to make quick observations. The next thing is the content and structure of the main website. The evaluation has pointed out that there are good pictorials to attract the interest of potential clients but there should be a proper arrangement and size alignment so that it eliminates the hindrance to loading especially for slower internet connections and this need to be rectified. The website capability with different browsers is however commendable. Long scrolling characteristic with the main site needs to be checked into. The picture sizes and the reviews and listed achievements should be reduced in terms of dimensions and font sizes respectively. Instead of presenting the pictures in still format, the webmaster should employ the use of multimedia tools that will help in space utilization and make the presentation livelier than it is now. To enhance credibility, the cited reviews and achievements should be linked to various sources for verification in the case of a curious customer or visitor. Moreover, the hotel has a good idea when they try to list their several achievements and reviews from reputable parties across the world but the presentation of that segment needs improvement in terms of the font colours, background and arrangement. Besides these weaknesses, the website does well to capture attention of the user by allowing flow in the content rather than sectioning the website that may create confusion. There should be an effort made to create a livelier and rich content so that more users engage with the hotel’s website. This will go a long way in promotion of the hospitality giant. In terms of the three main criteria of evaluation that are: efficiency, effectiveness and user friendliness, the website should adjust its rating by ensuring that several adjustments are made. Even though in terms of simplicity the website can be said to be user friendly, the management should go ahead and effectively capture a lot of content about its philosophy, customer service values and explain the various cuisines it offers instead of the pictorial reliance it has largely invested on. The webmaster should not assume that other peoples’ description of the hotel is enough to be considered self explanatory. The lack of depth in content has also meant that the criteria for website evaluation cannot be effectively said to be exhausted. It means that the hotel’s potential or lack of it cannot be effectively determined which can be hurting to the enterprise in terms of attracting new visitors. The website has a potential of being user friendly but this characteristic can also be its main undoing because it does not engage the user. There is need for more content in the design and more variations in the areas of the scenes, food service, accommodation amenities and security among other areas so that it can convince more users who might have scarce information about it but consider trying it out. This is very important for its competiveness since it operates in an area that has seen an upsurge in the hospitality investments from international hotel chains that may be more attractive to customers. The hotel has not made its presence fully known in the social media circle and this should not be the case. Through social networks such as face book and YouTube, the hotel should create further awareness of its unique location and the exquisite services it offers so that its online marketing and exposure is maximized effectively. The hotel’s website has pictures that portray its scenic location and attractive rooms that may be important for the hotel’s market awareness creation but it is disappointing that it has not done so in the online social sites which have a great number of potential visitors. Despite having a face book page, it looks neglected given by the number of postings and the likes it has consequently generated. There should be a reverse of this trend by increasing the number of postings and creating of incentives that will ensure that it multiplies followers of the page. It can also approach this by making its clients aware of the page and creating interactive segments for them. The hotel needs to reorganize and design the content in the page so that many people could be reached through the popular social network. It is very sad to note that the hotel does not have a dedicated forum like a blog or an interactive section in the main website, which should not be the case. It should create blogs in addition to its website so that there is increased interaction between the hotel staff and clients or potential ones. Another application that has been properly used is the maps. The location of the company is well indicated in the maps online. A quick search of the hotel’s name will reveal the map of location. The directions should be more elaborate though. Even though map applications by Google will provide street level directions, the hotel should indicate its location so that it can be easily identified. A good example of how the hotel has embraced technology is indicated by the hotel’s contract with an ICT firm for the effect marketing its brand. The hotel has engaged Pyxle, which is one of Sri Lanka’s highly rated Software and Web Development Company. Through provision of internet marketing solutions to the hotel, the company has competently provided solutions to the hotel through a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) project. This has resulted in a massive 470% increase of website visitors within a short span said to be around 3-4 months since the implementation of optimization for Galle Fort hotel (ITpro news 2010). The use of search engine optimization is a good step by the hotel management evident by the key words it uses in its website but there is more room for improvement. This is one area that can be a plus for the hotel because it has shown the interest in moving towards modern ICT innovations that will help it grow even further and surpass the set targets. The hotel should not overlook the mobile telephone component because more people have access to the mobile phones in the world today and hence it is the most important marketing tool. As noted in the findings, the hotel should effectively tap into the mobile phone technology because it is another important module of the ICT that has become a must for integration by any small or medium enterprise as well as large ones. Downloadable mobile applications of specific hotel chains may act as information supply and interactive tools between clients and organizations. In this way, hotels are able to get feedback on their services and hence make decisions based on customer satisfaction and quality enhancement. The company has seemingly been left behind in this sector because of the lack of mobile applications for its brand. It does well by providing phone numbers and email addresses in the contact section but it should look into developing a mobile application for the smart phone users. In conclusion, the use of ICT has varied results depending on how effectively it is adopted by small and medium tourism enterprises. Galle Fort Hotel is one of the hospitality players that has impressed in the current times and has shockingly lagged behind in terms of adopting modern trends with particular reference to online presence as has been indicated in the website evaluation. It is important that it continuously develops its ICT capacity so that it will be able to contain the risks posed by the rapidly growing technological sector. Despite of the weaknesses exhibited or unearthed by the evaluation, it is important to note that the hotel has shown the willingness to develop its online presence which is a first step to success. Taking into full consideration that the hotel operates in world heritage site, it should look for ways of implementing technological features that may retain the originality of the area in which it operates in but should not also overlook the benefits of modernizing certain functions like marketing. This case should act as an example of how small and medium enterprises in the hospitality industry should be involved actively in the integration of ICT in their operations. Websites, social media accounts and mobile phone applications should be used as tools for reaching out to customers since the tourism and hospitality sector serves a highly globalised market. The hotel should also act as a role model for other upcoming enterprises of how they can compete with other internationally acclaimed hotel and restaurant chains in the world and receive positive reviews and numerous awards in the process. The website evaluation process is a very important concept that needs to be taken into account by small and medium enterprises so that they do not loose out on important components. Globalization has ensured that client base has been widened and the use of reachable platforms like mobile telephony among others should be enhanced. Bibliography Bas et al 2007, Sustainable Tourism Infrastructure Planning: A GIS Supported Approach, Tourism geographies. Feb 2007, vol. 9. Issue 1. P1-21 Galle fort hotel 2012, About the Hotel, accessed 22nd November, 2012 from Gretzel et al 2010, Information and communication technologies in tourism 2010: proceeding of the international conference In Lugano, Switzerland. Feb. 10-12, 2010. Springer publishers. ITpro news 2010, Internet Marketing Solution By Pyxle Brings Results For Galle Fort Hotel 470% Traffick Within 4 months of SEO, accessed 22nd November, 2012 from Main, HC 2002, The Expansion of Technology in Small and Medium Hospitality Enterprises with a Focus on Net Technology. Information Technology & Tourism, 4, pp.167-174. McCabe, S 2012, Marketing Communications in Tourism and Hospitality, Elsevier publishers, New York. Muller et al 2011, Impact of the Internet and Social Media on the Hotel Industry, GRIN Velag publishers, Germany. Pablos et al 2011, Global Hospitality and Tourism Management Technologies, Idea group inc. publishers, London. Samarajiva, R 2012, Sri lanka’s Public Private Action in Galle, accessed on 22nd November, 2012 from UNESCO 2012, The Old Town Of Galle And Its Fortifications, accessed on 22nd November, 2012 from Appendix Evaluation of social media for Galle Fort Hotel Site Status Uses value Website In use Photos Reservations enquiries Contacts General information Informative to the user Face book Not completely active Company information Activities posting Interaction of the hotel’s management with clients and other potential visitors YouTube Pilot Google maps In use Global position of the hotel’s location Customers can easily locate the hotel Face book ads Not adopted Read More