ASSESSMENT OF INTERNET AND VIRTUAL SPACE CAPABILITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM AND TOURISM ATTRACTION IN THE CITY OF RASHT IN GUILAN PROVINCE, IRAN

Abstract

The role and impact of ICT and tourism industry isn't secret to any one. By taking advantage of the Internet and the advent of electrical tourism, ICT is one of the essential elements of tourism industry and it has increased the efficiency of it. Estimates indicate that global industry of tourism has increased approximately 6.5 billion dollar in this current year (2013). With the growing trend of world tourism in 2013, World Travel and Tourism Council Report on projected earnings about 6 billion and $500 million from tourism industry. According to the World Tourism in this current year tourism industry, provides 260 million new jobs around the world. This trend also continued in 2012 with the Asian countries which are top countries with the highest growth in the tourism industry. The global tourism industry in 2012 was host to one billion and 35 million visitors this year the figure is expected to grow dramatically1. In this regard, the present study explores the role of information technology in all aspects of the tourism city of Rasht. For the study of field studies and questionnaire techniques are used. Hence according to the statistical community which are tourists of Rasht and according to the sample size, Which 200 were randomly selected to produce and distribute 200 questionnaires to both tourists and the tourism department personnel that among those who filled out 123 questionnaires, 101 were tourists and 22 were tourism department manager and staff. The results of this study show that due to poor infrastructure in terms of offering this technology, the contribution of tourism activities in the field of information technology, the contribution of tourism activities in the field of information technology of Rasht, is not justified. For example, the results of this questionnaire suggest that the amount of tourist' use of this technology in learning information and booking residential units are minimal. So that 8.9% of the research subjects had very little skill, 33.7% had lack of skill, 38.6% were average and 17.8% were skillful in using computer. Among were the managers of tourism, 45.5% of the research subjects had very little skill, 27.3% were average, 18.2% were skillful and 9.1% were very skillful in using computer.