Discovering Next Generation Tourism Information Systems: A Tour on TIScover

Abstract

Information technology has been playing a fundamental role in the tourism industry for a long time. The Internet particularly is increasingly emerging as a perfect platform to bring tourism products direct to the customer. Web-based tourism information systems, however, are required not only to offer online brochures but also to provide both value and service. The Austrian tourism information system, TIScover, meets this challenge by focusing on three crucial points. First, high-quality access is provided, both by supporting e-commerce transactions and by allowing access to the system via the World Wide Web, info kiosks, and cellular phones. Second, the content is of a high quality that is achieved by enabling tourism information providers to maintain their products directly, as well as by integrating external tourism information sources. Finally, the system is designed in such a way that it is easy to customize. This facilitates employment of the system by the various kinds of tourism information providers, as well as by different regions and even countries.