Impact of e-commerce on travel intermediaries in Bulgaria

Abstract

Goal and objectives of the dissertationGoalThe goal of the research study is to identify the strategic directions of effective use and development of electronic commerce (e-commerce) on the activities of travel intermediaries in Bulgaria.ObjectivesThe research objectives are:* To define e-commerce in tourism;* To analyse its specifics and mechanisms, and its impact on the business of travel intermediaries;* To develop a conceptual model and methodology for the assessment of impacts and significance of e-commerce on the activities of travel agencies;* To analyse and assess the current situation and impacts of e-commerce on the activities of travel agencies in Bulgaria;* To research consumers' inclination for online purchasing of tourist services and products offered by travel agencies;* To identify and analyse problems in the development of e-commerce on the activities of travel intermediaries;* To identify issues and proposals for the use and implementation of e-commerce in the business of travel agencies.MethodologyThis dissertation employs variety of research methods: analysis and synthesis; observation, survey questionnaire and in-depth interview; comparative and SWOT analysis; alternative scenario method; descriptive, statistical and mathematical methods. Empirical data have been collected through the implementation of questionnaire surveys and the relevant responses have been processed by using SPSS software. The purpose of the questionnaire survey method is to estimate the impacts of e-commerce on the activities of travel intermediaries and customers' inclination to use the Internet when they prepare and do their journey. Empirical research is conducted in accordance with secondary information sources. In this relation qualitative secondary information is put to analysis including data from scientific reports, articles, and other types of publications.The impact of e-commerce is evaluated through an integrated model. The assessment of efficiency of e-commerce as an integral part of the model is done through a selection of criteria which reflect the specific characteristics of travel agencies as well as the expected goals for the realization of tourist services and products through the Internet. We further assess the benefits from and the effects of intermediaries' web sites as a market tool for the implementation of agents' activities. A significant structural element in the model is customers' inclination for online purchase of tourist services.The empirical data for the conducted survey are collected by spreading questionnaire forms amongst 200 travel agencies and 300 consumers. For the purposes of the analysis, 178 questionnaires are collected from travel agencies (22 invalid questionnaires) and 257 questionnaire forms are collected accordingly from consumers of tourist services (43 invalid questionnaires). The questionnaire form designated for travel agencies consists of questions about: the influence of e-commerce on the activities of travel intermediaries and assessment of its efficiency; factors that influence online transactions; assessment of travel agencies web sites; changes in consumers' behaviour; problems of e-commerce development, etc. The questionnaire form designated for the consumer gives information about: intention of tourists to use Internet when planning a trip; problems of online purchases of tourist services; ordinal level of importance of different information sources and travel services. The respondents also evaluate the web sites of Bulgarian travel agencies.For the purpose of the analysis, 8 interviews have been conducted with managers and employees of travel agencies. The interview consists of questions about: trends of e-commerce in the intermediary business; advantages and disadvantages of its development; results of the usage of e-commerce in travel agencies.ResultsThe situational analysis of travel intermediaries reveals a significant slowdown in the development of travel agencies' business in Bulgaria compared to the current situation in Western-European countries. …