Internet use among tour operators in Ghana: An exploratory study

Abstract

The introduction of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) in the early 1990’s brought in a new era in communications and transformed the promotion and sales of tourism products. Established web sites by companies have put them in position to carry out productive marketing activities. The current study presents the findings of an exploratory work on the current stage of Internet use among tour operators in Ghana. The study shows that despite the increase in the use of the Internet, Ghanaian tour operators only use it as an additional mode of communication. Currently, the emphasis is still on traditional marketing communication channels such as the print media and telephone. Their websites simply do not possess the interactive features required for Internet marketing. It is recommended that tour operators in Ghana engage in social interactions by creating virtual communities.