Abstract
There is an on-going debate on the use of technology as an alternative to business travel, with industry and academia differing in their views on such substitution. This study investigates the trend towards substitution and identifies the factors and barriers that play a role in either supporting or limiting such substitution. The results provide management with an evaluation of the benefits of replacing business trips with videoconferencing and other alternatives, against the potential disadvantages of using these alternatives.
Highlights
Business travel is a significant sector in the overall tourism market accounting for about 15 per cent of all tourist arrivals (UNWTO, 2008)
The latest research reports predict that Telepresence and videoconferencing sales will reach $2.7B by 2015 (Brightcom, 2010a), gaining further impetus through the 2010 eruptions of Iceland’s volcano
The value of Telepresence and videoconferencing was proven as a backup plan for businesses with delayed communication and productivity (Brightcom, 2010a)
Summary
Business travel is a significant sector in the overall tourism market accounting for about 15 per cent of all tourist arrivals (UNWTO, 2008). According to Cramton (2001) the way in which groups are organised and their means of communication to support their work are changing. Communication and collaborative technologies have developed to such an extent that it has become feasible for groups to work together even though their members are physically dispersed. Cramton (2001:346) describes geographically dispersed teams as ‘groups of people with a common purpose who carry out interdependent tasks across locations and time, using technology to communicate much more than they use faceto-face meetings.’. According to Wang and Law (2007) information and communications technologies (ICTs) offer people a substitute for face-to-face contact and have the ability to replace physical travel. A further consideration is the growing concern for the environment and the impact of travel on the environment, which suggests that more studies should be conducted to determine the extent of substitution and the circumstances under which such substitution can take place
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