Small Tourism Enterprises Research Articles

ICT Development and Small Tourism Enterprises in Europe

ABSTRACT Small tourism enterprises make-up a large element of the European tourism economy, notably in hospitality as well as in independent cultural and visitor attractions, travel agencies and tour guides. However, the opportunities and impacts arising from the development of Information Communications Technology (ICT) raise particular problems for the small firm which risks being bypassed in e-commerce and further disadvantaged in marketing and the customer inter-face. This paper discusses the findings of a comparative survey of ICT usage by over 800 SMTEs in three contrasting destination regions—London UK, the Aragon province in Spain and The Netherlands. Within the largely fragmented SMTE supply sectors and regions themselves, the approach to and adoption of ICT has been uneven, whilst the micro-enterprise also differs in its attitude towards ICT in contrast to the medium-sized firm, in some respects refuting the claim that SMEs are simply “lost in the electronic marketplace”.

IT and small tourism enterprises: a case study of cottage-letting agencies

A survey was carried out to determine the extent of information technology use in the UK cottage holiday agency sector. Up to half the companies in the sector, which is characterized by many small businesses, did not use IT, despite its apparent suitability. Various factors for non-use are discussed, and a crucial one is found to be the symbolic connotations of IT. Success factors for those who use IT are examined and it is argued that a key factor is the ability to recognize the information needed to run the business. A tentative link to more general entrepreneurial qualities is suggested, but this requires further investigation.

Market opportunity analysis: A DIY approach for small tourism enterprises

This paper describes a simple but effective approach to the analysis of the market environment. In making this claim it departs from the existing literature in two major respects. First, it attempts to take a reasonably involved marketing technology and find a way of simplifying it and making it workable in the context of the smaller enterprises that predominate in the tourism sector, with all the resource constraints that entails; and second, it sets the application of the derived approach in the context of a self-help, or do-it-yourself management learning activity. A process is described that has been tested with the managers of numerous small enterprises as they struggle to come to terms with the implications for their business of various key strategic issues.

Successful use of information technology in a small tourism enterprise: the case of Country Holidays

The contribution which information technology made to the growth and success of a small tourism company, Country Holidays, is examined. The successful use of information technology was due largely to the identification of a business need by a non-technical owner. The key success factor for small businesses might not be information on hardware or software, but an appreciation of the information they need to compete successfully.