Information systems (IS) in tourism

Information systems (IS) in tourism have been among the pioneers of leading edge technology applications: Computer Reservation Systems (CRS) or Global Distribution Systems (GDS) have been among the first international inter-organizational systems.Yield management systems are among the most advanced data mining applications. Tourism marketing systems typically represent the forefront of multimedia and virtual-reality applications. The World Wide Web is profoundly changing the production, distribution and consumption of touristic products. Information and communication technology (ICT) is probably the strongest driving force for changes within the tourism industry. Both industries are not only growing above average, they will also be among the most important industries in the next century. Being closely interrelated and intertwined. The first part of the paper presents a structural view, identifying the different types of players, the nature of the tourism business and tourism product. The second part gives a general introduction to the relationship between ICT and tourism and provides some empirical evidence of importance of tourism in the e-commerce sector. Part three gives a detailed account of the current transformation in the travel and tourism