Getting The Benefits Of ICTs In Tourism Destinations: Models, Strategies and Tools

Tourism is a relevant opportunity for economic development and social well being. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are important tools for seizing tourism developmental opportunities arising from integrating and strengthening the local tourism value chain. Nevertheless, ‘productivity paradoxes’ showed that technologies (IT first and the Internet now) cannot produce any significant benefit unless accompanied by complementary organizational changes. Who’s in charge of managing tourism destinations is thus facing a double challenge: the redefinition of traditional destination management activities to suit ICTs and the diffusion of such tools in a fragmented, SMEs-driven sector. In this aim, the present paper presents an ICT-enabled model and the related diffusion strategy as it is applied in different experiences in Italy, Morocco and Jordan. Then a detailed description of how in practice this strategy is implemented and its main components is provided. The results of five-years long research and practical experiences as well as field experimentations as related to the application of the strategy will be used to conclude with a number of insights as related to ICTs diffusion in tourism destinations In particular different clues as related to the diffusion of innovative destination management models and the role of technology in doing so will be discussed