Information and Communications Technology in the Tourism Sector of the Maldives: An Institutional Perspective

For many small island developing states tourism is a significant area of business. The increasing reliance on information and communication technology in the tourism industry has become one of the major challenges facing developing countries. This paper reports on research which investigated the adoption and effective use of e-commerce in the tourism industry of the Maldives. After a grounded theory analysis of interview data three domains were identified as significant, Sector, Country and Information Systems. These three inter-related domains are used to identify the institutional influences affecting the use of e-commerce in the tourism industry of the Maldives.