Introduction - Rationale - Conclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction - Rationale - Conclusion - Essay Example Tentative research show that the use of the internet for marketing purposes can make the operators of tourism and travel services easily bridge this gap between the suppliers and the consumers. As already previously discussed, tourism is reliant on a cycle known as the travel cycle, which entails dreaming, researching, booking, experiencing then sharing of the experience (Leigh et al 2013, p.90). The dreaming stage of the traveller or the tourist occurs at the preliminary stages mostly when the potential tourist or traveller uses the internet to look for the most affordable and reliable means of travel by reviewing web pages or videos that ultimately inspires him to want to travel. The consumer then researches and narrows down on his travel options through the making of requests through queries. This is the most important stage for the future successful tourism or travel supplier as it enables the collection and evaluation of the path that determines the path and the power of the tou rist or traveller towards purchasing. Knowing what is likely to happen in the future fascinates each and every man kind and tourists are no exception (Yeoman 2012, p.1). In tourism circles this is significant in the sense that it helps us understand tourism from a sustainability point of view as the industry players that is the tourism and travel suppliers become more prepared and find out the best answers to challenges that are likely to be met in future. The importance of future tourism is intertwined with that of the travel agencies especially those that are internet-based. Tourism experts agree that the internet is an important factor in the distribution and communication of services and products to the global market and eventually all players in this field may be forced to embrace the internet as a means of marketing for the services. Despite this, others argue that the internet will not automatically make the travel agencies dispensable as there are still consumers who insist on the personal touch that may be offered by physical agents as the information supplied needs to be in a continuous manner. The internet as a tool used for marketing is therefore complementary to the physical tourism and travel agent (Palmer and McCole 1999, pp.33-47). Other researchers look at the relevance of the internet based travel agencies as merely to reduce cost by eliminating the intermediaries who increase the total costs incurred in procuring a travel or tourism service or product (Barnett and Standing 2001, P.143). The travel industry and the tourism industry is therefore a major user of the internet that needs to constantly seek new methods of improving the services and products offered to consumers in order to fit in the current and future trends in marketing. Rationale The revolution of the internet is applicable in all aspects of the public especially those wishing to travel. This calls for traveler and tourism suppliers to investigate what motivates consumers of th e tourism and travel services to go into the internet to shop or buy products and services online. The reason for the increased uptake of internet in the marketing of travel products can be attributed to factors such as the ability of one to have one-to-one marketing and can support an interaction between the