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E-TOURISM : TRANSFORMING TRAVEL THROUGH

TECHNOLOGY

CHALLA SRAVAN KRISHNAMANAIDU

2416132
B.A. [H] HISTORY – SEMESTER 1

The tourism sector has seen unprecedent growth in modern

days. It is because of digitalization of the industry. The concept of e-tourism is characterized by the
integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in tourism. The globalization is the prime
factor for this integration. The use of information and communication technology enables the consumers
to get information regarding the complete details of the trip. India’s overall rank was 34 out of 140
countries in tourism according to the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report
2019. This shows the potential to develop India’s tourism sector. The government of India has brought a
mission called National Digital Tourism Mission to boost tourism industry through ICT to develop an
interface for seamless exchange of information amongst the stakeholders of tourism service ecosystem.
The use of ICT makes the activity effective and efficient. Because trips raise many questions regarding
accommodation, transport, food & beverages, and entertainment services. The ICT integrates all these
services and provides seamless experience for the consumers. In this project let us discuss the following:
1. Current Status of Digitalization in Tourism Sector
2. National Tourism Digital Mission 2022

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E-TOURISM : TRANSFORMING TRAVEL THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY

CURRENT STATUS OF DIGITALIZATION IN INDIA

1. Widespread Use of Technology :

The advancements in technology has fostered the innovations, growth and globalizing the tourism
industry. The use of internet makes the communication between destination stakeholders or
service providers and the consumers easier, effective and efficient. The use of social media
provides platforms where consumers can get to know detailed information regarding the
destination of the trip. The famous websites like TripAdvisor, Thomas cook provides information
from booking of tickets to the insights of the destination.

2. Development of Intermediary Platforms :

The development of various mobile applications has further added to the successful expansion of
tourism.
A] The 1st step in this activity is ticket booking. The development of various means of transportation
enabled people to move to different areas of the world. The platforms like Ixigo, Redbus, and other
websites made consumers directly to book the tickets easily.

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E-TOURISM : TRANSFORMING TRAVEL THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY

B] The second activity in this process is staying. The online platforms bring all
the regional or local hotels under one roof such that consumers can book on
their choices. The various platforms like Agoda, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, etc.,
provides consumers various hotels at different prices. The booking of hotel is
mandatory if a person goes on international tour.

C] The regional transportation is a problematic stage of the tour. The metropolitan cities has wide
range of regional transportation facilities like city buses, metro stations operated by the
government. The tourists obviously get confused and tricked by the local auto drivers. So, the
government has developed applications which brings all modes of regional transportation under
one roof such that tourists can avail these services at reasonable costs. The government also
provides city maps and important tourist attractions in the applications such that there will be
easy and happy vacation without any issues. For example the Delhi government has launched an
application called ONE DELHI which provides tickets for all kinds of regional transportation and
makes transport easy. The Karnataka government has launched an application called NAMMA
BENGALURU for similar purpose. There are transportation services provided by private firms such
as Uber, Ola and Rapido. They can also be availed easily as they use GPS technology. This makes
people to enjoy hassle free vacation.

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E-TOURISM : TRANSFORMING TRAVEL THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY

D] The food varies from place to place. Because of the process of globalization not just the trade
but also the cultures got exchanged. The tourists are provided to get food from local to continental
through online at their doorstep. The platforms like Zomato & Swiggy provides door delivery of food
and beverages. They also provide information of various restaurants and types of food available in
the area. This avoids the problems of food and beverages.

3. Integrated Database :
The use of databases where the preferences and the
information of the consumers are stored helps the
online platforms to display the tourist spots and
prerequisites essential for the trip. These databases
lets the destination stakeholders to know the basic
information about the consumers. This facilitates
both the consumers and the stakeholders by making
the work paperless. These databases provides the
information to the consumers regarding the amenities provided by the stakeholders whether true
or not.

4. Medical and Cultural Tourism :

In modern days people move to different countries for better treatment. For example, people move
to Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, etc., for the treatment of cancer. People also take holy trips to
pilgrim sites. This made the religious destinations to develop a platform where one can have safe
journey, darshan and stays near to the pilgrim site. For example the TTD maintains a portal where
people can book their darshan tickets and book stays during their trip.

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E-TOURISM : TRANSFORMING TRAVEL THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY

CHALLENGES IN E-TOURISM SECTOR

The tourism sector has many challenges to address. These challenges can
affect the tourism industry.
1. The primary challenge is the lack of accurate information. There are many websites or platforms
that provide information in which some might be fraud. The multiple websites confuse the
consumers and ends up consumers in troubles.
2. The second and the biggest challenge is the personal data. User privacy is identified as a huge
challenge in e-tourism. Therefore, users’ data such as their basic personal information, payment
methods, interests, preferences, GPS data and opinions must be protected. The sharing of data
across different platforms might leads to privacy breach.
3. The presence of different stakeholders might restrict the flow of information because of the use
of different languages. This curtails the data and brings technical glitches. This troubles both the
users and the stakeholders.
4. The other challenge is the infrastructure, human resource and planning. The development of both
digital and physical infrastructure is needed to encourage the tourism activities of the user. The
authorized tourist guides can provide accurate information regarding tourist attractions and
complete trip. They can be channelized into a common interface.
The government of India after going
through all the challenges and importance of integrating information
and communication technology, brought a mission called National
Digital Tourism Mission to address the challenges and boost tourism
industry.

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TECHNOLOGY

NATIONAL DIGITAL TOURISM MISSION

2022
The National Digital Tourism Mission envisages to achieve the objective of harnessing the full
potential of digitization in tourism sector by facilitating exchange of information and services in tourism
sector. It aims to connect various stakeholders all over the country under one roof such that there will
be a seamless standardised data exchange. It builds a connected ecosystem where the information gaps
among different stakeholders are bridged. It also aims to bring tourism activities under a unified system
to enhance the competitiveness of the hospitality and tourism sector. This mission a part of DIGITAL INDIA
MISSION which aims to digitally empower citizens.
In this manner the govt integrates all
the services provided by different
stakeholders under one roof. This
connected ecosystem provides
multiple choices for the consumers
crossing all the barriers for getting
information. It provides availability
of affordability choices in solutions,
access and agency.
The ecosystem members should define promise based inter-relationships and setup quality control
processes to achieve assured service
levels for all participating stakeholders.
It wants to build a sense of cooperation
among all the stakeholders such that
there will be no technical glitch when
services are being provided to the user.
In this way the government provides a
single window interface to ease the
tourism by integrating the information
and communication technology.

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TECHNOLOGY

BOOSTING E-TOURISM IN INDIA

Tourist satisfaction is the important component which further
expands the future of tourism industry. This industry needs some
modifications for better performance. The following can be made
to boost the concept of e-tourism in India.
1. The use of information and communication technology can be increased to attract more tourists.
It improves the quality of services being provided.
2. Though the government has brought the mission, it needs perfect execution. Because the
generation of unified interface can only be possible when there exists coordination among the
stakeholders.
3. The marketing plays the important role in this case. Producing high quality videos, blogs and social
media posts showcasing destinations, activities and cultural experiences. Using targeted digital
marketing campaigns, social media engagement and influencer partnerships helps to reach global
audience.
4. Rather than just sight-seeing, the improvement in the infrastructure for entertainment which
increases consumer’s satisfaction can also be done to boost e-tourism. Ensure high-
speed internet access and reliable connectivity in tourist destinations.
5. Tour operators need constantly to interact with all their partners, including accommodation and
transportation principals. ICTs are also critical for the distribution of tour operators’ packages.
6. The use of block chain technology can be made to enhance security for the data of personal
information from misuse and fraudulent. It builds trust and credibility.
7. The improvement in applications like DIGIYATRA can also be made by linking the ticket and boarding
pass to the Aadhaar. Since it uses facial recognition, there is no need to carry physical documents
and makes the movement easier and faster.
8. Digital platforms and applications can enhance overall customer experience by providing
personalized recommendations, virtual tours and easy access to customer service in multi lingual
mode.
9. Equipping tourism professionals with the skills and knowledge to effectively use digital tools and
platforms.
10. Providing special offers, discounts to repeated customers can also be made to attract tourists.

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TECHNOLOGY

CONCLUSION :
The concept of e-tourism has a positive impact on tourism industry. It has
combination of different travel components, bundled and priced in real time, in response to the requests
of the consumer or booking agent. This cuts the intermediaries activities thereby saving time and money.
The cities with attraction places need to develop the e-tourism infrastructures in order to keep up with
the competitiveness in the future. ICTs integration provides a powerful tool that brings advantage in
promoting and strengthening tourism industry. The enterprises websites needed to be updated with the
latest information and technologies. There are personalized recommendations based on user preferences
and past behaviours which enhances travel experiences. Since the work goes online, there will be
reduction in the usage of paper. Thus e-tourism can be boosted.

REFERENCES :
1. Report on National Digital Tourism Mission 2022 by Ministry of Tourism,
Government of India.
2. Emerging trends in e-tourism and its impact in tourism sector by Rose
Okwemba.
3. Role of information and communication technology in tourism sector by
Tourism beast.

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