Handbook on E-marketing for tourism destinations

the long version

The internet and other new technologies hae changed the tourism industry in an unprecedented way, and to a degree that has not been seen in any other sector. The speed of change and development is fast, and keeping pace is becoming more and more of a challenge. Online information is now one of the primary influences on consumer decisions in nearly all major markets. And when figures show that 41% of all tourists arriving in Spain last year booked their trip through the internet- or that in the United States of America, in 2007 for the first tme ever, the number of trips bought online exceeded those purchased offline, it is clear that the internet and new technologies have become a key competitive factoe for both destinations and enterprises alike.