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Abstract

The rapid advancements in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that have taken place over the last 20 years have had a tremendous impact on the travel and tourism industry. The wireless revolution experienced in the marketplace is predicted to further revolutionise the industry. This study examines the possible influence of new wireless technologies, such as WiMAX, and their implications for location-based services, on tourist destinations. WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access and offers long range wireless Internet connectivity. From the undertaken survey, it emerges that tourism and technology firms perceive WiMAX as a great tool for promotion and information provision. They estimate that WiMAX will support location-based applications and will offer effective mechanisms for communicating with travellers. Technical factors such as standards, user-friendliness of the system, and the quality of information provided to customers, are perceived to be the main success factors for the implementation and delivery of these applications.

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag Wien

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Buhalis, D., Pistidda, L. (2008). The Impact of WiMAX on Tourist Destinations. In: O’Connor, P., Höpken, W., Gretzel, U. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2008. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-77280-5_34

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-77280-5_34

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-77279-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-211-77280-5

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