Abstract
The tourism distribution channels network is extremely complex. In particular, the emergence of technologies; the development of online social networks, online review sites as well as mobile location-based services has added additional channels of distribution. The awareness of new opportunities within the tourism distribution channels is essential for tourism professional in order to remain competitive and successful. Therefore, this study aims to update the tourism distribution channels model within the context of Crete, Greece. Twenty managers from hotels and tour operators were interviewed and the data were analysed using content analysis. Interviewees identified an increased importance of social media and mobile for today’s distribution market and the future decreased importance of incoming agents. Instead, the tourism industry has to start focus on Extranet/XML.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Armstrong, G. (2009). Marketing: An introduction. Harlow: Financial Times Prentice Hall.
Berne, C., Garcia-Gonzzales, M., & Mugica, J. (2012). How ICT shifts the power balance of tourism distribution channels. Tourism Management, 33(1), 205–214.
Buhalis, D., & Law, R. (2008). Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the internet – The state of eTourism research. Tourism Management, 29, 609–623.
Buhalis, D., & Licata, M. (2002). The future eTourism intermediaries. Tourism Management, 23(3), 207–220.
Buhalis, D., & Zoge, M. (2007). The strategic impact of the Internet on the tourism industry. In M. Sigala, L. Lich, & J. Murphy (Eds.), Information and communication technologies in tourism 2007 (pp. 481–492). Springer: Vienna.
Caber, M., Albayrak, T., & Loiacono, E. T. (2013). The classification of extranet attributes in terms of their asymmetric influences on overall user satisfaction an introduction to asymmetric impact-performance analysis. Journal of Travel Research, 52(1), 106–116.
Carroll, B., & Siguaw, J. (2003). The evolution of electronic distribution: Effects on hotels and intermediaries. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 44(4), 38–50.
Claro, D., & Claro, P. (2010). Collaborative buyer – Supplier relationships and downstream information in marketing channels. Industrial Marketing Management, 39(2), 221–228.
Douglas, A., & Lubbe, B. (2014). Mobile devices as a tourism distribution channel: Perceptions of visitors to national parks in South Africa. In Z. Xiang & I. Tussyadiah (Eds.), Information and communication technologies in tourism 2014 (pp. 855–867). Springer: Vienna.
Flint, D. J., Blocker, C. P., & Boutin, P. J., Jr. (2011). Customer value anticipation, customer satisfaction and loyalty: An empirical examination. Industrial Marketing Management, 40(2), 219–230.
Ford, R. C., Wang, Y., & Vestal, A. (2012). Power asymmetries in tourism distribution networks. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(2), 755–779.
Fuchs, M., Höpken, W., Eybl, A., & Ulrich, J. (2008). Online auctions for selling accommodation packages: A readiness-intensity-impact analysis. In Z. Xiang & I. Tussyadiah (Eds.), Information and communication technologies in tourism (pp. 813–826). New York, NY: Springer.
Garin-Munoz, T., & Perez-Amaral, T. (2010). Internet usage for travel and tourism. The case of Spain. Paper presented at 21st European Regional ITS Conference, Copenhagen (pp. 2–22).
Hsu, Y. L. (2012). Facebook as international eMarketing strategy of Taiwan hotels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(3), 972–980.
Inversini, A., & Masiero, L. (2014). Selling rooms online: The use of social media and online travel agents. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 26(2), 272–292.
Kalodikis, G., & Yannakopoulos, P. (2003). ICT contribution in establishing a competitive advantage for the Greek tourism industry. Available at: ikaros.teipir.gr. Accessed July 30, 2014.
Kapiki, S. (2012). Current and future trends in tourism and hospitality. The case of Greece. International Journal of Economic Practices and Theories, 2(1), 1–12.
Kayak.com. (2009). Corporate backgrounder – Kayak. Available at: www.kayak.com. Accessed October 28, 2009.
Kracht, J., & Wang, Y. (2010). Examining the tourism distribution channel: Evolution and transformation. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 22(5), 736–757.
Law, R. (2009). Disintermediation of hotel reservations: The perception of different groups of online buyers in Hong Kong. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 21(6), 766–772.
Lee, H., Guillet, B. D., & Law, R. (2013). An examination of the relationship between online travel agents and hotels a case study of choice hotels international and Expedia.com. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(1), 95–107.
Liao, C. H., & Tseng, P. L. (2008). Strategic selection of direct selling and private brand in retail market under manufacturer Stackelberg. Journal of Management, 25, 467–485.
O’Connor, P. (2010). Managing a hotel’s image on TripAdvisor. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 19(7), 754–772.
Scaglione, M., & Schegg, R. (2014). Substitution effects across hotel distribution channels. In Z. Xiang & I. Tussyadiah (Eds.), Information and communication technologies in tourism (pp. 801–812). Vienna: Springer.
Scaglione, M., Schegg, R., & Tranichet, J. (2013). Analysing the penetration of Web 2.0 in different tourism sectors from 2008 to 2012. In L. Cantoni, Z. Xiang, et al. (Eds.), Information and communication technologies in tourism (pp. 280–289). Vienna: Springer.
Sigala, M. (2007). Investigating the Internet‘s impact on interfirm relations. Evidence from the business travel management distribution chain. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 20(3), 335–355.
Xiang, Z., & Gretzel, U. (2010). Role of social media in online travel information search. Tourism Management, 31, 179–188.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Fountoulaki, P., Leue, M.C., Jung, T. (2015). Distribution Channels for Travel and Tourism: The Case of Crete. In: Tussyadiah, I., Inversini, A. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2015. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14343-9_48
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14343-9_48
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-14342-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-14343-9
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsBusiness and Management (R0)