Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The travel professional who wants to stay on the cutting edge will find this to be a great resource. Employing the concepts, ideas and technologies discussed in this book will dramatically improve customer service and marketing in this age of technology. Through the practical use of examples and case studies, the author provides an extensive review of the Internet as an agent of change in hospitality and tourism information technology and commerce. "E-Commerce and Information Technology in Hospitality and Tourism" contains essential information about business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce models, and about marketing schemes and strategies used by various sectors of the industry. A discussion of e-commerce answers questions about reliability, privacy and security as they relate to Internet transactions. Travel professionals will benefit from a detailed review of the Internet's impact on various sectors of the industry including travel agencies, airlines, hotels, cruise lines, bed and breakfasts, online travel stores and more. The author rounds out the book with a glossary of terms, chapter highlights and leads to valuable resources available on related Web sites, as well as a discussion of the future use of technology in the industry.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Preface (p. ix)
• 1 Overview (p. 1)
• 1.1 The Growth of the Internet (p. 2)
• 1.2 The Internet and the Hospitality and Tourism Industry (p. 3)
• 1.3 Characteristics of the Internet (p. 4)
• 1.4 The Internet and E-Commerce (p. 5)
• 1.5 The Internet and Communication (p. 6)
• 1.6 The Internet and E-Marketing and Information Distribution (p. 7)
• 1.7 The Impact of the Internet on the Hospitality and Tourism Industry (p. 8)
• 1.8 The Internet and Hospitality and Tourism Research (p. 10)
• 1.9 The 21st Century and Beyond (p. 10)
• 2 Internet Fundamentals (p. 16)
• 2.1 Defining the Internet (p. 17)
• 2.2 History of the Internet (p. 17)
• 2.3 Internet Basics (p. 19)
• 2.4 Conclusion (p. 28)
• 3 Connecting to the World (p. 34)
• 3.1 Establish a Standard Connection (p. 35)
• 3.2 Alternative Connections (p. 38)
• 3.3 Networking: LAN and WAN (p. 46)
• 3.4 Conclusion (p. 51)
• 4 E-Commerce Fundamentals (p. 55)
• 4.1 The Internet and E-Commerce (p. 56)
• 4.2 E-Commerce Defined (p. 56)
• 4.3 Components of E-Commerce (p. 57)
• 4.4 Classification of E-Commerce (p. 58)
• 4.5 Establishing Web Presence (p. 63)
• 4.6 Conclusion (p. 72)
• 5 A New Medium of Communication (p. 76)
• 5.1 Introduction (p. 77)
• 5.2 The Internet: A New Medium of Communication (p. 77)
• 5.3 Different Internet Communications Platforms (p. 78)
• 5.4 Intranet: Enabling Communications Inside a Business (p. 79)
• 5.5 Extranet: B2B and B2C Communications (p. 81)
• 5.6 Internet Communications Tools (p. 82)
• 5.7 Conclusion (p. 88)
• 6 E-Marketing and Information Distribution (p. 93)
• 6.1 Introduction (p. 94)
• 6.2 E-Marketing Plan (p. 94)
• 6.3 Internet Marketing Tools (p. 95)
• 6.4 Push Marketing (p. 108)
• 6.5 Pull Marketing (p. 115)
• 6.6 Conclusion (p. 119)
• 7 The Impact of the Internet on the Hospitality and Tourism Industry (p. 127)
• 7.1 Introduction (p. 128)
• 7.2 The Impact on Suppliers (p. 128)
• 7.3 The Impact on Travel Agents (p. 137)
• 7.4 The Impact on Traditional Brochure Information Distribution (p. 138)
• 7.5 The Travel E-Commerce Marketplace (p. 140)
• 7.6 Conclusion (p. 144)
• 8 A Special Case Study: The Past, Present, and Future of Travel Agents (p. 149)
• 8.1 Introduction (p. 150)
• 8.2 A Historical Perspective (p. 151)
• 8.3 Technology and Travel Agents (p. 157)
• 8.4 Travel Agents and the Internet (p. 160)
• 8.5 Strategies for Travel Agents in the Age of the Internet (p. 163)
• 8.6 The Future (p. 165)
• 8.7 Conclusion (p. 166)
• 9 A New Paradigm for Internet Research (p. 173)
• 9.1 Defining Internet Research (p. 174)
• 9.2 Information Search on the Internet (p. 174)
• 9.3 Collecting Data on the Internet (p. 177)
• 9.4 Analyzing Data on the Internet (p. 182)
• 9.5 Measurements for E-Marketing and Online Consumer Behavior (p. 184)
• 9.6 Conclusion (p. 186)
• 10 The Future of Hospitality and Tourism E-Commerce and Information Technology (p. 190)
• 10.1 New Technologies, New Paradigms, and New Strategies (p. 191)
• 10.2 New Technology Trends (p. 191)
• 10.3 New Paradigms (p. 195)
• 10.4 New Strategies (p. 197)
• 10.5 Issues, Problems, and Barriers (p. 199)
• 10.6 Conclusion (p. 200)
• Glossary (p. 209)
• Index (p. 223)