Information Technology: Nerve System of Hospitality Industry

Tourism is the important sector in the economy contributing in each and every country. It contrubiting about 10% to worldwide GDP, projected to rise to nearly 11% by 2015 (World Tourism Council). Role of IT is crucialin hospitality industry.IT has bought with it a number of changes and challenges that affect business and tourism.? IT developments that have taken place with respect to the tourism industry are overviewed in this paper. Challenges they pose for the sector and tourism operators generally are also identified. Various high tech information and communication technologies are in use in the tourism sector around the world. They are used for tourism product development, marketing distribution and training of tourism sector personnel. These technologies are so indispensable in order to find out and satisfy the ever-changing demands for tourism products. One of the unique characteristics of tourism products is the need of the role played by the so- called travel intermediaries. These travel intermediaries are travel agents, tour operators,conference organizers booking agents etc.They are so important because of the nature of the tourism product, perishablity and? intangibility. These travel agencies are performing this indispensable task of being intermediary by the use of computers and computer reservation systems (CRS). GDSs are systems, which distribute reservation, and information services to sales outlets around? the world. Unlike the CRSs used solely by an airline or hotel chain, GDS distribute more than one CRS to users who are usually travel agents. Facilitation includes, issuing of visa, customs clearing and immigration check in airports or ports.