eTourism innovations in the Digital era 

The Digital Era requires tourism organisations and destinations to use Information Communication Technologies and adopt eTourism innovations to strengthen their competitiveness. This event gives the opportunity to show case research undertaken by the eTourism Lab at the School of Tourism, Bournemouth University  http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/etourismlab/ and engage in dialogue with tourism, travel, hospitality, as well as technology and marketing professionals on the emerging innovations in the marketplace. Chairman Professor Dimitrios Buhalis will ensure that there will be great interactivity and also networking will take place prior to the event on Facebook and on a social gathering at the Slug and Lettuce Pub in Bournemouth after the event.

Join the conversation on Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/events/550497218315609/?fref=ts

The event will discuss a range of issues including:

• Social Media, Location Based and Mobile (SoLoMo) Marketing is increasingly becoming a critical and pivotal tool for tourism marketing. It combines social media, location and context based marketing as well as mobile devices. Interactions are no longer bound by the constraints of stationary computers, as they are becoming digital real-time experiences at a physical location. SoLoMo represents a powerful opportunity in the field of social commerce, allowing marketers to serve better today’s multi-channel, multi-experience consumer in real time. 
• Social Transformation and the new generation of ‘digital travellers’ that make use of new technologies in all stages of the customer journey (mobile devices, tablets, desktop PCs etc.). Through extended value chains and co-creation between organisations and consumers as well as consumers with each other, the new tourism industry is evolving to one that is based on engagement and value added services. New features such as private cloud computing, internet TV and face/pattern/image recognition will provide more exciting ways for interaction and visualisation.
• Augmented Reality and Gaming has the potential to augment a number of important activities, as well as different types of environments (hotels, parks, airports) and services (entertainment, education) to engage with a destination and its history, architecture, heritage and traditions; to interact not only with the physical surroundings but also with other people (residents and visitors). 
• Online reputation and E-Branding The interactive power of social media encourage more business to consumer, consumer to consumer engagements and dialogues. Successful online reputation management in Web 2.0 and social media, require tourism providers to carefully curate the content available in their own platforms, for instance, official website in Facebook and Twitter, regularly monitoring content, and systematically monitoring all forms of social media such as third party online review websites.

It is evident that the world is moving real fast, with interconnectivity between systems, proximity marketing and context driving a range of these changes. However it is critical to remember that it is not about technology but about value generated, packaged and delivered to the right customer, at the right place, at the right time, and at the right price. Technology enables the interactivity, engagement and co-creation of this but it is fundamental to focus on the needs of the consumer, co-create the experience and ensure that all stakeholders work in harmony together towards collective competitiveness.

For more information visit the facebook event clicking here.

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