TRAVEL INTERMEDIARIES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

•Ecosystem is a network of interactions among living organisms and between these organisms and their environment (Tansley, 1935).

•A key feature of ecosystems is that organisms change and adapt in response to each other and the physical environment, resulting in the process of evolution.

•A digital ecosystem consists of users, companies and governments who converge in the space of IT, telecommunications, and media and entertainment industries. Technology-mediated interaction.

•A digital tourism ecosystem is composed of the interactions between living entities such as travelers, suppliers, intermediaries, governments and communities, and the nonliving technological environment of devices, connections, content and touch points

Ecosystem functions

¤Inspiration - deliver info, pictures & videos that inform & inspire travelers, helps in decision making

¤Transaction –travel intermediaries, GDS, booking engines

¤Experience- various entities use technology to create experiences during the trip. Location-based services, mobile apps & on-site technology

¤Reflection- IT advances have allowed visitors to reflect on & share travel experiences with family & friends/friends using platform such as blogs, websites, social network

Ecosystem health

¤Productivity – ecosystem ability to provide innovations that improve the efficiency of ecosystem functions. Eg; measure using the number of users

¤Resilience – ecosystem ability to withstand external shocks. Eg; Indicator = survivor rate

¤Diversity – ecosystem capacity to create new entities or niches