Readiness assessment of selected tourism institutions for electronic business system applications in the Western Cape tourism industry

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The tourism sector in the province is regarded as one of the major economic sectors that havebeen found to have significant growth prospects. Indeed it's revitalising and captivating tosee the provincial tourism industry organizing itself to adapt to the new challenges of theknowledge economy, while also retorting to the new demands emerging from the needs andthe expectations of the customers. The Western Cape tourism industry is currently preparingitself for the knowledge intensive marketing of its products and services and is also facedwith challenges arising from the need to exploit electronic business systems for the benefitsof the entire industry and its role players.In a nutshell, this requires the Western Cape tourism industry to understand the operation ofglobal economic systems and strive towards locating itself strategically within them, and alsodevelop strategic alliances with developing countries in order to reshape the system of globalgovernance to achieve more equitable outcomes. Simultaneously, it requires that it equip theprovincial economy as a whole, its sectors and enterprises to meet the challenges facing it inbecoming sustainable competitive environment.This is an exploratory study of which the research problem is whether the selected tourisminstitutions are ready to implement electronic business systems. The proposed research studyfindings indicate the readiness level of the selected institutions in implementing electronicbusiness systems.The research methodology instruments of the study were twofold. Both a modifiedquestionnaire designed by Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to evaluatecompanies' readiness in electronic business systems application was used, as well as astructured interview to acquire qualitative data was also used.The paper is not only a result of my personal interest in electronic business field, mostimportantly, it is of necessity to understand the concepts and principles of 'electronicbusiness' and 'Destination Marketing Organisation' as they apply to the Western Capetourism industry.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University