外文文献在线旅游和旅游产业.doc

外文文献在线旅游和旅游产业 A Review on Online Travel and Tourism Industry in Indian Context 作者,Choudhary, Shubham Kumar; Sachan, Amit Abstract The article aims to review direct as well as indirect factors influencing current trends and future challenges in online travel and tourism industry in view of many newly emerged online portals for such businesses. The study is focused on India, which is one of the fastest growing economies. The article provides a holistic view of developments in the industry as well as related sectors. The study shows the effects of recent events in the sector on the business environment along with the influence of growth in supporting industries and measures taken by the government. Key words: Travel agencies; Airlines; Electronic commerce; Travel industry; Business travel; Introduction Internet is a global medium and the companies using it are addressing global audiences (Wymbs, 2000). What took radio 38 years and TV 13 years has been accomplished by the internet in around five years which has lead internet to now reach a staggering global audience (Ellsworth and Ellsworth, 1997 cited in Lagrosen, 2005). Online services provide consumers with several benefits including increased number of choices along with convenience and cost saving. The 24x7 availability, time saved in travelling, and an interactive environment with plenty of reliable information adds to the convenience in service. Transparent and competitive pricing leads to cost savings. At the business end, the use of e-commerce provides an effective and efficient alternate route for reaching out to the customers. The changes and improvements in services based on consumer behavior and feedback can be incorporated with minimal time lag. Apart from this, due to the elimination of intermediaries, lower manpower requirement and decreased overhead costs, the total cost of operation is lower. The main verticals where e-commerce has proved to be highly effective are online travel services including