Developing countries and the tourist industry
UNCTAD claims that the development of tourism may be one of the most valuable avenues for reducing the marginalisation of least developed countries (LDCs) in the global economy and that the use of internet technology and e-commerce represents a further opportunity for developing countries to improve their economic position relative to the developed world.This project analyses to what extent the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in the tourist industry facilitates growth in tourism services in developing countries. The project also seeks to outline the conditions under which the local industry might bypass intermediaries such as overseas travel agents and tour operators, thereby reducing transaction costs (commissions for instance). A particular emphasis is put on two important roles played by the intermediaries. They possess wide-ranging information that operators may lack and may therefore offer the consumer a bundle (package) of different goods. Secondly, they act as certifiers (guarantors) of the quality of goods and services.
