Mobile commerce in tourism
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Keywords
Ηλεκτρονικό εμπόριο ; Κινητό ηλεκτρονικό εμπόριο ; Τουρισμός ; e-Commerce ; m-Commerce ; TourismAbstract
Information technologies have changed the way of trade for goods and services. The purchase and sale of goods or services by electronic means, called as e-commerce, has increased considerably during the last two decades and nowadays is a popular activity that is implemented with the use internet by customers (Toma et al, 2013). Among the business sectors that information and communication technologies (ICT) have caused significant changes in the structure and availability of corresponding services is the tourism industry (Buhali & Deimezi, 2004). Nowadays, e-commerce is the dominant medium for the presentation of tourist information to users and for buying and selling tourist services by travelers (Toma et al, 2013). Following the modern trends and the rapid technological evolution of mobile phones, mobile e-commerce with the use of wireless networks is a new trend in e-commerce that is predicted to present big growth in the following years and will affect e-commerce in all business sectors, including the tourism industry (Goldman Sachs, 2014). Mobile users can share and access information about tourist information and tourist services before, after and during a trip, which makes the travel experience more enjoyable and easier for travelers. Beside from presenting information to travelers and improving the tourism experience, applications for mobile devices can recommend activities and services to users, according to the position where a user is located, their personal profile and relevant preferences of each user (Pawara et al, 2014). In this study a review of traditional and mobile e-commerce sites and mobile e-commerce applications that support the organization and implementation of a journey is presented. Moreover, the various forms of mobile e-commerce applications which are available to users with or without active connection availability online are presented. Next, a new service of mobile e-commerce is presented. The ability to check in at a hotel without the need to wait in a queue at the reception but via a mobile is described. Moreover, a guest is able to unlock room door with the use of a mobile (keyless check-in). Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages, functional requirements, hardware requirements of the relevant service are presented. Additionally, the criteria for a hotel whether to adopt or not the new mobile service are presented. Finally, the conclusions of the research and suggestions for future research in the field of mobile e-commerce and tourism are presented.