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Abstract
Purpose - Despite the fact that information and communication technology (ICT) provide innovative and advanced potential to significantly increase the competitiveness of tourism goods and services it is still insufficiently recognized and accordingly not enough used. On the other side, the ICT potential, if ignored, may results with serious consequences for the quality of tourism processes on supply side and demand side as well. The main aim of the paper is, therefore, to explore ICT potential in wider context and propose modalities how to apply it better and more professional locally, namely in Croatian tourism sector.
Methodology - Qualitative methods of analyses and desktop research were used in the study. Findings - The authors outlined state of art trends in tourism induced by ICT and enclose example and case studies of some customized ICT solutions to tourism needs. Those results strongly emphasize the necessity of constantly following mentioned trends in tourism practice.
Contribution - Contributions are considered from three standpoints: firstly from the theoretical view the contribution is related on justification of ICT as main driver of innovation in tourism. Secondly, developing the framework appropriate for investigating the ICT potential requisite to increase competitiveness contribute within research part. Finally, proposing the basic guidelines to tourism management for improving the use if ICT potential present a practical implication of this qualitative review.
Keywords: ICT innovative potential, ICT trends, ICT implementation, Croatia
INTRODUCTION
Respecting wider geografical area, the main obstacle to tourism sector toward better development is mainly a lack of understanding of global trends and the dynamics of social change (Sigala 2013). These changes impose the constant need for technological, organizational and social innovations that enhance the tourism offer as a whole. In that context, the ICT industry has been developing the various innovative solutions that provide technical support to numerous tourism and hospitality activities such as: on line tourism intermediary systems (e.g. Lastminute.com or Booking.com), tourism websites enabling price comparison and/or online auctions, virtual communities with integrated reservation system (e.g. TripAdvisor), hotel reservation system with payment options and integrated with other hotel application modules, hotel reservation systems connected with paying systems and global distribution systems (e.g. Galileo, Amadeus, etc.), dynamic package websites, mobile applications intended to be used in tourism and hospitality...