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Top2. From E-Tourism To E-Negotiation
Web 2.0 is providing a new way of thinking and the concept of service is in the core of this paradigm. Moreover, the user is not passive anymore and static web, with a one side content diffusion, does not attract him anymore. Thus, the customer becomes producer and consumer of this information.
However, one of the consequences of the new producer role assigned to customers is the proliferation of contents making the search process very difficult, especially if we seek to propose the most relevant services/contents to users, while reducing the number of necessary clicks.
Nowadays, there is more and more websites of travel agencies, offering several possibilities to customers to make easier the choice of their destination, booking of hotel rooms as well as baying plane tickets. In the next section, authors present three Web sites among the most used.
2.1. TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor is an American Web site created in the years 2000. It gathers feedbacks from clients (about hotels, restaurants, etc.) and allows them to book hotel rooms and plane tickets after comparing the offers of hundreds of Web sites in order to find the best prices. Moreover, TripAdvisor has a version called TripAdvisor for Business which facilitate contact between tourism professionals.
The principal functions of TripAdvisor are:
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Searching for best prices and available offers for hotels and flights through several online reservation sites and travel agencies;
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Management of feedbacks (comments, photos, etc.) left by clients;
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Online travel guides created by tourists;
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Annual publication of best hotels/restaurants, best destinations, etc., according to feedbacks.