Tourist information centre in England

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TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES

IN ENGLAND

AND INFORMATION PROVISION

A STUDY OF THE STRATEGIES ADOPTED

OVER THE LAST DECADE

Submitted by Benedicte Le Bris

2802499

For the Master of International Tourism Marketing

London South Bank University

Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences

Department of Urban, Environment and Leisure Studies

March 2012


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This dissertation may be made available for consultation within London South Bank

University and may be photocopied or lent to other libraries for the purposes of

consultation.


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Abstract

Research shows that destinations benefit from hosting informed visitors who stay longer and

spend more. More than 10 years ago, tourism literature pointed out that advances in technology

will impact the way tourists search for information. In England, a network of almost 600 tourist

information centres (TIC) funded by local government started to be challenged by these

technological changes. This dissertation looks in more details at how these TICs have evolved

since.

To complete the findings from the literature review, new information was gathered from 76

online surveys with English TICs and 6 in-depth interviews with TIC managers conducted by

telephone.The results of the study show that a variety of strategies have been adopted by TICs. Although

some may be considered minimal and probably having little impact, others are quite

innovative. Findings reveal the frustration of TICs managers in the lack of public funding and

the constant pressure to find new ways to save money.

The most successful TICs have adopted a commercial-orientation strategy with an increase in

the range of products and have also developed new sources of funding releasing the restraint of

budget pressure. The respondents also acknowledged the importance of their unique service

provided by skilled, local and knowledgeable staff. However, TICs have not fully embraced the

advances of new technology and will probably need to re-evaluate this opportunity in order to

survive in the future.

Recommendation is given to look at other sources of funding and better use of the online

services to attract more visitors back into these centres.


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Table of contents

Abstract .....................................................................................................................................................i

Table of contents ..................................................................................................................................... ii

List of Figures .........................................................................................................................................iv

List of Tables ..........................................................................................................................................iv

List of Appendices ................................................................................................................................... v

List of Abbreviation ................................................................................................................................. v

Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1

I. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1

II. Aim of the research ...................................................................................................................... 3

III. Objectives of the research............................................................................................................. 4

Chapter 2: Literature review ..................................................................................................................... 5

I. Understanding Tourists ................................................................................................................ 5

1. From Grand Tour to new tourism age ................................................................................... 5

2. Reviewing the decision-making theory..................................................................................... 7

3. Defining vacation information and information search........................................................... 10

II. Delivering tourist information in England: a closer look at TIC ................................................. 14

1. Understanding public involvement in tourism ........................................................................ 15

2. Tourist information centres: roles and challenges ................................................................... 17

3. Impact of TIC on service quality ............................................................................................ 20

III. Information Communication Technology (ICT) in tourism .................................................... 22

1. Use of ICT in tourism by the public sector ............................................................................. 23

2. Latest advances in technology ................................................................................................ 25

3. Rise of social network ............................................................................................................ 27

4. Retail industry ........................................................................................................................ 28Chapter 3 Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 31

I. Research approach ...................................................................................................................... 31

II. Research Strategy ....................................................................................................................... 33

1. Secondary data ....................................................................................................................... 33

2. Primary data ........................................................................................................................... 33

3. Data Analysis ......................................................................................................................... 39

4. Ethical issues .......................................................................................................................... 40

Chapter 4 Analyse of the results ............................................................................................................. 41


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I. Footfall as a base to measure the success of the strategy ............................................................ 41

II. Marketing Mix: Product, promotion, price, place and people ..................................................... 43

1. Products .................................................................................................................................. 44

2. Promotion ............................................................................................................................... 45

3. Price ....................................................................................................................................... 46

4. The Place ................................................................................................................................ 46

5. The people .............................................................................................................................. 47

6. The effectiveness of the marketing mix .................................................................................. 47

III. Change of the source of funding ............................................................................................. 50

IV. Limitations of the study .......................................................................................................... 52

Conclusion and Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 53

References .............................................................................................................................................. 56Appendix 1: Lancaster DMS flow diagram ............................................................................................ 65

Appendix 2: Manchester new Visitor Information Centre ...................................................................... 66

Appendix 3: traditional and modern TIC ................................................................................................ 67

Appendix 4: Val de Garonne new TIC ................................................................................................... 68

Appendix 5: Online survey, question 7 on social media presence .......................................................... 69

Appendix 6: List of online survey respondents classified by DPUK ...................................................... 70

Appendix 7: Destination Performance UK (DPUK) Categories ............................................................. 71

Appendix 8: Map of England showing the location of the respondents ..................................................72


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List of Figures

Fig 2.1Three-dimensional cascade model of tourist decision making

Fig 2.2 Types of information sources

Fig 2.3 A general framework of travel information search and processing

Fig 2.4 A framework of tourist information search

Fig 2.5 The Visitor Journey

Fig 2.6 The evolution of consumer and the drivers

Fig 4.1 The evolution of the number of Visitors over the last ten years

Fig 4.2 Relationship between Footfall and DPUK

Fig 4.3 Relationships between footfall and product: Retail

Fig 4.4 Relationships between footfall and product: ServiceFig 4.5 Relationships between footfall and promotion: Use of social media

Fig 4.6 Relationships between footfall and price: Renegotiation with supplier

Fig 4.7 Relationships between footfall and place: Building renovation

Fig 4.8 Relationships between footfall and funding

List of Tables

Tab 3.1 Types of research

Tab 3.2 Type of research approach and strategy according to objectives

Tab. 3.3 Difference between contacts and number of survey invitation

Tab 3.4 List of TIC for in-depth interviews


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List of Appendices

Appendix 1 Lancaster DMS flow diagram

Appendix 2 Manchester new Visitor Information centre

Appendix 3 Traditional and modern information centres

Appendix 4 Val de Garonne information centre

Appendix 5 Online survey, question 7 on social media presence

Appendix 6 List of online survey respondents classified by DPUK

Appendix 7 Destination Performance UK (DPUK) Categories

Appendix 8 Map of England showing the location of the respondents

List of Abbreviation

DMO Destination Organisation Management

DMS Destination Management System

DPUK Destination Performance United Kingdom

ICT Information and Communication Technologies

NTO National Tourism Organisation

RTO Regional Tourism Organisation

SME Small and Medium Enterprises

TIC Tourist Information Centre

VIC Visitor Information Centre

WTO World Tourism Organisation


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Chapter 1: Introduction

This first chapter presents the background of the research and the rationale for it. It is divided

into three parts: the introduction that place the topic in a broader context and describes the

research problem, then the aim and objectives of the dissertation will be given.

I. IntroductionTourism has become over the years a thriving industry. It is a complex set of services

produced by an important range of companies. It generates revenue, creates jobs and it has

indirect financial impacts to other important industries. Hotels impacts on the construction

industry, the catering of overseas visitors connects to the agriculture, the delivery of tourism

service also impacts on the transportation and communication industries. Every industry in

England is influenced by tourism at some level of their business. In England, direct and

indirect tourism revenue count for almost 100 billion and support 2.2 million jobs (Deloitte,

2010). Although domestic tourism represents about 80 % of the total revenue of tourism in

England, inbound visitors generate even more revenue. London and the South East together

generate over 70% of the visitor volume and value. In 2010, London alone was visited by

14.6 million foreigners, 11.6 million British and received more than 200 million day trippers

(Visit England, 2010).At the same time, travelling became more affordable and could be enjoyed by more people

every year. Although the number of tourists is growing, places are facing increasing global

competition in both the external and domestic market. The World Tourism Organisation

ranked 133 country destinations in 2009. As more tourism destinations emerge and

competition for visitors becomes more intense, a destination s ability to project itself on the

world stage and differentiate itself from others is even more important than ever.

Thus an overwhelming amount of marketing articles with theories and models for tourism

have emerged in the literature. A lot of studies have been conducted to understand tourists

behaviours and attitudes. Yet new trends and new ideas find a rational for new research.

Tourism is probably one of the most inexhaustible topics in the academic literature.

The literature often refers to the intangibility of the tourism product, which cannot be

sampled before the purchase. For that reason, the World Tourism Organisation states that

tourism only exists as information (Doolin et al., 2002). Hence the provision of information is

crucial for the destination.


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Tourist Information Centres (TIC), or Visitor Information Centres (VIC) as they are also

known, have always been a valuable source of information for visitors as well as local

communities (Robinson, 2009). TICs are an instrument for marketing a destination.

However the role of traditional TIC in the digital world is increasingly questioned (British

Tourist Authority, 2010). In fact, an alarming article earlier last year suggested that recent

government cuts in England might mean the end of TICs altogether (Davies, 2011).

According to the author of the article, councils now prefer to fund websites to attract visitors.

She adds that councils need to take decisions within a constrained budget. Indeed, not long

after the government announcement to reduce the public budget, several TICs started to

closed down, like Penzance in Cornwall (The Cornishman, 2011), Minehead in Somerset

three years after it opened (BBC News, 2011) or Richmond in London (Kilvington, 2011).

The British Tourism Authority (2011) described 2010-2020 as a decade of challenge for

English tourism. Challenges include financial constraints with less and less readily available

public sector support. After all, local councils do not have a statutory duty to provide the

services of a TIC (Holloway, 2009).

Traditionally, TICs were something of a status symbol, if the destination had one, it was on

the map and therefore important enough for people to visit. The service provided visitors

with impartial, accurate advice, generally free of charge, about the local area, its businesses

and services (Tourism Insights, 2008)

In the mid nineties a report from the English Tourist Board, named TIC 2000, reviewed

some of the challenges that English TIC would be faced with in the future. The main

challenges described at the time were funding being constantly cut, the need to raise revenue

and develop a more user friendly service (Connell & Reynolds, 1999).

There is a significant cost in compiling and managing information, as well as in staffing and

operating a TIC. Hence the development of new technologies, which improve visitor access

to destination information via the Internet, directly threatening the existence of TICs in the

same way that the online intermediaries challenged the high street travel agents (Guthrie,

2004). More Destination Management Organisation (DMO) and local government see online

information as the future.

Yeoman and McMahon-Beattie (2006) imagined a scenario where Maria, a 35 year old

Spanish lady books her holidays in Scotland in 2015 in a free information society. The

interesting point is how the authors imagined Maria, in Edinburgh walking in a new model of

TIC, a mega store run by Tesco who sells Scottish products and treasure hunts downloadable


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on her 8th

generation Blackberry. The authors also emphasised that paper maps are a thing of

the past and that this TIC are only commercially viable as a shop. However, others argue that

the information provided at a TIC need to remain unbiased and therefore TICs should not be

profit-orientated; retail is the role of the private sector rather than public sector (Holloway,

2009, Yeoman and Mc, 2006).

While reviewing the literature review, it was clear that some research had been conducted

over the year about the rationale for the existence of TICs. A much wider range of articles

and reports looks at the changes in the gathering of information with the advances in

technology. However no studies about the development of the English TICs were found. If

local government are willing to keep a TIC, it is important for them to understand how the

network has evolved in the last ten years and how it can evolve in the new digital age.

Furthermore there is a clear need for the tourism industry to look at the roles of TICs.

Suppliers have much more choice in how to distribute information to visitors.

After revealing the aim of the research and the objectives, this dissertation will be divided in

three different chapters. The first chapter will review the related literature and research

reports and consumer behaviour, information search and TIC. It will also highlight the

increasing presence of technology in tourists daily life. The second chapter will reveal the

methodology selected to conduct the field research and explain the reason behind it. Then the

final chapter will present the findings of the research and interpret them in relation to the

objectives of this dissertation. Eventually recommendations for TICs will be given in the

conclusion.

II. Aim of the researchIn the recent months, local councils have been forced to look closer at the role of TICs

and potentially close them down or reduce their scale in order to save money. As mentioned

previously, some local councils prefer to fund a website - information of the future - than to

keep a TIC. Indeed, there are now lots of competition for information provision.

The aim of this dissertation is to present and re-evaluate the role of TICs in the tourism

industry, considering the importance of digital technology and analyse if they have managed

to adopt successful strategies to adapt to new demands and the needs of the travellers. At the


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same time the researcher wants to understand if what was done will be enough to overcome

the challenges of the future.

III.

Objectives of the researchThis dissertation has four main objectives that will be answered with a literature

review and a field research. The fifth objective is the recommendations that will be given in

the conclusion.

1- Examine the role of TICs in marketing a tourist destination.2- Assess the contribution of Information and Communication Technology in tourism.3- Measure and evaluate the development of TICs services and strategy over the last

decade.

4- Identify and analyse the reasons for closures/scaling down or openings/extensions.5- Formulate recommendations regarding a marketing strategy that can be utilised by

TICs.


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Chapter 2: Literature review

This chapter will deal with the review of the literature relevant to the topic of this

dissertation. Some academic and business research has already been written about TICs.

Furthermore, it is important to look at some of the concepts and theories in relation to

information provision. The main aim of this chapter is to lay a foundation for the current

research.

The chapter is divided in three parts. The first part presents the concepts and models of

consumer behaviour and information search. The second part looks in more detail at the roles

of TIC and the role of public sector in tourism. Finally, the third part relates to the changes in

technology and how it affects other industries such as retail.

I. Understanding TouristsHolidays have probably become one of the favourite discussion topics within modern

society. Going on a city break, planning a ski trip in the French Alps, summer vacation with

families in Europe, from the last minute to the one planned well in advance, holidays are on

everybodys lips.

However, the international Tourism market is a very competitive place. Marketers are faced

with ever greater challenges to influence consumers to choose one destination over another.

1. From Grand Tour to new tourism ageIt is recognised by historians that modern tourism was already present in Europe in

the 18th

century, with the elite class going on the Grand Tour to visit particular places of

interest (Page & Connell, 2009). However, it is only from the 1930s and after the Second

World War that tourism, in Western societies, became really accessible to more people. This

was due to a period of prosperity with better transportation, disposable income, low price of

fuel and paid holiday (Fayos-Sola, 1996). By the 1970s a holiday had almost become a

standard. Yet the evolution of Western holidaymakers over the last three decades has been

the most important. Not only has tourism activity developed new features, the tourists

themselves have developed new demands, new motivations.

In the last three decades, the tourism industry has grown at an unbelievable pace. Poon

(1993) was already acknowledging a New Age of Tourism in the eighties. The main causes

are the changes in technology: the improvements in transportation especially in the airline

industry; plane capacity increased, journey time and price reduced; economy of scale, new


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routes and therefore new destinations. Also, the advances in communication technology

helped to develop international tourism, and especially the more recent internet boom has

facilitated purchases and bookings and has encouraged changes in consumers habits.

At the same time, the tourists themselves have evolved. According to Poon (1993) the new

consumers are more experienced, more independent and flexible, with different motives and

lifestyles and changed demographics. Indeed, as previously mentioned, a vacation was a

luxury type of service, only a few could afford the time and money to travel. Nowadays, a

majority of Westerners have been or will be tourists. Tourism has become an accepted and

accustomed, even expected part of the lifestyles of a large and growing number of people

(Mathieson & Wall, 1982, p.1). A recent Mintel (2008) survey publication showed that 23%

of British adults saw a major foreign holiday as a priority outlay for the coming year and 22%

a short break holiday. Also according to the survey, a vacation is not a necessary spend but it

is still regarded as a high spending priority. Travellers start their holiday experience from a

younger age and carry on travelling further into their life than before. In a family, even if the

parents take the final decision about a holiday, children know how to express their wishes and

have a direct and conscious impact on the decision (Gram, 2007).

They know what they want and do not want. They expect great choice, flexibility and instant

information (Mintel, 2008). They do not only look for sun, relaxation and escape, peoples

preferences for diverse type of experiences are now more important and their travel types and

motivations more specific.

Plus, as the industry moves away from mass tourism, the need for information of travellers is

becoming more specialised and more diverse. In other words, customers want to know more,

not only general information but specialised information. At the same time, they are already

becoming more knowledgeable about what exists (Mintel, 2011a).

Not only has the number of tourists increased, the number of destinations too, therefore the

competition. People are now spoilt for choice for potential holiday destinations (Pike, 2004).

It is getting harder and harder for a destination to attract customers. Marketers cannot simply

look at the traditional family cycle but segment and re-segment the market. Hence it has

become ever more crucial for marketers to understand the new needs of customers and their

behaviour.


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2. Reviewing the decision-making theoryConsumer behaviour is the study of the processes involved when individuals, or

groups select, purchase, use, or dispose of products, service, ideas or experiences to satisfy

needs and desires (Solomon, 2011 p.154). Therefore understanding the consumer or in thiscase tourist behaviour is a crucial marketing tool for destinations to try to satisfy consumers

needs. Marketing research will try to understand what motivates people to choose their

destination and how they make their decisions between alternative offers.

Consumers make decisions every day from regular products such as toiletries and groceries,

to extended problem solving decisions such as choosing a car or holiday. As seen in the

previous part, some could argue that nowadays tourists are more spontaneous. They can book

a holiday or short break at the last minute. Sometimes they book on a Wednesday, their trip

for the week-end. Using internet and a credit card, they can in a few clicks book their holiday.

Very little investment seems to be made in the process; it appears almost like a routine.

Although going on holiday has indeed become part of the consumers lifestyle and is more

common, especially within developed societies, it still only happens occasionally with some

amount of time between each purchase and remains an expensive product. Indeed, holiday

products are associated with a perceived monetary risk. Furthermore unlike other goods, a

tourism product is an experience that has to be consumed where the tourism facilities and

services are produced. It cannot be transported or stored (Mathieson & Wall, 1982). Tourism

is intangible; it simply cannot be sampled or touched (Swarbrooke & Horner, 2007).

Eventually there are other risks related to tourism. They can be emotional or even physical if

travelling to unfamiliar places (Solomon, 2011).

For a high risk product, a basic individual decision making process follows five stages. The

first is the recognition of the problem; the consumer has a need that he wants to satisfy. The

second stage is the search for information. Thirdly, the consumer will evaluate the

alternatives. Eventually he will choose the product. The final stage is the outcome.

However, this general consumer behaviour theory appears too simple and hardly suitable for

tourism. Based on the particularity of the tourism product, it is clear that the decision making

process is more complicated than these five stages.


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Various researchers have attempted to develop a tourist decision making model. Most of the

models are similar in the way that the process is a functional activity influenced by a number

of psychological and non-psychological variables (Sirakaya & Woodside, 2004). All research

agrees that travel decision-making involves a complex and multifaceted decision process

(Hwang et al., 2006, p.17) based on a rational step by step process evaluating various options

(Bargeman & Van der Poel, 2005). Above all, one of the most important and common stages

of these various models from Schmoll (Pizam& Mansfeld, 1999), Mathieson & Wall (1982),

or Moutinho (2000) is described as the information search and processing of the information

(Hwang et al. 2006). Ultimately, travel decision-making is an on-going process that never

ends (Decrop & Snelders, 2005).

However, most research focuses on the decisions made prior to the trip, such as choice of

destination. Very few look at decisions made later on during the trip, such as the study done

on the use of the guide book by Japanese tourists (Nishimura et al., 2007). Still, a recent

study on tourists going to New Zealand concentrated on decisions made at the destination

(Moore et al., 2012).

Fig 2.1 Three-dimensional cascade model of tourist decision making (Moore et al.,2012)


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The findings are that decisions about daily activities and purchases were expected to be left

open until arrival. These decisions were likely to be made through a mix of information found

at the destination like signs, brochures, maps, information given by a social encounter (at a

restaurant, the hotel, while doing other activities). Also previous potential decisions made

prior to the trip could then be followed through or not. Based on their findings, the authors

created a new model for the tourist decision-making process (Fig 2.1).

In this model, the decision making process is described with three dimensions; flexibility,

social composition and the geographic location at the time of decision (off site: before travel /

on site: at the destination). The model shows that some decisions like the duration of the

holiday, the budget or even the type of holidays are taken before the trip, while others are

taken at the destination like daily activities, purchases or even accommodation.

Unlike package or group holidays when most of the activities are planned, independent

travellers need to do a lot more planning. Independent travel is more and more common,

especially in Europe. It has developed thanks to the ease of use of transportation, the absence

of boundaries and of course an easier access to information. Hyde and Lawson (2003)

realised a study on independent tourist while they were travelling in New Zealand. The

authors concluded that the decisions making process at the destination ware complex.

Decisions were taken throughout the journey using a variety of sources.

Reviewing the various tourist decision-making models, it is clear that a lot of research has

been put into understanding how tourists choose one destination over another. More recent

studies have looked at how decisions change over time (Decrop & Snelders, 2004) and how

they were made at the destination (Moore et al. 2012). It is important to point out that all

these models identify the search for information as a core base of the decision. It can be

applied to decisions taken before and during the trip. Indeed during the trip, tourists again use

various information sources, such as maps, guidebooks and TICs to organise their visit. They

now not only have to find the information but turn the information search into an activity

(Brown et al. 2002).


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3. Defining vacation information and information searchThe British Tourist Authority (2010) defines information as a collection of facts or

knowledge from which decisions can be made. Unlike other industries, information is crucial

for the daily operation of tourism. It extends from its generation and communication by thevarious marketing channels to its gathering and processing by travellers. Information has

often been called the lifeblood ofthe tourism sector (Mintel, 2011a).

As previously seen, tourism products represent a degree of perceived risk. According to

marketing research, the bigger the perceived risk is, the more information the consumer will

seek before buying a product (Solomon, 2011). Especially in Western society, for many

customers going on holiday is an important emotional and financial investment that cannot be

replaced if something goes wrong. Therefore, travellers seek as much information as they can

to minimise the gap between expectations and experience (Mintel, 2011a).

Visitor information provides an opportunity to influence decision making: the choice of

destination; the length of stay; what to see, do and experience during a visit; and whether to

visit again or recommend to others. It plays a key role in converting the marketing inspiration

into the planning and booking stages (British Tourist Authority, 2010).

When a tourist realises he needs to make a decision, he will probably search for information

first (Gursoy & Umbreit, 2004). Travellers need information before going on a trip to help

them plan and choose between options. They also increasingly require more detailed

information during the trip itself as the trend towards more independent travel increases.

Independent travellers mean they have to organise their own accommodation, transportation

and sightseeing. This is often organised directly at the destination (Mintel, 2011b).

While searching for information, holiday seekers can use two types of information: internal

and external. As illustrated in the following chart (Fig 2.2) the internal information is the

information stored in s persons mind. Internal information is gained from past experiences or

through passive learning stimulated by repetitive marketing messages (Hwang et al. 2006).

External information is derived from four basic external sources; personal (advice from

friends, relatives), marketer (brochures, advertising), neutral (travel clubs, guides) and

experiential (pre-purchase visit). The Internet can be linked either to the marketer or another

source because of its unique interactivity (Crotts, 1999).


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Fig 2.2 Types of information sources (adapted from Crotts, 1999).

The next model includes the two types of information (Fig 2.3). After a need is recognised,

travellers first use their internal search. If the internal information is satisfactory, the

evaluation stage can begin. However, if the information is not sufficient then external sources

are used to collect substantive information. According to this model, the different alternatives

are selected only when a sufficient amount of information is available.

However, according to Kerstetter and Cho (2004), research on the use of tourist information

use shows contradictory findings. The authors point out that some studies reveal that repeat

visitors, as they have more experience, use internal more than external information. Other

studies show opposite results. Other findings on repeat/first time visitors come to different

conclusions.

Information

Sources

Internal

Information

ActivelyAcquired

PastInformation

Searches

PersonalExperiences

Passively

Acquired

Low-involvement

learning

External

Information

ActivelyAcquired

PersonalSources

NeutralSources

MarketerSources

Internet

ExperientalSources


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Fig 2.3 A general framework of travel information search and processing (Crotts, 1999)

Many models of information seeking exist. Some like Crotts model indicate a series of

events. Others are more fully developed and refer to relevant variables that come in the

process (Case, 2008). The framework from Cai et al. (2004) tries to incorporate all variables

attached to information search as discovered in previous research (Fig 2.4).

The tourist information search is an intense process. Travellers use different types of

information sources (Fodness & Murray, 1999) and the amount of searching varies according

to the type of holidays, demographics of tourists or the length of the vacation (Hyde, 2008).

Besides several studies show that the choice of channel of information used is influenced by

the national culture of travellers (Gursoy & Umbreit, 2004). Tourists also have different

behaviour in front of information. Some can be described as sharks, aggressively foraging

information or on the opposite others are similar to spiders, nibbling on information than

come along (Murphy & Olaru, 2009).


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Fig 2.4 A framework of tourist information search (Cai et al. 2004)

While on holiday, tourists have access to an even wider range of information channels as

shown in the chart below (Fig 2.5).

Fig 2.5 The Visitor Journeyillustrating the range of interactions and methods of

information provision at each stage (British Tourist Authority, 2010).


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This chart shows some of the information sources available. The number of sources used

varied depending on the stage of the trip. Still, it is quite a restrained display of availability.

The last Visit Britain (2008) survey on information sources used by visitors in Britain listed

no fewer than twenty one alternatives, ranging from cutting edge technology like video

sharing website such as You Tube, to travel programmes on TV or transport companies.

To conclude, all consumer behaviour models agreed that information is a core component of

the consumer decision. It is clear from the various studies and theories reviewed that tourists

use a variety of information sources. Their search for information will expose them to various

advertising messages. Access to current, timely, accurate and relevant information is

therefore very important to help them make an appropriate choice. Now the challenge for the

different destinations in England is to create a clear message that differentiate them from the

competition and more importantly choose the communication channels that will be seen as

reliable and trustworthy (McCartney et al., 2008).

II. Delivering tourist information in England: a closer look at TICNations, councils and local governments have created various tourism agencies and

organisations in order to promote tourism in their region and increase tourism revenue. Most

of their effort goes into developing awareness and influencing the travellers decision before

their trip (Tierney, 1993). During a trip, promotion can be achieved by the operation of a TIC.

A TIC or visitor centre is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors

who tour the place or area locally (Collins, 2010). In more details, Pearce (2004, p.8)

describes a TIC as a clearly labelled, publicly accessible, physical space with personnel

providing predominantly free of charge information to facilitate travellers experiences.

Here the author emphasises on the provision of a free service open to all kind of customers.

The development of a network of TICs in England funded by local government has appeared

in the seventies to retain domestic tourism (Davies, 2011). At the time, package holiday,

falling air fares and an increase of English family leisure income and revenue made near and

cheaper countries like Spain increasingly attractive (Barnes & Smith, 2010). Forty years

later, it could be asked if TICs still make sense in the tourism industry.


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The next chapter will look at the role of the public sector in tourism and the role of TICs with

a special interest in their aid to service quality.

1. Understanding public involvement in tourismGovernments have understood well the economic benefits of tourism in terms of

income and employment. Tourism also generates indirect revenue for other industries such as

agriculture, construction, transportation, communication or insurance to name a few. In

England, direct and indirect tourism revenue accounts for almost 100 billion and supports

2.2 million jobs (Deloitte, 2010).

Although some claim the necessity of a free market, tourism is often described as a highly

complex and fragmented industry where no tourism business can survive on its own. Most

businesses are dependent on the quality of surrounding attractions, infrastructure, the absence

of market failure and need a framework to work within (Robinson, 2000). The key role of the

government is to provide this framework. Moreover, the evolution of tourism over the last

three decades due to evolution of technology, a wider range of tourists markets as well as

intense competition, has forced governments to step in for more marketing efforts.

The government can intervene in tourism in different ways and with different structures.

According to Page and Connell (2009) the public sector is a grouping of organisations

operating at different geographic levels: national governments, such as ministries,

government funded agencies, such as National Tourism Organisations (NTO) and local

authorities. These organisations are linked together in a complex set of working

relationships to benefit the industry that it serves (p.254).

Hall (2008) identifies eight roles played by government. Some of these roles include

legislation, coordination, stimulation, and marketing.

Legislation and policy are often realised by departments and ministries. Although Page and

Connell (2009) state theses activities are not an active form of intervention, Goeldner and

Ritchie (2006) argue that tourism policies provide a framework directly affecting long-term

tourism development and the daily activities within a destination.

Some other roles formulated by Hall, coordination, stimulation and marketing, are mostly

undertaken by the NTO. Mill and Morrison (1992) separate stimulation activities in three

ways: provide financial incentives, sponsor research and marketing and promotion. On the


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other hand, Inskeep (WTO, 2001) differentiates national tourism administration functions in

four sections: marketing services, statistics and research, planning and development,

education and training and adds that many countries have established a separate autonomous

entity for marketing services (often referred as tourism board or NTO). Even if the role and

effectiveness of NTOs have been discussed since the eighties (Jeffries, 2001), more than

thirty years later it appears that government have not disengaged from tourism.

The NTOs are the key bodies for researching and identifying demand possibilities in different

markets. They need to undertake a long-term monitoring of the market to analyse destination

strengths and weaknesses, to understand the competition and to identify market trends

(Elliott, 1997).

In England, a network of Regional Tourist Boards was established through the Development

of the Tourism Act 1969. They were core funded by the then English Tourist Board which

has since gone through a number of name changes but currently, as a consequence of the

2009 Tourism Review exists as Visit England (Tourism Insights, 2009).

Visit Englands aim is to increase the value of tourism in England. The board works with the

industry and deliver marketing campaigns based on a strong market research to both domestic

and international visitors (Visit England, 2011a).

One of Visit Englands objectives of its tourism strategy is to facilitate greater engagement

between the visitor and the various experiences available. In other terms, it means, amongst

other things, to guarantee an easy access to information to visitors. Furthermore, it is

important that information provision is modernised and keeps pace with the advance in

technology (British Tourist Authority, 2011).

To sum up, the public sector has many roles in tourism; coordination, planning, legislation

and also marketing and promotion aimed at increasing consumer interest in the local

destination to achieve set objectives to satisfy all stakeholders. It is important to add that

government and government-based tourism organisations, such as Visit England, are not

commercially oriented but with budget constraints and limited resources they are increasingly

looking at commercial orientation to become more efficient (Page and Connell, 2009).


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2. Tourist information centres: roles and challengesAn important goal of tourism marketing is to change travellers behaviour by using

information, for example increase the length of stay or level of expenditures (Fensenmaier,

1994).A series of various studies in USA from the seventies to the beginning of the nineties were

made on visitor/welcome centres to understand who stopped there, why and how it affected

their trip (Tierney, 1993, Fensenmaier et al., 1993, Fensenmaier et Vogt, 1993, Fensenmaier,

1994). The results showed that these centres acted as one of the most important

communication channels and had a significant effect on travel decision. In some cases, the

visit to the centre influenced up to 66% of visitors, for example like staying longer (21%) and

visiting places the traveller overlooked during their own research before the trip (29%).

Nowadays, there is still a recognition in the industry of the benefits of TICs in the overall

marketing of a destination (Guthrie, 2004). In Australia, a study conducted in 2008 around 18

VICs found out that the VICs had a direct impact on the economy of the destination, as well

as the social and leisure success of the region (Ballantyne et al., 2009).

More recently, surveys were released by Tourism South East in 2008 at 62 TICs in England

(TSE, 2009). The main focus of the study was to evaluate the financial gain for the

destination by having a TIC. Results showed that 46% of tourists made positive changes after

their visit to a TIC. Changes include visiting more attractions than those planned and increase

the length of their stay. It resulted in spending more money at the destination. Eventually, the

total of these extra expenditures was estimated to be 170.2 million.

The study also provided some figures about TIC visitors in England. About 25 million people

visited a TIC in England in 2008. Visitors were a mix of local residents and travellers from

outside the area (88% UK nationals), with a higher proportion of tourists and foreigners in

London TICs. Demographic statistics showed that 72% of visitors were over 35 years old and

the largest proportion was in the 55-64 years old age group (19%). Eventually, the study

highlighted two dominant segments in visitors: the cosmopolitans and the functionals. The

cosmopolitans are described as active visitors who want a lot of information about what to

see and do and who are generally big spenders, so quite attractive for TICs in term of revenue

makers. The other group, the functionals, tend to look for information to get the best value for

money out of their trip, very price-focused.


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Pearce and Moscardo (cited in Pearce, 2004) conducted various researches on visitor centres

in Australia. From their research four main functions of the centres were drawn. The first two

functions are the promotion and the orientation functions that stimulate and shape the visitor

demand. Here the authors highlighted the fact that the information needs to remain unbiased.

The third function is control and filtering. The centre can regulate the flow of tourists,

suggesting alternative locations which are less crowded, at different times of the day.

Resources at the destination would be under less pressure. This is particularly important in

more fragile sites, like Venice for example. Finally the centre has a substitution function.

This means the centre becomes an attraction on its own.

Another research carried across Scottish TIC in 2003 also showed four important functions of

a TIC. Firstly, the TIC has a marketing and promotional role; it encourages visitors to spend

time and money at the destination. The TIC is a first point of contact for visitors, it is also a

source of local knowledge and eventually a source of bookings

Brown et al. (2002) wrote that the job of TIC staff is to help the tourist using the information

they found to take a decision on what to do and what to visit. In other words, the staff also

helps turning information into action. Besides, they help visitors understand information they

might have found difficult to interpret or use.

TICs also need to build a strong relationships with local tourism businesses by supporting and

encouraging the quality of the visitor offer (Psarros, 2010). Support can be illustrated by the

sale of local products and the work of local artists (Davies, 2011).

On one hand, many TICs, especially those located in small towns and rural locations may

create significant social benefits by operating as an important community facility (TSE,

2009). Indeed, Pearce (2004) later on added a fifth function to the visitor centre: community

function. He recognised that centres can act as a community facility and used for example for

local cultural or social events. One the other hand, TICs are mostly staffed by local people.

Often, recommendations made by local habitants are highly valued by visitors (Walls et al.,

2008). In the Australian VIC research, 66% of respondents admitted that the availability of

friendly and knowledgeable staff was essential to their visit to the centre (Ballantyne et al.,

2009). Many visitors look for local and real knowledge.

Moreover, TICs provide a real opportunity to learn more about the visitors. The face to face

contact provides unparalleled opportunities for collecting data. The centres record statistics

like visitor profile, patterns and booking habits. They run surveys on a regular basis. They


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play a key role in supplying detailed visitor data and therefore help e-marketing and all sorts

of promotional campaigns (British Tourist Authority 2010).

However, findings of the survey cited previously (Tierney, 1993, Fensenmaier et al., 1993,

Fensenmaier et Vogt, 1993, Fensenmaier, 1994) also indicate that TICs are expensive to run

in a public sector with budgetary constraints. All authors, including from the seventies

research, already pointed out that an alternative strategy and more effective way, should be

considered to meet the travellers information needs and reach a wider audience. Indeed

VisitEngland, who always maintain to be supportive of TICs, recognises the funding

challenge and suggests alternative ways to provide information with more modern service

adapted to new consumer needs and behaviours (VisitEngland, 2011b).

For example, Tamesides tourist information centre costed 140,000 a year to run. It included

four full time staff. The local council decided to close it down last year. It was decided that

information could be given out by alternative venues like museums and libraries as well as

bookings made at the bus/train stations or travel agent (Rowley, 2011).

A visitor survey by South West England was released in 2009 (Southwesttourism). One part

of the survey looked at the source of information accessed during the holiday. Printed

information from a TIC came as the most useful source for 62% of respondents. However,

the verbal recommendation by TIC staff was a less useful source (13%) than the Internet

(19%). The British Tourist Authority (2010) recognises that dedicated TICs with a high

footfall and a clear service will continue to play a key role in marketing tourism destinations

because of their professional staff that are skilled in customer care and have a wealth of

product knowledge. However, in some cases, a TICs inability to make recommendations and

the poor location of some centres can create a barrier. Finally, limited opening hours are also

a major issue in an era when consumers expect to be able to access information 24 hours a

day, 7 days a week.

A recent study by VisitBritain lead to the interview of TIC managers on issues and challenges

perceived for the foreseeable future. It appeared that reduction in the public sector budget,

economic downturn, staff training and retention and poor weather issues were given more

often than changes in technology or the need to retain visitor numbers (Robinson, 2009).

It is difficult to persuade budget-conscious local councils to fund tourism when other

statutory services have to be delivered and leisure industries are not statutory. Though


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originally funded by the government, there is no statutory requirement on local authorities

(Davies, 2011).

Local authorities are aware of the importance of creating a network of excellent TICs as well

as investment in marketing campaigns. What is important is to make sure the right

information is available at the destination when many visitors take their final decisions and

bookings (Northwest Regional Development Agency, 2007). Moreover, right information

also means quality.

3. Impact of TIC on service qualityThe various stakeholders involved in the tourism make it a fragmented industry where

coordination is difficult and limited. Businesses are more likely to promote their own product

rather than the place or area. A report by Deloitte (2008) on the UK tourism economy

recognised that there was a lack of relevant information for visitors. Their trip decisions

suffer from these information gaps. Deloitte argues that it is a market failure that needs to be

adjusting by the public sector. The British Tourist Authority (2010) is well aware of it.

According to them, the provision of high quality visitor information plays a key role in

enhancing the overall visitor experience by creating a positive image of a destination,

providing a hospitable and friendly welcome and by creating a genuine sense of place.

As seen previously, according to vacation decision making process model, one step is to

evaluate alternatives. Narayana and Markin (1975) divide destination alternatives into three

choice sets. The evoked set relates to places the vacationers are familiar with and will be

actively considered. The inert set describes places that the consumer is not aware of or feels

indifferent to. Finally, in the inept set the destinations are known but not considered because

of bad previous experiences or bad images. Because of the intangible nature of destination,

decisions to travel to places is made based on images. According to Crompton (1979, p.18), a

destination image is the sum of beliefs, ideas, and impressions that a person has of a

destination. Therefore destination image plays a crucial role in the city tourism marketing.

In addition, visitors form an image about a destination on the quality of the welcome they

receive. The welcome is made by the contact with people at attractions, when receiving a

service or when they seek advice. In any case, the Internet cannot really deliver this welcome.

On the other hand the staff in the TIC that will be able to add a personal touch to the visitor


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experience, suggesting places to visit and things to do, many of which may be small, niche

and not promoted through the Internet (Robinson, 2009) and enhance the service quality.

Service quality represents the difference between the service provided and the expectation

from the customer. Therefore, it is important to achieve service quality by minimising

differences or gaps between expectation and experience (Zeithmal, Parasuraman & Berry,

1994). This will help to ensure customers satisfaction. As services become a commodity, it

is what the customer experiences that matters the most (Pine & Gilmore, 1998).

Zeithmal et al (1990) have formulated different gaps between the service delivered and the

expectations of the customer. According to the authors, the gap between expectations and

service standard is the primary indicator of overall service quality. One of these gaps is when

promises do not match reality of service delivery. The authors suggest that the gap is created

when the external communications are unrealistic and therefore the customers expectations

are not met, leading to disappointment. Customer satisfaction is especially important in

tourism because it will increase customer loyalty and good word of mouth (Spinelli and

Canavos, 2000). Besides, dealing with complaints is expensive, time consuming and give the

destination a bad reputation. Quality and tourist satisfaction are linked to one another

(Swarbrooke & Horner, 2007).

If a city website is of a very high quality giving out a lot of interesting information, visitors

might expect the same kind of information service at the destination. If there is no TIC or a

limited service at the TIC, visitors will be dissatisfied. For example one of the key objectives

of the London Tourism Action Plan 2009-2013 was to deliver a high quality destination

information network. London was to create lasting improvements in visitor information

provision and coordination for 2012 and beyond. One goal was to continue to support the

Britain and London Visitor Centre and the network of TICs (London Development Agency,

2009). A recent survey by Visit Britain (2008) revealed that TICs were seen as the third most

reliable source of information for visitor to England, after conversation to friends and

relatives, and a travel guidebook. However, the Britain and London Visitor centre, the biggest

TIC in London, has closed down in December 2011 leaving only one TIC remaining in

central London.


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In addition to this, it has been said by many researches that cultural orientation had an impact

on delivering service quality. Recent studies pointed out that national culture not only

influence consumer decision making process but also their expectations and satisfaction

(Weiermair, 2000, Crotts & Erdmann, 2000, Liu et al. 2001).

Culture has been defined in many ways. It is an interrelated set of elements, comprising of

knowledge, beliefs, values, laws, morals and other behaviours acquired by a person as a

member of a particular society (Usunier & Lee, 2005). Some speak of it as social glue or

collective programming of the mind that guide behaviour (Patterson & Mattila, 2008). In

marketing it is also defined as the accumulation of shared meanings, rituals, norms and

traditions among the members of an organisation or society (Solomon, 2011).

In service quality cultural orientation is a concept that explains consumers behaviour and

perception of the service encountered via cultural values particular to groups of people they

belong to. It can be for example a cultural orientation depending of the country they come

from. TIC staff have the skills and knowledge to adapt their service according to the culture

of the visitors while digital technologies are very standardised and not as flexible.

To conclude, the marketing of destinations is mainly done by the public sector. In that way

they have created TICs. But more than promoting the place, TICs appear to have other role,

like monitoring, influencing visitor behaviour and enhance a sense of community for local

residents. Furthermore, it helps reducing the gap between reality and expectation. The service

quality is enhanced. All these particular functions are not available with digital technology.

III. Information Communication Technology (ICT) in tourismAlmost all societies around the world have entered a digital age where information is

accessible at any time of the day from Internet via a ever wider range of devices.

By the end of the seventies, modern societies have seen the birth of the Net Generation who

have been surrounded by computers since before they could speak (Tapscott, 2009). It is a

generation characterised by their necessity to use technology. Tapscott wrote that almost 80%

of them read interactive blogs daily, leaving comments and adding links. Technology is an

important component of their life.


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The provision of visitor information has changed dramatically over the last 10 years.

Information is communicated to visitors in many different ways. More and more tourists and

often potential visitors use the Internet to plan their visit.

Visitor information provision has been revolutionised over the past 15 years. Technological

advances, which have enabled web applications and social networking, are rapidly evolving

(British Tourist Authority, 2010). More and more people use smart phones to access

information on demand (Visit England, 2012).

1. Use of ICT in tourism by the public sectorAs discussed previously, tourism cannot be sampled before the purchase. For this

reason the decision to purchase is purely based on the information that is available. Although

there are many information sources at the consumers disposition, it is increasingly the one

found on the Internet that is used.

In 1996, Walle published an article about the increasing impact of electronic innovations for

the travel industry. He pointed out that the Internet was already an incredible source of data

for the traveller to find information and will soon be used as a way to make and facilitate any

transaction. Hence, the Internet was destined to be a great opportunity for direct marketing.

More than 10 years later, Yeoman (2008) went in the same direction stating that the tourist of

tomorrow will be better informed. He will have more choice and will be completely

independent to purchase every step in holidays on demand helped by innovative technology.

In the UK, it is estimated that 70% of the population are regular Internet users, with only 17%

who have never use the Internet. This last share of the population tends to be the older,

disadvantaged or disabled consumers (Mintel, 2011b). Nevertheless, this figure is decreasing

as the UK government aim to be the first nation in the world where everyone can use the

internet. The Race Online 2012 campaign supports and encourages more people to be

online (BBC News Technology, 2011). As more and more services and businesses only have

a presence online, it is important that some people are not left behind. The trend is similar in

the rest of Europe, with Germany, France, Italy and Spain the biggest EU internet users.

Similarly the European Social Fund is prioritising to tackle digital illiteracy and

incompetence (Euromonitor International, 2011). It is important to highlight that the

European countries listed previously are in the top ten markets of England inbound tourism

(Barnes & Smith, 2010).


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Nowadays, one of the most popular searches on the Internet is for tourism information (Zhou

& Desantis, 2005). Indeed, in the context of information search and provision, the importance

of the Internet as a marketing channel has been acknowledged in various studies (Marcussen,

1997, Boon et al. 1998, as cited in Cai et al., 2004). The studies draw the conclusion that

DMO have to include the Internet in their marketing plan. Already in 1999, the World

Tourism Organisation stressed that if you [destinations] are not online then you are not on

sale (Drakopoulos, p.4).

Indeed, as discussed previously, an important part of the marketing role of NTOs is

promotion. This involves road show, marketing materials such as brochures, photos,

branding, visitor centres, etc. According to Page and Connell (2009), the public sector

responsible for tourism has long recognised the importance to develop a presence on the

Internet to enhance the tourist experience. Thus the development of Destination Management

System (DMS) that coordinate, develop and facilitate the delivery of the tourism product by

distributing the information across the industry and by helping SMEs like small hoteliers or

attractions distribute their product electronically. An example of a DMS can be seen in the

annexes (Annexe 1). Even if such development comes at a high cost, DMS contains the most

comprehensive source of product information across all sectors of the visitor economy

including accommodation, attractions, events and food & drink establishments (Lancaster

City Council, 2012). The advantage of the DMS is that it enables information to be collected

once and then each partner in the DMS-public website, guides, brochures, etc can use some

of the data for their own websites and guides (Visit Cornwall, 2012).

In 2001, Doolin et al. (2002) evaluated the various functions performed by 26 New Zealand

RTO websites. They divided the functions into layers of complexity. Some are very simple

website with only their name and contact details. Others are highly sophisticated websites

with newsletters or secure online transactions. The results show that most websites had

developed standard functions with description of regional tourism attractions with the use of

images and email contact details. Only one website showed a higher level of sophistication

with secure online booking offers for travel and accommodation. However, the authors

noticed that it is not unusual to have a simple website. After all the primary role of these

websites is to offer information.

Indeed another survey conducted in 2005, demonstrated that City tourism websites in Europe

lack of user-centred design and interactivity like local information such as weather, time and


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digital interactive maps amongst other things (Zhou & Desantis, 2005). Constant innovations

in technologies mean that if a destination wants to stand out from the online competition, they

need to be dynamic and continue investing in their digital tool. Therefore, the Internet

communication channel is not as cost-efficient as it at first seems.

Obviously destination websites are not the only information source accessible on the Internet,

some are probably more sophisticated and attractive than the public one. However, the tourist

information available on internet is almost growing at an uncontrollable pace. Travellers are

often overwhelmed by the quantity of information. Studies show that an online search can be

frustrating as the consumer cannot find what he was looking for (Pan & Fesenmaier, 2006). It

is evident that once a destination has been selected, it filters automatically the range of

information available. Still, there will be a lot of websites about the place giving out

information on activities, attractions, restaurants and blogs of travellers who visited the

location, etc. The extensive amount of information leads to overload. Having information is

not the same as being well informed (Case, 2008).

In parallel, the development of information technology has also meant an improvement of the

overall tourism service. Airline companies and hotels can now liaise directly with consumers.

It enables them to access the live database and book products instantly. The use of ICT in

TICs has become considerably more widespread. ICT is incorporated directly into the daily

work of the TICs to handle enquiries, brochure request and to book accommodation amongst

other things (Guthrie, 2004, DAmbra & Mistilis, 2010). Overall, TICs have a positive

attitude towards technology. However, reviewing the literature, very little is suggested as to

an extended use of technologies in TICs, like touch screen, 24 hours info kiosk, etc. So the

level of this ICT in use in England is still vague.

2. Latest advances in technologyMultimedia is developing fast and is used more and more often on tourism websites.

To counter the intangibility of the tourism product, a lot of photos and graphics have always

been used both online and on prints. This is made even easier with new technologies that can

use animations, video clips or virtual characters presenting attractions (Buhalis & Law 2008).

Tours, websites and maps in three dimensions are all now adopted online by marketers to

better visualise the information (Fiore et al., 2005).


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Probably one of the most recent advances is the mobile phone and wireless technologies.

By definition, the tourist has high mobility and until recently Internet was mainly used before

the visit, at home for example. During the visit, the access to Internet was restricted to places

like Internet cafes. However, access to this mobile information while on the move is

becoming more and more viable (Brown et al. 2002). ICT now allows Internet services to be

accessed via mobile accessories such as PDAs, smartphones, ipads, etc, by using Wireless

Local Area Networks (WLAN) like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. These connections are extensively

offered at places like airports, hotels and cafes (Buhalis & Law, 2008). These mobile devices

are more flexible and interactive forms of provision, thanks to the various multimedia

opportunities (Page and Connell, 2009). It is estimated that almost 80% of Internet users in

the UK have a laptop at home, but most importantly 54% own an electronic device like

smartphone, fifty percent more than the previous year (Mintel, 2011b).

Moreover, the internet has many advantages, such as reaching a large audience. One of its

important roles is its growing capacity to offer a flexible and personalised service to

customers. Tracking systems, like cookies, are now widely used by search browsers and

webmasters to record Internet users previous search, preferences or purchase habits. It

allows, in turn, the provision of a more accurate service to customers, leading to an increase

of online sales and potential loyalty (Postma & Brokke, 2002).

A new system, SAMAP, was imagined by Castillo et al. (2008) to facilitate the activities

undertaken by a tourist while visiting a city. It would be used as an app on a mobile phone

with access to the Internet. The system uses a set of information such as knowledge of the

city like places to visit and transport links. Then it draws a profile of the user based on his

preferences like type of activities, use of public transport or taxis. These preferences have

been collected from previous visits to other cities. Finally, the system incorporates

preferences from other users that have a similar profile to the current user. The information

gathered and compiled give out a plan containing various elements like a selection of

suggested places to visit, transportation links and even bars and restaurants.

Tourism has not only benefited the Internet from a commercial perspective but also from a

social point of view.


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3. Rise of social networkThe recommendations by friends and relatives are perceived as the most important

source of information (Visit Britain, 2008), mainly because it is necessary to make choices

without sufficient information or knowledge of the alternatives (Fensenmaier et al., 2006).Furthermore, Brown et al. (2002) released a survey in Glasgow on the behaviour of tourists

during their travel. It appeared that an important part of the trip was the opportunity to meet

new people. According to the authors, these social contacts happen in part due to the

opportunity to receive new advice about places to visit. Their survey showed that such word

of mouth had greater value than a guidebook or the staff from a TIC.

The importance of social recommendations is emphasised by a trend described as resistance

to marketing (Yeoman et al., 2007). According to the authors, consumers are overloaded

with unwanted advertising while marketers have to work harder to overcome a trend of

mistrust. More and more consumers turn to either close networks or independent sources.

Relevant information or suggested products can be found in recommendation systems, like

expedia.com, orbitz.com and Travelocity.com. These systems copy the social process of

giving and receiving information from others (Fensenmaier et al, 2006).

Lots of recommendations also now exist online. Websites like tripadvisor.com or many

accommodation sites allow users to leave a comment about their experiences. Online

recommendations influence greatly the travellers in the making of their choice. According to

Senecal and Nantel (2004), products are chosen twice as often if they are recommended.

Moreover, the authors indicated that this kind of recommendation, from other unknown users,

has a greater impact on the decision than traditional recommendations from friends and

relatives. This can be explained by consumers relying on information that is easy to process

(Sparks & Browning, 2011). The consumer looks at a list of hotels at the destination and

picks the one that has the best recommendation rate.

Because of the greater importance of electronic social media, a larger number of tourism

businesses and organisations now feel the need to have a presence on such sites. They are for

example creating their Facebook page or a similar type of online social presence. However it

does not seem to impact directly on the decision of tourists whether to visit the place or not.

Indeed, Jacobsen and Munar (2012) conducted a study that showed that the conventional


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word of mouth from non commercial sources remain a decisive factor in the destination

choice, for both domestic and international holidays.

4. Retail industryAs seen in the previous part, one of the challenges faced by TICs is to increase their

revenue. TICs generate money with their retail division, by selling souvenirs, books,

postcards, t-shirts, etc. They also receive commission on the sales of train tickets,

entertainment tickets and accommodation bookings. For that reason, it makes sense to have a

look at what is happening in the retail industry between the traditional form of retailing, a

physical shop, and online trading.

Like in the tourism industry, technological advances over the last decade have made the

world of retail a multi and cross channel market place. The emergence of a multitude of new

channels has played directly into consumers hands giving them the opportunity to shop how,

when and where they want. Different views exist on the real impact of e-commerce on high

street shops. E-commerce or e-shopping is the search or purchase of consumer goods and

services via the Internet (Mokhtarian cited in Weltevreden, 2007, p.192). Some argue it has

a limited impact and others believe physical retailing will soon no longer exist (Burt &

Sparks, 2003).

Verdict Consulting (2011) has looked at the evolution of the consumer since 1990 (Fig 2.6).

The first change to the shopper came from the Internet. Consumers gained confidence in the

channel from the nineties. Internet then became an effective tool for research and information

gathering. Consumers became even more confident in the channel and used more and more

Internet services to make their purchases. It eventually redefined the meaning of convenience

and choice in retail. Today, however Internet is more than a convenient channel; it is also an

important source of inspiration and ideas with interactive websites that include social features

from other websites such as Twitter or Facebook. Latest studies in the retail industry say that

retailers who embrace digital strategies perform better (Forbes, 2011). It is also important to

point out that e-shopping cannot only replace a trip to the physical shop but it can also alter it.

In fact, many consumers use the Internet to find information relevant to products or services

before going to the shop. Because customers are better informed, their selection and purchase

at the shop take less time (Weltevreden, 2007). Besides, a study from Hernandez et al. (cited


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in Weltevreden, 2007) showed that viewing products or services online, like travel, and then

buying at a physical commercial place, created on average three times more revenue than

direct online purchases.

The boundaries between online and offline retailing are blurring. With the right technology in

place, digital goods, such as high-quality movies and media content could be sold in physical

stores to bypass lengthy download times. Meanwhile, retail shops could become a showroom

where purchases are made only online for home delivery or in-store pick-up at a later time.

Billboards and newspaper ads could become virtual shops through the use of barcodes and

QR codes (Mintel, 2011b). Without a doubt the retail industry will need to enhance their

physical spaces in many ways to attract customers (Burt & Sparks, 2003).

Fig 2.6 The evolution of consumer and the drivers (Verdict Consulting, 2011)

Some public leaders have been looking at using ideas from the private sector to improve the

public sector (Joyce, 2011). In that sense some TICs have already started to create a more

commercial environment, sometimes by looking at what has been done in the high street. For

example, Manchester has completely reinvented its visitor centre (Annexe 2). It was often


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described in the press as a copy of an Apple store. The idea was to build a centre with

technology at its heart, to make discovering information about the city both fun and useful.

Maybe the Manchester model is the future of all VIC. At the moment it is true to say that

most TICs are a visual nightmare with endless racks of brochures and staff stuck behind an

impersonal desk (Thompson, 2010) (Annexe 3).

Besides, by embracing this kind of technology, the staff will be able to leave recurrent jobs

like refilling the brochures shelves. The staff can remain at the heart of the sharing process to

enhance the experience (Galy, 2011).

Of course such modern look might not suit all TICs, for example the one located within

historical buildings. Other solutions could be to create a boutique style, for example, the Val

de Garonne region in France has renovated one of its TIC into a boutique style (Annexe 4). It

has three themed rooms to present the various attractions of the region and a patio where

visitors can relax and access Internet. Each room includes interactive technology (Boulin,

2011). This type of TIC is similar to the trend observed in the high street. Shops become

unique and innovative with a boutique style look (Verdict Consulting, 2011).

To conclude ICT plays an important role in tourism. It helps deliver a better service and

enhance the provision of information. Government have long recognised it and have invested

in DMS but the lack of further investments often lead to a loss of real opportunities to make a

difference.

A comparison to the retail industry show that similar trends exit in both industries.

Eventually, some examples from TICs reveal that the use of ICT, physical space and staff can

create a truly exciting offline experience.


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Chapter 3 Methodology

A research involves making a discovery about something previously unknown and entails

advancing industry knowledge (Brunt, 1997). This research is trying to understand, explain

or even predict the evolution of TICs. As expressed in the introduction of this dissertation,

there is a lack of information and research on the development of TICs, particularly in

England. More over it seems that there is a lack of interest in this marketing channel.

Therefore, this research is looking for new important insights for the tourism industry.

The goal of this chapter is to provide a clear and complete description of the specific steps

that were followed. It will present the approach used for each of the objectives. Then it will

discuss the method chosen for the data collection and sampling and how the results will beanalysed.

I. Research approachThree types of research are used for this study; descriptive, explanatory and

evaluative. Descriptive research refers to the discovery of a pattern of behaviour not

previously studied. It helps to observe what is happening, to seek new insights (Saunders et

al. 2012). Explanatory research on the other hand helps to understand the relationshipsbetween cause and effect, it explains the patterns and trends observed. Eventually, the

evaluative research judges the effectiveness of policies or programmes, for example if a

promotional campaign has been cost-effective.

The following figure summarises the three different types of research.

1. Descriptive research Finding out, describing what is2. Explanatory research Explaining how or why things are as they

are

3. Evaluative research Evaluation of strategies

Tab 3.1 Types of research (adapted from Veal, 2006)

To answer the first objective, a descriptive research was carried out by using secondary data.

The results were presented in the literature review.


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Explanatory research was used to answer the second objective. In order to examine the

contribution of ICT in tourism, it was important to explain how ICT affected both the

industry (secondary data from articles) and TICs.

The third objective was about the success of the strategies, hence an evaluation so the

evaluative research was preferred.

For the fourth objective, the best option was an explanatory research to understand the

reasons behind the survival or the closing down of some the information centres.

Eventually, the recommendations were made from the answers of the other objectives so all

approaches were used for the last objective.

The following table (3.2) summarises the research approach and strategy for each objective.

Objective Approach Strategy

1. Examine the role of TICs in

marketing a tourist destination

Descriptive research Secondary data

2. Assess the contribution of

Information and

Communication Technology in

tourism

Explanatory research Secondary data

Primary data: online survey

3. Measure and evaluate the

development of TICs services

and strategy over the last decade

Evaluative research Primary data: online survey

and interview

4. Identify and analyse the

reasons for closures/scaling

down or openings/extension

Explanatory research Primary data: interview

5. Formulate recommendations

regarding a marketing strategy

that can be utilised by TICs

Descriptive, Explanatory

and evaluative research

Secondary data

Primary data: online survey

and interview

Tab 3.2 Type of research approach and strategy according to objectives


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II. Research StrategyThe research strategy represents the plans and actions that will be us

Tourist information centre in England

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