How does IT play a role in marketing for the Hospilality & Tourism industry?

Answer 1

The obvious answer is in SEO. However, a grater contribution comes in the form of permission based, broadcast email marketing.

Creating a location for a visitor to sign up to receive on-line news and special offers, builds the single most important list the hotel, resort or restaurant could find.

Sending out personalize, relevant, and timely newsletters and information releases generates inquiries and reservations.

It has been my experience that most IT professionals can create anything the marketing department wants. The marketing departments just don't know what's available to them.

Using tracking information to follow up inquiries and secure reservations is just one example. Another is the use of "forward to a friend" to create "viral" marketing. Taking surveys in "real time" is another.

Answer 2

Computer programs are used to manage a hotel's vacancy and occupancy records that assist in hotel fire safety, maintenance and house-cleaning services.

Such information in the H & T industry can also show which public attractions are at their peak popularity any given time of the year....and which attractions are less popular, by the same turn.

This same information can be later broken down for demographic study for advertising marketing and promotion for that hotel or tourist attraction business or chain franchise, who then passes this info on to the ad agency.

This information is valued by advertising agencies, so they can produce print, TV and/or radio commercials that target a specific business target.

Answer 3

Well, there are many ways ... IT provides business analysts that monitor the reservation systems and generates reports for management. They build websites; they make sure that all booking channels (GDS) are communicating with each other. They assure that the websites are able to book reservations ...and they provide desktop support for S&M to provide email blasts to potential clients, direct mail pieces, etc. as well as computer hardware problems.