International travel has never been cheaper and more accessible than it is today. In modern society, individuals trek backward and forward scaling every longitude and latitude to seek vastly different combinations of cultures, communities and lifestyles to their own, researching and organising their holidays based on the international reference and recommendation guide provided by the web.

understanding of our planet and fellow humans has been facilitated by the web, so more and more of us now leave the nest in search of adventure

Whether it is the thrill of the unknown and the Indiana Jones inside us all, the biological drive to increase our knowledge and understanding of our planet and fellow humans has been facilitated by the web, so more and more of us now leave the nest in search of adventure. One of my favourite quotes comes from Danny Boyle’s 2000 film “The Beach” based on Alex Garland’s 1996 best seller of the same name which sums up this concept of today’s travel, narrated by Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio):

“Mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven’t tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience.”

US$ 1.1 trillion in international tourism and passenger transport for 2008

However, this concept like the group that walk this line is focused purely on the short term, to inject some excitement into their lives before returning to their place of origin taking with them memories and new friendships while still young and unattached. This is what I consider the first wave of tourism, done on a shoestring without expectations and potentially involving a lot of liquor and partying 24/7. It is a feeling of “we’re all in this together (just in a different setting)” but can be crucial to the economic success of a region which without the influx of travellers would not be as successful.

The two main contributing factors for the influx in the industry is the amount of traveller disposable income and increased competition, lowering costs for tourists. These contributing factors, catabolised in part by the internet amounted to a total of US$ 1.1 trillion in international tourism and passenger transport for 2008 according to the UNWTO with an annual average growth rate of 6.5% from 1950 – 2005 as expressed in the figure below.

International Tourist Arrivals, 1950-2005
http://www.world-tourism.org/facts/eng/pdf/highlights/UNWTO_Highlights09_en_HR.pdf

today the web gives tourists a preview of their entire vacation including the entire reputation and representation of a location

It is hardly surprising that the internet is therefore a highly influential source when it comes to individuals thinking about exploring the globe, events and what places have to offer. Now, I’m not just talking about hotels and theme parks alone because, today the web gives tourists a preview of their entire vacation including the entire reputation and representation of a location - from retail to restaurants, from the people to the little unknown gems which others have found and want the rest of the world to know about. Today’s tourist is savvy and they research these interests by using social networking sites and Internet booking sites such as tripadvisor.com, following links directly to the websites others have personally recommended. Why has this occurred? Because everyone loves a bargain and everyone loves efficiency. Why bother having a shower, getting dressed, booking an appointment, getting in your car, stopping at the gas station, finding a car park and then walking into a travel agency, then having to wait because the agent is busy on the phone and pay extra for the service when you can just roll out of bed still in your pyjamas, open a search engine, read a few personal reviews, check out some recommendations, search for specials and deals in seconds and have an entire holiday dreamed, planned and paid for in less than half the time at a lower cost.

50-60% of all tourism bookings will be made online within a decade

This observation regarding the changing travel patterns of globe-trotters has also been documented by the Canadian Tourism Industry. The Western Tourism Commission names this emerging group as the “children of the information age” a group of vacationers characterised as “increasingly sophisticated travellers who are experienced, well-educated and discriminating consumers who are more aware of what the competition has to offer.”

The report predicts that 50-60% of all tourism bookings will be made online within a decade simply because internet business solutions improve visitor information services, reduce costs and increase operating effectiveness and efficiency with the result having a substantial impact on a business’s viability. (For full details about the tourism industry shift to the web you can follow this link:
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/dsib-tour.nsf/eng/qq00135.html)

Now when it comes to the business side, its fine to have good recommendations but what if a potential tourist has been referred to your site, but you haven’t invested a substantial amount into your web identity? Personally, if a business website doesn’t meet up with what individuals have said I’m not going to be impressed and I’m less likely to want to spend my money when that business obviously doesn’t put an effort into its public representation (remembering that I am not a local and I am researching about you and your competitors before I even arrive).

Of course fundamental business standards are always the most important ones and what ensure repeat business relations, but every now and again cities can be put under the international spotlight when major events occur and this is when it is critical for local business to be known by the international community. As Jeff Jarvis writes “Life is public, so is business. The more public you are, the easier you can be found, the more opportunities you have.”