E-tourism and its impact on the national economy

The concept of e-tourism 

Imposed technological changes and development in information and communication technology to handle modern pictures in the forefront of e-tourism services, which at the present time has become a necessity can not be ignored any tourist activity. And became the talk of these services teased the attention of many legal studies and tourism in a bid to develop a legal and regulatory frameworks to it. 

It then addresses this research to define the concept of tourism and its association with the concept of electronic e-commerce as a broader framework for the work of e-tourism, and the statement of the importance of tourism, electronic and requirements to be applied given the speed of the successive changes in the work environment Tourism on both international and domestic. 

First, the definition of e-tourism 

The concept of e-tourism concepts of modern science in tourism, which overlaps strongly with the concept of electronic commerce. He could researcher to monitor several definitions of the concept of e-tourism, the most important being that it refers to "the use of e-business in the field of travel and tourism, and the use of Internet technologies in order to activate the work of suppliers guides and access to facilities more effectively to consumers guides" [1], and that a "pattern of tourist is the implementation of certain transactions that take place between tourism Organisation and another or between the institution and tourist consumers (tourists) through the use Tknoloچaa information and communications ... and so converge which offers tourist services through the international information network (Internet) with the wishes of the masses of tourists who wish to accept this tourist services provided via the Internet, "[2] 

Notes on these concepts, it attaches great importance to the Technological Advancement incident in the international information network, and its impact on patterns of various tourist, and so it was possible to label any style tourist as a "mail" if the use of modern technologies in the presentation of its products and submit them to the tourists on the information network. This includes all the processes known from the typical tourist offers tourism programs, and book tours and organized through the internet, and after you get the product. 

Tourism and associated electronic closely to the concept of e-commerce, which varies depending on the definition narrow view and wide to him. Fiksr narrow definition of electronic commerce on the exchange of goods and services through electronic means or electronic medium, a meaning which taken by the bill, the Egyptian e-commerce has also been published in the magazine Al-Ahram economy in 2001, while known to the World Trade Organization as "the activities of the production of goods and services and distribution and marketing, or delivered to the buyer through the electronic media ". [3] 

In this sense, the enlarged be electronic commerce are five types of activities related to commercial transactions is the announcement of the goods and services that are displayed via the Internet through virtual stores or stores that sell on the Internet, and the exchange of information and interaction between the seller and the buyer, and the contract deals and contracts through the Internet, and repayment of financial obligations by means of electronic payment, and distribution operations and the delivery of goods and services and follow-up procedures, either through the Internet or on -line through normal channels. This definition makes e-commerce extends to any information or services provided by the company to another company or to the consumer via the Internet or other means of electronic communication, starting from pre-purchase information and the end of the after-sales service. 

While some believe that the concept to extend to "the completion of the various types of businesses through the international network of information." This includes transactions between businesses and consumers, and government transactions, whether between governmental bodies and each other, or between them and the private companies on the internet. [4] 

Second, the importance of tourism and its impact on electronic national economy 

The importance of e-tourism of the huge benefits provided by the service providers for both tourist or tourists themselves, and that contribute to overcome the traditional barriers in transactions tourist stereotypes, and most important of these benefits [5]: 

1. facilitate the provision of information, which depends upon the tourism industry, which is characterized tourism services as products vary greatly in which information can not only measure the quality of the experience, and they rely primarily on tourist confidence in the quality of tourism services offered by tourism companies and institutions. 

Hence, the consumer can become a tourist getting all the data and information needed for the tourism product through the Internet, including information on airlines, hotels and tourism programs and car rental places .. etc.. This contributed in achieving the desires of tourists and satisfy their basic needs, and through the possibility that tourists make many comparisons between the various tourist sites and choose the most appropriate ones without the need to move from one place to another. And allows the Internet through multiple forms include detailed information written and illustrated by the tourist can from which to visit the impact or browse the product itself, or even the possibility of a tourist program design tourist who wants it without adherence to the program prepared in advance and in accordance with the cost, which can be paid. 

2. reduce the costs of tourism services provided and then enjoy the tourism product comparative advantage as a result of lower prices. It is regarding the use of e-tourism to reduce the costs of marketing tourism, and production costs (to facilitate and speed up the communication between the product service and tourist mediator), and distribution costs (to facilitate a transaction with a large segment of the target (in addition to reducing the volume of employment. For example, tourists can recognize tickets Aviation and voucher or electronic exchanges own a book hotels through e-mail. 

3. ease the development of tourism product and the emergence of new tourism activities are consistent with the different segments of tourists, through measurements of opinion in which we can learn new tourism trends and essential services and complementary needed by tourists. 

4. increase the competitiveness of tourism enterprises in order to increase sales and revenues and profits, which is reflected in the end, to increase the added value of the tourism sector in the GDP. 

5 Finally, the fact that the prevalence of the use of electronic evidence Tourism provides the technological infrastructure and electronic services in the country, so as to contribute - among other factors - an increase in foreign investment and in the enjoyment of the structure of government and private business credibility in the international reports. 

And e-tourism is becoming increasingly important with the increased interest in e-commerce after that was e-tourism contribute 7% of e-commerce has increased the ratio to 35% of the total e-commerce in 2002 and spotted some research and studies include: 

· The use of more than 64 million dollars citizen service through the Internet in 2003 to search for information on various tourist purposes, prices and tourism programs, and 66% of them do the booking-mail through the Internet. And the arrival of online sales to 30% of the total travel market in the United States in 2005. 

· Sales increased travel over the Internet in the European Union for up to $ 14 billion dollars in 2003. [6] 

· Owning 80% of the hotels in Europe for websites, according to the inventory of the European Commission in 2005, while there are in Austria websites for 90% of the hotels, of which 63% provide services Alaaa through the network, and up booking requests mail them to 73%. [7] 

· The sales volume of tourist arrival through e-commerce to 63 billion dollars in 2006, of which 20 billion dollars in Europe. [8] 

Third: General requirements for the application of e-tourism 

You need tourism to electronic availability of several requirements so that it can be applied, particularly in developing countries. Not connected with these requirements structure tourist list, but goes beyond this to include the institutional and regulatory framework governing the work, and the legislative structure in the field of e-commerce, and progress in the IT infrastructure, and finally the cultural structure, which helps to accept the society and the people to the idea of ​​e-commerce in its entirety.