SMART TOURISM: DEVELOPING NEW BUSINESS ARCHITECTURES IN THE DIGITAL SOCIETY

Abstract

ICT have reconfigured the way business is conducted, contributing to the development of new organizational architectures. Thus, the integration of ICT into the activities carried out by firms represents an adaptation to the changing business environment. At the same time, ICT have also reconfigured the way firms interact with their customers as a result of the latter having access to the same technologies as business organizations. In this context, terms such as smart business, e-business, e-commerce, intelligent enterprise, digital business and even smart tourism have become increasingly used to highlight the changes that have taken place in the organizational structures of business as a result of the use of ICT. With regard to smart tourism, as a subdivision of smart business, the use of various technologies has a major role to play in improving the quality of tourist experiences and the decision to visit a particular destination through access to information, more effective communication with business organizations in the sector, and the sharing of experiences through social media. It is therefore of interest how the strengthening of business infrastructures through the use of various technological tools has had positive effects both on firms in this sector and on tourists.