Impact of ICT on Sustainable Tourism Development of Kerala

Tourism is a rapidly evolving industry that has become increasingly competitive in the global market place due to the advancement in communication, transportation and other facilities. The states in India as well as the neighbouring countries are now competing with one another to increase the share of tourist arrivals to harness the economic benefits of tourism to a large segment of its population. This has also made this sector extremely vital and competitive. Tourism is acknowledged to be very information intensive and the target customers are typically not local. Therefore, the international tourism is highly dependent upon Information Technology for its future growth, competitiveness and long term survival particularly tourism marketing and distribution. Tourists need information before going on a trip to plan and choose between options, and also increasingly need information during the trip. Internet is a major source of travel information and the decision to purchase tourism products is based on confidence, information and communication. This study is an effort to identify the digital marketing practices adopted by the Indian Tourism Industry in general and Kerala in particular. It also discusses the potential of the Internet for tourism marketing and the current constraints on the full realization of such potential. Through an examination of the digital marketing practices of the state and the prospects and issues, the paper found that the Internet was ideal for marketing tourism. The paper concluded with a brief discussion of some of the issues in connection with the internet marketing.