PRIORITOES OF TOURISTS IN THE USE OF E-TOURISM SERVICES IN IRAN

Information and Communication Technology, ICT, has got an undeniable influence on other industries, and tourism industry is not an exception to this affect. Using this technology has become a competitive advantage for the organizations offering tourism services. Introducing the factors that can increase the customer welfare and satisfaction, this survey introduces the priorities of tourists in the use of E-tourism and indicates that using Information and Communication Technology, ICT, in tourism in Iran can not only increase tourists’ satisfaction, but also, comparing to traditional services, reduce the negative effects caused by the cultural and social situation of the country and lessen the dissatisfaction due to the limitations and cultural differences, by providing tourists with further background knowledge and welfare.The research method used in this study is inductive reasoning as well as gathering information through interviews and distributing questionnaires. The audience is a group of foreigners who have experienced traveling to Iran using e-tourism services.Collecting general information about the destination via general tourism websites, Possibility of reserving the hotel in the destination through internet, Possibility of purchasing or reserving the ticket through internet, Having information offices in the places visited to get a general information about the place and in different areas of the destination for getting the necessary information, Possibility of using credit cards for shopping in the destination and easy exchange of currencies are the most important priorities of tourists during their traveling or staying in Iran, that increase the customer welfare in e-tourism, comparing to traditional travel agencies.

کلیدواژه ها:

e-tourism ، customer satisfaction ، priorities ، services ، Information and Communication Technology ، ICT ، Iran