We live in a digital world, or an ‘e’ world as some like to put it. We have concepts such as ‘e-business’, ‘e-commerce’, ‘e-marketing’ and ‘e-service’, so it was only a matter of time before the idea of ‘e-tourism’ emerged. But what exactly is e-tourism, how does it work and why is it important? This article explains.
What is e-tourism?
E-tourism is all about the introduction of digitalisation into the tourism industry. This manifests itself in many different ways. We see e-tourism before, during and after a holiday or trip itself – and actually there is a lot of e-tourism that goes on behind the scenes, so we don’t actually ‘see’ it at all!
Dimitrios Buhalis is a leading expert in the field of e-tourism and he defines it as the digitization of all processes and value chains in the tourism, travel, hospitality and catering sectors that allow organizations to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness.
This digitalization, over the years, has changed the way that the tourism industry works and in turn has altered the structure of the tourism industry, often for the better- making it more efficient and productive. And this is not unique to the tourism industry by any means, our whole world has been becoming increasingly digitalised for many years now. In fact, we have become so reliant on the digital aspects of our lives that the functioning of the contemporary tourism system and its future seem unthinkable without the technological innovation that we have today!
Video: What is e-tourism?
Examples of e-tourism
E-tourism is ingrained throughout the tourism system, from the booking process right through to the tourist experience and everywhere in between. There are countless ways that technology is used in the tourism industry. Some of the most common examples of e-tourism are outlined below.
Research and development
E-tourism is used to a large extent during the research and development stages of a tourism product or service. There are a wealth of digital resources at the disposal of tourism industry stakeholders, which enables them to collect large amounts of data and research their (potential) customers. In turn, this helps organisations in the travel and tourism industry to better understand their customers and therefore to better satisfy their needs and desires.
Likewise, recent years have seen many options for the tourists themselves to research their travel choices to a greater extent than they have previously been able to. Reading blogs and reviews, watching videos on TikTok and YouTube, browsing Instagram and, increasingly, asking AI chatbots for ideas… when it comes to heading off on a city break or relaxing beach holiday, tourists often turn to the internet as a source of location inspiration- this is also evidence of e-tourism.
Reservation and bookings
Computer reservation systems have come a long way. They were first introduced by airlines in the early 1960s- American Airlines and IBM developed the SABRE system- and were quickly adopted by hotels and other travel businesses. These developed into the global distribution systems (GDS), such as Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport, that still power much of the industry today. More recently, reservation systems have been linked to online travel agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com and Expedia, metasearch sites such as Skyscanner and Google Flights, and companies’ own websites and apps.
Nowadays, pretty much everything can be booked online, and increasingly on a smartphone. Tourists no longer need to visit a high-street travel agent and look through brochures- they can research and book for themselves. There is far more freedom and independence now, as consumers are part of the process from the start. Bookings and changes can be made at the tap of a button or the click of a link. This not only makes the process simpler and easier for the tourist, but it also helps the business to operate faster and more efficiently, reducing overhead costs and maximising productivity. That said, many travellers still choose to use travel agents for complex or high-value trips, and technology has made it possible for travel agents to work from anywhere- fuelling the growth of home-based independent travel agents.
Marketing and promotion
Some years ago the likes of travel agencies and tourist boards would focus their marketing efforts on printed advertising such as posters, brochures and flyers… but those days are long gone now. Whilst there will always be a place for physical advertising of this type, travel and tourism organisations now have a wealth of valuable data at their fingertips that they can use to inform their marketing.
As we live more of our lives online (think shopping, researching, connecting with our friends on social media etc), the organisations that want to sell us their products and/or services are more informed to do so than they have ever been before. Adverts can be targeted to specific customers based on location, age and other relevant demographics. It can also be based around the user’s online activity- if someone begins to research ecotourism holidays, for example, they are likely to start seeing adverts for eco-lodges and nature holidays! Whilst there are certainly some ethical questions about how much of our data is used by organisations for advertising purposes, there is no disputing that the organisations of today have a big advantage over their counterparts from a decade or two ago!
In addition to this, we have new platforms where marketing can take place. Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook allow for both large companies and individuals to promote products, services or places. As explained in this article on Instatourism, these social media platforms can be powerful tools for the purposes of marketing. And more and more people are working in the field too- many argue that the growth of travel influencers around the world has changed the marketing industry forever!
Travel
Technology has also enhanced the travel sector in many ways. More efficient aircraft, trains, cars etc have enabled us to travel further and faster than ever before. They typically create less damage to the environment too, with more environmentally friendly initiatives being researched and implemented such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and electric and hybrid vehicles.
Travel is easier for the consumer these days too. No longer do we need to carry around our pocket-sized road maps, or get stressed out when we can’t read directions- all that is needed nowadays is a mobile data connection (often via an eSIM) and a navigation app. There are plenty of other apps that help us travel too, from train apps with timetables to flight comparison sites and more.
The tourist experience
There are many ways that e-tourism has helped to enhance the tourist experience and to make the tourism industry more efficient. Examples range from robots delivering room service and mobile hotel check-in with digital room keys, to QR-code menus in restaurants, theme park apps that show ride queue times and audio guides on a smartphone in a museum. Border control is going digital too: the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme now applies to most visitors who do not need a visa, and in October 2025 the EU began rolling out its biometric Entry/Exit System (EES), which replaces passport stamps with digital records. E-tourism is everywhere we look!
Artificial intelligence and e-tourism
One of the biggest recent developments in e-tourism is the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Generative AI tools and chatbots can now help travellers to plan itineraries, compare options and answer questions in seconds, and major companies such as Expedia and Booking.com have built AI trip-planning assistants into their apps. Behind the scenes, AI is used for dynamic pricing, personalised recommendations, customer service chatbots and forecasting demand.
AI also raises new questions for the industry, including the accuracy of AI-generated travel advice, data privacy and the impact on jobs. For travel professionals, it is becoming a tool to work more efficiently rather than a replacement for expert, personal advice.
Is virtual tourism e-tourism?
Virtual tourism is an example of e-tourism in practice. It is essentially a hybrid concept- it combines both the notions of virtual reality and tourism. In essence, virtual tourism facilitates a tourism experience, without actually having to travel anywhere. Virtual tourism takes many different forms and comes in vary degrees of technological capability.
In its simplest form, virtual tourism may comprise of a video of a tourism destination. The ‘tourist’ watches the video, utilising their hearing and sight senses. More sophisticated forms of virtual tourism include being immersed in an environment through use of a headset or simulator. It may involve use of various props, users may be required to wear gloves and there may be additional sensations such as movement (like in a rollercoaster simulator), feeling (for example if the user is sprayed with water) and smell. There is a detailed article about the virtual tourism industry here.
Is smart tourism e-tourism?
Smart tourism and e-tourism are commonly interlinked, however smart tourism is not always an example of e-tourism. Smart tourism is all about tourism that is designed in a ‘smart’ way- the intention is to promote productivity and make the tourism industry efficient. Oftentimes this does require the use of digitalisation, or technology, hence making it a form of e-tourism, but this isn’t always the case 100% of the time. There is more information about the concept of smart tourism here.
The benefits of e-tourism
Ultimately, e-tourism is a good thing. The use of technology in the tourism industry has helped to make it more efficient, run more smoothly (with less risk of human error) and making it more productive. This generally means that consumers (or tourists) are more satisfied with their tourism experience and that the organisations involved have increased profit margins and lower overheads.
E-tourism has introduced us to a whole new way of thinking and has helped to expose us to invaluable developments in the travel and tourism industry- it has helped to make parts of the industry more environmentally friendly, it has helped to have more effective marketing and product development and it has helped us to embrace new forms of tourism too, such as smart tourism and virtual tourism.
The disadvantages of e-tourism
However, as is the case with any form of tourism, there are some negative impacts of e-tourism too. The use of technology sometimes takes away the ‘human’ aspect- automated customer service cannot fully replace the warmth and problem-solving of a real person. And using technology to a large extent may reduce the number of jobs in the tourism industry too, which can have a negative economic impact on the host community. Furthermore, technology can go wrong- as the global IT outage of July 2024 showed, when a faulty software update grounded flights and disrupted airports around the world. Cyber-attacks and data breaches are another growing risk, and not all travellers (particularly older people) are comfortable with digital-only services.
How is e-tourism changing travel
Ultimately, e-tourism is all about making the tourism industry more efficient through the use of technology. There are many ways that this can be done and the benefits of this can be far reaching. From the perspective of the tourism industry, the digitalisation of travel and tourism can help to enhance business prospects- income, productivity, performance etc. And from the perspective of the tourist it can help to make their tourism experience more enjoyable.
E-tourism: FAQs
Below are answers to some of the most common questions about e-tourism.
What is e-tourism?
E-tourism is the use of digital technology throughout the tourism industry. Professor Dimitrios Buhalis defines it as the digitisation of all processes and value chains in the tourism, travel, hospitality and catering sectors, allowing organisations to maximise their efficiency and effectiveness.
What are examples of e-tourism?
Examples of e-tourism include online booking through websites and apps, global distribution systems, social media marketing, mobile boarding passes, digital hotel keys, navigation and travel apps, virtual tours, AI chatbots and electronic travel authorisations such as the UK ETA.
What are the advantages of e-tourism?
E-tourism makes the industry more efficient, reduces costs, allows targeted marketing, gives tourists more choice and control, and enables new experiences such as virtual tourism and smart tourism.
What are the disadvantages of e-tourism?
Disadvantages include the loss of the personal touch, job losses through automation, the risk of IT failures and cyber-attacks, data privacy concerns and the exclusion of people who are less comfortable using technology.
How is AI changing tourism?
AI is being used to plan trips, personalise recommendations, set dynamic prices, power customer service chatbots and forecast demand. Many travel companies now offer AI trip-planning assistants in their apps.
E-tourism- further reading
If you found this article on e-tourism useful, you may also find these articles helpful-
- What is smart tourism and why is it so BIG?
- Virtual tourism explained: What, why and where
- What is sustainable tourism and why does it matter?
- What is ecotourism and why is it so important?
- What is Instatourism?
- How to find clients as a travel agent
- Niche tourism: What, why and where
