Renew or "die"

This was the slogan at its meeting in Marbella under the title "The modernization of the tourism sector through new technologies."

In previous articles, we have already talked about how society is changing and mainly on the Internet, on this occasion have echoed the founding Fundetec (Foundation for Development Infotecnology Business and Society), the Technological Hotel Institute  (ITH), the council Marbella and the employers' association Hoteliers on the Costa del Sol (AEHCOS).

These agencies have met the June 4 at 09:30 am in the Hotel El Fuerte Marbella (Malaga). The meeting discussed the emergence of the Internet has marked a turning point in the tourism industry. Specifically, the guest speakers highlighted the importance of the concept Web 2.0 Travel is gaining in managing the business, and came forward practical examples that have already been applied in the world of hospitality: geolocation, passenger online communities, marketing social media, virtual worlds like Second Life, etc.. Also, the meeting showed what are the tools of today to serve consumers in choosing their destination and how they are used.

As an introduction to the meeting stated a fact clearly significant, 74% of people who come to the Internet to plan their trips takes into account the views that other users on the Net turn to when making their purchase decision. This trend is manifesting this by current generations of users on the Internet, on the one hand are the so-called "digital natives" who have already born with the Internet, is a generation of users between 12 and 30 years, and for other "immigrants digital "between 30 and 50 years. Both have led generations and technologies to all areas of their personal and professional life (including some of those above age group), and are the current customers of the hotel sector. Therefore, if the customer today is "tecnodependiente", it is important to know that hotels tailored to their needs, and it goes to the Web 2.0 company must be able to join this trend.

The Speakers

The spokesman for the team and government councillor for New Technologies of the council of Marbella, Felix Romero, the councillor for Tourism, Jose Luis Hernandez, Jaume Pons, director of Marketing and Projects ITH, Victor Sanchez, manager of projects Fundetec, and Alvarado Carrillo, director general of ITH.

The paper

Jaume Pons, Director of Marketing & Projects ITH, "The Internet is a loudspeaker, and tourists today has tools to make their voices heard and influence the decisions of others, determining who arrive or not to be future clients of our hotel." This is known as Travel 2.0. These tools are many and varied (blogs, virtual communities, podcasts, RSS, wikis, etc..), And allow information to flow exponentially and limitless, "so fast that you can not control"-describes-Pons. For example, "on the Web there are 52 sites where users can comment on any of our hotels without asking permission and without that we can prevent it," so that, at least, it is important to know all these tools and try to take advantage usefulness. "

Moreover, customers increasingly looking for experiences, be "something" of his travels, so the only way to differentiate themselves from the competition in an industry as competitive as is the tourism in Spain, is to provide added services and selling "more than a bed." It is therefore key to the hotel industry today the fact the customer services and provide useful information on the intended use (food, entertainment, tours, rental cars, etc.). Not only in the planning stage of the journey, but Also during and after the same as loyalty tool that can lead to that customer to shed positive comments about our hotel clientele that will determine our future.

Víctor Sánchez, Project manager Fundetec. "The Internet is a channel of communication that represents more threats and opportunities, entrepreneurs and hoteliers have to be able to learn a thorough knowledge of the threats and take full advantage of opportunities."

Álvaro Carrillo, CEO of ITH, has stressed the need to "progressively to join this trend, which is already a reality, but without neglecting the traditional tourist who is not yet user of new technologies."

José Luis Hernández, councillor for Tourism, stressed that "information technology and communication are essential for the competitiveness of the hotel industry, but also for Public Administrations, who play a direct role in terms of management and also to promote local tourism sector" .

Short history about Web 2.0