U-Commerce: Potentials for Tourism
Computing and network technologies are increasingly being utilised by travellers as they plan, actualise and reminisce over their tourism experiences. As such, new formations in telecommunications are supporting contemporary trends towards "do-it-yourself" and "non-organised" travel. The internet has fast become the primary vehicle for collecting information and booking tours (including low-cost airline services). Now, with ubiquitous mobile and computing access entering the realms of possibility, commercial tourism is set for a further evolutionary transformation.
The key is the development of Location Based Tourism Systems (LBTS). Grouped under this umbrella term are technologies and applications that deliver and collect information based on the location of targets, whether they be people, vehicles, sites or goods. LBTS manages information that is individualised on the basis of location and time, on top of other factors.