Perceptions of the Role of Online Intermediaries in the South African Tourism industry

Abstract

Online tourism is a rapidly growing feature of one of the largest global industries. The purpose of the study was to investigate perceptions regarding the impact of the Internet on the tourism industry, and specifically regarding the role of online tourism intermediaries, currently and in the future. The research was qualitative in nature and consisted of 15 in-depth face-to-face interviews with key decision-makers in tourism service providers. It was found that tourism service providers perceived that online intermediaries play an important role in the tourism industry, that resellers and directories are the most important types of online intermediaries in the tourism industry and that the best future strategy for online tourism intermediaries would be to combine their Internet know-how with value-added service. The key message is that online intermediaries play an important role in the South Africa tourism industry.