Good morning everyone, I am Anne, and I will tackle about eTourism and Heritage.

As mentioned
previously by Ms. Cassandra, eTourism is a form of tourism where virtual channels such as websites and
smartphone applications are frequently used. eTourism-related services are particularly relevant for
Heritage (tourism) in five areas. (i) Access; (ii) Better; (iii) Connect; (iv) Dis-intermediate; and (v) Educate.

So let’s first start sa ACCESS:

ICTs or (information and communications technology) can provide more information about
heritage places and support planning for visitors.
So through ICT, mas napapalawak niya ang access about Tourism, especially sa mga tao
na may balak mag visit ng mga certain heritage sites, and also through this, mapopromote
talaga ang mga places na possible na hindi pa known ng mga tao.
Example of this is the Swiss UNESCO Commission na nag publish ng short documentary films in
different languages. Makikita natin dito ang available na languages which is English, French,
German, and Italiano, that present the World Heritage Sites in the country, na nag poprovide ng
different views and level of details para sa iba’t-ibang audiences.

Next is BETTER:
eTourism enhances visitor experiences through augmented reality, location-based services, and
the ability to capture and share memories.
Since advance na tayo sa technology ngayon, once na ma reach ng mga visitors ang
desired destination nila, mapapa-enhance na talaga ang experiences nila due to
eTourism-related services, like taking pictures and videos to keep and share memories.
Another example for this is the Augmented Reality applications, makikita natin dito na nag run
siya sa large screens, or it can also be available to be played on tablets and smart phones, so
this offer the visitors the possibility to get a sense of how the church looked like in the past.
Actually this is Cluny Abbey, which used to be the largest church of Christendom before the
construction of St. Peter in Rome, has been almost completely destroyed after French Revolution.
So yun nga, by AR, it really helps people to feel like you’re at the actual archeological sites.

Third is CONNECT:

ICTs facilitate connections between locals, visitors, and the heritage through digital storytelling
and sharing economy services.
So having access of course means also having larger connections. Any activities done
through digital gives more narratives and viewpoints that can be available to travelers, so
to better understand the heritage as it is seen and lived by locals; moreover, sharing
economy services might promote interactions between travelers and the local community.

An example for this is A gamified experience, available as an online quiz system, as well as a
downloadable app, about the World Heritage Sites in the SADC – Southern African Development
Community. this has helped 100k+ students to know more about their heritage, and to look at it
as a possible source for development through sustainable tourism.
Fourth is DIS-INTERMEDIATE:
ICTs help bypass intermediaries and enable direct interaction between micro players and
prospects/clients, benefiting local communities.
With the help of ICT, pwede na tayo mag disintermediate, meaning na pwede nating ma
eliminate or reduce the need for traditional intermediaries in the travel and tourism industry
such as mga travel agents or tour operators, na nag aact as middlemen between travellers
and service provider( na airlines or hotels, para lang ma facilitate the booking process. So
since pwede na tayong mag direct through online, mas mapapababa ang gastos natin and
can create more opportunities sa mga business ng local communities.
Example neto ay ang simple website developed and maintained to support local association of
Bed & Breakfast owners, has helped them to reach about 60% of bookings of travelers directly
referred by the website

Last is EDUCATE:
ICTs are used for training operators in the tourism and hospitality sector through eLearning and
open educational resources.
Educating operators in eTourism involves providing them with the knowledge, skills, and
tools necessary to adapt to the digital landscape and take advantage of the opportunities
it presents. The goal is to empower operators to enhance their competitiveness,
streamline their operations, improve customer experiences, and maximize their online
presence.
Example is the The MOOC “eTourism: Communication Perspectives”28, the first one devoted to
such topic, has attracted in its first round 5’500+ learners, 31% of them have been active, while
7.1% have completed the course and got a participation certificate. Half sa mga nag enrol dito ay
full-time workers na.

Next topic that we’re going to talk about is the CULTURE AND ICT
ICTs do not know borders and can be considered the very kernel of globalization: the world has
become more and more, as McLuhan suggested, a “global village”.
So ang concept of the global village na tinutukoy dito is that ang ICT ay may potential para
mag gawa ng sense of global unity by shrinking the world and making communication and
information exchange nang walang hassle. Still, pag makaencounter tayo ng different language,
culture, legal and economic contexts, need parin natin itong itranslate not only linguistically, but
also culturally para ma adapt ang iba’t ibang contexts.

Other elements have to do with deeper cultural aspects and require careful attention. To better
understand them, let us ask ourselves a very challenging question: what is a culture?

To understand culture better, we can trace its origins to the Latin verb "colo," which means "to
look after" or "to care." Culture can be viewed at three interrelated levels:
So the word colo was used at three different, even if closely interrelated, levels, which can help
us understand more the complexity of culture.
 First, colo could be applied to the earth, so to have agriculture: Ito yung cultivation of
vegetables and pag bebreed ng mga animals. Sa level na to, tayo, as human beings, nag
iinteract sa ating environment and eco-system. To domesticate it, to make it more suitable
to live in by ourselves and by future generations. Meaning, to bring animals or plants under
human control in order to provide food, power, or company
  Second, colo can be applied to human beings themselves: to raise children, and ensure
that persons grow their full human capacities. Sa level na to, ma meet natin ang mga
aspects na more associated with culture, like educational systems, arts, and history.
 Third, colo can also be applied to the spiritual realm and becomes cult and religion. It has
to do with the ultimate destiny of human beings, and provides the most comprehensive
framework of understanding of the world. So ang atheism for example, from this point of
view, is a form parin of religion,

so all of this, and culture In general that overlaps with agriculture, education, arys, history,
spiritually, and religion ay nagseserve as major drivers for tourism, and makakainfluence ng
various forms of it.

In addition sa mga cases na nareport ni Ms. Cassandra, napakaimportant na malaman natin na

ang activities na localization ay hindi lanng about sa pagbigay ng information tungkol sa mga
World Heritage Sites. Kasama rin dito ang pagpapakita at pag-promote ng mga destination sa
mga online platform.

 Examples neto ay ang study conducted by Mele and others in 2016, where they
examined the cultural adaptation efforts of Norway, Ireland, and Austria NTOs' websites
to attract the Italian and American audience. The analysis revealed clear attempts by
website editors to tailor the information based on the cultural background of the target
audience.
 Another report by Mele and Cantoni in 2016, na nag publish in collaboration with the
European Travel Commission (ETC), interviewing marketing and IT specialists from one-
third of the NTOs within the ETC. The study showed that 10 out of 11 NTOs used
adaptation processes, with a focus on localizing textual content, themes, images, and
videos.

So these localization practices aimed to avoid offensive or stereotyping content towards specific
audiences and to replace information or activities that might conflict with the cultural background
of the target audience.

So that ends our report about the eTourism for heritage, thanks for listening.