TOURISM INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

TOURISM INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

The value of TIM is significant for everyone as it includes the images of destinations, goods, hotel facilities, lodging,
competitor offerings, costs and real price relationships, motivation for travel, promotional and selling, quality & services,
mode of transportation, frequency of visits, activities channel and experience of tour operators

Information Management
It refers to the cycle of processes that includes identifying information needs, arranging and storing information, creating
information products and services, utilizing information (Choo, 1995)

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
IDENTIFICATION
IT REFERS TO A COLLECTION OF SKILLS AND PRINCIPLES THAT CAN ASSIST US IN DETERMINING PRECISELY WHAT
INFORMATION WE NEED IN VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES.

COLLECTION/CREATION
DATA CAN BE COLLECTED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS WRITTEN, ORAL, VIDEO, AUDIO, & ELECTRIC FORMATS THAT CAN COME
FROM ANY VARIETY OF SOURCES.
APART FROM ACQUISITION AND SOURCING, CREATING INFORMATION IS THOUGHT TO BE ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO
MONITOR AND IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF DATA TO BECOME GOOD INFORMATION.

ORGANIZATION AND STORAGE

NEXT PROCESS IS TO ORGANIZE AND STORE THE DATA. YOU MUST BE ABLE TO COMPILE & ARRANGE THE DATA GATHERED
IN ORDER TO MAKE SENSE OF WHAT YOU ARE READING. IT WOULD
STORAGE OF DATA IS OFTEN ESSENTIAL FOR VARIETY OF PURPOSES, SUCH AS ANALYSIS AND CURATION,

CURATION
THE CURATION PROCESS IS CRITICAL FORINCREASING INTEGRITY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE BY ENSURING THAT THE
SOURCES ARE HIGH-QUALITY AND ACCURATE.
Curation
DATA
These are observed & collected facts, signals and symbols
INFORMATION
These are organized, structured and selected to present relevant details in a timely manner

DISSEMINATION
SINCE THE INFORMATION SI ALREADY AVAILABLE, THE NEXT STEP IS TO DISSEMINATE IT. THIS ENTAILS DECIDING WHAT
INFORMATION WILL BE TRANSMITTED, TO WHOM…

UTILIZATION
WHEN MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED THE INFORMATION, IT WILL BE UP TO THEM TO DECIDE HOW THEY WILL USE
IT. IT CAN BE USED TO HELP THEM FIND SENSE IN A VARIETY OF CONTEXTS,

DESTRUCTION
IF THE INFORMATION IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED NECESSARY, THIS PHASE CAN OCCUR. SINCE INFORMATION MUST
ALWAYS BE CURRENT, IT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME.
5 PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Information and Data Requirement

It is a qualification to acquire data and run-through processes to obtain various forms of information. These incoming and
outgoing data go through a continuous loop of management ……
Roles & Responsibilities
There is a population of people employed in every management who have their positions and responsibilities. These
individuals are tasked with performing their jobs to the best of their abilities..

Processes & Procedures

In order to reach the ultimate objective, data must go through several process and procedures as part of the information
management process.

Technology
Enabling technologies and information systems to play a vital role in ensuring that information is secure, accessible and
perform as anticipated. It aims to provide operations through technical tools,…

Operations
With four elements present, opeartions chiefly concerned with planning. Coordination, and supervising in the contexts of
development, manufacturing.
INFROMATION MANAGEMENT
THE PURPOSES OF INFORMATIONMANAGEMENT ARE:
1. Plan, create, manage, & use of information, with insight and creativity
2. Assist decision making and create value for individuals, organizations, cultures and societies.

Module 1
I. OPERATE AN AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM

Automated information systems

Automated information systems are used by many different organisations within the tourism and other industries, and
more recently by clients or potential clients via the Internet.

CENTRAL RESERVATION SYSTEM

The Central Reservation System (CRS) also known as a Global Distribution System (GDS) is a key source of current
information in the Tourism industry. The most commonly used are Sabre, Amadeus and Galileo.

Sabre
The First passenger reservation system
The first passenger reservations system offered by Sabre, installed in 1960, marked a dramatic leap forward for the airline
industry, automating one of its key business areas.

Amadeus
Amadeus is a computer reservations system (or global distribution system, since it sells tickets for multiple airlines) owned
by the Amadeus IT Group with headquarters in Madrid, Spain. The central database is located at Erding, Germany. The
major development centres are located in Bangalore (India), Sophia Antipolis (France) and Boston (United States).
Amadeus also provides New Generation departure control systems to airlines.[1] Amadeus IT Group is a transaction
processor for the global travel and tourism industry. The company is structured around two key related areas - its global
distribution system and its IT Solutions business area.
Amadeus is a member of IATA, OTA and SITA. Its IATA airline designator code is 1A

Galileo
Galileo is a computer reservations system (CRS) owned by Travelport. As of 2002, it had a 26.4% share of worldwide CRS
airline bookings.
The Galileo system was moved from Denver, Colorado, to the Worldspan datacentre in Atlanta, Georgia, on September
28, 2008, following the 2007 merger of Travelport and Worldspan (although they now share the same datacentre, they
continue to be run as separate systems).
Galileo is subject to the Capps II and its successor Secure Flight program for the selection of passengers with a risk profile.
Galileo is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Open Travel Alliance and of SITA.

Product database and suppliers

Product databases and suppliers include accommodation, airlines, coach companies and attractions. These businesses or
‘product suppliers’ produce brochures, sales kits and manuals giving details of features, benefits and costs of their products
and services.

The Internet
The Internet is an important source of information, easily accessible on most computer devices.

Newspapers
Most major newspapers are now available electronically via the internet.
It is a good idea to read a local newspaper at least daily to keep abreast of the events, celebrations, activities and cultural
happenings being covered.

Pamphlets/brochures
All tourist attractions will have some form of pamphlet or brochure. Most of these are now available electronically which
enables regular updates as many of these brochures change with the season or time of year which in turn can affect
opening times.
Other sources of information you are able to access websites for would include:
• Local government Trip advisor
• Guidebooks via e-book purchase such as:
▪ Lonely planet DK guidebooks. Roughguides. Frommers
• Maps. Specific sites for events, activities festival and so on
• Transport (car hire, bus, rail, taxi, ferries, cruise liners, airlines).
Information required may include:
• Network map. Timetables. Ticketing/fares. Safety. FAQs.

Supplier designed system

A supplier designed system is software developed by the supplier and available to the supplier, usually as a computer
reservation system. This could be for an airline, car hire company, tour wholesaler or hotel chain.

Tourism information system

Tourism Information systems are created by the relevant governments. These are a data base of information on that
country, region or province. Their systems are accessed via their own internal software, not via the internet.
These systems may be available at the offices of the tourism bodies or you could access them via software available to
travel agents.
Festivals and events calendars
Many festivals and events vary in their exact date from year-to-year depending on things such as the moon, leap year or
whether another country has been successful in bidding to host an event.

MODULE 2
The types of information you may need to investigate may include:
Pricing of products and services Accommodation Amenities
Availability Transport
General destination information Attractions
Product information: Events and festivals.
QUESTIONING
When dealing with clients the best way to find out what information is required is through questioning

Qualifying
The term which is used to describe how we find out what customers want.

TYPES OF QUESTIONS
To help you qualify what the customer wants, you must:
✅ Ask open questions, and. ✅ Avoid closed questions.

MODULE 3
OBTAIN INFORMATION USING AN AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM
INFORMATION PURCHASED FOR YOUR ORGANISATION
Information that can be purchase:
• Map and Posters • Brochures • Guide Books
• Timetable. • Information Pamphlets. • Baggage tags and ticket wallets

1.MAPS AND POSTERS

The map of businesses displays relevant company information, including:
•Ratings and reviews. •Photos and images. •Updates and posts
•Links to their website. •Click to call button. •Click for directions

2. BROCHURES
A brochure is a promotional document primarily used to introduce a company, organization, products, or services and
inform prospective customers or members.

3. GUIDE BOOKS
Outline the specifications of the product, including functionality, size, maintenance, price and it would compare it against
other brands and models that are available on the market.

4. TIMETABLES
With automated systems, you can track the status of your purchase orders in real- time, from creation to delivery
5. INFORMATION PAMPHLETS
A pamphlet, is a small, unbound booklet that is used to advertise or provide information on a single subject.

6. BAGGAGE TAGS AND TICKET WALLETS

Increases total baggage handling system efficiency, reduces manual encode operations and improves customer service.

MAKING PURCHASES FOR YOUR CLIENTS

Factors on the Process of Purchasing Online
• The system you are using. • The product or service you are purchasing
• The availability of the product or service

SECURITY AND AUTOMATED PURCHASING

Ways to determine if you have protection when sending payment on the web
• Look for the unbroken key or closed lock in corner of browser window
•See if the web address on the page that asks for your credit card information begins with “https.” Instead “http”
• Look for websites that have “Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)”
These security protections do not work in e-mail.
Here are some ways to protect your payment info being sent through email:
• Send it only to trustworthy people
•Send email from a secure Wi-Fi network: Avoid using public or shared networks
•Share file password and CVV separately: Put your credit card information in a separate text document.
•Delete email after sending

POINTS TO REMEMBER WHEN PURCHASING ONLINE

• Double check pricing
•Find and read the privacy policy
•Review the return, refund and shipping and handling policies as well as the other legal terms
• Print the terms
• Make sure the internet connection is secure
• Use the safest on-line payment method

TYPES OF INFORMATION SITES

BOOKMARKING SITES
• allows users to save and organize links to any number of online resources and websites

SOCIAL NEWS
• allow companies and individual users to post news links and other items of interest

MEDIA SHARING
•allows user to share different types of media such as pictures and videos
MICROBLOGGING
• Allow users to submit short written comments which include links to;
• Product and Services Sites. Other Social Media Platforms

BLOG COMMENTS AND FORUMS

Online Forums
•Users engage in conversations by posting and responding to community messages
Blog
•usually centered on specific subject of the attached blog

MODULE 4
OPERATE AN AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM
DIFFERENT WAYS ON HOW TO FORWARD AND SHARF THE INFORMATION REGARDING THE PRICES FORM DIFFERENT
AUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM.
•Forwarding information by email •Verbally sharing information • Information regarding prices

INFORMATION BY EMAIL
•Ensure they understand why you are emailing this information to them.
•Make sure your email includes a clear explanation of why you are forwarding the information and what you would like
them to be aware of.
•If you are forwarding information to several people, think about using the blind carbon copy (Bcc) function

VERBALLY SHARING INFORMATION

•Explain to them how the information meets their needs.
•Keep notes of the information you are giving to clients so that it can be easily retrieved in the future.

INFORMATION REGARDING PRICES

•Many travel companies will have a policy that any pricing quoted to clients should be given to them in writing, as one
typed quote for all of their travel arrangements

Module 5
TOURISM PLANNING DEVELOPMENT
Destination knowledgea is vital pre- requisite for effective performance within the industry

IMPORTANCE OF HAVING UPDATED DESTINATION INFORMATION

• Developing and maintaining destination information is a very important element of providing excellent levels of
customer service in the tourism industry
• All tourism establishments will be expected to provide accurate destination information to their customers.
Depending on your industry sector and role, you may be expected to:
•Provide destination information and advice to all types of customers.
•Provide specific destination advice to all types of customers
•Sell tourism destinations to the customer
•Quote specific individual tourism destination prices
•Book and coordinate tourism supplier services for the customer
•Participate in destination launches and explain the features of the destinations.

Sources of destination information

Airlines. Other travel suppliers. Suppliers. Accommodation. Tour operators.
Attractions and theme parks. Inbound Tour Wholesaler. Outbound Tour Wholesale. Retail
Travel Agents. Meetings and Events Corporate Agents. Ministries of Tourism Tourism boards.
Industry authorities and associations. Local, regional and National information services

AIRLINES
Airlines own the planes and sell seats to all sectors in the travel industry. They do this via Computer Reservations systems
(CRS) such as Galileo, Sabre and Amadeus.

OTHER TRAVEL SUPPLIERS

These include but are not limited to:
Cruise operators. Railway operators. Bus lines
Car rental businesses. Limousine hire. Taxis

SUPPLIERS AND PROVIDERS OF SUPPORT AND ANCILLARY SERVICES

This includes:
Travel insurance providers Finance providers. Currency exchange
Conference and similar venues. Interpreters.

ACCOMMODATION
This sector includes but not limited to:
• Hotels and motels Guest houses. Bed and breakfasts
Caravan parks and camping grounds. Resorts. Time share properties
Apartments, villas and cottages. Conference and exhibition centres.

ATTRACTIONS AND THEME PARKS

This sector includes but not limited to:
Museums and galleries. National parks, wildlife parks and gardens.
Theme parks. Heritage sites and centres
Sport and activity centres. Aquarium and zoos.

TOUR OPERATORS
A tour operator typically organises sightseeing tours and accommodation in a particular destination or region.
• They act as a middle person between the Wholesaler and the Principal or Supplier of the destination
Examples: • Trafalgar Tours. Contiki

Sources of Destination information

Inbound Tour Wholesaler
• An Inbound Tour Wholesaler packages destinations to form a trip for an overseas market travelling to a specific country.
Outbound Tour Wholesaler
•An Outbound Tour Wholesaler negotiates destination from International Suppliers for clients in a specific travelling to an
international destination.

RETAIL TRAVEL AGENTS

• A Retail Travel agent is the go-between between the client and the Wholesaler.
•It is the Retail agent who obtains all the relevant details from a client to enable them to make a booking through a
Wholesaler. Examples. • Flight Centre. STA. American Express.

LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL INFORMATION SERVICES

MEETINGS AND EVENTS
• This sector has been one of the fastest growing within the tourism and hospitality industry.

MINISTRIES OF TOURISM
• Each country within the ASEAN region will have dedicated government ministry specifically focused on the tourism
industry. Their role is to regulate and manage the industry.
The Ministry may co-ordinate special initiatives including:
• Selecting and managing heritage sites
•Dedication and allocation of government funding to tourism initiatives
•Providing information on news laws and regulations Establishing service excellence awards
• Publishing and managing tenders for tourism projects.

TOURISM BOARDS
• In some countries such as in Singapore, a ‘tourism board’ has been established. It is called the Singapore Tourism Board.
• The board created the Merlion, a symbol based on a Singapore mythical legend that became an icon of the Singapore
destination

INDUSTRY AUTHORITIES
• Authorities are established, either by a government or working closely with government to provide services relating to
the tourism industry.
• Example; Tourism Authority of Thailand

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
• Industry associations are bodies that all businesses can elect to join that serve specific and over-arching industry sectors.
These bodies provide businesses with a variety of services which can include,
Representing the industry. Legal advice. Training
Industry standards and benchmarks. Cost savings

UPDATE DESTINATION KNOWLEDGE

METHODS TO REGISTER FOR INFORMATION
Registering for industry information may include:
Registering on-line
• Paying a fee
Establishing required password and username, if required
• Lodging host enterprise details with destination information source
Establishing the bona fides of the host enterprise
• Joining an association or body in order to enable access.

COMMUNICATE DESTINATION KNOWLEDGE

• It is essential that any information that you have collected, as previously discussed, is shared with the people who may
require that information.
This includes sharing updated destination information with.
• Colleagues Potential customers.

SHARE UPDATED INFORMATION WITH COLLEAGUES

The basic ways to share new or revised destination information with fellow employees are to
Verbally tell your colleagues about what you have learned
On a one to one basis
At staff briefings
At staff meetings
E-mail co-workers with the information you have discovered attaching
Relevant information as applicable
Update the internal systems such as CRS

SHARE UPDATED INFORMATION WITH POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

• When presenting information to clients, the level of preparation may vary from simply passing over a brochure, providing
some verbal information through to preparing a detailed quotation.

PRESENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
There are a number of considerations that must be taken into account when selecting the most appropriate submission
method
Some considerations include:
Location of the customer. Number of persons to receive quotation
Reliability of submission methods. Types of documentation required
Time frames required. Costs

DESTINATION INFORMATION SUBMISSION METHODS

Destination information can be provided to customers in one of the following ways:
• Verbal explanation. • Provide hard copy materials. • Provide electronic materials.
VERBAL EXPLANATION
Benefits of providing a verbal explanation
Explain in more detail the key pieces of information in them
Answer any questions customers may have
Provide suggestions and recommendations
Outline the processes associated with confirming and organising travel arrangements
Guide them through the sales process.

TYPES OF HARD COPY MATERIALS

Reports. Brochures. Quotations. Invitations. Travel itineraries
Handouts. Fact sheets. Notes. Photocopies From policy manuals
Texts. Media articles. Photographs. Posters. Flyers
Marketing materials. Financial statements.

OBSERVING MEDIA
This can include: • Television. Internet. Videos and films. Radio Printed materials.