Preface: 

The scientific progress in electronic fields was followed by information development and the trend of international commerce towards E-Commerce depending mainly on how fast deals are concluded and carried out through informative systems that link producers (service provider) and consumers (client), known as electronic dealings.

E-Tourism is a collection of tourist services that combine with E-Commerce via Internet considering that E-Tourism constitutes the big portion of E-Commerce because

it has included all common elements of tourist activities such as hotels, airlines, travel agents, car rentals, tourist sites, bazaars, and tourist guides. This includes governments which starts utilizing E-Tourism as an effective means to promote the tourism product through the Internet. Lately, banks have also taken their roles as service providers of E-Payment, which is an important element for E-Tourism. .

Definition of E – Tourism: 

The importance of E-Tourism is derived from the huge benefits it provides either to the suppliers of tourist services or to the tourists themselves as it contributes in the overcoming of all traditional obstacles that face tourism dealings. Among these important benefits are the following:

• Facilitating the ways of providing information the industry of tourism depends on.
  Because tourist services are characterized by being products or alternative information, it is very difficult to measure their efficiency without practice.
  This depends essentially on the trust of the tourist in the quality of the services
  of the travel agents and tourist establishments. Consequently it becomes much easier for a tourist consumer to obtain all his requirements about the data and other information he may need through the Internet. This includes information about airlines, hotels, tourist programs, car rentals...etc. Also, it contributes to fulfilling all tourists' enquiries and satisfying his basic needs. Eventually this can be possibly done by the tourist himself who is able to compare between different tourist sites and choose what’s most suitable for him without being obliged to move from one place to another.
  The Internet provides these services through multiple types including detailed written information illustrated by pictures to enable the tourist to visit the old places or review the product by himself to the extent that he can design his own program according to his budget without any preset tailor made programs.

• Reducing  prices of tourist services is considered an advantage for tourist products because it gives a chance to compare the reduced prices ,
  Definitely the utilization of E- Tourism would lead to the reduction of costs of tourism marketing and production (facilitate and accelerate the connection between the producer of the tourist services and the consumers without any mediators) and cost of distribution (facilitate procedures with great portion of potentials).
  In addition, it reduces the number of employees, for example a tourist can receive an E-ticket or exchange voucher for his booking at any hotel via e-mail.
  The flexibility of developing the  product  for the tourist and the emerging of new activities to cope with different sectors of different tourists, can be realized through questionnaires which possibly illustrate the trends of new tourism and the basic services which is complementary to the requirements of tourists.

• Increasing competition abilities of tourist establishments would contribute to the increase of its sales, revenue and profit which would be reflected at the end on the Add –On for tourist sector. For instance, the spread of the utilization of E-tourism as being a proof of the progress of the technological infrastructure and electronic services for the concerned country which contributes – beside other factors – for the increase of  E-Commerce application system in tourist activities.

• Setting up  a constructive argument between establishments themselves would help to find a healthy approach to carry out its ventures because the government which is represented by the Ministry of Tourism in addition to all other concerned organizations would be able to provide financial support to companies and different tourist mediators to utilize Internet applications at its activities beside secure data base about tourist revenue and product along with the support of private electronic sites concerned with this industry . On the other hand, it is possible for the distinguished private sector companies specialized in Information Technology, Marketing and E-Commerce to provide advice and consultation to the decision makers.

• Stating legislations and intellectual property rights to urge and advise governments to issue laws which could protect the act of collecting, utilizing and transferring data.

• Setting up studies and researches on the effect of the law on E-Banking dealings and Issue severe sanctions against virus creators and intruders.

• Adopting the proposals and recommendations which call for issuing new legislation to protect all classifications of the Internet environment.

•  Activating the international legislations related to intellectual property rights, training, and education of the scientific culture of tourism industry electronics.

• Providing assistance, advice, technical support and cooperation to The Ministry of Tourism and the Tourist Promotion Authority, individuals, public and private establishments in the field of E-tourism and E-marketing.

• Holding conferences, seminars and workshops to help transfer and spread the awareness and culture concerning this industry among all nations.

• Sponsoring the innovators at this field and opening venues for exchange of international experiences at the field of Electronic Marketing and Electronic Tourism.

•  Establishing Electronic Tourism University which could attain stamped International certificate in Coordination with international universities experienced in this field.

• Following up on the latest researches and universal studies related to E-Tourism and the utilization of E-Commerce on different fields of tourist activities and provide all these studies to tourism companies and tourism enterprises in an easy and clear manner.

• Preparing an assessment tool for travel agents, companies, hotels and other tourist mediators whom are willing to apply E-Tourism and clear out the obstacles which they are facing with the financial, humanitarian and technical side and finding out the necessary procedures to avoid it.

• Studying the best ways for providing the financial and technical support required for small to midsized tourism companies and Arab hotels that are unable to cope with the requirements of E-Tourism due to financial reasons or lack of experience. This can also include the companies with machines and devices; applying E-Commerce is required by systems and the training of employees who will be in charge of dealing with it by obtaining scholarships from the concerned international establishments.

The Objectives of Establishing the Electronic Tourist Council are:  

• Investigating all matters related to the new economic laws which would clear up the basic element for trading via the net as the buyer should know how, where, what he is purchasing, and at what time will it be delivered to him?
  
  
• Knowing how to adapt the developments of the Internet to keep up with competitors in the field.
  
  
• Protecting E-Tourism and trademarks to avoid risks such as repeated trade deception, the act of stealing thoughts and the abuse of trademarks which altogether are harmful actions to E-Tourism activities.
  
  
• Providing availability to sell E-Tourism packages anywhere.
  
  
• Consider marketing strategies operating on different channels for the development of the company and be able to breathe through the new digital economic world .This is due to the new abilities of the Internet which has changed the phase of the E-commerce. So instead of providing products on stable electronic pages on stable electronic sites, the consumers will utilize the personal marketing services which depend on sending their request for prices which returns back with offers from merchants or suppliers of tourism services through the Internet on the shape of demonstration for different mediators of a specific article or services.
  
  
• Marketing with permission from the consumer before sending an email message.
  
  
• Looking for marketing opportunities in the future .This means that goods and services can be marketed through different selling channels. This way is considered one of the most important decisive factors which can put an end to the race of E-Commerce.
  
  
• Approaching clients and attracting them through different ways .The main objective is to create public relations with them and not only achieve sales.
  
  
• Serving consumers wherever, whenever and whatever one wants; a successful business man should learn how to conceive the different ways to serve the clients inside the company.
  
• Protecting clients’ privacy. So the company is obliged to keep its commitment to protect clients’ privacy as the protection of the third party is considered one of the best ways for gaining his trust.

Activities of the Organization:

1. Prepare studies and researches related to E-Commerce such as digital contracts and its relation with E-Tourism.
   
   
2. Follow up and encourage the scientific and academic researches and attending conferences and seminars concerned with tourism.
   
   
3. Provide the scientific support and assistance to establishments and individuals interested in E-Tourism
   
   
4. Develop human calibers interested in the field E-Tourism.
   
   
5. Provide consultation services in the field of E-Tourism
   
   
6. Establish and prepare training centers Specialized in E-Tourism. 
   

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