Use of Digital and Smart Tools in the Operation of Travel Agencies

Abstract

The development and application of digital technologies is fundamentally changing the way people live, work, travel and do their business. In this process, tourism industry is also being transformed and changing. Current tourists are used to work and travel with digital tools. The goal of travel agencies is to provide them with comfortable digital experiences to attract them to buy their products. Digitization helps them in this operation. While in recent times the website and e-mail were the basic tools of digital marketing of travel agencies, actually the social media are enormously popular tools. The originality of the study is based on the up-to-date finding out the current view of employees on using the digital tools in the operation of travel agencies. The research was based on finding out, how the employees of travel agencies evaluate the tools of digital communication (standard and the smart ones) used in practice when addressing the clients. The main research method was a questionnaire. 117 out of 250 travel companies registered under the association and doing business in the territory of the Slovak Republic participated in the research. The answers of the respondents were evaluated by regression analysis. The results showed that from the smart tools, the chatbots are used the most. Use of chatbots in travel agencies increases the communication level with the client and social networks help in promoting the products of travel agencies.

Keywords: Smart Tourism, Tour Operator, Communication, Product Promotion, Social Networks, Chatbots, E-Mail

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