Skip to main content

Destination Distribution Systems and Travel Disintermediation in Emerging Economies

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Marketing Tourist Destinations in Emerging Economies

Abstract

Before the emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in December 2019, tourism in emerging economies had experienced considerable and consistent growth. Sustainable tourism development hinges on effective destination distribution systems. However, the literature on tourism distribution systems in emerging economies remains fragmented. In addition, the present technologically dominated tourism distribution channel has not yet been examined in emerging economies. Again, the extent to which online travel intermediaries influence the distribution of tourism services and products in emerging economies has not been well explained. Consequently, this chapter explores the state of the tourism distribution system and online distribution intermediaries in emerging economies. In so doing, the chapter discusses online travel agencies and disintermediation in emerging economies as well as the challenges of distribution systems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Alegre, J., & Sard, M. (2017). Price strategies by German and British tour operators in Mallorca. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 33, 93–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almunawar, M. N., Anshari, M., & Susanto, H. (2013). Crafting strategies for sustainability: How travel agents should react in facing a disintermediation. Operational Research, 13(3), 317–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, C. (2009). The billboard effect: Online travel agent impact on non-OTA reservation volume. Cornel Hospitality Report, 9(16), 4–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, M., & Standing, C. (2001). Repositioning travel agencies on the Internet. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 7(2), 143–152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bastakis, C., Buhalis, D., & Butler, R. (2004). The perception of small and medium sized tourism accommodation providers on the impacts of the tour operators’ power in Eastern Mediterranean. Tourism Management, 25(2), 151–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, M., & Buhalis, D. (2003). Tourism and travel distribution: The travel agent’s perspective. Centre for e-tourism Research, School of Management, University of Surrey.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buhalis, D. (2000). Relationships in the distribution channel of tourism: Conflicts between hoteliers and tour operators in the Mediterranean region. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 1(1), 113–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buhalis, D. (2003). eTourism: Information technology for strategic tourism management. Pearson Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buhalis, D., & Laws, E. (2001). Tourism distribution channels: Practices, issues and tourism distribution channels: Practices, issues and transformations. Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buhalis, D., & Moldavska, I. (2021). In-room voice-based AI digital assistants transforming on-site hotel services and guests’ experiences. In Information and communication technologies in tourism 2021 (pp. 30–44). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Buhalis, D., & Ujma, D. (2006). Intermediaries: Travel agencies and tour operators. In D. Buhalis & C. Costa (Eds.), Tourism Business Frontiers (pp. 171–180). Elsevier Buttterworth-Heinemann.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Bunghez, C. L. (2020). Marketing strategies of travel agencies: A quantitative approach. Sustainability, 12(24), 10660.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Calveras, A., & Orfila-Sintes, F. (2019). Intermediation in hospitality and transaction cost theory: Evidence from the Balearic Islands, 2001–2010. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 11, 281–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camilleri, M. A. (2018). Tourism distribution channels. In Travel marketing, tourism economics and the airline product (pp. 105–115). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Candela, G., & Figini, P. (2012). The economics of tourism destinations. In The economics of tourism destinations (pp. 73–130). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Carey, R., Kang, D., & Zea, M. (2012). The trouble with travel distribution. McKinsey Quarterly. http://mckinseyquarterly.com/transportation/strategy

  • Chakravarthi, J. S. K., & Gopal, V. (2012). Comparison of traditional and online travel services: A concept note. IUP Journal of Business Strategy, 9(1), 45–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, Y. W., Hsu, P. Y., & Lan, Y. C. (2019). Cooperation and competition between online travel agencies and hotels. Tourism Management, 71, 187–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chivandi, A., Samuel, O., & Muchie, M. (2020). The effect of online travel agencies (OTA) on brand relationships in low and high-end hotels in South Africa. Geo Journal of Tourism and Geosites, 31(3), 951–957.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CNN. (2013). The travel agent is dying, but it’s not yet dead. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/travel-agent-survival/index.html

  • Del Chiappa, G. D. (2013). Internet versus travel agencies: The perception of different groups of Italian online buyers. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 19(1), 55–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutta, S., Kumar, C. R., & Chauhan, K. (2017). Factors affecting customer satisfaction of online travel agencies in India. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 23(2), 267–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, W. T. (2020). Tourism in Emerging Economies. Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fuza, Z. I. M., Ismail, H. N., & Isa, S. M. (2015). Importance of information communication technologies (ICT) among tour operators in Malaysia. Advanced Science Letters, 21, 1650–1654.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grønflaten, Ø. (2009). Predicting travelers’ choice of information sources and information channels. Journal of Travel Research, 48(2), 230–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hills, J. R., & Cairncross, G. (2011). How small regional accommodation providers view and respond to online intermediaries. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 17(4), 249–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hou, Z., Cui, F., Meng, Y., Lian, T., & Yu, C. (2019). Opinion mining from online travel reviews: A comparative analysis of Chinese major OTAs using semantic association analysis. Tourism Management, 74, 276–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irshad, M., & Shakil, A. (2019). Investigating the determinants of consumers’ attitude towards social media marketing: Moderating role of gender. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 9(4), 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jedin, M. H., & Ranjini, K. (2017). Exploring the key factors of hotel online booking through online travel agency. In 4th International Conference on E-Commerce (ICoEC) 2017 Held in Malaysisa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeong, M., Oh, H., & Gregoire, M. (2003). Conceptualizing web site quality and its consequences in the lodging industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 22, 161–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaewkitipong, L. (2010, August). Disintermediation in the tourism industry: Theory vs. practice. In SIGeBIZ track of the Americas Conference on Information Systems (pp. 160–171). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knowles, H., & Westcott, M. (2015). Travel services. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/introtourismbc/chapter/chapter-7-travel-services/

  • Kracht, J., & Wang, Y. (2010). Examining the tourism distribution channel: Evolution and transformation. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 22(5), 736–757.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lam, T., & Zhang, H. Q. (1998). Service quality of travel agents: The case of travel agents in Hong Kong. Tourism Management, 20(3), 341–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Law, R., & Bai, B. (2008). How do the preferences of online buyers and browsers differ on the design and content of travel websites? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 20(4), 388–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Law, R., Buhalis, D., & Cobanoglu, C. (2014). Progress on information and communication technologies in hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 26(5), 727–750.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Law, R., Leung, R., Lo, A., Leung, D., & Fong, L. H. N. (2015). Distribution channel in hospitality and tourism. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(3), 431–452.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, H. A., Denizci, G. B., & Law, R. (2013). An examination of the relationship between online travel agents and hotels: A case study of Choice Hotels International and Expedia.com. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(1), 95–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, M. K., Yoon, H. Y., & Park, H. W. (2017). From online via offline to online: How online visibility of tourism information shapes and is shaped by offline visits. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 34(9), 1143–1154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leung, R., Au, N., Liu, J., & Law, R. (2018). Do customers share the same perspective? A study on online OTAs ratings versus user ratings of Hong Kong hotels. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 24(2), 103–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Longhi, C. (2009). Internet and organisation of the industry in tourism: A focus on the distribution of travel and tourism services. International Journal of Leisure and Tourism Marketing, 1(2), 131–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lowry, P. B., Vance, A., Moody, G., Beckman, B., & Read, A. (2008). Explaining and predicting the impact of branding alliances and web site quality on initial consumer trust of e-commerce web sites. Journal of Management Information Systems, 24(4), 199–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Majó, F. J. M., Vall-Llosera, L., & Moya, D. H. (2020). Analysis of OTA impact on hotel reservations. Case study: Bogotá. Turismo y Sociedad, 145–159. https://doi.org/10.18601/01207555.n27.08

  • Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents. (2019). Members directory. https://www.matta.org.my/members.

  • Morosan, C., & Jeong, M. (2008). Users’ perceptions of two types of hotel reservation Web sites. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 27(2), 284–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, P., & Frew, A. J. (2002). The future of hotel electronic distribution: Expert and industry perspectives. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 43(3), 33–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Connor, P., & Frew, A. J. (2004). An evaluation methodology for hotel electronic channels of distribution. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 23(2), 179–199.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pacific Asia Travel Association. (2020). The role of online travel agencies in supporting Asia Pacific SMEs in recovery. Pacific Asia Travel Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Piccoli, G., & Lloyd, R. (2010). Strategic impacts of IT-enabled consumer power: Insight from Internet distribution in the US lodging industry. Information & Management, 47(7–8), 333–340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pötzl, J. (2000). Issues in direct channel distribution: A comparison of selling via the internet in the airline business and the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Electronic Markets, 10(3), 153–157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prayag, G., & Del Chiappa, G. (2014). Hotel disintermediation in France: Perceptions of students from Generation Y. Anatolia, 25(3), 417–430.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rusu, V., Rusu, C., Guzmán, D., Espinoza, D., Rojas, D., Roncagliolo, S., & Quiñones, D. (2016). Assessing the customer experience based on quantitative data: Virtual travel agencies. In International Conference of Design, User Experience, and Usability (pp. 499–508). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, K., Tapper, R., & Font, X. (2008). A sustainable supply chain management framework for tour operators. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 16(3), 298–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shim, S., Eastlick, M. A., Lotz, S. L., & Warrington, P. (2001). An online prepurchase intentions model: The role of intention to search: Best overall paper award—The Sixth Triennial AMS/ACRA Retailing Conference, 2000☆. Journal of Retailing, 77(3), 397–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talwar, S., Dhir, A., Kaur, P., & Mäntymäki, M. (2020). Why do people purchase from online travel agencies (OTAs)? A consumption values perspective. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 88, 102534.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan, J., & Dwyer, L. (2014). Managing distribution channel conflict in the hotel industry. International Journal of Marketing & Business Communication, 3(1), 9–19.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thakran, K., & Verma, R. (2013). The emergence of hybrid online distribution channels in travel, tourism and hospitality. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 54(3), 240–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toh, R. S., Raven, P., & DeKay, F. (2011). Selling rooms: Hotels vs. third-party websites. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 52(2), 181–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, H. T., Huang, L., & Lin, C. G. (2005). Emerging e-commerce development model for Taiwanese travel agencies. Tourism Management, 26(5), 787–796.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tse, A. C. B. (2003). Disintermediation of travel agents in the hotel industry. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 22(4), 453–460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNWTO. (2020). International tourism highlights. United Nations World Tourism Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, H. Y., & Wang, S. H. (2010). Predicting mobile hotel reservation adoption: Insight from a perceived value standpoint. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 29(4), 598–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe, K., Hsu, C. H., & Kang, S. K. (2005). Buyer characteristics among users of various travel intermediaries. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 17(2–3), 51–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yacouel, N., & Fleischer, A. (2012). The role of cybermediaries in reputation building and price premiums in the online hotel market. Journal of Travel Research, 51(2), 219–226.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher Mensah .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Mensah, C., Sakyi, R., Forson, M.A. (2022). Destination Distribution Systems and Travel Disintermediation in Emerging Economies. In: Mensah, I., Balasubramanian, K., Jamaluddin, M.R., Alcoriza, G., Gaffar, V., Rasoolimanesh, S.M. (eds) Marketing Tourist Destinations in Emerging Economies. Palgrave Studies of Marketing in Emerging Economies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83711-2_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics