Exploration and implication of factors affecting e-tourism adoption in developing countries: a case of Nepal

Lama, S; Pradhan, S; Shrestha, A

Exploration and implication of factors affecting e-tourism adoption in developing countries: a case of Nepal

Lama, S Pradhan, S Shrestha, A

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Publisher:: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Information Technology and Tourism, 2020, 22, (1), pp. 5-32
Issue Date:: 2020-03-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Lama, S
dc.contributor.author	Pradhan, S
dc.contributor.author	Shrestha, A
dc.date.accessioned	2021-01-01T01:24:55Z
dc.date.available	2021-01-01T01:24:55Z
dc.date.issued	2020-03-01
dc.identifier.citation	Information Technology and Tourism, 2020, 22, (1), pp. 5-32
dc.identifier.issn	1098-3058
dc.identifier.issn	1943-4294
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145022
dc.description.abstract	© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. E-tourism plays a pivotal role in delivering services to tourists by enhancing travel experiences. While small tourism service providers in the developed economies can efficiently take advantage of e-tourism by partnering with global online platforms such as TripAdvisor or Booking.com, small tourism service providers in developing countries often struggle to reach global markets due to factors that are unique to the country they operate in. The aim of this study, therefore, is to identify the key barriers and motivators of e-tourism adoption for small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) in developing countries. Nepal is selected as the case study due to its enormous tourism potential that is plagued by typical challenges. Based on the ‘Technology, Organization and Environment’ framework and ‘e-readiness’ model, this study identified ten key factors that affect e-tourism adoption by SMTEs in Nepal. A mixed-method approach, using interviews with seven key stakeholders and a survey with 198 SMTEs, were employed for data collection and validation of the proposed factors. Finally, an e-tourism adoption model highlighting the barriers and motivators for e-tourism by SMTEs is presented. This research found that e-tourism adoption by SMTEs in Nepal is affected by environmental factors related to national infrastructure, market size, country-specific contextual factors and organizational factors comprising e-tourism awareness, ICT resources, value proposition, and top management support. This study offers implications for policy and practice towards effective e-tourism adoption in other developing countries.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Springer Science and Business Media LLC
dc.relation.ispartof	Information Technology and Tourism
dc.relation.hasversion	Accepted Manuscript Version	en
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s40558-019-00163-0
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Information Technology & Tourism. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-019-00163-0	en
dc.subject	08 Information and Computing Sciences, 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
dc.title	Exploration and implication of factors affecting e-tourism adoption in developing countries: a case of Nepal
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	22
utslib.for	0806 Information Systems
utslib.for	1506 Tourism
utslib.for	08 Information and Computing Sciences
utslib.for	15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CAMGIS - Centre for Advanced Modelling and Geospatial lnformation Systems
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Professional Practice and Leadership
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.date.updated	2021-01-01T01:24:30Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	22
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

© 2020, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. E-tourism plays a pivotal role in delivering services to tourists by enhancing travel experiences. While small tourism service providers in the developed economies can efficiently take advantage of e-tourism by partnering with global online platforms such as TripAdvisor or Booking.com, small tourism service providers in developing countries often struggle to reach global markets due to factors that are unique to the country they operate in. The aim of this study, therefore, is to identify the key barriers and motivators of e-tourism adoption for small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) in developing countries. Nepal is selected as the case study due to its enormous tourism potential that is plagued by typical challenges. Based on the ‘Technology, Organization and Environment’ framework and ‘e-readiness’ model, this study identified ten key factors that affect e-tourism adoption by SMTEs in Nepal. A mixed-method approach, using interviews with seven key stakeholders and a survey with 198 SMTEs, were employed for data collection and validation of the proposed factors. Finally, an e-tourism adoption model highlighting the barriers and motivators for e-tourism by SMTEs is presented. This research found that e-tourism adoption by SMTEs in Nepal is affected by environmental factors related to national infrastructure, market size, country-specific contextual factors and organizational factors comprising e-tourism awareness, ICT resources, value proposition, and top management support. This study offers implications for policy and practice towards effective e-tourism adoption in other developing countries.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/145022