The Strategic Use of Information and Communication Technology in Marketing and Distribution - A Preliminary Investigation of Sydney Hotels

Although previous research has demonstrated the paramount importance of information and communication technology (ICT) for marketing and distribution in tourism, hotels still lag in their strategic implementation and management of ICT. While researchers in Europe and the United States have explored this theme, there is little such research in the Australian context. This article contributes to the literature by exploring in a preliminary study the strategic use of ICT among a small sample of hotels in Sydney, Australia. It aims to identify factors in these hotels which are associated with the adoption of ICT as well as the degree of strategic management and implementation of ICT for marketing and distribution. The preliminary findings indicate that the pattern of ICT adoption and use appears distinct, compared to that reported in the literature, which is mainly located outside Australia. Reasons explaining some differences in the Sydney hotels' adoption and strategic use of ICT ere suggested