This week saw the launch of an Iphone application which is pertinent to the tourist industry. In itself, it might not sound like much, but it is one step forward in an ever evolving industry that is rapidly decentralizing and migrating to the web.

While travel agents are still relevant, the internet can never be underestimated as a tool in enticing visitors. One can guarantee that a very large proportion of tourists use the internet in one way or another as part of their preparations to take a holiday.

The most rudimentary of uses is to basically see what there is on offer. If a person likes what they see, from websites, photographs, visitor experiences, blogs and online travel reviews, they might be tempted to visit.

From there, potential tourists tend to look for accommodation and flights online, where they can get a tailor made package, which they have put together themselves. Once they have taken the decision to book and pay over the internet, they will then intensify their activity to look for particular activities, such as diving, day trips, points of interest, particular restaurants and products… It goes on and on.

Now, the industry is moving on further; to the world of handheld computing. While some might think that merely having a static website or portal is enough, then they need to think again.

The programming used on handheld devices is not the same as that of a desktop or a laptop terminal. In a few words, it looks funny on the screen, when the programming is not compatible with a handheld device. This means that the booking screen, review, or whatever it is that a person is trying to access, will merely be skipped over and they will move on to the next search hit.

Whether people like it or not, technology is becoming more and more of a factor in people’s decision making process. No one likes to make an uninformed choice, especially if it involves a fee to be paid.

Unless each and every tourist related business increases its online presence and services, it will fall behind. Just to even begin to compete, the potential tourist must first be enticed through ease of access to information. From there, it goes to presentation and value for money, but if that initial access is not there, that’s it, business is lost.

It is important to continue with traditional advertising, print, television, buses, radio and travel agencies. But we must never alienate ourselves from developments in the field. The government has embarked on various projects to encourage operators, especially those in the three-star category to increase their online presence, with mixed results.

The lower scale of the industry really needs to embrace technology much more, and this is something which should increase across the board. In saying all this, the term community has also evolved. Many are of firm belief that word of mouth is the best form of advertising. This is true, however, if we just change our concept of word of mouth to include the millions and millions of people who make up one global online community, then a whole new reality opens up. It is an opportunity, stakeholders should do all they can to grasp it and harness it.