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Identifying the Online Tourism Domain: Implications for Search Engine Development for Tourism

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Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2008

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Abstract

Using search engines for travel purposes has become increasingly important on the Internet. However, the domain of tourism is complex and fragmented and thus gives rise to many problems in information search. This study provides a comparative analysis of the languages of the tourism websites represented through search engines and travel related queries using search engines. By employing a text analytical approach, the results of the study show that huge discrepancies exist between the representation of the industry and user queries for a specific destination. This finding offers important insights for developing systems that can better support travel-related search and planning on the Internet.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management, University of North Texas, USA

    Zheng Xiang

  2. National Laboratory for Tourism & eCommerce, School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Temple University, USA

    Daniel R. Fesenmaier

Authors
  1. Zheng Xiang
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  2. Daniel R. Fesenmaier
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales Business School, Institut de Management Hotelier International, Cergy-Pontoise, France

    Peter O’Connor

  2. eTourism Competence Center Austria, Innsbruck, Austria

    Wolfram Höpken

  3. Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

    Ulrike Gretzel

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag Wien

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Xiang, Z., Fesenmaier, D.R. (2008). Identifying the Online Tourism Domain: Implications for Search Engine Development for Tourism. In: O’Connor, P., Höpken, W., Gretzel, U. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2008. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-77280-5_43

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-77280-5_43

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-77279-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-211-77280-5

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