What Is The Importance Of Computers To Tourism?

Computers play an important role in many different industries - and tourism is no exception.

With the rise of the internet, everything from tourist board advertising through to holiday transport is reliant on computers.

How are computers used in tourism? If you just take a second to think about the average tourist experience, computers are involved in every part of the process.

For example, here's how computers were involved in my holiday from LA to Paris, France:

• Even before I decided on a tourist destination, I was a target for the French tourist board's advertising campaign on a national TV station. This advertising was generated and controlled by computers.

• I then booked airplane tickets on my computer, and received an emailed boarding pass.

• The transport I used to get to your my destination was scheduled and guided by computers, from the coach to the airport through to the 747 I flew in.

• At the airport, I was subject to computerized immigration controls and, at the hotel, my details were entered into the hotel's computer database.

• When I needed information regarding tourist sites in Paris to visit, I consulted a website. I then used the computer technology on my smartphone to navigate the streets of Paris.

• When I got hungry and had something to eat at a quaint bistro on the Rue Charlemagne, I used a credit card to pay for my food - which relied on a computerized system of exchanging money from different bank accounts.

All the above are prime examples of how important computers are to the survival of the tourist industry today!