Title: Beyond the digital divide: tourism, ICTs and culture - a highly promising alliance

Authors: Thomas Herdin; Roman Egger

Addresses: Department of Communication Science, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria ' Faculty of Innovation and Management in Tourism, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Salzburg, Austria

Abstract: In times of globalisation the field of tourism is witnessing increasing challenges. Technologies like the information and communication technologies (ICT), social media and social network sites (SNS), Big Data, GeoMedia/LocativeMedia and phenomena like Filter Bubbles and Echo Chambers have a massive impact on the tourism industry. But the use of these new technologies often leads to a techno-deterministic reduction. To ensure economic growth for all parties concerned, especially less developed countries, the dialectical interplay between technology and culture has to be pushed into the foreground. The solution for a sustainable and healthy development lies in the integrative approach of culture.

Keywords: tourism; culture; ICTs; social media; digital divides; globalisation; techno-determinism; development; challenges; sustainability; social network sites.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDCET.2018.092182

International Journal of Digital Culture and Electronic Tourism, 2018 Vol.2 No.4, pp.322 - 336

Received: 11 Sep 2017
Accepted: 20 Nov 2017
Published online: 08 Jun 2018 *

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