Title: Electronic customer relationship management – a new approach to self-evaluate a tourism destination

Authors: Anita Zehrer, Susanne Fenkart

Addresses: Tourism Business Studies, Management Center Innsbruck (MCI), Weiherburggasse 8, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. ' Tourism Business Studies, Management Center Innsbruck (MCI), Weiherburggasse 8, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria

Abstract: Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has become a strategic imperative for many companies as its effective implementation might increase customer satisfaction, loyalty and retention (Feinberg and Kadam, 2002; Kotorov, 2002). It is well known that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) facilitate the operational and strategic marketing and management of tourism destinations (Buhalis, 2003). Electronic CRM is the customer relationship care component of e-business which not only facilitates online marketing, sales and service but also supports these functions in traditional channels through the use of internet and/or wireless technology (Dolnicar and Leisch, 2004). The aim of the paper is to discuss opportunities, risks and perspectives of e-CRM in destinations and to develop an e-CRM concept for the self-evaluation of destinations. To do so, an exploratory study was carried out to develop lifestyle segmentation for destinations that classifies consumers into segments with specific patterns, activities and preferences.

Keywords: electronic CRM; customer relationship management; e-CRM; destination marketing; lifestyle segmentation; destination self-evaluation; technology marketing; tourism destinations; strategic marketing.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2008.018863

International Journal of Technology Marketing, 2008 Vol.3 No.2, pp.169 - 182

Published online: 20 Jun 2008 *

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