Title: The contribution of the internet to the strategic positioning of small businesses in the tourism industry

Authors: Véronique Favre-Bonté; Sébastien Tran

Addresses: Université de Savoie Mont-Blanc (IAE Savoie Mont-Blanc), Laboratoire IREGE, IAE Savoie Mont-Blanc, B.P. 80439, 74944 Annecy-le-Vieux cedex, France ' Université Paris Dauphine (UMR CNRS 7088), ISC Paris, 22, bd du Fort de Vaux, 75017 Paris, France

Abstract: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent a significant share of firms in industrialised countries. However, little work is available concerning small businesses (SB) that have less than 50 employees (according to the majority of official definitions). ICT are considered a contributing factor in the renewal of competitiveness, in particular by reducing constraints that bear on SMEs. In this context, one can ask under what conditions the implementation of a website may change the strategic positioning of small accommodation businesses in the tourism sector.

Keywords: internet; small businesses; tourism websites; small firms; tourism industry; ICT; strategic positioning; tourist accommodation firms.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2015.069698

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2015 Vol.25 No.3, pp.296 - 313

Received: 12 Sep 2014
Accepted: 06 Nov 2014
Published online: 29 May 2015 *

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