redisigning the ticino destination information system

Redesigning the Ticino Destination Information System

Master’s Thesis of Lorenzo Ghini 08-989-253

MSc in Technologies for Human Communication

Literature review

Research Methodology

Development of the project

Discussion and Conclusions

7/24/2012 2

7/24/2012 3 Lorenzo Ghini Master Thesis

presentation

Pre consumption – Consumption - Post consumption

Pre-consumption phase includes the decision processes involved before the holiday / travel

Consumption phase is the completion of the experience

Post consumption phase mark-out the end of the travel experience and the beginning of the sharing stage.

Pre-consumption

Consumption Post -

Consumption


presentation

CRS – GDS and Internet

Computer Reservation Systems (1970s)

Global Distribution Systems (1980s)

The internet penetration

GDS Travel Agents Tour

Operators Destination

Tourists / Visitors


presentation

ICT and Touristic Organizations

Intra - Organizational Communication and functions

Inter Organizational Communication and functions

Management Pre travel Arrangements

Communication between departments Travel related documentation

Communication and functions with branches

Post travel arrangements

“…a substantial reduction of costs for the organization, a better knowledge management and an increased speed and rapidity of all functions (Buhalis, Jun,

2011)”


presentation

Destination Management Organization

Destination Categories - Urban, alpine, seaside, rural, Authentic, unique

Destination Products - Accommodation, gastronomy, events, etc..

Destination travellers - Business travelers and leisure travelers

Destination Marketing - Above the line and below the line

Destination strategies - Price management or value creation

“Destination is a geographical region, political jurisdiction, or major attraction, which seeks to provide visitors with a range of satisfying to memorable visitation

experiences (Bornhorsta et al., 2008)”


presentation

Ticino Tourism DMO


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Destination Management System

“..a collection of computerized information, interactively accessible, about a destination" (Buhalis, Spada, 2000)”

Destination Management System

Structured

data

Public Sector

Data

interaction

Investor

Data market

and diffusion

Visitors

Fruition of

information

Tour O.

Data

interaction

Travel A.

Data

interaction

Suppliers

Data

interaction


presentation

Ticinoinfo Destination Information System

Ticinoinfo DIS

Literature review




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presentation

Structural and architectural analysis

Architectural Analysis (software engineer meeting)

Entity – Relationship database structure reconstruction (reverse engineering process)

Single tables and field structure recognition

Entity_Name1

Property 1

Property 2

Property 3

Entity_Name2

Property 1

Property 2

Property 3

Relationship


presentation

Quantitative and qualitative analysis

Quantitative analysis Step 1: Identification of the total number of the elements in the entities

Step 2: Entities distributions of the elements

Step 3: Numerical allotment of the elements in database archive

Qualitative analysis Use of MiLE+ method (quality of information heuristics: accuracy, currency, coverage,

content objectvity, authority, conciseness, text errors)

Total of 150 database elements analyzed

Linguistic criteria (italian content) - Random selection - 1 to 4 grade scale


presentation

Case studies analysis

Tiscover Project World-market leader in 2006 with over 2,000 DMO customers

Switzerland Tourism DMS

Destination Management System of Switzerland destination

Tandem Project

Platform to present destination-related information “content-to-go” for integration

into third-party websites


presentation

Requirements engineering

Identification of stakeholders (Critical, important and minor for the project)

Personal interviews to selected client stakeholders Online Survey to supplier stakeholders

Identification of goals - AWARE method (calculated matching the importance of

stakeholder with the benefits in the accomplishment of each goal)

Identification of requirements (calculated as a result of the importance value of each requirement for the fulfillment of each goal)

Literature review




7/24/2012 15


presentation

Architectural analysis

Tomcat Sites

Tomcat Sites

Tomcat Web Services «Session

Bean Client»

Tomcat Web Services «Session

Bean Client»

Jboss + Hibernate Jboss + Hibernate Cluster

Data replication

Database 1 Database 2

The two Tomcat have a correspondence with public websites

Jboss is an application server multiplatform that supports Java

The structure of tables is managed by Hibernate (Object Relational Mapping)

Database 1 duplicates data authomatically in database 2


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Structural analysis

ITEM

Dancingitems

Restaurantitems

Commonitems

Eventitems

Organizeritems Houseitems

YouthHostelitems

AlpineHutitems

Hotelitems

Campgrounditems

Farmhouseitems

BBItems

Businessitems Offers


presentation

Quantitative analysis – Major results

The majority of hosted elements in database are Events (72.30% out of the total)

“Common” is the second most important item of database (12.46%)

Item Number of files %

Event 47.732 72,30

Farmhouse 105 0,16

Hotel 841 1,27

Common 8.229 12,46

Bed and Breakfast 126 0,19

Business 250 0,38

Campground 47 0,07

Alpine Hut 116 0,18

Holiday House 2.986 4,52

Discotheque 82 0,12

Organizer 1.333 2,02

Offer 601 0,91

Hostel 113 0,17

Restaurant 3.200 4,85

Tour 262 0,40

item total 66.023


presentation

Quantitative analysis – Item distribution

Events

Farmhouses

Hotels

Common

Bed and Breakfast

Business

Campgrounds Alpine Huts

Holiday Houses

Discoteques

Organizers Special Offers Hostels

Restaurant

Tour

Event is the most relevant item (72%) of the entire database

28% is represented by all the other items


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Qualitative analysis – Major results

Approximately half the elements (45%) have been evaluated as insufficient while 20% barely sufficient

24%

11%

20%

45% Quality Level - Total Very Good

Quality Level - Total Good

Quality Level - Total Sufficient

Quality Level - Total Insufficient


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Qualitative analysis – Heuristics average

The blue line inserted in the graphic shows how 5 out of the 7 heuristics are insufficient (above score 3)

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

3,5

4

Accuracy Currency Coverage ContentObjectivity

Authority Text Errors Multimediaconsistency


presentation

Case study analysis

Case study Major advantages

Switzerland Tourism

1. Workflow approval of information

2. Multichannel opportunities

TANDEM Project

1. Diffusion of data

2. Portable export format of data

3. Integration in third party websites

Tiscover Project

1. Multichannel data diffusion

2. eMarketing power


presentation

RE – One to one interviews

“There are two lines of text for each event” “The quality of the database is quite poor, there are many things that should be

modified” “I wish we will abandon GPS tracks route itineraries or adopt a different technology

where we can control and modify tours” “The editing and the creation of the attributes to assign to each element must be

made more flexible” “We must define clear and identifiable roles .. If I delete an apartment all interested

parties should be informed” “It must be clear the time for update, create and drop an element from a database

site” “Each year ticinoinfo sa takes the latest house brochure and updates throughout.

Efforts should also be decentralized, because the ETL have closer contact with suppliers”

“We need to make a regular export of email addresses and send notifications to facilities for updating their data”


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RE – Online Survey step 1

Question Outcome

1) Category of tourism facility The majority of the answers arrived from hotel (26%) and Holiday Houses (16%)

2) How do you evaluate your knowledge degree of new technologies?

75% of respondents believe to have a degree of knowledge of new technologies between sufficient and very good

3) Do you lean on external services for your communication / promotion or online selling?

Regional, national and local Destination Management Organization in the online communication and promotion is perceived with minor importance respest to OTA

4) How is important the Web for your activity? 52% defined the web between important and very important while a high rate (33%) defined it as critical for the existence of the structure.


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RE – Online Survey step 2

Question Outcome

5) Did you know your tourism facility is on ticinoinfo sa database?

69% of interviewed do not know to have their data on ticinoinfo sa database

6) Would you like to manage content of your tourism facility on ticinoinfo sa database?

Half of the people directly consulted (49%) liked the possibility to manage the content

7) What kind of content would you like to add to your tourism facility on ticinoinfo sa database?

Suppliers would like to adopt images and promotional documentation (58%)

8) Would you like to make online promotion of your tourism facility (on ticinoinfo sa database) over the web?

46% of the people answered yes, they do like to make online promotion of their structure


presentation

RE – Critic Stakeholders

AGR (Arti Grafiche Rezzonico) - Events entity supplier

ETT (Ente Turistico Ticinese) / DIS data distribution entity - Regional DMO

Tinext SA - Technological partner ticinoinfo sa

Ticinoinfo sa - DIS owner

Hotelleriesuisse Ticino - Hotel category association

Lorenzo Ghini - Online manager ticinoinfo sa

Alessandro Inversini - Director ticinoinfo


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RE – Critic Goals

Critic Goal – Over 100 Score

Ranking Description Absolute Score

1 GOAL 3: Simplify in a more User friendly perspective the

Administrative Client

119

2 / 3 GOAL 6: Improve the quality level of database

118

2 / 3 GOAL 2: Program a database structure able to follow the

evolution of the tourism industry

118

4 GOAL 4: Readapt the structure of every single item to the

modern tourism industry

115

5 GOAL 10: Decentralize the working effort to suppliers of

single destinations

105

6 GOAL 11: Increase the impact of the Regional destination

information system on online communication and

promotion activities of suppliers

103


presentation

RE – Critic Requirements Critic Requirements – Priority Level 1 – Score over 55

Requirement

number

Requirement Description Absolute

score

33 Reorganize User roles and privileges enhancing flexibility (prepare for future

modifications)

72

7 Drop the current Administrative desktop application Client building a Web

application for back end and front end administrative access by client and

suppliers stakeholder

71

4 Build a modular structure open to the attachment of different functionalities

to make diverse use of data

68

30 Drop the current DIS multimedia management system and substitute with a

modern DAM (Digital Asset Management)

61

34 Distinguish between authors (people that can edit / write on DIS) and

publishers (people that can approve / publish on DIS)

58

24 Create a Workflow approval process for data validation (Switzerland Tourism

example)

57

39 Connect the Ticino Regional DIS to online communication channels for data

source (Ticketcorner, Interhome / eDomizil, Capanneti.ch, Bnb.ch,

Agriturismo.ch, STC channel manager) and data distribution (Gadmin / STnet,

Online Tour Operators, Online Travel Agencies)

57

48 Build a system for Content Syndication (TANDEM example) allowing supplier’s

stakeholder content subscription and integration of content packages (data

subsets) in subscriber’s websites

57

Literature review




7/24/2012 29


presentation

Discussions and future developments

1. A modern DIS have to be conceived in a “work in progress”, modular and scalable perspective, leaving a broad space of interventions for further developments

2. Designers and developers need to take into account all levels and the entire complexity of a destination management organization avoiding to consider the DIS only a source of information

3. The requirements founded during the research will provide an evolution of the current DIS in a modern DMS

4. The requirements identified are now being developed (first part of ticinoinfo sa current project)

5. Mobile market, eMarketing solutions and social media integration will be developed in the second part of ticinoinfo sa database project redesign

redisigning the ticino destination information system

Documents

destination buhalis

data interaction travel

value creation destination

travel experience

name1 property

name2 property

functions buhalis

better knowledge management