Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33710084
06/06/02

Managing Tourism Information Systems


Source: Michigan State University
ID: E1938
Format: Full Text
Authors: McDonough, Maureen; Ackert, Gary
Year: 1986

Whatever the activities of a community or business, the
each communicate something about the community or business
to consumers. Consumers receive this information through
many different sources, or channels. These channels
combine to form information systems which are always
functioning, regardless of whether you are managing them or
not. If you represent a community or business, it is
extremely important to know how to manage information
systems to make them work for you.


WHAT IS AN INFORMATION SYSTEM?

In general, an information system consists of all the ways
that people communicate with others. Systems are composed
of information channels. These channels may be formal or
informal, personal or impersonal, and public or private.
Information channels are used in different ways and
combinations by different people, businesses, and
communities.

A tourism information system is a specific type of
information system. It consists of all the information
channels used in a business or community to promote itself
as a tourism attraction. These information channels
include commercials, ads, brochures, repeat visitors,
employees, friends, and relatives.


CHARACTERISTICS OF TOURISM INFORMATION SYSTEMS

There are three characteristics that all effective tourism
information systems have:

1. Each channel in the system has its own function.
Travelers use different channels to get different kinds of
information. An example is deciding where to go on
vacation. A person may consult a friend or family member
for that decision, but in deciding what to do when he/she
gets there, the person may talk with a repeat visitor or
employee at the destination site.

2. All the information channels used in the system relate
to each other. A tourism information system is like a
novel because it has many different parts tied together by
the theme. Even though a system's channels serve different
functions in providing information, they are all tied
together by the projected message.

3. All channels used in the system are interdependent. A
tourism information system functions like a puzzle. The
different pieces of the system, the channels, are used to
communicate with tourists. If any of the puzzle pieces are
missing, the puzzle's picture is incomplete. If one or
more of the channels used is not dispersing information
effectively, or if the information dispersed does not
relate to the rest of the system, then the system will not
effectively communicate its whole message.

If one or more of these characteristics is missing from a
tourism information system, then its message will be
inconsistent and ineffective.


WHAT ARE THE PARTS OF A TOURISM INFORMATION SYSTEM?

We have covered the fact that a tourism information system
is made up of different related and interdependent
information channels. But what are these channels?
Examples of these channels include:

- State promotional messages,
- Regional tourist associations,
- Travel information centers,
- Individual business promotion,
- Employee knowledge,
- Brochures, signs,
- The community's visual image (appearance):
- storefronts, billboards, etc.
- its hospitality
- community awareness and pride,
- Other travelers,
- Repeat visitors.

While this list is not exhaustive, it gives you some idea
of what can be used as channels. The only limitation is
your imagination in how you present your message.


WHY MANAGE YOUR TOURIST INFORMATION SYSTEM?

There are three major reasons why it is necessary to manage
information systems. The first reason is that travelers
need organized information so that it becomes easier to
acquire information and make decisions. They do not want
to, nor have time to, sort through information that is
confusing and disorganized. The easier it is to get
information, the more comfortable travelers feel and the
more enjoyable the trip will be for them. Travelers who are
satisfied with their trip will be more likely to return and
to tell others about the good time they had. By managing
your information system, you can make it easy for travelers
to get the information they want.

The second reason to manage tourism information systems is
to present your theme and identify it to travelers in a
clear, concise, and consistent manner (See Extension
bulletin E-1957). By managing your information system, you
have some control over what information travelers receive
and through what channels. This way you can make sure that
all the delivered information relates to your theme, and
you are better able to develop continuity and coherence
throughout your system.

The third reason why it is important to manage tourism
information systems is that they play an important role in
community development. This is especially important in
tourism because travelers see the community as a whole,
rather than as individual parts. People base their image
of a community on the information received from the
community's information system. A community's image (see
E-1957) is important because tourists often become future
investors and residents in communities that they find
attractive. You want to be able to manage your information
system so that the image you want is projected.

HOW CAN YOU MANAGE YOUR TOURISM INFORMATION SYSTEM

There are a variety of tools that you can use to manage
your tourism information system. Here we want to deal with
four that experts believe are the most effective. These
tools are most effective when used together, but they can
be used individually.

1. Establish a committee or organization to manage your
tourism information system. It should control what
information is used and how it is distributed throughout
the system. It should also be responsible for evaluating
the system's effectiveness.

2. Establish a set of standards, or guidelines, for
deciding what, how, and through what channels information
will be presented. This will help ensure that information
used will accurately reflect your community's identity and
theme and that it reaches the right target market.

3. Develop community co-operation in the system. Explain
the benefits of being involved in the system to local
businessperson and to community residents, and develop
community awareness and pride.

4. Consider Zoning - A community's appearance plays a
significant role in its tourism information system. A
tourist's image of a community is significantly influenced
by its appearance. Zoning can be used to make sure that a
community's appearance will have a positive influence on it
image.

Zoning provides the following advantages. It gives you
control over "street level environment," meaning such
things as sidewalks, shopping malls and centers, town
squares, and the avenues of access and travel to and
through each. Zoning gives the control needed to maintain
adequate amounts of space for people to move freely in,
around, and through these areas.

Zoning can also be used to manage the outward appearance of
you "street level environment." All structures
constructed, such as storefronts, signs, etc., can be
required to reflect your community's identity and theme.
(See Extension bulletin E-1957). Zoning also allows you to
save older, historical buildings while allowing the
development of surrounding property.

There are two types of zoning: prestated design features,
and transfer of rights. Prestated design features can be
used as incentive zoning or as mandated design features.
With incentive zoning, developers are granted building
privileges for including a prestated design feature(s) in
the building design. Mandated design features require
developers to include a certain prestated design feature in
the building. Transfer of rights is used to transfer the
rights to development of a particular piece of property
from one developer to another.

When using zoning, the zoning commission, or board, must be
easily accessible and flexible. Then, when changes in
zoning regulations are needed, they can be made.

WHAT WILL A TOURIST INFORMATION SYSTEM DO FOR YOU?

A well organized tourism information system will benefit
local businesses, the community, and local residents as
well as travelers. It helps area residents and travelers
locate recreation activities, sites, and service outlets.
It helps build community pride and establish long term ties
with satisfied visitors. It will also avoid confusion and
other problems that can result from poorly oriented,
directed, and managed travelers, such as traffic problems.

This bulletin was written to help you understand what a
tourism information system is, why it needs to be managed,
and to give you some ideas on how to manage it. But
managing one is not easy, and it does not happen over
night. It takes a lot of long range planning, and
foresight, as well as some expertise and being able to
stick-to-it to overcome any obstacles encountered.

Other Sources

- How To Promote To Bring People Back Downtown. Downtown
Research and Development Center, 270 Madison Ave., New
York, NY 10016.

- Managing Design and Development Downtown. U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington,
D.C., March, 1983.

Produced in Cooperation with the Michigan Travel, Tourism
and Recreation Resource Center, Michigan State University.

Tourism Information Series

The Tourism Information Series is for those interested in
tourism development. To obtain the series, contact your
county Extension office. Look in the white pages under
County Government.

1. E-1937, Tourism and Its Significance in Local
Development

2. E-2004, Tourism Planning

3. E-1958, Developing A Tourism Organization

4. E-1959, Tourism Marketing

5. E-1992, Feasibility Analysis in Tourism

6. E-1939, Developing A Promotional Strategy

7. E-1957, Creating A Promotional Theme

8. E-1940, Information and Traveller Decision Making

9. E-1938, Managing Tourism Information Systems

10. E-2005, Selecting Promotional Media

11. E-1999, Pricing Tourism Products and Services

12. E-1960, Direct Marketing of Agricultural Products to
Tourists

Series Editor: Maureen H. McDonough, Associate Professor,
Department of Park and Recreation Resources.

MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer
Cooperative Extension Service programs are opened to all
without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, or
handicap.

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in
agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8, and June 30,
1914, in cooperation with the US. Department of
Agriculture. W.J. Moline, Director, Cooperative Extension
Service, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, MI 48824.

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