The web sites of international tourist hotels and tour wholesalers in Taiwan

This study evaluates the web sites of international tourist hotels and tour wholesalers in Taiwan. The evaluation system consists of three general user criteria: user interface, variety of information and online reservation. Results show that 50 percent of the total sample of hotels and tour wholesalers have already established web sites. Among these "user interface" was rated highest among the three categories. "Variety of information" received the lowest rating. More tourist hotels provide on-line reservation systems than do tour wholesalers. Results also indicate that the use of the Internet in Taiwan's tourism/hospitality industry is primarily for advertising, not marketing. In conclusion, it is suggested that, in regard to Internet marketing, tourist hotels and tour wholesalers work closely with information industries. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.