The Role of ICT in Involving the Tourist and in Sustainability of Tourism Destinations

Abstract

A tourist destination, in addition, to attracting tourists, both national and international, must take care of the interests of the local community in order to obtain economic development, improve the quality of life of the resident and meet the satisfaction of visitors. The quality of experiences perceived by tourists, about a tourist destination, contributes to their satisfaction and to the creation of richer memories. In this context, the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can be the way to improve and add value to the experience, through the involvement of tourists and residents, taking into account the search made by tourists about their tourist destination before and during travel, through the dissemination of its authenticity, values and heritage of the destination by other tourists, residents and by official destination management organizations. The present research intends to analyse the role played by ICT to improve the competitiveness of the destination, in order to meet the needs of tourists, taking in consideration the quality of life of its residents. The methodology used considers descriptive statistical analysis and non-parametric tests applied to research questions. The research concluded that tourists use ICT at any time during their travel, both in planning and in the consumption phase, and that they use the technology in order to find information on the destination, make reservations and share their experiences on the social networks.