Effects of the Internet use in the technical efficiency of the tourism sector: a case study of the hinterland regions of Catalonia

Abstract

The use and management of new technologies is acknowledged as a key tool in the acquisition of competitive advantages in all the sectors. Particularly in the tourism sector, the use of website may influence the ability of companies to get to new markets. This paper aims at analysing the relation between the use of websites by companies of the tourism sector and its economic results. To tackle this objective, the technical efficiency of the tourism sector in the Pyrenean region of Catalonia is worked out. The paper uses a sample of companies from the SABI Van Dijk database, belonging to the hinterland regions in the North of Catalonia during the period 2011-2014. The non-parametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), the normality test Kolmogorov-Smirnov and the decision tree segmentation techniques have been used to test the research hypothesis. The main results of the paper show a positive association between the use of new technologies by the companies and their economic outcomes. On the contrary, there is not a positive association between having a website and the technical efficiency of the companies.