Data Analysis Evaluation of Web Technologies Enhancing Communication in Tourism Industry: Case Study in Kefalonia Island

Abstract

The Internet in Tourism sector is a constantly evolving information flow tool for both tourists and businesses that use it. Everyday billion of citizens are connected to the Internet so as to search for information and make reservations for an upcoming trip. At the same time, more and more businesses are active in the Internet, seeking not only better communication with customers, but also optimizing their services both internally and externally. This research has been compiled to examine how hotels use new technology trends and the Internet in order to interact with their customers. Kefalonia Island was selected as the case study for the current research project. Hospitality industry is analyzed, by presenting the Digital Functions, as well as the necessary tools for the proper operation of a hotel. A Data analysis of the existing internet presence of Kefalonia hotels was carried out in two stages. Firstly, we carried out a research on their official websites. The second stage of our research was completed with the use of a questionnaire in order to explore the use of the digital media by the island’s hotels. The entire research process, including all stages of research, both the questionnaire and the web data retrieval from Hotels Websites, as well as the observation of the websites and Social Networks of hotel businesses, contributed to form a comprehensive view of the Internets’ penetration and new technologies, in the hotel industry of Kefalonia Island.