Market Knowledge of the Travel Industry from the Market Orientation and Knowledge-Based View: A Case of Two Taiwanese Travel Agencies

Abstract

This study seeks to contribute to the literature on knowledge generation and management in tourism through a series of structured interviews and behavioral observation with seven senior managers of two of Taiwan’s leading travel agencies. Four market knowledge categories emerge, namely (a) customer knowledge including customer profile, traveler’s psychology and behavior, and customer relationships management; (b) employee knowledge including employee equity, workforce management, and performance control; (c) competitor knowledge including competitive status and competitive response; and (d) partner knowledge (supplier and distributor) including partners’ characteristics and supply chain management. It is suggested high levels exist as to the importance of knowledge acquisition, classification, dissemination, and usage, and this represents a significant change over past findings.