The Web as (a weak) Eenabler of new marketing approaches: an in-depth study of SMTEs in the Dolomites

This paper analyses the impact of ICTs on the strategic and organisational behaviour of hotel enterprises in the Dolomites, one of the main tourist areas in the Alps. The results are from two research projects conducted in 2005 and which involved 1) in-depth personal interviews of a sampling of 43 hotelkeepers and 2) the evaluation of the Web sites of 147 hotels. The effects of the widespread application of new ICTs among small hotels arc also discussed, looking specifically at whether and to what degree such technologies have supported the creation of a network among SMTEs and enabled innovative processes in marketing. From the two research projects it is possible to conclude that as yet the Web has not been an enabler of processes for structural, managerial or commercial reorganisation for SMTEs in the Dolomites. Hotelkeepers had a positive perception of the usefulness of new ICTs tools such as email and Web sites and also that they arc a wise economic investment. Nonetheless, these technologies have been used only to conduct traditional business in a new way, bringing advantages in terms of efficiency and efficacy, but not being used to redesign the internal management and organisational structure, nor the network of relations with local partners within the value chain. New ICTs have had a typical veiling effect insomuch as they have been used for traditional tasks but lack the capability to have a definitive effect on the reorganisation of management processes. A possible solution to achieve this result for SMTEs is to adopt a business culture with a broader strategic vision that is more open to collaboration. Unless such a new approach is taken the possibility of using Internet to redefine the business model at an individual and destination level would probably be lost.