The Impact of Internet Marketing on Business Management in the Hotel Industry in the UK - Example

Download file to see previous pages The paper 'The Impact of Internet Marketing on Business Management in the Hotel Industry in the UK" is a great example of a business capstone project. The internet has caused new openings for doing businesses within the UK hotel industry. Hotel managers across the UK are now fast recognising the fact that a strong online presence is very necessary for their businesses to generate profits. According to Forrester, Managing Director of Occupancy Marketing, (2007), the use of the internet, has transformed business experience among hoteliers in the United Kingdom who have chosen it as a mode of sales. Above 65 percent of the United Kingdom’s population use the internet which makes it even a more popular ground for hoteliers to market their services. Customers on their part have also changed the way they shop for hotel services. Hotel bookings are now done online not because it is a new way of doing business, but because the internet makes the process more convenient and creates room for the customer to access a wide range of information and offers. A few years back, it was hectic when it came to booking hotels due to the process involved. The procedure involved contacting the tourist board through a phone call or a letter; this, of course, would not guarantee the brochure being sent to the consumer. Further, if the consumer chose to call or write directly to their hotel of choice, it would require an initial deposit and a written confirmation. This is even the more reason why customers are opting for the internet en masse, notes Forrester. This continuous use of the internet as a medium to buy and sell hotel services has been influenced by competition in the UK hotel industry hence the need for research of this nature.

• AIM

To find out the impact of internet marketing to business management in the hotel industry in the UK

• OBJECTIVES

• To define what is internet marketing and its impact on business management in the entire UK hotel industry
• To access the degree of flexibility, quality and ease which the internet has brought in managing hotel operations in the UK
• To find out the percentage of hotel consumers across the UK who prefer to use the internet for hotel bookings
• To find out if a strong online presence can create value and guarantee a sustainable competitive advantage for key players in the hotel industry in the UK

• LITERATURE REVIEW

The advent of the internet as a medium for marketing has broadened the chances of every business. The hotel industry is not left out. The awareness of the internet amongst hoteliers has come along with the need to have an online presence. This idea has attracted substantial contribution and literature from renowned authors who have advanced constructive arguments on the impact of internet marketing to business management and more specifically to the UK hotel industry.

Adams (2006) is of the opinion that there is a high potential to be derived through the application of the internet in marketing by hoteliers. Adam emphasizes that developments witnessed in recent times are that of opportunities in sales and marketing offered through the World Wide Web. Estimations indicate that above ten percent of the global population can now access to the internet. It is already apparent that the internet’s impact is significant on the tourism and hotel industry. There is increasing literature in the application of e-commerce in the tourism and hospitality industries. Growth in internet application has positively affected the systems applied in running businesses in the hotel industry. A good illustration is the advent of real-time accounting systems. This implies that accountants have the chance to create their own business model via their accounting systems which are relevant to the business requirements, and also take advantage of a range of extra features for planning and control. Continuous assimilation with respect to these systems insinuates that data is received from other departments of the organization, entered through the assistance of operational personnel. This in return will help the business to shift from having an outdated but accurate set of accounts, to an up to the minute with a small number of accuracies information. Another relevant example on the impact of the internet on the hotel industry is on purchasing, this is due to the fact that it enables centralized procurement, facilitating bigger chains across the industry thereby increasing their bulk and purchasing power so as to attain considerable savings in terms of costs and discounts.

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