SOFIA REINO

Proposal Abstract:

The Development and Validation of an Assessment Model for eTourism Capability in Scotland

There is little previous research at the destination level for the evaluation of ICT implementation. This project suggests a new line of research in eTourism aiming to develop an assessment model for eTourism capability at the destination level. Both key tourism stakeholders and technologies will be investigated and used to develop the ICT indicators for this model. The proposed indicators will be subsequently validated through a multi-method approach carried out in five interrelated stages. The resulting assessment model aims to assist tourism managers in the development of strategies for destination planning.

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Biography:

Sofía graduated from Universidad de A Coruña (Spain) in 2003, being awarded a Degree in Tourism. She then moved to the UK to continue her education and enrolled in a top-up year at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University, attaining a BA honours degree in Travel and Tourism Management in 2004. Her dissertation investigated “The Impact of the Prestige on A Coruña´s Tourism”, carrying out interviews with tourism experts from that region to examine, in this way, the short-term economic consequences of this environmental disaster at the North West of Spain. In 2005, Sofía completed her MSc in Heritage Tourism Development, with distinction, at the University of Sunderland. Her dissertation for this award investigated “The Contribution of Heritage Interpretation to Tourism Satisfaction”, adopting Tourism Satisfaction’s theories for the study of effective Heritage Interpretation. Sofía joined Queen Margaret University College in September 2005, to start her PhD. She is currently researching the use of Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism and her project for the PhD award attempts to develop and validate an assessment model for eTourism capability in Scotland, with applicability to other tourism destinations. In order to do so, Sofía is examining the current literature which measures Technologies appliances not only in tourism but also in other business industries. As part of her commitments at Queen Margaret University College, she has undertaken teaching activities in a variety of tourism modules, such as in eTourism and eBusiness. Recently, she has had the honour of being selected as one of the five judges in the prestigious TravelMole International Website Award 2006.