Proposal Abstract:
A
Comparison of the Integration of Electronic Distribution into the Wider
Business Strategies of Independent, Franchised and Chain Hotels
Electronic Distribution
Channels (EDCs) were first used by hotels in the 1980s. Since that date
their usage has been ongoing with new channels being continuously
developed. Nowadays EDCs are of critical importance in hotel
marketing. There is a rich EDC literature, including a number of case
studies, for chain hotels but little about franchised or independent
hotels. This study develops a comparative case
study of EDC exploitation in chain, franchised and independent hotels
and results in the development of a systematic strategy for EDC
management. The paper discusses a second phase of fieldwork in which
the strategy will be tested in independent, franchised and chain hotels.
Keywords:
Electronic
Distribution Channels; independent/ franchised/ chain hotels
and EDCs; Complexity; Price transparency; Building customer
relationships; Quality of information.
Biography:
I have been a
full time PhD research student in the Welsh School of Hospitality,
Tourism and Leisure Management, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC)
since November 2004. My PhD thesis title is:
A Comparison of the
Integration of Electronic Distribution into the Wider Business
Strategies of Independent, Franchised and Chain Hotels. Since
December 2000 I have been involved as a lecturer and researcher in
hospitality and tourism in the fields of hospitality and tourism at the
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Helwan University, Egypt. I
have an excellent honours degree (B.Sc.) in Hotel Management at June
2000 from Helwan University. Since then I was lucky enough to get the
chance for getting two Master Degrees almost at the same period of time.
In October 2001 I started my Egyptian Masters in Hotel Management at Helwan
University and in June 2002 my Spanish Master of Tourism Management,
Education and Training at Euro Arab Management School, Granada (where my
studies were in English not Spanish) and achieved my Egyptian Masters
in July 2003 and my Spanish Masters in September 2004.
