With regard to B2B, DMSs provide tourism enterprises with the means to be better integrated into tourism supply chains by promoting personalized and enriched tourism experiences directly to a large number of consumers.

The environmental impact of tourism is heavily influenced by the decisions taken by private sector investors and operators of tourism enterprises.

DMSs can provide solutions for business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) e commerce.

Previously, these services were available only for business to business operations, mainly tour operators and travel agencies.

Up to the end of the 1990s, face to face contact was required and tourism services were distributed mainly by tour operators and travel agents or directly by carriers transporters, fully integrated with global distribution systems (GDS).

Part B provides an overview of current and future ICT trends and their implications for the tourism industry, including destination management systems, as well as best practices to facilitate business to consumer (B2C) and business to business (B2B) e commerce.

There was general consensus that e tourism policies and strategies will play an increasing role in integrating tourism enterprises, particularly SMEs, into global tourism markets.

The distribution of tourism information and products over the Internet is the main area where technological innovation has had the most profound impact on tourism enterprises (producers and distributors).

You know we teach our kids and we buy them games, but why don't we get them games, if they're entrepreneurial kids, that kind of nurture the traits that you need to be entrepreneurs?

The above environmental impacts of tourism need to be addressed by international agencies (information on the activities of the United Nations Environment Programme in the area of tourism may be found in document UNEP GCSS.IX INF 12), Governments, non governmental organizations, local communities and private sector tourism enterprises, working together.

Both systems include B2C and B2B platforms allowing tourism buyers and sellers to identify partners simply and effectively.

The distribution of tourism information and products over the Internet is the main area where technological innovation has had the most profound impact on tourism enterprises (producers and distributors).

G. Inter thematic issues emerging social issues and managing globalization

In developing countries, the tourism industry tends to be fragmented and heterogeneous, encompassing a wealth of tourism SMEs that could be better organized and promoted.

To increase the visibility of SMEs online, DMOs should first ensure that information about must see attractions and factors motivating visitors is available.

Mr. Roger Carter, Managing Director, Tourism Enterprise and Management (TEAM), London, United Kingdom

Then, in every country, leaders set the framework for local entrepreneurship by setting up businesses, by closing them down, and by formalizing the rules of the game.

The penguin swims toward me, takes off.

Public authorities, DMOs and tourism enterprises all have an important role to play in ensuring effective and successful promotion of their destinations by building on a solid partnering industry able to capitalize on the benefits brought about by the Internet.

(l) Environmental purity To minimize the pollution of air, water and land and the generation of waste by tourism enterprises and visitors.

Monitoring can be implemented mainly through measurements of the state of the environment and society and regular surveys of visitors, tourism enterprises and local communities.

The joint venture would acquire firms in the upstream market, thereby foreclosing access to raw materials by competing furniture manufacturers.

Barriers to establishing a new small enterprise in the sector were quite low, which had led the World Tourism Organization to conduct research on the possible role of microfinance in the development of small and medium sized enterprises in tourism and development in poor areas.

Contributing factors for the successful integration of local tourism enterprises into international tourism markets are adequate e tourism strategies that focus on tourism innovation in terms of tourism products and adoption of e business tools such as destination management systems.

Some experts stressed the current low level of development and adoption of ICTs in developing countries and asked how ICTs could help them to improve their tourism development and the global visibility of tourism enterprises, particularly small tourism enterprises.

Recurrent practical impediments to the development of e tourism in developing countries include the low level of ICT access among tourism enterprises, particularly those in remote areas, the level of education and available human resources, and the rapid evolution of technology.

Eco tourism, cultural and natural heritage tourism, health and medical tourism and adventure tourism are some of the tourism niches that are increasingly marketed by destinations and tourism enterprises in developing countries.

Since the Internet also creates opportunities for cross selling tourism products, B2B platforms should be implemented to help tourism buyers and sellers identify partners in a simple and effective way.

Young people are committed to the principles of corporate social responsibility, as well as setting up environmental enterprises such as ecotourism and the wider adoption of green technologies.

They should create awareness of the potential of e tourism and provide incentives for the development of tourism enterprises' websites (for hotels, for instance) that could be referenced on the DMO e tourism website.

Looking at the e tourism system in its entirety, some experts suggested that it needs to be managed as an enterprise in and of itself.

Rural tourism, handicraft and service sector, crayfish and fish growing, and food processing in small enterprises have been supported (these fields of business often largely employ women workers).

The examples of B2B travel trade portals www.onecaribbean.org and www.thaitravelmart.com have been dealt with in some detail in the UNCTAD Information Economy Report 2005.

A DMS can also offer unique tourism experiences, such as a stay with a nomad tribe in Kenya, by incorporating local SMEs.

Part A considers the role of ICTs for tourism development in developing countries and the strategic challenges for local tourism enterprises to successfully participate in international tourism markets.

The growing adoption of the Open Travel Alliance (OTA) standard based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) greatly facilitates the exchange of information between tourism enterprises such as airlines, hotels, car rental enterprises and travel integrators such as Cendant, Sabre, Expedia, Orbitz, and SITA.

Agreements are concluded at above establishment level

(a) The Asociación de Mujeres y Familias del Ámbito Rural (AMFAR) (Association of Rural Women and Families), which offered four courses on crafts, rural tourism, management of small and middle sized enterprises, and rural tourism and sustainable development

The last session focused on challenges and opportunities in the adoption and usage of e business practices by tourism enterprises in developing countries.

In the product market, a firm competes with other firms for market shares.

a Wages in enterprises with more than five employees.

a In enterprises with more than 50 employees.

However, only a few large tourism players in developed countries are benefiting from technological innovations.

However, small businesses such as hotels have often been excluded from global tourism distribution channels.

Meanwhile, there are only a handful of online tour companies and traditional travel agencies that develop proprietary products for self drive travel. Many online travel platforms only sell self drive travel products provided by some suppliers. Some self drive travel clubs are also key suppliers.