Study on the Comprehensive Network-Based Service System in the Tourism Destinations for Independent Tourists

Tourists have been the principal parts in the value chain in tourism industry at all times. In e-tourism era, on purpose of information integration and resource optimization, which one can be the appropriate candidate to serve the ascending population of independent tourists? This paper identifies the important role of the comprehensive network-based service system in the tourism destination, sheds lights on its development model and framework from the review of relevant research and practice. Results in this study reveal that the travel service provider should dominate the e-tourism development. The service system should aim to the independent tourists' need in the aspects of information acquirement, deal conclusion, travel experiencing and its sharing, be built on the complementary ground of the Internet and mobile networks, and bring the visitors into the publication of spatio-temporal information of fine granularity. Findings of the study are expected to assist travel service providers to understand current e-tourism in China and to support their planning for future e-commerce development in China.