Walter Schertler – författare

The conference ENTER • International Conference on However, the tourist market has several specific characteristics Information and Communications Technologies in Tourism with regard to the use of technological infrastructure: represents a fll'St attempt • On the demand side computerized reservation and general • to provide an international forum for the discussion of the distribution systems (eRS and GDS), managed by big role of telecommunication and information systems in airlines, are well organized and technological pioneers. In tourism, the past they typically focused on the business traveller, • to inform potential users and people concerned with the nowadays they also try to cover the vacation sector. These importance of such technologies and to explain their systems work on a world-wide level and are highly functioning sophisticated. However, it should be added that the • to give an opportunity to the research community, nowadays information provided is rather poor and also selective, scattered into different areas of research, to discuss their which may restrict its usefulness for the promotion of an results on a common platform, and, fmally, entire tourist region. • to intensify the contact and the communication between • Similar to CRSlGDS several tour operators have begun to develop their own systems, although with varying success. researchers, system developers and users.

Due to the great success of the First International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism which took place in January 1994 there was common agreement among the participants as well as among the Programme Commit­ tee to organize the second Conference, contrary to the original intention, as soon as 1995 instead of 1996. A two year break in an area of rapid technological development might otherwise result in a completely different landscape of telecommunication with hardly any connection to the first Conference. The recent development as well as the publicity with regard to the so-called informa­ tion highway has justified this decision far beyond our expectations. The Programme Committee has decided to choose "Electronic Marketing" as the central topic of this Conference. The international network is opening up entirely new information and booking chan­ nels. Printed information is not disappearing from the scene, but is acquiring competi­ tion in the form of electronic media. That means new dimensions in the presentation of the selection, new ideas as to informative contents, new, direct paths from suppliers to potential clients - making their choice at home in front of their screen and able to book immediately - and, finally, a new form of democracy. The small economic units which shape tourism thus acquire more interesting opportunities. Information that can be published fast and easily updated, effective alliance and networking make it possible for the small to participate with the great and to safeguard their own interests.

During the last couple of years we learned that infonnation and communication technologies have to be seen as key factors for the success in various industries. Especially in tourism it became evident, that missing the developments in this sector could not only be fatal for the unfolding of the businesses, but also unrenouncable in order to withstand in competition. The objective of ENTER is to show the chance that infonnation technology offers for all participants in the touristic competition to act successfully in permanently changing infonnation environments. It reflects the important role of infonnation technologies in this field. Within the last six years ENTER united various experts - practitioners as well as researchers - to exchange their experiences, ideas and visions in the sector of tourism and infonnation technology. The conferences scope is to provide an international platfonn to discuss the topical situation and future trends, and the possibilities to shape the own strategies. The various points of view of all the participants in workshops, reports and discussions always lead to most interesting perceptions.

Sehr erfolgreiches Lehrbuch der Unternehmensorganisation im Rahmen der strategischen Unternehmensführung.

During the last couple of years we learned that infonnation and communication technologies have to be seen as key factors for the success in various industries. Especially in tourism it became evident, that missing the developments in this sector could not only be fatal for the unfolding of the businesses, but also unrenouncable in order to withstand in competition. The objective of ENTER is to show the chance that infonnation technology offers for all participants in the touristic competition to act successfully in permanently changing infonnation environments. It reflects the important role of infonnation technologies in this field. Within the last six years ENTER united various experts - practitioners as well as researchers - to exchange their experiences, ideas and visions in the sector of tourism and infonnation technology. The conferences scope is to provide an international platfonn to discuss the topical situation and future trends, and the possibilities to shape the own strategies. The various points of view of all the participants in workshops, reports and discussions always lead to most interesting perceptions.

The conference ENTER • International Conference on However, the tourist market has several specific characteristics Information and Communications Technologies in Tourism with regard to the use of technological infrastructure: represents a fll''St attempt • On the demand side computerized reservation and general • to provide an international forum for the discussion of the distribution systems (eRS and GDS), managed by big role of telecommunication and information systems in airlines, are well organized and technological pioneers. In tourism, the past they typically focused on the business traveller, • to inform potential users and people concerned with the nowadays they also try to cover the vacation sector. These importance of such technologies and to explain their systems work on a world-wide level and are highly functioning sophisticated. However, it should be added that the • to give an opportunity to the research community, nowadays information provided is rather poor and also selective, scattered into different areas of research, to discuss their which may restrict its usefulness for the promotion of an results on a common platform, and, fmally, entire tourist region. • to intensify the contact and the communication between • Similar to CRSlGDS several tour operators have begun to develop their own systems, although with varying success. researchers, system developers and users.

Welche Marktbearbeitungsstrategien sind in Zukunft besonders erfolgversprechend? Für diese zentrale Fragestellung des Strategischen Managements leitet Walter Schertler auf Basis aktueller Forschungsergebnisse eine effektive Segmentierungslogik für Märkte ab. Im Mittelpunkt des Affinity-Group-Managements steht ein neues Zielgruppenverständnis, das die Marktsegmentierung an der Gruppensoziologie von Szenen orientiert und deren Affinitäten mit den virtuellen Möglichkeiten von Internet und Social Media kombiniert. Die zweite Auflage beinhaltet die Überarbeitung und Aktualisierung des Affinity-Group-Ansatzes und seines Bezugsrahmens. Außerdem wurde das Lehrbuch um die aktuellen Themenkomplexe Service-Design und Service-Engineering im Rahmen des Strategischen Dienstleistungsmanagements erweitert. Diese werden darüber hinaus in den grundlegend neu konzipierten Ansatz für serviceorientierte Affinity-Group-Geschäftsmodelle von Communities integriert.