ABSTRACT
Undoubtedly, different types of technology have been playing an important role in tourism and hospitality consumer behaviour. Nonetheless, in the past century perhaps the transportation technologies and information technology (IT), particularly the Internet, have had the greatest impact on consumer behaviour. During the Industrial Revolution, technological developments in transportation particularly in the early 1900s, greatly increased people’s ability to travel (Goeldner et al. 2009). First roads were built and improved, canals were constructed, the railway was established, and eventually in the early 1950s, long-haul flights had started. These technological changes had an impact upon tourism activities as well as the purchasing behaviour of the tourists. The development of transportation facilities shortened travel times over longer distances and enabled people to travel to new destinations (Ekiz et al. 2009). With the development of technology, vehicles have tended to become larger and faster, and more affordable. This allowed low-income level tourists to experience different destinations. It not only made different destinations attractive, but also turned travelling into a consumer product. Originally, the purpose of travelling was to reach the desired destination (Bavik 2008). The general motives would be business or leisure. However, the technological developments in transportation have changed choosing the mode of travel. Tourists had alternatives to choose their mode of travel based on their main motives. For example, some tourists prefer cruises to have entertainment during their travel while some tourists choose buses or trains to experience beautiful scenery en route to their destination.
