E-turism: Chinese and Western competition

Over the last ten years (from 2008 to 2018), the global tourism market has been affected by several changes, which involved the main players of the sector. In fact, new tourist consumers, with the highest expectations ever are growing in a market that is more and more aware of customer needs. Due to this, operators have been working on the definition of an innovative tourist offer. The research presented in the paper aims to investigate and understand the role of the internet and new technologies in the development of the global tourism market, focusing on the approach of tourism operators in the major online platforms. The method adopted is based on a comparison between China and the Western countries, these being considered the main markets in the tourism sector, both for outbound and inbound tourism. In particular, the research takes into account both Costumer and Online Travel Agencies (OTA) point of views. As far as Customer side, the focus is on the generations that are nowadays considered the most representative and the main focus for tourist market: Millennials and Generation Z. The behavior of the young customer is analyzed through a literature review; the behavior of the OTAs is deepened through an observation of their online approach in the period from 2008 to 2018. Based on the results, the Western OTAs need to reorganize and implement new strategies to better catch the demand and to be more receptive to the international consumers, while the local T.Os need to find their own market position and keep up with trend opportunities.