Use of Information Technology to facilitate collaboration and co-opetition between tourist operators in tourist destinations

Information technology (IT) underpinning the information society has brought with it a number of changes which have far reaching consequences for business. One such change is the sharing of information between organisations and subsequent altered processes within and between those organisations. But to what extent is co-opetition or collaboration around IT (c-commerce) occurring amongst small and medium business, especially those involved in tourism? This paper considers these issues generally then overviews their adoption especially by tourist operators in tourist destinations. The paper suggests co-opetition or c-commerce may stem the decline of tourism as a proportion of GDP and the reduction in tourism employment that is occurring in Australia, since the application of these concepts has the potential to add value to tourist operators located in tourist destinations, contributing to regional economic development. Issues requiring future research are also outlined.