The Impact of a Marketing Information System: A Case Study of Smart-Baltimore

The purpose of this study is to use existing theories of technology and organizational change to assess the impact of technology implementation within the context of the tourism industry. The framework is applied as a case study to analyze the perceived implications of implementing a destination marketing information system by the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. The results of the study indicate that the most important value of the system is the richness and timeliness of information. The key informants perceive that this system will not only impact the marketing activities at the organization but will not influence the overall organizational activities. Finally, this article discusses the importance of these findings for destination marketing. remain competitive in Convention and Visitor Bureaus (CVBs) serve an increasingly sophisticated marketplace, bureaus the role of an information broker for the tourism must invest in information technology (IT). The industry by facilitating the flow of information be-importance of information and efficient informa-tween industry players (Yuan, Gretzel, & Fesen-tion management at organizations is steadily in-maier, 2003, p. 1). Bureaus provide information to creasing not only due to the evolution of new tech-tourists, exchange information with its members nologies and high-capacity storage media, but also and other CVBs and collect information from tour-because of growing competition that raises infor-ists and other segments (Poon, 1993; Schertler, mation needs. Advances in IT have enabled desti-1994). Because information is of central strategic nation marketing organizations to enhance their importance to the tourism industry, the ability of competitive advantage while simultaneously en-CVBs to leverage information largely determines abling competitors to enter existing markets more its competitive advantage (Buhalis, 1998; Poon, readily. Thus, it is argued that only those organiza