Approaches by hotels to the use of the Internet as a relationship marketing tool

Offers a study of the current use of the Internet, as a marketing tool, by the hotel industry. Such a study is timely given that the growth rate of the World Wide Web (WWW or the “Web”) is estimated at about 50 per cent per month, with the number of sites doubling every 53 days. Seeks to present an argument for the application of the relationship marketing (RM) model as a framework for the development of hotel Web sites. The authors believe that a successful Web presence depends upon more than just the technology used and the “look and feel” of the site. Hotels need a framework which can bridge the gap between simply connecting to the Web and harnessing its power for competitive advantage.