ICT READINESS AS A FACTOR OF TOURISM COMPETITIVENESS

Abstract

Information and communication technologies have changed the way of doing business in all sectors of the economy. In the field of tourism, information and communication technologies are not only a generator of change, but also one of the most important drivers of the development and achievement of a satisfactory level of competitiveness of this sector. The paper analyzes the information and communication readiness of selected countries as a factor of tourism competitiveness. The aim of the paper is to examine the relative position of the Balkan countries, including Serbia, according to indicators of the ICT readiness pillar within the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum. The methods applied in the paper are correlation and benchmarking analysis. The results of research indicate the existence of positive interdependence between ICT readiness and tourism competitiveness in the Balkan countries and enable the identification of indicators in this field that require improvement in the future.