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TRAVELERS AND THEINTERNET 467of Web site visitors and offering real-time assistance
through instant messaging or chat if they recognize search
or click patterns that are typically associated with a need
for help, such as seemingly uncoordinated click-streams.
This innovative use of online customer support technolo-
gies actively encourages consumers to communicate with
customer representatives and has the potential to pre-
vent confusion or misunderstandings instead of following
the traditional model of solving problems after they have
occurred.During Consumption
Internet technologies are used during the actual trip
mainly for travelers to stay connected and to obtainen
routeinformation if, and only if, the need arises. The
spread of Internet caf ́es at tourist destinations, the grow-
ing number of accommodation establishments offering
(often high-speed) Internet connections, and the recent
efforts of airlines to provide in-flight Internet access to
travelers indicate that a substantial need for these kinds
of information and communication links exists.En route
Internet access means anywhere-and-anytime availability
of tourism-related information for consumers. Therefore,
many of the trip planning and information gathering tasks
of travelers could shift from preconsumption to during
consumption and make travel much more spontaneous if
the Internet becomes more widely available to the travel-
ing public.
Mobile technologies play an increasingly important
role in tourism due to their ability to provide travel-
ers with wireless and, thus, instantaneous and pervasive
Internet access. Handheld devices such as personal digital
assistants (PDAs) and cellular phones supported through
a wireless application protocol (WAP), a global system for
mobile communication (GSM), and short message service
(SMS) allow travelers to take full advantage of the Inter-
net while on the road. More ambitious developments of
mobile technology go beyond simple access by providing
real-time location-based services (Eriksson, 2002; Oertel,
Steinm ̈uller, & Kuom, 2002). Empowered by geographical
information systems (GIS) and global positioning system
technology (GPS) in combination with information avail-
able on the Internet, these advanced mobile applications
identify the traveler’s location in space and the spatial
context of this position. This information is then used to
generate personalized assistance in the form of location-
specific and time-sensitive information. Many advance-
ments related to mobile technologies are spurred by needs
that directly arise from information and communica-
tion problems encountered during travel. Projects such
as CRUMPET— creation of user-friendly mobile services
personalized for tourism (Poslad et al., 2001; Schmidt-
Belz, Makelainen, Nick, & Poslad, 2002)—and the de-
velopment of wireless-based tourism infrastructures, for
instance the ambient intelligence landscape described
by the Information Society Technologies Advisory Group
[ISTAG] (2002), are two examples of the many ef-
forts undertaken at the juncture of mobile technol-
ogy and tourism; yet they represent developments with
important implications for the future of the entire
Internet.Postconsumption
The postconsumption stage in the context of tourism,
involves treasuring souvenirs, remembering special mo-
ments, reliving an experience through photographs, shar-
ing travel stories, and often developing a strong sense of
attachment to a specific destination. Internet technologies
play a significant role in these post-trip activities and have
started to significantly influence memory practices as they
relate to tourism.
Virtual communities are an example of Internet ap-
plications that provide consumers with support during
the postconsumption phase. The termvirtual community
describes a group of people who are connected through
computer-mediated communication technologies and
share interests and feelings in cyberspace (Rheingold,
1994). Virtual travel communities, then, are communities
facilitated by computer-mediated communication that al-
low members to conduct various types of travel-related
tasks, such as obtaining travel information, maintaining
connections, finding travel companions, or simply having
fun by telling each other interesting travel experiences and
stories (Wang, Yu, & Fesenmaier, 2002). Consumers can
use these virtual travel communities to post photographs
and stories/testimonials of their trip(s) on the commu-
nity Web site, where they serve as information to other
consumers. In addition to this purely functional aspect,
virtual travel communities offer opportunities for mem-
bers to fulfill hedonic, psychological, and social needs.
Sense of belonging, fun, and self-identification are only a
few of the benefits that can be derived from online com-
munity membership. In the context of tourism, the most
important function virtual travel communities serve is the
extension of travel /tourism-related experiences beyond
the actual trip. Used as digital substitutes for traditional
photo albums, the digital images uploaded onto commu-
nity Web pages and discussion boards help recall aspects
of trips and assist consumers in constructing memories
of vacations. The travel stories and discussions that can
be found in such communities mimic real-world story-
telling activities typical of this last stage of the tourism
consumption process.
Tourism experiences are an integral part of the col-
lective memory of families and peer groups and, thus,
require sharing. In contrast to traditional conversations
about the adventures, fun events, or other types of memo-
rable moments of past trips, communication about travel
experiences in virtual communities takes place with an
audience that has a very tailored interest in the topic and
often resides outside the boundaries of one’s usual social
circle. Also, the information posted by consumers in the
course of the postconsumption recollection of the travel
experience serves as valid information for consumers in
earlier stages, thus closing the loop of the tourism infor-
mation cycle. The information contained in virtual travel
communities is especially valuable, as it represents per-
sonal accounts of probably alike consumers with actual
product knowledge and no commercial interests. Thus,
virtual travel communities can serve as a vehicle to control
the quality of travel products and services through con-
sumers’ evaluation and ratings of a wide range of travel
products and services. However, increasing numbers