The use of the Internet in the tourism industry. Classification of Information Technologies in Tourism Computer Networks in the Tourism Industry

Computer systems in tourism have many varieties. They differ technical characteristics, functionality, as well as network sizes. Some of them are closed in the borders of a separate area or country. Along with local systems, electronic information services provide hotel groups. Each large chain of hotels is equipped with its own computer reservation network.

Truly global coverage have global computer networks Reservations that combined external airline communication systems with a complex of computer networks of hotels, travel agencies, car rental firms, etc. They allow you to reserve the packages of tourist services or individual elements - from flights and accommodation in hotels to tickets to the theater and insurance policies. All existing global computer booking systems perform the same functions and in this certainly similar. At the same time, each of them has the characteristic features that allocate it in a number of similar networks and allow you to conduct a competitive struggle in the information services market. The most famous computer booking and reservation systems that share the information market among themselves are Saber; Amadeus; WORLDSPAN and GALILEO.

The growth of the international tourist market makes increased requirements for service providers in tourism. Studies of the hotel industry showed that:

Hotels will continue to lag behind air transport and other tour permount sectors in terms of computerization and use of modern technologies in booking tours;
. The tax burden of hotels will increase, and the share of tourism in total taxes will increase from 10.4 to 11% over the past 10 years;
. expenses of governments to promote tourism;
. The hotel industry changes the method of counting its profits: from income to one number - on income from one client;
. Only 30% of all hotels in Europe belong to the hotel chains;
. In the hotel industry, the process of mergering companies is accelerated, there is an increase in the number of contracts of the franchise and external investment;
. becomes profitable and profitable to be a "green" hotel, that is, take care of the protection ambient. It is known that most of the organizers of the Congress and Insen Tourism, choosing the hotel, give great importance to ecology.

An important condition for attracting tourists to the region is to improve the comfort of hotels and quality of service. To send any information, it is desirable to install video telephones and a computer connected to the global network. The popularity of Museum hotels is growing, that is, old private hotels, the comfort of concerned by international standards, but preserving the unique charm of antiquity.

The international chain of Hilton hotels is planning to build a hotel on the moon. The project will cost $ 6,12 billion corporations. According to the project, the hotel will be a steel structure covered with materials that are used when creating space "shuttles". Its clients will be provided with a service at the level of a five-star hotel. Payment for the room overlooking the Earth will exceed the cost of other numbers. The hotel is planned by the beach. The whole complex will be located under a huge hermetic dome.

Food objects will also undergo certain changes that, however, will not be massive. In particular, the menu of restaurants, bars, cafe will be made up with an increasingly variety, given the growing popularity of exotic cuisine. As a background to the food intake process, national music and entertainment programs will be used.

The team of scientists under the leadership of Yu. V. Zabebaeva, I. A. Ryabova and E. L. Dracheva in one of its works also allocate main development trends international Tourism. We give them further in some revision and reduction. We only note that these trends are inherent mainly for the tourism industry, but have the most direct influence on the placement and nutrition industry.

Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Astrakhan State University

A.V. Kizim.

Information technology in tourism

Teaching manual

for students studying in the specialties: 100200 Tourism (undergraduate); 100201 tourism

Publishing House "Astrakhan University"

Reviewers:

associate Professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Doctoral student of the Volgograd State Architectural and Construction University

N.P. Sadovnikov;

candidate of Technical Sciences, Director of Intinent

P.P. Kudryashov

Kizim A. V. Information technologies in tourism: educational suites / A. V. Kizim. - Astrakhan: Astrakhan state University, Publishing House "Astrakhan University", 2011. - 146 p.

The goal of the course is to form and develop the competence of students in the field of modern software and information and network technologies used in the tourism industry. The tasks of the course are: the study of modern network technologies used in the tourism industry; the study of modern software and information funds used in the tourism industry; Receiving work skills with network software and hardware solutions for the tourist industry.

It is intended to improve user qualifications and providing training graduates in the field of new information technologies in tourism.

Developed within the framework of the project 144641-TEMPUS-2008-FI-JPCR (INTUR) in

establishment with Volgograd State Technical University, Dagestan State University, Ufa State Academy of Economics and Service.

ISBN 978-5-9926-0470-2


1. Software and Information Communication Technologies
in the tourism industry and SCS. Information technology system
1.1. Information and computer networks in the tourism industry ......................
1.2. Servers, customers and workstations .............
1.3. File server and client-server technology
information systems .................................................. ...............................
1.4. Classification of networks ................................................ ..............................
1.5. Information technology system.
The concept of information technologies .............................................. ....
1.6. Classification of information technologies ......................................
1.7. Influence of information technology on development
social and cultural service and tourism ............................................ ......
2. Hardware and technical and software
information technologies....................................................................
2.1. Main types of computing system .......................
2.2. Network hardware................................................ .............................
2.3. Software types ................................................. ...........
2.4. Information systems as a basis of business ....................................
2.5. Automation of typical travel agency ................................................... .........
3. Applied Software and Information Resources
in tourism. Integrated information systems.
Problem-oriented application packages
by industry and fields of activity.........................................................
3.1. Office: technology of work ............................................................ .........................
3.2. Information and its flows in the office ............................................ ...............
3.3. Electronic office ................................................ ..................................
3.4. Software for solving special tasks ...............
3.5. Special software
for the integrated automation of travel agency .............................................. ...
3.6. Problem-oriented application packages .............
4. Booking and Reservation Systems..........................................
4.1. Evolution of booking and reservation systems ..............................
4.2. Leading foreign booking systems .......................................
4.3. Russian computer booking systems ..............................
5. Multimedia technologies in tourist activity .................
5.1. Modern multimedia technologies ..........................................
5 2. Electronic catalogs ............................................. ...............................

5.3. Development and support of the site of the tourist company .....................
5.4. Online services ................................................. .........................................
6. Modern network technologies and means used
in the tourism industry....................................................................................
6.1. Global computer networks ............................................... .............
6.2. Means of communication and communications .............................................. ..............
6.3. Office equipment used in SKS and tourism ...........................
7. Methods for transferring information and communication channels ................................
7.1. Methods for transferring information.
The main characteristics of the communication channels .............................................. .......
7.2. Classification of communication channels ................................................. .................
7.3. Types of cable ................................................ .............................................
7.4. Types of switching .................................................. ...................................
8. Network Technology Standards.............................................................
8.1. Network technologies: Basic concepts and definitions .......................
8.2. Advantages of using networks ................................................... .......
8.3. Seven-level model OSI ............................................... .....................
8.4. The main standards of network technologies ...............................................
8.5. Virtual networks Virtual LAN .............................................. .................
8.6. Inhomogeneous networks .................................................. .................................
9. Information management system.
Financial management packs of travel agencies and hotels ..........................
9.1. Classification of management information systems ......................
9.2. Packages of management of tourist firms .....................................
9.3. Automation of tasks in SKS ................................................ .....................
9.4. Financial support systems ....................................
9.5. Project management using Microsoft Project ............................
10. Tourist virtual communities.........................................
10.1. Virtual Network Community: Concept, Entity, Properties .....
10.2. Elements of virtual network communities ......................................
10.3. Features of the formation of information space
in tourism ................................................ .................................................. .....
10.4. Virtual Tourist Communities (VTC) ...............................
10.5. Tourist blogs and forums .............................................. ...........
10.6. Forums of travelers: Topics and variations ..................................
10.7. System of reviews of tourists ................................................. ...................

11. E-commerce in tourism...................................................
11.1. The concept of e-commerce and its category .............................
11.2. Features and appointment e-commerce ............................................
11.3. Internet and e-commerce in tourism .................................
11.4. Classification of tourist Internet resources
on accessories to e-commerce systems ...........................
11.5. Classification of Internet Representative Offices E-Commerce .................
11.6. Methods for ordering and payment of goods through the Internet ............................
11.7. Electronic payments .................................................. .........................
11.8. Payment systems on the Internet .............................................. .........
12. Geoinformation systems in tourism.........................................
12.1. Geoinformation systems: concept, general information ................
12.2. General functional components GIS .........................................
12.3. Classification GIS .................................................. ............................
12.4. Spheres and examples of the use of GIS technologies ................................
12.5. Geoinformation systems in tourism ...........................................
12.5. Examples of GIS .................................................. ......................................
13. Information technology in management systems
hotel complex........................................................................
13.1. general characteristics hotel complex ..............................
13.2. Use of information technology
in the management of the hotel complex .............................................. ......
13.3. Comparative characteristics of the main control systems
hotel complex ................................................ ............................
Bibliographic list.....................................................................

1. Software and informational communication technologies in the tourism and SCS industry. Information technology system

1.1. Information and Computer Networks in the Tourism Industry

"Tourism is temporary trips (travels) of people to another country or terrain, different from the place of permanent residence for the period from 24 hours to 12 months or with the commission of at least one overnight stay in entertainment, wellness, sports, guest, educational, religious and other purposes. Without an activity paid from the local source. " A man who makes such a journey is called a tourist.

By the definition of the UN adopted in 1954, tourism is an active recreation that affects health promotion, the physical development of a person associated with movement beyond the limits of permanent residence. In the materials of the World Conference on Tourism, conducted by the WTO in 1981 in Madrid, given the following definition: Tourism is one of the species active restrepresenting travels committed to know certain areas, new countries and combined in a number of countries with elements of sports. In 1993, the UN Statistical Commission adopted a broader definition: "Tourism is the activities of persons who travel and stay in places outside of their usual medium during a period not exceeding one year in a row, with a goal of rest, business and other purposes. "

There are other definitions, and each of them reflects certain aspects of tourism. On the one hand, tourism has a private travel case, on the other - activities for the production of a tourist product. In principle, both the journey and the production of the tour enterprise have activities. However, production is economic activity and its goal is to receive profits, and the journey is always movement in space. It is necessary to distinguish these concepts.

Tourism Industry- a diversified production complex involved in reproducing conditions for travel and recreation, that is, the production of tourist product.

Typical subjects of the tourism industry (tourist industry in a narrow sense): accommodation enterprises (hotels, guesthouses, etc.), transport, tour operators, tourist agencies, resorts, tour desks and bureau of guides, associations and government agencies in the management of tourism development, organization of congresses, Organization of exhibitions and fairs. Nonypical subjects of the tourism industry (the tourist industry in a broad sense): in the production area - enterprises producing souvenirs, sporting goods, goods for

the qualities of these services. In the same way, real payments are not translated from travel agents to tour support workers, and commissions are travel agents from tourpasters.

In addition, individual components of the tourism industry are closely related to each other, because many tour producers are involved in each other's activities (Fig. 1.). All this allows us to consider tourism as a highly integrated service, which makes it even more accessible to the application of information technologies in the organization and management.

Fig. 1. Integration of tourism services

Today is a prerequisite efficient work A tourist firm is the availability of computers that are combined into a local (LAN) or a corporate network that has access to the global network, and allow you to actively use hardware and software network resources. Information and network online technologies allow companies to quickly collect information, process and analyze it, make the right decision and, possibly, bypass competitors.

Computer network- This is a combination of computers and other computing equipment (active network equipment, printers, scanners, etc.), combined with communication lines, network cards and running networks operating system.

By definition of the IEEE Institute, LAN is a data transmission system that provides a certain number of independent devices the possibility of direct interaction in a limited geographical space through the physical channel of interaction

performance. A typical LAN owns only one organization that uses it and manages it. Normal LAN, using the network operating system (OS), combines servers, workstations, printers, and other devices, allowing users to share their resources and functionality. Sharing resources:

saves the cost of acquiring and operating hardware

increases data use efficiency.

Creating a computer network requires certain, often quite tangible, costs: to purchase additional equipment and software, on installation and network commissioning, as well as its further operation. However, now in state, and in private organizations and firms around the world, the use of a computer network is a common solution.

In computer networks, each subscriber (client, user) can use different types of computers, means and communication lines and communication programs. In a computer network, computers can act as a server or client.

1.2. Servers, clients and workstations

The term "server" typically implies a program that performs requests. The server is also a computer in a network that provides its services to other users. A word explaining its purpose is added to determine the server function. For example, file server, Webcerver, mail server, SQL server, etc. A program that sends requests and is usually called the client, and the server can be performed on one by one. The client is transmitted, and the server is hugging.

Modern OS are universal, that is, any programs can be performed under their control - and working autonomously, and interacting with another program as a client and program-servers. At the same time, for considerable considerations, information security Often decide that one computer on the network will perform specialized functions, for example, to maintain the enterprise database. In such cases, it is called the database server, etc.

It is important to understand that the term "server" applies to the program indicates that: 1) This program assumes interaction with other programs and 2) this interaction is built according to the scheme: a request from the client program, the execution of the server program and return the results to the client.

Unlike conventional programs that run, perform a specific task and finish work, the program server is started

sia is in advance and is in the passive state of waiting requests. Processing the received request, the server awaits the following.

1.3. File-server and client-server technology information systems

Systems used in tourist business belong to the class of automated information processing systems and management (asoiod), or simply information systems (IP). The basis of the asium is the database (database) - a structured information storage required for the proper functioning of the system.

The most commonly used two approaches for the construction of asoiu systems, which received the name "File-server" and "client-server".

Technology "File Server".

With file-server implementation, the asoium is located in the form of files on the hard disk of one of the network computers. Filers are called servers that shared the resource of which is the disk memory (or files stored on the hard disk). There is an exchange of information between the client and the server. At the same time, it is usually for the change of one byte (for example, a sign "busy number or not") you need to read a much greater amount of information, change this one byte and re-record information on the disk. File-server solutions apply only in high-speed networks with limited quantities (8-16) simultaneously working client applications.

User programs work on workstations and, if necessary, refer to the server files - database systems. At the same time there are a lot of problems. File server processes great amount Queries for file service, it requires considerable time. The user has to wait. When simultaneously handling multiple users to one file (for example, to tours database), problems with the reliability of information storage may occur, since the file server makes read / write data blocks without controlling their contents. Respectively, incorrect work The client application can easily destroy the system database.

Technology "Client-server".

SQL (Structured Query Language, Language of Structured Queries) -

the specialized language management language for the database has the status of an international technological standard.

The technology "Client-server" is characterized in that the intermediary is the SQL server between the database and the client. With regard to information systems, this means that working with the database is implemented using the SQL server. SQL server is a program that is able to receive requests from customer programs formulated on

Over the past decades, nothing has contributed to the successful development of the economy of countries around the world as various technological innovations. Technical progress allows you to create new and improve the work of existing enterprises of various directions.
It is now difficult to imagine how hotels, sanatoriums, motels, travel firms and other companies without systems could function computer support. Currently, these systems are widespread and well coordinated. High Economic Efficiency of Use computer Systems The owners prompted their owners to influence the market.

The purpose of this article is to consider the latest developments in this area, in finding out the characteristics of the application computer technology At the enterprises of the hospitality industry in Russia and abroad, as well as in identifying the problems of computer systems and the Internet, in determining the prospects for the development of computer systems in the hotel business.

The process of computerization of the hospitality industry began later than in other areas of the economy. Many industries were computerized already in the 60s of the twentieth century, the hotel farm on a wide scale did not use the possibilities of automation until the beginning of the 70s of the XX century. This is relatively later the start of the computerization allowed hotels to get more advanced and convenient computer technologies with less costs1. Currently, computer systems on the basis of the fourth and fifth generations are widely distributed at the enterprises of the company's fourth and fifth generations, combined on the network and allowing the volume of the occupied volume to create powerful software support, which increases the efficiency of the control system, ensures the safety of guests, allows you to expand the client base of the hotel and Solve a number of marketing tasks.

One of the most important discoveries was the Internet. The Internet is a large and complex connection of computer networks, which makes it possible to access world information. There are also a number of software applications Internet. First of all, it is email (e-mail) and various search engines. Email today is the most popular app all over the world. Its advantage not only in the speed of communication, but also in addition to the text, it is possible to send any graphic photo, an animated application that will reach the addressee instantly.
Computer systems centralized Office The hotel complex allows you to coordinate the work of even a large hotel without much time and effort. Despite the numerousness of integrated system of automation of hotel farms, the basic principles of building such systems are quite similar: all systems are integrated software packages that automate the activities of the hotel's main services: management of a numbering equipment foundation, administrative, commercial, engineering, catering service 2.
To date, there are several professional developments that deserve attention when choosing an automated control system.
Consider the main computer systems for providing the hotel used in the largest hotels in the world and Russia.
The most common universal product is the complex of the world's largest company "Micros - Fidelio", specializing in the creation of management systems for hotels and restaurants for 20 years. Such a system is installed at enterprises of more than 100 largest hotel chains (Sheraton, Hilton, Marriott, Kempinsky, Hyatt, etc.) 3.

The Fidelio Front Office system (FFO) helps to automate the main stages of the hotel's work: from computer reservation of rooms, recording, accommodation and discharge of guests before managing the license plate, depreciation and finance. The advantages of FFO include: ease of operation due to the fairly simple logic of the construction of the system and the convenience of the interface, high level Security provided with strict delimitation of user access, setting flexibility. FFO can be successfully used both in hotels belonging to hotel chains and in independent hotels and guesthouses with completely different work technology4.
Among computer technologies around the world, computer systems redundancy systems have been widespread.

For the first time, the concept of "computer booking system" (KSB) appeared in Europe and the United States in the 60s of the twentieth century. In those years, civil aviation was at the stage of active development. "Telephone" Booking Technology Travel Agents and "Paper" Technology Management Expansionability of flights by airlines has ceased to cope with the serving of the growing passenger traffic, which led to the need to automate this kind of activity5. The first KSBs were created by separate airlines and were intended solely for servicing the needs of their own tourist agents. After some time, this approach led to the fact that, on the one hand, several CSB terminals belonging to various airlines were installed in actively working travel agencies and hotels, and, on the other hand, airlines had to spend more and more funds for the technological development of the KSB. A logical decision in this situation was to combine airline efforts in the development and promotion of the KSB in the market. The result of this integration was the emergence of four so-called global redundancy systems (GLOBAL DISTIRITION SYSTEM - GDS). Currently, the global includes four basic booking systems: Amadeus, Galileo, Saber and Worldspan. Together, these systems have approximately 500 thousand terminals installed in hotels worldwide, which is more than 90% of the market, it is no coincidence that they are called the "golden four". The remaining several percent are regional systems reservation and systems that are in the merge stage with one of the above. Each GDS, although it is global, has its own distribution area. For Amadeus and Galileo are, first of all, Europe, for Sabre and Worldspan - America. Interestingly, Galileo is used in 116 countries of the world, more than 45 thousand agencies through which access to resource information is possible. According to the results of 2001, Galileo has the most strong position in the UK, Italy, Greece, Beni-Luxe, Switzerland, Portugal. In general, the proportion of this system in the European market - 29.8% (second place). Such results of Galileo reached in three years of work in the world market.

For such hotels included in hotel chains, as Inter - Continental, Radisson and others, work with GDS is centrally carried out and is an integral part of the hotel chain marketing strategy as a whole.
In an independent hotel, there are several options for working with global redundancy systems: to establish terminals of one or more booking systems and start working independently; conclude an agreement with a mediator company specializing in the provision of this kind of service; Conclude an agreement with a major tour operator, already having access to global booking systems.
The presentation of the hotel in any GDS must include the following positions: a general description, description of the number of rooms, description of tariffs, prices, information about the availability of places.

Any reservation system has several modes called access types, fundamentally different of which are two: type "A" and type "B". When accessing "A", the booking confirmation is returned automatically within 7 seconds, which allows the travel agent to fully serve the client for one visit to the office. When accessing "B", confirmation is returned by the manual personnel of the provider or the hotel for 24 hours, which leads to a re-visiting client to the travel agency.

It is important when booking a hotel take into account the tariff plan and tariff. Tariff plan - This is a set of rules for the acquisition of hotel services, refusal from them and arising in connection with this requirements and restrictions, and the tariff is the price per room per day. Pre-booking is possible if there is a credit card number as a warranty. When canceling the previously made booking less than 24 hours before arrival, or at the unext of the client, a fine is charged in the amount of accommodation in the first day. By analogy with air transportes in hotels, there is a complete tariff called Rack Rate, or otherwise - the "standard tariff", and the system of special tariffs (the tariff of the weekend, group tariff, etc.). Rack Rate has the least restrictions on the application. It is at this rate that individual customers will be serviced, which turned directly to the hotel. Prices for accommodation at the standard tariff are the highest. Special rates are more attractive for customers due to a lower price of accommodation set by them, however, there are restrictions on their application. For example, to apply a weekend tariff, you must come on Friday or Saturday and leave no later than Monday. The number of special tariffs used by the hotel is not limited. The most frequently used in the CSB tariffs (besides standard) are: corporate tariff, weekend rate, tariff for the elderly, tariff for military personnel, tariff for tourist agents.

There are several options for setting information about the availability of places. For each specific date when selling a certain type of type at a specific tariff can be announced: free sale (Free Sale), limited free sale (Allocation), sale on request (on request) or stop sales (Stop Sale).

The undoubted leader in computer reservation is the Internet network. That is why hotels create their own Internet - servers through which and access to information and booking in GDS.

Internet capabilities for hotels are not limited to work with GDS. The main advantages for the hotel are a wide range of audiences (more than 100 million people in the world) and low overhead, compared with GDS. Therefore, the Internet is a real KSB competitor, since work via the Internet can be made on any servers, any number of times, any individual who seek to save on the hotel, while GDS work only professionals. And the advantage of GDS is that any hotel, downloading information about yourself, can be sure that each travel agent will see this information, and for the placement of data on the hotel in the Internet, there is a painstaking work on enhancing them in various search engines, reference books and directories.
There is another no less successful program - HORSE-21. Excusual system name is explained simply - this is an abbreviation of the name Hotel Reservation Service. HORSE-21 belongs to the Dutch HORS BV and operate in Europe since 2000. Its database contains information about more than 240 thousand hotels. Among the booking systems, this system has five major advantages: Real Online (confirmation of armor for a few seconds); centralized system for receiving commissions; Unique hotels database; possible work without a subscription fee, segmental norms, deposits; Easy use: no need to study, special software, equipment.

The order of work in the HORSE-21 system is extremely simple: Step 1 - Quest Criteria according to the scheme: Country - City - Preferred price - Date of travel; Step 2 - the choice of the hotel from the proposed list sorted by increasing prices, for each hotel you can see a text description and several photos; Step 3 - Reservations, indicate tourist data and debit card numbers. The system also allows you to keep booking statistics, payment control.
In addition to computer booking systems in the hotel business, programs to ensure the management of various services of the hotel are widely applied.
The Lodging Touch system was created by the American company Mai Hospitality, which is one of the leaders in developing programs for the hospitality industry. It is an integrated software package, automating various departments of the hotel: receptionist, restaurant service, sale department, banquet facilities. Lodging Touch can be associated with such peripheral systems as accounting programs, hotel profits optimization systems, paid television, telephone systems, access controls, etc.

The Lodging Touch Program - the receptionist performs the functions of booking rooms, check-in and discharge guests, charge payments and a night audit procedure. Here you can see a report on the state of the hotel, get a different reference information (guest cards, passport data).
The number of other software modules of the system includes the tariff control unit, the license background control unit (for compiling the cleaning schedule and maid work). It is worth noting the presence in the Lodging Touch system of the software block of work with travel agencies, which allows execution of applications from the agencies, the calculation of commission, the definition of discounts and special offers, View statistics.

Nimeta system. This is a relatively new product intended for small and medium-sized hotels. The operation of the Nimeta system provides the possibility of leasing and using the control system through the Internet - technology. This technology is that the hotel data and, actually, the program of the hotel management system itself is out of the hotel on a specially designated server. Such a server is located in the equipped service center of the Internet provider. Thus, to connect and use the Nimeta system, it is enough to have a computer and an Internet access.

We have the introduction of computer management systems in our country (Property Management System / PMS) based on Western technologies began with the advent of high-class hotels, many of which work in accordance with corporate rules that dictate "dedication" by a particular system.
Today, at the enterprises of hospitality in Russia, several programs for hotel enterprises are used: Fidelio, the Gold Four systems GDS, Sahara, Lodging Touch, Horse 21, characteristic and for world hotels, as well as Hotel - 2000, Sinexex - Hotel, Ei - Hotel, Ing - Hotel, Edelweiss, characteristic only for Russia. Consider these programs in more detail.

The most common service system in our country is Fidelio, it is completely Russified and adapted for russian market. As a rule, it is installed by hotels together with the popular MICROS Cash Complex. Additionally, the program of automation of financial and economic activity, the program of the organization of the sales and marketing department, the program of the chief engineer can be established. All programs work as a single integrated system in the DOS operating environment.

The exclusive distributor of Micros - Fidelio on the Russian market for 12 years is HRS (Hotel & Restaurant System). HRS performs the installation "turnkey" software and hardware, conducts training personnel, supports user support.
In Russia, the FFO management system is successfully introduced in hotels in Western chains: "Marriot" (Moscow), "Radisson CAC Azure Hotel" and "Radisson CAC Azure Peak Hotel" (Sochi), "Sheraton Palace" (Moscow), "Ararat Park Hayatt "(Moscow), and in independent hotels: Aerostar (Moscow), Atrium Palace Hotel (Yekaterinburg), Ararat Nord (St. Petersburg)," Chukotka "(Anadyr), Versailles (Vladivostok ), Park Hotel (Anapa) and many others.
As for GDS, they are widely used in the Russian market. TO this class Believe the system of reservation of places in hotels "Alean" (aleaN.ru) and SAHARA system.

Alean was established in 1999 on the basis of the RVB tour operator (Russian Military Brotherhood) specifically for the development of the Global Booking and Turning System on the Domestic Market. The design of the system complex was engaged in their own programmers of the company. However, the optimal marketing appearance product acquired only with the involvement of specialists familiar not only with information technology, but also with the specifics of the tourist market. Buyers here can be both travel agencies and individual customers. Such an opportunity the system was due to the full orientation on the Internet technologies. For individual clients, the design and payment of the order is still going on in an off-linet version (in the office of the company or at the place of arrival at rest).

In relation to Russia, the Sahara reservation system should also be mentioned. For Russian hotels hosting western tourists, performance in all systems included in the "Golden Four" today is already a necessity, and not just a tribute to fashion. For hotels focused on internal tourism, more preferably representation in the SAHARA system. Russian hotels should enter the systems alternative to the global, in the system that exist on the Internet. The main disadvantage of the SAHARA system is that it is not adapted to integrate from the Internet and creating its own Internet servers through which access to information is provided.
Galileo system from the GDS family on the Russian computer technology market in the hotel business takes 2nd place. But this result will be achieved in just 4 years of work. "We understand that we are the second, but this is an honorable place," says Sarah Crow8 representative office in Russia. The development of this system occurs very rapidly, making the work of domestic hotels faster and productive.
Since 1998, Libra International has been working on the Russian market. Thanks to its activities in Russia appeared: systems Lodging Touch, Open SPA, Epitome Enterprise software package.

Unlike other similar systems, Lodging Touch operates in the operating windows Environment NT, which significantly expands its activities, and also allows you to easily master the work with it even to the inexperienced user. It is noteworthy that the Lodging Touch system is joined with Russian accounting programs, for example, with a "sail" system. To date, this system is the most modern software for complex automation. hotel business. Among 4500 clients of the company are Russian hotels like Renaissance, Aerostar, Metropol, International, Eridan, Union.
Open SPA sanatorium service management system is installed in many Central European Spa Complexes. In Russia, the first organization, who chose Open SPA, was the Sanatorium "Blue Wave" in Gelendzhik

The Epitome Enterprise software package is designed by the HIS Corporation (USA), one of the world leaders in the field of information technologies for the hospitality industry. Information solutions HIS provide the functioning of many world-famous hotels and hotel chains. The company's customers are over 4,000 hotels in various levels in 83 countries of the world. In Russia, the Epitome Enterprise family system is set about 50 hotels. Among users of the system as small hotels (Savoy and Katerina in Moscow, Vlad Inn in Vladivostok) and large complexes (Moscow "Cosmos" and "Izmailovo", "Radisson CAC Azure Park Hotel" in Sochi). They optimize the hotel management system, system of business communications, business analysts.
According to the company's specialists, there are 5 fundamental principles: stability, functionality, ease of use, minimum service requirements and information processing requirements.

In Russian developments, the software of the company "Interlel" is allocated (its products appeared in the market in the mid-90s. The twentieth century and to this day operates in several dozens of Russian hotels, including the hotel "Russia") and the system complex "Hotel-2000 "Developed by INTURSOFT and used in about 10 Russian hotels, including:" Academic "," Narrow "(Moscow)," Brest Palace Hotel "(Veliky Novgorod), Sakhalin-Sapporo (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk), Pension "Ural" (Anapa).

The "Hotel-2000" system automates the main hotel services. It implemented a flexible system of settlement system with guests, ensured control over the operation of the cashiers, carried out a numbering room control, ensuring control over the work of the maids. A powerful analytical apparatus is built into the system, which allows you to form more than 100 different statistical, operating, audit and financial reports through the hotel managers. "Hotel-2000" also makes it possible to control the process of incorporating and disable telephone numbers and transfers information about telephone negotiations on a general guest balance. The system may be associated with any system restricting access rights installed in the hotel. The control system of electronic locks is carried out using magnetic maps. BUT B. lately The company "Intursoft" is virtually invisible in the market.

The only Russian developer who came to the global market with its software product for hotels, has become the company "Software" from St. Petersburg.
The first installation of the Edelweiss system abroad was produced in 1996 in a small Swiss hotel. Currently, the "Edelweiss" system is installed in more than 400 hotels different countries. In Russia, it is "Scandinavia", "Gelving" and "Grand Hotel Emerand" 5 * in St. Petersburg, Victoria Palace Hotel in Astrakhan, Versailles in Khabarovsk, Sanatorium "Chernomorery" in Sochi. The main task of the EDELVEYS system is the automation of reservation and placement services ("Porter", commercial department, accounting, accommodation, maid service, service bureau, business center, hotel service.

Such software complexes such as "Sinex: Hotel", "Ei-hotel", "INING-Hotel" are not enough on the market.
The company "Xienexinformatics" offers the "Sienenex: Hotel" configuration, created for enterprises providing hotel services, actually hotels, holiday homes, boarding houses. With this program, you can register customers, booking rooms and hotel download planning, extend your accommodation or resettlement, keep records of rental numbers, make calculation with customers.

In addition, "SinexEx: Hotel" allows you to manage the placement of customers, including on the basis of contracts with legal entities, control the state of the number Fund (rent, repair, cleaning, etc.); To form summaries and operational download reports, to conduct a "black list", which includes the so-called problem clients.
The configuration contains a number of specialized reference books (license plate (numbers), their categories, types of guests, services, tariffs) and several general purpose reference books. It allows you to form 18 types of documents and printed Forms, 40 reports and reports, as well as conduct 22 types of processing documents.
In the Software "1C: Enterprise" program, on the basis of which configuration has been developed, the input of daily data is carried out using documents. The program allows you to register applications for accommodation, book rooms or places in them. Applications can be accepted not only by phone and fax, but also by email. When booking a new guest, the program checks whether it lived in the hotel earlier, is not in the "black list".

The product of the company "Effect Inform" is called "Eiotel", his task is to keep the placement and booking of places in hotels. Booking is carried out on the basis of the client's appeal, it can be individual and group, as well as guaranteed and non-marginal. In the latter case, if the client did not appear in the last day or did not receive any notice, the number is translated into a state of free. When guaranteed - reservation is maintained for the entire period, and at the expense of the client fits the fee for the number left it.
Selection of rooms is made on the basis of the wishes of the client (category of room, the availability of the balcony, telephone and other amenities): from free on this moment Select the one that satisfies the request. In the absence of these reservation is transferred to the list of "Waiting." All data about the left guest is transferred to the archive. If necessary, the card is printed comprising full information About his stay at the hotel. You can use the available data if the client stops at the hotel again.
The system allows you to form a report on free rooms at a specific date with the possibility of sampling by categories, groups of numbers and with a breakdown of outcomes by category. It is provided for the separation of access rights to information for various users, the identification of the latter is carried out by entering the name and password. You can track exactly which changes entered this or that user.
The INING-Hotel program, developed by Ining Business Soph, is designed for hotels and holiday homes and is a system for recovering guests, as well as payments with partners (travel firms) and living. In addition, with the help of additional modules, you can automate room reservations and sale of vouchers, including through the Internet. The program has several categories of reference books that characterize the residential foundation (types of buildings, room categories, number); general purpose (information about countries, tour of firms); Personnel (managers and access rights). The program contains such useful reports as: the register of implemented vouchers for travel firms; list of arrivals / decisions per day; List of residents (guests); information about the citizenship of guests; Day certificate in the number of employed numbers; Report on the use of the room. The computer systems described above are the main ones today, but the situation in this market is changing daily.

In addition to the obvious advantages, which gives the use of information technologies in the hotel business, there are many problems due to the requirements for exploitation and competent use, as well as the undeveloped Russian information technology market.
The main problem when installing software, in addition technical issues, Computer illiteracy and insufficient personnel qualification. The overwhelming number of hotel workers has humanitarian education, which causes certain difficulties when working with a computer and the Internet. Rewarding employees or hiring professionals require additional financial resources. Not all hotel enterprises can afford to support IT professionals.

In Russia, there are only a few universities giving education in the field of hotel business, and even more so giving the opportunity to students visually get acquainted with computer systems that are used in hotels.
It often happens that the software of foreign manufacturers is not adapted for the Russian market.
An obstacle to the development of online sales systems is a small number of users of a runet, a low standard of living of the population, a small degree of development of payment systems, payment mechanisms for bank checks and credit cards. And, despite the fact that the tools of non-cash payment for individuals are actively developing, tourist Internet companies are in no hurry to introduce payment technologies, because there is still a certain risk of incurred by unreasonably high costs: in particular, the credit card has a small percentage of Russian travelers. . In addition, Russian tourists prefer to pay a "living" manager, and not virtual MachineAnd at the same time make sure that no one is deceived.

Sometimes hotels with their Web sites make serious mistakes. Forgetting that the site is business card Firms in the Internet and function it should 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, many do not pay due attention to the site design and forget to support it in working condition. The greatest number "Dead" sites are found in the field of online tourism and hospitality. Summing up the above, we note that "Promotion" and the content of its Web representative offices is a special job that cannot be ignored.

The problem also is that there is no proper regulation and licensing of this activity by the state. Conditionally can be divided into groups: information security with wide use of computer technologies; the absence of uniform standards in the application of the Internet and other information technologies; Problems of interaction with "adjustments". In essence, information is transmitted according to the hotel chain, which, in accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation, "On Information, Informatization and Information Protection" of January 25, 1995 should be defended. This, for example, personal data of citizens. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 334 of April 3, 1995 obliges legal and individuals Apply only certified encryption funds and have a license to operate, which almost no one has. As a result, today, almost all participants in the hotel business storing and transmitting data on clients are violators of the law. None of them is able to independently find an acceptable way out of the current situation, since not satisfying all the requirements of protection, no legal framework for their application exists. The problem must be solved in close cooperation with the relevant government agencies. Of great importance, in particular, has a speedy way out of the regulations and regulatory documents to the Act on the electron-digital signature.

Do not deepen in particular and individual problems with providing information security, pay attention to the following - despite the use of special software and hardware protection, limiting the transmitted information on public communication channels, the use of various administrative control techniques - the problem of information security remains and should be solved On the scale of the entire industry as a whole, and maybe across the country. Laws, and control bodies, and, maybe even direct state support for domestic safety manufacturers. It is necessary that the products of these manufacturers be an advanced and competitive, including at the price.
Prospects for the development of computer systems in the hospitality industry today are as follows.
The first hotel computer systems appeared 30 years ago, and over the years, computer systems have passed a big way of development. Now computer systems cover all the processes of the functioning of the hotel and its relationship with guests.

The development of information technologies and their significant functionality led to the emergence of fully integrated systems of computer management of hotel enterprises. Currently, systems based on the use of personal computers and mini-computer with a developed interface are widely used. Such an informational bridge allows you to exchange management and financial information. Systems allow you to automate the fulfillment of the daily tasks of Perso-Nala and the hotel manual. At the same time, the relationship is achieved between the various services of the hotel, which largely increases efficiency and allows you to get rid of errors. At the same time, the guide receives a powerful tool for monitoring the hotel's condition and financial flows, and the possibilities of hotel personnel abuse are reduced to a minimum.

One of the most dynamically developing directions of computer systems for the hospitality industry - reservation using computer technology, the creation of which made it possible to associate the entire hospitality industry into a single whole. Computer networks associate various departments operating at the hotel, improve communications and increase hotel capabilities. Modern equipment provides clear and fast access To information. The number of computer systems provided is constantly growing, and in the near future you can expect the emergence of "global management systems of the hotel farm".

Many hotels today provide the ability to announce their services through the Internet. This allows potential to customers from different countries of the world: business tourists, resting, foreign guests - to all who have the ability to enter the Internet, use their personal computersTo present in advance where he goes, what he can have to be placed in this hotel. As it is becoming more and more popular, the hotels make their web sites are becoming more and more friendly, with an intuitive interface for the user. When reserving rooms in hotels, the site visitor - the potential client is provided general information About the hotel, photos of different categories, description additional services (food, conference room, sauna, sports complex), as well as a list of cultural and recreation sites located in the immediate vicinity of the hotel. To book the number you need to enter the necessary data (surname, date of arrival and departure, the number and type of rooms, the contact address and the phone) and send an application, which will then be processed, introduced into the hotel's computer, and the client will be sent confirmation of its booking. This is usually done by e-mail, but at the request of the client, many hotels can send confirmation by fax or by mail.

Additional Internet operations include: the ability to view the plan number and hotel plan; the possibility of ordering additional services; The ability to familiarize yourself with the city plan and the work of transport (metro, bus, taxi).
The Internet and its services develop rapid around the world. Already today, hotels can work on the Internet for confidential tariffs and use to pay, in addition to credit cards, bank transfers. In any case, today TravelWeb and similar sections are excellent information reference books of the agencies, tour operators, flight schedules, hotels, attractions and many information, so necessary in modern conditions.
It is possible to assume with confidence that it is those hotels that have already started movement in this direction, and will determine the development strategy of the hotel business in the field of information technology for the next few years.

Assessing the state of the Russian market in terms of development and use of computer technologies, it is important to note that much depends on the hotel's management. In leading Russian hotels in global hotel chains, work is fully automated, technologically, there are own computer and Internet services. Such hotels are the first to receive computer new products, hold upgrade. By the way, the geography of technological companies in Russia is extensive. They are in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Novosibirsk and other major cities. The share of such "advanced" hotels in the market is small. But here there is a well-known rule "20-80": 20% of active hotels provide 80% of customer needs. This is the specifics of the Russian market

The Internet is a global computer network that allows users from all over the world to share information and enjoy computer resources. It is the most powerful information technology system in the world. The Internet is not one computer network, but tens of thousands of local and global national Networksinterconnected. The directions of the development of the Internet defines the "Internet Society" company (Internet Society) - an organization led by the Council of Elders, consisting of specialists working on a public basis. The prototype of the Internet is considered to be a computer network of the US Department of Defense ARPANET. By the beginning of the 90s. XX century Special guide navigation programs were created, allowing the end user to work and find information in the network simply enough.

The Internet is developing rapidly: annually the number of its subscribers and volume information resources Practically double. To date, more than 40 million people are used by the Internet. In more than 100 countries of the world on all continents of the globe. The number of network users is doubled every 10 months; Every second on the network moves over 4 thousand. electronic messages. Currently, the number of Internet users in Russia is more than 1.7 million people, of which there are about half a million users in Moscow.

The beginning of the use of the Internet in Russia in the field of tourism refers to 1995, when the first tourist sites began to appear with a description of travel and reports on mountain, aqueous and other campaigns. One of the first to appeared the site of the Nizhny Novgorod tourist firm "Team Gorky" (http://www.teamgorky.ru), which is engaged in adventure tourism. In the spring of 1996, a tourist server "100 roads" appeared, which is currently one of the most popular. Among the major tourist firms, one of the first created their website Corporation "Academservice" (www.acase.ru). In 1997-- 1998 There are already many sites dedicated to tourism. Currently, the Internet has become an integral part of the development of Russian tourism. However, many firms continue to do without this new technology And therefore cannot assess the advantages that the Internet provides the Internet. The Internet allows you to reduce telephone cost costs, ensures fast information transfer, provides fundamentally new ways to conduct advertising companies.

The capabilities of the global computer network for tourist business workers are truly limitless. Already in 1996, there were about a thousand independent sections on the Internet: tourist firms, hotels, airlines, dozens of tourist services booking systems. According to experts, by the end of 2001, with the help of the Internet, services will be sold in the amount of about 160 billion dollars.

The use of the Internet in the sphere of socio-cultural service and tourism includes many directions:

get access to the use of modern communication systems, including email, digital telephone communication, etc., which significantly reduces the cost of tourist enterprises to negotiate, business correspondence, Direct Mail, etc.;

getting various reference data, in particular by country, tariffs, prices, weather forecast at various points in the world, etc. in real time, which contributes to the formation of a high-quality tourist enterprise;

gain access to global booking and reservation systems;

the possibility of forming new marketing channels to promote tourist services, in particular the creation of own websites of firms, virtual tourist offices, e-commerce, etc.

All this ensures the formation of a single information tourist space, which allows to work at the level of modern international standards and technologies in the field of tourist and hotel business (Chart No. 2, No. 3)

Chart # 2. Audience of tourist servers.

Chart # 3. Audience of site tourist firms.

The Internet consists of combining computer networks - domains (Domain), each of which is assigned a name. Each user, as well as a domain, is also assigned a unique name. Connect to the Internet with various means. Most often used connection using telephone lineBut, of course, it is better to use high-speed dedicated channels, satellites, infrared radiation or even fiber-optic cables. To connect to the Internet, you need a computer, modem and communication line (for example, telephone).

The Internet is not the world's only large computer network. There are also many commercial network service providers: America On-Line, CompUserve, Microsoft Network. The Internet connects to these networks via postal gateways (gateways), so that you can share information with both Internet users and OuterNet users.

Integrated communication networks allow you to create a single information space and ensure the operational exchange of professional information in the field of tourist business. For tourist organizations, the timeliness and accuracy of the received and sent operational information is crucial, so the most popular Internet service is widespread - e-mail (email). The latter is usually used to exchange information with partners and customers, which allows you to reduce the costs of communication several times, as well as provide a high speed delivery speed. The telephone or fax relationship of remote regions of Russia is much more expensive than sending messages by email. The average message delivery time, regardless of the location of the addresse, is usually a few minutes. Sending email letters anywhere in the world requires Internet access, knowledge email address Recipient. The electronic message can include not only a written message, but also video, photo and sound informationIt is very important for tourist businesses when conducting an advertising campaign a travel campaign by direct mail (Direct-Mail) and is popular in connection with the country's vast territory. In many specialized software productsAutomating the activities of tourist firms and hotels, email capabilities are embedded in the system itself.

The Internet makes it possible to implement IP-telephony, in which the subscriber's voice is transmitted through the channels of Internet providers through special equipment for the nearest to the remote subscriber of the Gateway Internet. Then the voice is converted and transmitted to the usual telephone tube to the required subscriber. As a rule, IP connections are installed very quickly, but the occurrence of noise (echo) and small delays in the transmission of speech information are not excluded. As the appearance of better equipment and improvement of protocols responsible for transmitting a voice using Internet tools, the quality of IP communication services will increase. Nearby additional features possesses IP telephony, which supports video telephony, allows for extended teleconferences, etc. While IP communication is more expensive compared to traditional ways telephony but it provides high quality Communications and significantly hesitate international negotiations. According to experts, in a few years IP-telephony will replace most of the generally accepted ways to transfer information in telephone networks.

Teleconference (News Groups) is similar to the interest group. Anyone can put his message in it, which is called Article (article). Teleconference articles Unlike interest groups are not sent, but stored on large computers - servers.

The design of the site usually carries out a professional Web master who creates a website and places on it necessary information. When creating a site, you should consider a few points:

the site must be easily accessible, i.e. The page loading time should not exceed 30-60 s and receiving any information should be provided for three clicks (three mouse clicks);

his name must be easily memorized;

the information on the site should be accurate and always relevant, i.e. It is necessary to ensure timely and high-quality support for the site;

Another way to use the Internet to promote truduks is to use banner advertising. The banner is a graphic static or an animated image that can be placed directly on any site through banner-exchange networks or specialized advertising agencies. Banner-exchange networks combine dozens and hundreds of various sites.

The basis of the tourist industry is the company tour operators and travel agents engaged in tourist trips, selling them in the form of vouchers and tours; Providing tourist accommodation and nutrition services (hotels, campgrounds, etc.), their movement around the country, as well as management bodies, information, tourism research and training for him, enterprises for the production and sale of tourist demand goods. Other industries operate on tourism, for which tourist service is not the main activity (cultural enterprises, trade, etc.).

Tourism is informational activities. There are few other industries in which the collection, processing, application and transmission of information would be as important for daily functioning as in the tourism industry. The service in tourism cannot be exhibited and considered at the point of sale, as consumer or manufacturing goods. She usually buy in advance and away from the place of consumption. Thus, tourism on the market almost completely depends on images, descriptions, means of communications and information transmission.

Travel agent is a physical or legal person who serves as an intermediary for the sale of tours formed by the tour operator.

Tour operator - tourist organization engaged in tours.

However, one peculiarity is distinguished by a binder, holding various manufacturers within the framework of the tourist industry, is information. Exactly information flowsand not goods provide links between manufacturers of tourist services; They are not only in the form of data streams, but also perform in the form of services and payments.

Services (for example / Overnight in a hotel, car rental / integrated tours and places in airplanes) are not sent to travel agents / which / in turn / do not store them until they are selling consumers. Transmitted and uses information about the availability, cost and qualities of these services.
Similarly, real payments are not translated from travel agents to tourop stores / and commissions - from tour support workers to travel agents. In fact, information on payments and receipts (scheme 2) is translated.

Three characteristic features of tourism can be distinguished.

First, it is a varied and integrated trade in services.

Finally / this is an informational saturated service. Therefore, tourism is both international and internal, the sphere of the growing application of information technologies.

The information technology system used in tourism consists of a computer reservation system, teleconferencing systems, video systems, computers, management information systems, electronic information systems of airline / e-mailing money, telephone networks, moving means of the message, etc.

It should be noted that this technologies system is deployed not by travel agents, hotels or airlines each separately, but by all them.

Moreover, the use of every segment of tourism information technology system matters for all other parts.

For example, the internal management system of the hotel can be associated with computer global networksSuppose, in turn, the basis for communication with hotel reservation systems, which, already in the opposite direction, can be available to travel agents through their computers.
Consequently, we are dealing with an integrated information technology system that extends to tourism.

The tourism industry is so many-sided and multifaceted, which requires the use of a wide variety of information technologies, ranging from development of specialized software, ensuring the automation of the work of a separate tourist firm or hotel, to use global computer networks.

Currently, the formation of the tour enterprise provides for using GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM), providing fast and convenient booking tickets on transport, reservation of hotels in hotels, car rental, currency exchange, booking of entertainment and sports programs, etc.

In the tourism industry is also widespread videoText, Combining the possibilities of computer systems for reservation, email, telecis, electronic newspapers.