An interactive web-based prototype for developing a destination information system (DIS) for the Kingdom of Bahrain

The World Wide Web (WWW) has brought about a revolution in the media environment; and the electronic exchange of information and payment, in the goods and services sector, has come of the age. Many new ways of reaching market segments, traditionally hard to reach, have been created, and international audiences are now online. A number of tourism destinations, by taking advantage of this technology, have developed their own websites or computer systems to place them at the forefront of Internet marketing in the tourism industry. The Destination Information System (DIS), a web-based system, allows the development of a tourism information system and focuses on three crucial aspects: i) The use of databases, in combination with decentralised maintenance, allows for high quality content in terms of comprehension, accuracy and actuality. ii) The support of different information retrieval strategies, ranging from pure navigation to a full search capability, is made possible along with an online booking facility. iii) Different dimensions of customisation allow the system to be used by tourism information sources, and for diverse tourism information and products. Despite the fast-growing popularity of websites, and the presence of many tourism organisations in this `virtual market', the opportunities offered by this new medium for convenient and powerful access to tourist information and products are still being overlooked. Many organisations approach the WWW as a traditional approach of oneway communication. This research addresses the opportunity offered by the DIS for the Kingdom of Bahrain, a developing tourism destination - with a two-way communication approach in which users plays an essential role. A successful DIS attracts and retains consumers, and delivers business information with a formulated marketing strategy. However, the design and development of the DIS includes many business, technological and user challenges. Understanding and fulfilling the critical requirements of these challenges will determine the success of a commercial DIS application. Careful planning and preparation is needed to achieve the intended purpose of this new information exchange channel. (Continues...).