APPLICATION OF AUTOMATED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE TOURISM BUSINESS

Abstract

The article is devoted to the topical issue of the use of automated information technologies in the tourism business. In this, an analysis of the structure of technologies in the tourism industry was carried out, indicating the importance of each of the structural elements and determining the impact on the formation of tourism companies' profits. The usefulness of the use of information technologies in tourism has been proven, while it has been established that the introduction of information technologies changes management technology, frees users from time-consuming information processing procedures, significantly increases the efficiency of decision-making, and improves work comfort. It is argued that the market of software for automating the activities of tourist enterprises is rapidly expanding. Firms engaged in the development of IT solutions for the tourism business are actively releasing new software products, increasingly satisfying the needs of consumers. Global distribution systems – "SABRE", "GALILEO", "GABRIEL", "AMADEUS" and others – are appearing on the market of tourist services, which offer travel agencies the possibility of booking and access to databases of travel service providers around the world. A tourism company, optimizing its production processes, must answer three basic questions: creation of a single database that contains information about partner companies, individual clients, advertisements placed by the company in the mass media, applications made and payments for them, offers and their details (hotels, flights, types of services), currency rates and etc.; the possibility of saving time when making applications and simplifying this process due to the automatic output of a complete set of necessary documents: contract, invoice, voucher, reservation letter, income and expense cash order, etc.; combining remote offices into a common network with a single base. It was concluded that the active use of IT products by domestic and foreign specialists significantly increases the efficiency of the tourism industry. After all, effective automated information and technological management is a key link in increasing economic feasibility and improving the quality of services. Therefore, for quick and error-free control, full analysis of the existing situation, speed and completeness of customer service, the introduction of automated management systems becomes inevitable and irreplaceable.