Compared to previous years, the current political and economic situation in the world has
changed tourists’ habits considerably. After the late 1990’s, the progression and exploration
of the internet has offered tourists a valuable virtual friend which has enabled them to
receive more information regarding availability of services and prices that meet their
individual needs (a detailed research in www.go-online.gr (2010)). The obvious difference
from the pre-internet age is that the consumer now has direct contact with the tourist
product producer and less intermediaries exist (Walle, 1996). Therefore the initial cost of
travel goes down and the consumer has more choices available to her, being able to
customize the whole travel experience (Livi, 2008).
Internet penetration differs from country to country and it depends on various social and
political factors which impact on the citizen’s access and effective use of technology with
increased expected benefits to society (Xiaoming & Chow, 2004). The development of
new technologies is growing at a faster rate than in the past and therefore traditional travel
agencies must realize the importance of this change and adjust their philosophy
accordingly to meet the needs of the new smart consumer who uses efficient technology
(Swarbrooke and Horner, 1999).
The digital customer is more demanding now due to the fact that the customer is able to
gather a greater amount of information which includes product availability in less time
with the help of the internet. So she1 is able to adjust her consumer buying behavior
through the power of information she now owns. The comparison of prices, the customized
