An exploratory case study of hotel e‐marketing in Ho Chi Minh City

Many developing countries have made tourism their top national priority for economic development, and e-tourism is being promoted due to its relatively low start-up costs and its high potential to attract foreign capital. However, with a low overall level of e-readiness, deploying e-tourism is a rather overwhelming endeavor. This article presents a case study that uses extensive field data collection to assess the effectiveness of Web technology in promoting tourism in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This city was selected because its tourism industry has been recognized for making a concerted effort to target foreign visitors and its hotels have been among the most important adopters of e-commerce in the country. This study assists in better understanding the opportunities, challenges, and guidance necessary for e-tourism to be effective in developing economies. Most interestingly, e-commerce—intended to be the enabler of a seamless, highly competitive economy—can be a key competitive advantage for those who use it effectively in a less than perfect e-market. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.