A Short Note On Pregnancy Related Back Pain Finally Been

Has A Solution To Pregnancy-Related Back Pain Finally Been Delivered? If you know a pregnant woman, you know a woman with back pain. That has always been the norm, but just because your mother and grandmother had to endure that constant, nagging lower back pain doesn t mean you have to. Has a solution to pregnancy-related back pain finally been delivered? Yes it has! Why Are You Hurting? Your lower back, including the coccyx bone, is under a lot of extra pressure when you re pregnant, but it s not just the added weight causing you problems, it s a multitude of forces working within your changing body. As your uterus grows, your center of gravity is thrown off somewhat and your abdominal muscles are stretched to their limits, causing them to weaken. This combination of events alters your posture, further increasing the level of back pain you experience. To complicate matters even more, the hormonal changes you go through mean your joints and ligaments become looser, altering the way you move even more - thus putting additional pressure on your already burdened spine. Add to all of that the fact that you re likely feeling a lot of emotional stress and it s easy to understand why so many women complain about their aching backs during pregnancy. What s Your Solution? Talk to your doctor about the level of pain you re enduring and ask if exercises would be suitable for your individual circumstances. While the thought of working out may not hold much appealShow MoreRelatedDrugs in Lebanon2777 Words   |  12 PagesOfficial Action Cannabis has been grown in the Bekaa valley ever since the Roman Empire, despite the laws prohibiting it. A long-running measure by the government before the Civil War was to burn the fields before the yearly harvest. 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Truth, Illusion, and Examination in Sylvia Plaths The...

Truth, Illusion, and Examination in Sylvia Plaths The Mirror Who would be so pretentious as to suggest that they were silver and exact, and that they have no preconceptions? Poet Sylvia Plath dares to meditate on the opposite wall in her poem The Mirror to reveal to her reader some of her own insecurities, the theme of this, and several other of her poems. The poet does some introspective exploration in both stanzas; the two carefully intended to mirror each other. It is her use of private or contextual symbolism, her use of symbols to create an atmosphere of truth versus illusion, and her design of the mirror to symbolize her inner-self that make this poem such a vehicle for self-examination. Plaths message is†¦show more content†¦The fault therefore lies in the subject who searches for other devices such as the candles or the moon to provide a favorable reflection, however unrealistic. These devices symbolize the many tools a woman might use to ultimately disguise her true appearance, like cosmetics or dim lighting. Lipstick and can dlelight can only prolong the effects of aging and the reality of death. They serve as crutches to a hindered spirit that struggles day after day with the truth. The woman in the mirrors reflection denies the eye of a little god praise and rewards [it] with tears and an agitation of hands. The mirror is not cruel, only truthful, but the truth is precisely what ails the woman. Her only escape into illusion is to drown in the mirror a young girl whom she feels comfortable seeing every day. As a punishment for her denial, the woman is met with a terrible fish: her impalpable fate. The contextual symbol of the fish represents the woman who has turned her own mirror into a vast lake instead of allowing it to remain silver and exact to see her back and reflect faithfully. As a result of her terrible insecurities, the woman has essentially become her own worst enemy. She comes and goes. These words dually represent a woman who visits a mirror from time to time, and a woman who strays from her own self on occasion. The mirror is notShow MoreRelated`` Nothing Gold Can Stay `` By Sylvia Plath883 Words   |  4 Pagesfuture. However, Sylvia Plath’s poem is pointing out more and more the unusual way she sees the world and her own life with her writing â€Å"Mirror†. With both of these poems, the reader go through the meaning of life according to both authors. Through disparate personification, imagery, and symbolism, Frost and Plath utilize those literacy diverse to emphasize their poems themes human vanity and the fear of aging. Plath uses an intriguing personification to start off her poem as the mirror speaks as a human

Perception Of Risk Variation Factors Health And Social Care Essay Free Essays

Recent old ages in societal scientific disciplines and academic research have highlighted the apprehension of constructs such as hazard perceptual experience and hazard itself, in a batch of deepness. However the true apprehension of how hazard is perceived and how its influences behavior is non a simple phenomenon to specify. There is immense contention on how, why and what variables constitute it. We will write a custom essay sample on Perception Of Risk Variation Factors Health And Social Care Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Risk has been defined in legion ways by societal scientists and research workers. Before reexamining the different paradigms of hazard perceptual experience it is critical to understand the really nature of the construct of hazard itself. There exist multiple constructs of Risk. Risk is viewed as a jeopardy, as a chance as a effect and even as possible hardship or menace ( Short Jr, 1984 ) .Risk under such claims is typically assessed to be objectively quantified by hazard appraisal. On the other manus societal scientific disciplines reject such impression of nonsubjective word picture. Their attack tends to concentrate on effects that such hazardous results have on people who undergo them. This tradition see ‘s hazard as subjective in nature ( Krimsky A ; Golding, 1992 ; Slovic, 1992 ; Weber, 2001b ; Wynne, 1992 ) . , hence it defines hazard as something that human existences have invented to assist them understand and get by with the dangers and uncertainnesss of life. Admiting that hazard can intend different things to different persons ( Brun, 1994 ) , consequently people besides tend to differ in their earnestness of effects of hazards and how they calculate the chance of such hazards to take topographic point.This apprehension leads us to the term ‘risk perceptual experience ‘ , which has been defined as ‘ appraisal of the chance of a specified type of accident go oning and how concerned we are with the effects ‘ ( Sjoberg L. et Al, 2004, p. 8 ) . Individual values, beliefs and attitude every bit good as societal and cultural values or temperaments including symbols, political orientations and history constitute of factors which influence hazard perceptual experience ( Weinstein, 1980 ) .The aim of this paper is to understand the part of such societal, cultural and psychological factors which form perceptual experiences of hazard. This essay aims at discoursing hazard in context to a specified hazard which is vaccinum ha zard particular to polio. This peculiar pick has been made with consideration given to the fact that disease such as infantile paralysis is no more a job in the western states and the underdeveloped states provide a good illustration of civilization and societal influence for the sensed hazards. This has been backed by the lifting involvements by universe wellness organisation to wholly eliminate this from the face of Earth. Throughout this survey research grounds has been incorporated to organize a logical statement. In decision the deduction for policy shapers and other interest holders are discussed in line with the acknowledgment of the changing perceptual experience of his hazards. Polio has been known to distribute via the unwritten faecal path. The West had popularly seen summer eruptions of infantile paralysis. These resulted in widespread paralytic infantile paralysis. There are two basic types of infantile paralysis vaccinum, both of which were developed in the 1950 ‘s.The foremost was developed by Jonas Salk, which was a formalin-killed readying of normal wild type infantile paralysis virus. This virus is known to turn in monkey kidney cells and the vaccinum is given by injection. The vaccinum aims at arousing good humoral ( IgG ) unsusceptibility and forestalling transit of the virus to the nerve cells where it would otherwise do paralytic infantile paralysis. The 2nd known vaccinum was developed by Albert Sabin, which is a unrecorded attenuated vaccinum, produced through empirical observation by consecutive transition of the virus in cell civilization. It is given orally and is known as the preferable vaccinum in the developed universe such as Uni ted States, United Kingdom and others mostly because of it easiness of disposal. ( Jeffrey Kluger, 2005 ) Vaccines have been used to control morbidity and mortality from childhood infective diseases in our society ( Senier, L. , 2005 ) .It is non incorrect to state that vaccinums constitute one of the biggest success narratives within preventative medical specialty nevertheless at that place has been a turning concern sing the necessity of its uninterrupted usage ( Senier, L. , 2005 ) ( Bostrom A. , 1997 ) .Physicians and research workers attribute such concerns in instance of infantile paralysis vaccinum mostly to the diminution in mark diseases but besides attribute it towards the turning concern for safety among the multitudes ( Senier, L. , 2005 ) .Such uncertainnesss sing vaccinum hazards along with the still prevalence of such diseases in society create a demand for understanding how perceptual experiences sing infantile paralysis vaccinum hazard are developed among people. The undermentioned subdivision purposes at supplying an overview of different prospective in order to underst and how perceptual experiences are developed and influenced. Perceived badness of a disease drama an of import portion in credence of vaccinums developed to extinguish them ( Bostrom A. , 1997 ) . A comparative survey of two diseases outburst conducted in Canada illustrates that during an eruption of a fatal, meningitis the populace reverted to mass immunisation comparable to a rubeolas outburst, where a by and large less credence of immunisation prevailed based on the populace ‘s position of rubeolas as being less unsafe.While in world Measle kill a larger graduated table of kids across the Earth ( Boholm, A. , 1998 ) . Fear is a clear illustration of what we think about a hazard in footings of our intuitive feelings, a procedure which is called the heuristic consequence and it has a great influence on our perceptual experience of risks.Amoung the current infantile paralysis bing states such frights are of a bigger magnitude given their societal and cultural backgrounds. There exists a large spread of societal consciousness every bit go od as instruction in these states. Poverty, deficiency of basic lodging installations, clean H2O and air, and other ailments have helped to organize the attitudes and perceptual experience about polio vaccinum hazards ( Sjoberg L. et Al, 2004 ) .. Another component which influences the perceptual experience of hazard associated with infantile paralysis vaccinums is the degree of control over kids ‘s going infected of vaccinum preventable disease.Works of ( Meszaros et al, 1996 ) shows that none inoculators understand that their kid was less likely effected by the inauspicious affects of the inoculation. This sense of control over the inauspicious effects of acquiring vaccinated strongly determines attitude towards inoculation. Another critical thing which must be noted here is the sensed cost benefit analysis done by parents.If at that place exists a sensed benefit in a specific pick, the hazard associated with that pick will look smaller than when no such benefit is perceived ) .Hence perceptual experiences on Polio Vaccine hazard will be constructed depending on how much control an single likes to exert within his life and what cost and benefits does he associates with the infantile paralysis vaccinum. Some groups of people have viewed inoculation of a kid as a – physical invasion into a healthy bodyA , this has been supported with doctors ‘ penchants to â€Å" make no injury ‘ ( specially in instances where more than one injection is required. Such believes and attitudes have paved agencies to constructs such as Free-loading ( which is trusting on herd unsusceptibility and taking non to immunize ) . This is proved by the research at the Pennsylvania University which has shown that a batch of none inoculators use the free equitation logic ( Hershey et Al, 1994 ) .On the other utmost side there are besides people who make determinations sing vaccinums based on what every one else seems to be doing.This is regarded at â€Å" bandwagoning † and relates to human demand for conformance and even security which fulfills the human demand for love, belonging and even safety as defined by Maslow ( Maslow, A. , 1943 ) . The above factors fall into the class of ‘Cultural reason ‘ . Which recognizes a scope of influences including psychological, spiritual, religious, emotional and even intuitive footing as defined by ( Brun, 1994 ) ( Fischhoff B. et Al, 1993 ) ( Sjoberg L. et Al, 2004 ) . Poliomyelitis as it prevails within the underdeveloped states is besides widely influenced by the success narratives of the West. Fear factors linked with deficiency of inoculation are reduced by narratives which explain ‘how infantile paralysis has been eradicated from certain states ‘ and ‘how it has become a decreasing concern ‘ ( Jeffrey Kluger, 2005 ) . Fear encourages people to take positive preventative steps ; this has been clearly illustrated by the plants of ( Leventhal, 1980 ) who found that high fright showed greater purpose to halt smoke. Hence the perceptual experience of vaccinum hazard will change for people based on their ain frights and their ain apprehension of dangers associated to the disease. Surveies on hazard perceptual experiences have taken a deep expression at understanding the function of heuristics and prejudices.According to Slovic P. perceptual experience of hazard cognitive cutoffs form the basic for qualitative estimations of hazard ( Slovic P, 1987 ) . These are called heuristics, illustrations of such prejudices ‘ include compaction of hazard, over appraisal of rare causes of decease and underestimating common 1s ( Fischhoff B. et Al, 1993 ) . Biass are non restricted to the public entirely alternatively a large beginning of such prejudices stem which in this instance would be doctors every bit good as societal workers. Adept sentiment is besides an of import factor in formation perceptual experience sing polio vaccinum hazards. Experts within their ain field hold certain information purchase and cognition, which is non alienated from their ain prejudices. Experts sentiments are frequently manipulated to organize a perceptual experience of a hazard whic h is in line with authorities and other stakeholders ( Fischhoff B, Merz JF. , 1994 ) , ( Fischhoff B. et Al, 1993 ) , ( Freudenberg and Pastor, 1992 ) . A prevailing nature of infantile paralysis ‘s being in developing states can be understood better in footings of the unstable political governments in these states and the efforts of assorted powers to derive public support through over rated wellness programmes such as battle against infantile paralysis. Another factor which is interrelated to this construct is besides the trust factor which defines public perceptual experiences of hazard. The bigger the assurance people have in professional responsible for their protection or in the authorities or establishments responsible for their exposure of hazard the less fearful they would be. The less they would swear them, the higher will be the sensed hazard associated to them. While speaking about trust, it must be noted that grade of trust receiver topographic point in the commu nicating of information about vaccinum hazards and benefits is every bit important in organizing perceptual experiences about given hazards. Public input and well-being may be viewed as the aim of cardinal interest holders in preventative medical specialty nevertheless their actions are non ever aimed at accomplishing this hence a deficiency of credibleness and trust has been created ( Timothy C A ; George T, 1995 ) . From the above treatment it can be deduced that a robust apprehension is needed to measure how cultural factors like trust and even duty reconstruct the cost benefit analysis ( Timothy C A ; George T, 1995 ) .This demand for trust among persons corresponds with the emotional responses which serve a footing for determination devising as explained by Berkowitz ( 1969 ) . Another factor which develops the assorted perceptual experience people hold sing infantile paralysis hazard vaccinums is constructed by single political orientations sing social good versus the single rights. This relates to citizen ‘s rights to picks such as choice of preventative steps for wellness attention compared to authorities ‘s power/liberty to do determinations for the multitudes. Majority of the epidemiologist suggests that such determinations should non be left to single picks but should be authorities duty. Thus it can be concluded that Mandatory inoculation influences how vaccine hazards and benefits are received by the populace. This can be understood in the visible radiation of theory of cognitive disagreement which demonstrates that voluntary picks brings more openness and credence to negative results ( Berkowitz, 1969 ) .Certain people may even hold spiritual grounds to avoid inoculation, illustration of such can be the more Orthodox beliefs where step ining with nature is considered not spiritual. In US faith is one of the three evidences on which people are exempted from inoculation. This is done given the apprehension of the diversified US society. Hence it must be acknowledged that perceptual experiences of infantile paralysis vaccinum hazard are related to the societal, cultural and even spiritual facet of person ‘s life. To reason it can be seen that perceptual experiences sing infantile paralysis vaccinum hazard are constructed by assorted cultural and psychometric factors. Peoples from their positions and attitudes sing infantile paralysis vaccinum hazard based on factors such as badness of the disease, the trust they place in the authorities and other interest holders, their ain apprehension of cost and benefits associated with the vaccinum. Percepts are strongly driven and influenced by person ‘s ain fright, his abilibity to swear and his desire to command things. Peoples are risk averse and seek to avoid ambiguity ( Slovic and Fischcoff, 1984 ) .They are invariably measuring and doing opinions which are influenced by the society in big and their milieus. They are frequently encouraged to follow the bulk and sometimes to bask the free riders consequence. All these factors have deductions for parents and policymakers about how hazards should be managed and what hazards are acceptable in the visible radiation of how perceptual experiences vary and how they are constructed. It is critical for policy shapers and others to understand that contentions over vaccinum hazard perceptual experience have immense deductions for professionals and media in their functions as sources and besides on the being of this disease. When pass oning hazard to the receivers, it is highly critical that the changing natures of formation of hazard perceptual experience are kept into head along with public instruction and participative determination devising. Government in these states where infantile paralysis is still dominant need to cultivate feelings of trust in people for the system and integrate societal consciousness programmes, which have an emotional entreaty and are targeted towards the rural countries utilizing media every bit good as local physicians and clinics. How to cite Perception Of Risk Variation Factors Health And Social Care Essay, Essay examples

Business Economics Avoid Deflation

Question: Describe about the Business Economics for Avoid Deflation. Answer: Part 1: Introduction The rate at which the general level of prices for commodities and services increases along with the decrease in the purchasing power of currency is termed as inflation. The rate of inflation is mainly restricted by the Central banks in order to avoid deflation. Inflation is mainly defined as a sustained rise in the general level of prices for commodities as well as services. It can also be measured as a yearly percentage increase. When inflation takes place, the value of dollar does not stay steady. Government spending or government expenditure on the other hand comprises of all the government consumption as well as investment. The attainment of goods and services by the government leads to future benefits (Bresciani-Turroni 2013). According to the Keynesian view, the government requires to spend in order to accomplish stability in the financial system as well as to stimulate output and investment. According to the Neo-Classical economists, the increase in the expenditure of the government in the form of intervention will result to high rate of inflation given the full-employment assumption. In most of the countries fiscal policies are faced with various problems that are related to complexities in tax collection, institutional insufficiency as well as problems related to foreign capita that in turn leads to inflation. As a result, government expenditures in addition to the collision on manufacture can have an impact on inflation (Godin 2014). Part 2: Analysis Inflation is the most deceitful and premeditated policy of the government when it does not wish to reduce the expenditure. In order to cover what is expends in surplus of its income the government creates new money. When the government starts printing new money it leads to increase in money supply. This in turn leads to increase in money supply and as a result, money supply rises faster as compared to real output. If money supply is increased by 4 percent, the aggregate demand also increases by 4 percent. The increase in money supply helps to get unemployed resources used in the general economy. When more it expended than is raised by taxes, the government with fiat money makes up the difference. The unwillingness of the government to reduce its expenditure mainly leads to increase in inflation. The individuals do not have to pay supplementary taxes when government prints more money. Through monetary degradation, the government acquires wealth from the individuals and spends it. Acco rding to the Keynesian view, the government also spends to ensure constancy of the economy that will motivate productivity through direct public spending as well as investment (Olivera 2014). Figure 1: Increase in government spending leads to increase in aggregate demand (Source: Created by Author) The graph shows that an increase in government spending leads to increase in aggregate demand. As a result, the aggregate demand increases from AD to AD1 towards the right. This in turn will lead to increase in income and a fall in unemployment. The increase in aggregate demand leads to demand-pull inflation. This in turn leads to increased pressure on scarce resources. Inflation starts with government expansion of the money supply that instantly generates benefits for some individuals. Government spending mainly takes place when the government tries to reallocate income between the rich and the poor. Various hypothetical and empirical researches mainly focus on the relationship between inflation and government spending (Mian and Sufi 2012). It has been found that there is a positive relation between inflation and the size of government. Inflation is mainly considered as a social evil as it diminishes the costs of the public sector. With the increase in government expenditure, the budget situation of the economy deteriorates. However, the real value of government spending decreases with the increase in inflation. The increase in government spending will lead to increase in budget deficit. Government expenditure is also inflationary in nature and as a result, a 10 percent increase in government expenditure leads to 1 percent increase in prices (Oto Peralas and Romero vila 2013). Figure 2: Increase in Aggregate Demand (Source: Created by Author) The graph shows that expansionary fiscal policy leads to diminishing of unemployment. As a result, government spending is increased that will shift the AD curve to the right and leading to increasing real GDP. Although, government spending leads to increasing GDP in the economy it also leads to increase in inflation (Hannsgen 2014). Part 3: Conclusion It can be concluded that inflation mainly misrepresents the calculation in the economy that leads to error in trade. The increase in the expenditure of the government in the form of intervention will result to high rate of inflation given the full-employment assumption. The expansion of money supply by the government leads to inflation. It has also been concluded that the unwillingness of the government to reduce its expenditure mainly leads to increase in inflation. The reallocation of income between the rich and the poor also leads to Government spending. The increase in government spending leads to inflation that disfigures prices and leads to changes in the pattern of production. It has been concluded that government expenditures in addition to the collision on manufacture can have an impact on inflation. However, though the increase in government expenditure leads to higher GDP however; it will also lead to increase in budget deficit. The arbitrary reserve requirements on banks are the only way that will restrict the supply of money. If the government expenditure is reduced, it will lead to reduction in inflation. References Bresciani-Turroni, C., 2013.The Economics of Inflation: A study of currency depreciation in post-war Germany, 1914-1923. Routledge. Godin, A., 2014. Marc Lavoie, Post-Keynesian Economics: New Foundations. Chapter 5. Effective Demand and Employment.Revue de la rgulation. Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoirs, (16). Hannsgen, G., 2014. Fiscal Policy, Chartal Money, Markà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ up Dynamics and Unemployment Insurance in a Model of Growth and Distribution.Metroeconomica,65(3), pp.487-523. Mian, A.R. and Sufi, A., 2012.What explains high unemployment? The aggregate demand channel(No. w17830). National Bureau of Economic Research. Olivera, J.H., 2014. Money, prices and fiscal lags: a note on the dynamics of inflation.PSL Quarterly Review,20(82). Otoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Peralas, D. and Romeroà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ vila, D., 2013. Tracing the link between government size and growth: the role of public sector quality.Kyklos,66(2), pp.229-255.

How to Create Content for the Holidays (Plus 5 Awesome Examples)

The holiday season is a busy time for consumers, so as a content marketer, it’s even more important to optimize your strategies to engage potential customers. Holiday content is crucial for any company that cares about their image and bottom line, and it provides various benefits: Readers are more likely to read holiday-related content before and during holidays. It’s more likely to be shared across social media. It helps to build brand awareness and drive sales. With so much choice and convenience offered by online retailers, some consumers research companies and products online and then purchase in-store locally. Others don’t even leave their home to shop online. One of the best ways to reach all these potential customers is through online content. So it’s up to you as a content marketer to give consumers what they want during the holidays. Consider these stats: 92 percent of holiday shoppers went online in 2016 to research and purchase gifts. 67 percent of consumers said they would be likely to share a digital holiday coupon on Facebook. 73 percent of Twitter shoppers follow businesses to find special deals. Create Your Own Holiday Content Here are some content ideas and inspirational examples to keep in mind as you start putting together your holiday content. Showcase Your Employees During the holiday season, showing the team behind your company is a great way to connect with your audience. If you have any holiday-related work events, why not share photos on social media? Majestic Wines, the UK-based wine retailer, created a â€Å"What We Want for Christmas† blog series. Each employee described a country in which they wanted to spend Christmas and suggested a wine from that region. Can you do something similar that relates to your products? Use Instagram Hold a Social Media Contest Give your contest a holiday-related theme. Ask your followers to share what they like about your product at this time of year for a chance to win a free prize. Or ask people to compete for a prize by sharing photos of themselves alongside your product using a holiday hashtag. Samsung held a holiday sweepstakes for their 2016 holiday campaigsn. Twitter users were asked to tag a friend with special hashtags, explaining why that person deserved the gift of virtual reality. The user and their friend could then win a free Galaxy S7 Edge and a Gear VR. Create a Holiday Gift Guide Add a page to your website that showcases your best products as perfect gifts for the holiday season. Then share the page with your social media followers and email subscribers. Adobe created a holiday gift guide called â€Å"15 Creative Gifts for Photographers† featuring a list of gifts for any photo lover. With large images and snappy reviews, the guide was not only useful and timely, it all related to their primary product, Adobe Photoshop. Post a Quiz Safewise, the home security advice and comparison site, always features high-quality holiday content on their blog and Twitter. Their holiday home safety quizzes are not only educational, they’re fun. What’s more, this type of content can be reused every year. Send Holiday Emails The holidays are the perfect time to reach out to your email subscribers. Use your email list to promote exclusive holiday offers such as discount codes. You can also just send out simple holiday greetings to your subscribers to help keep your business top of mind. Create a Roundup of Your Most Popular Content By highlighting your most popular blog posts from the previous year, you’ll remind readers of your expertise in your industry and also drive more traffic to older posts. Look to the Future End-of-year content is also an ideal time to look toward the future. Give your audience an exclusive insight into your company’s plans for the coming year and beyond. Why not create an ungated piece of content that features expert insights and top tips for the future? This will not only inspire your audience with new ideas, it will also strengthen the credibility of your brand with something of value. At the end of 2016, Business Insider created â€Å"11 Tech Trends That Will Define 2017,† a thought-provoking blog post to inspire their target audience. What Will Your Holiday Content Look Like? These examples show you that with a little creativity, you can generate brand interest during the holidays for little to no investment using your website, blog, or social media account. However, don’t leave it to the last minute. Whichever holiday season you’re targeting, start planning early to avoid a last-minute rush to create content. Hopefully, this will help you stay ahead of the competition and give your content better search engine rankings for key terms throughout the rest of the year. Is your content all set for the holidays?

Local scientists and their history.

Local scientists and their history. In 1939 it was realized that atoms could be split. By splitting a uranium atom in half, both halves of the atom would have a positive charge and would repel each other with powerful force.The German government took little notice of the finding at first. But others felt the implications were immediately clear. Niels Bohr brought news of Meitner's discovery to the United States in 1939. Several scientists, realizing that fission could be used to build a devastating weapon, wrote to President Roosevelt to inform him. He immediately set up a committee to research the matter.By the end of 1941, British studies had outlined the materials requirements for an atomic bomb and uranium research was going on at about 12 American universities. During 1942, the Manhattan District of the Corps of Engineers was formed to construct three secret "cities" for major portions of atomic bomb development. At Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico.Alpha Track Calutron at the Y -12 Plant at Oak Ridg...The cost of these Manhattan Project installations was $2 billion.The first atomic bomb is detonated1945Photo: Atomic bomb test explosion in Alamagordo, New Mexico, July 16, 1945. AP/Wide World PhotosIn 1932, James Chadwick discovered the neutron , a small atomic particle with mass but no charge. This turned out to be an extremely useful tool for bombarding atomic nuclei. Two years later, Enrico Fermi bombarded uranium with neutrons, hoping that it would cause the uranium to emit a beta particle and become a new, artificial element above uranium in the periodic table. It seemed he had done this and in the process showed that slow-moving neutrons were more effective than high-energy neutrons for the task. Fermi won the Nobel Prize for his work in 1938. He was a committed antifascist and when he and his wife...

Micro Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Micro - Term Paper Example Yet, in the economic cycle consumer is inevitable to business’s working and survival. As any produced good or service basically relies on consumer’s demand, who consumes it eventually. Thus, consumer’s demand, choice, preferences and decision making are significant aspects of micro economic system as they shed light on how any consumer chooses to exert his influence on any economic activity. Similarly, consumer is faced with the option of choosing from among the diverse products to meet his needs in most efficient way and likewise, utilizing his asset/cash in a prudent manner. Now how a consumer chooses and spends his earning to invest in the capital of the company is a comprehensive and diligent process, which mainly focuses on how two parties (business owner and consumer) involved take business and spending decisions. The main factors which impact the purchase inclination and decision of a consumer are price of the good or services, quality, reliability, durability and feasibility. However, there are many other factors as well, which influence the preferences of the consumer as well like fashion, marketing, government policies, and social or religious preferences. Yet, the core idea to learn about marketing strategy relies in the understanding of consumer decision making (when and how he decides to pay for goods or services). The term which describes how a consumer makes his decision t earn maximum advantage from the purchase any god or services is known as utility. This utility enables the consumer to spend more than usual on the goods/services, which benefit him in more than usual manner. However, not all the consumers can benefit any product/services in a similar way. Thus, diverse level of utility are associated with different types of consumers and this diverse nature of utility creates distinctiveness in the demand of goods/services too. However, this consumer inclination or decision making is received in the form of raw

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Steamboal Bill, Jr - Essay Example An analysis of the film will address themes, sound tracts, and effectiveness to the audience. The plot of the movie begins with the arrival of a new steamer in the river junction. The owner of the new steamer is J.J. King (Wickstrà ¶m). He is shown being happy with other captains of the ship waiting for its arrival. On the other hand, Steam Boat Bill is shown with his mate Tom Lewis in the old steamer (Wickstrà ¶m). Bill is shown annoyed because of the new steamer, as he perceives it as a business rivalry. King is depicted as a wealthy business with some few banks and hotels under his name (Wickstrà ¶m). King notes of the old steamer as a floating ‘thing’ (Wickstrà ¶m). Bill also receives a telegram of his impending son visit. They go with his mate to get the son at the railway station. They both expect a well-built man. However, the contrary happens, as the son appears small and dressed in a funny way. This makes his father begin a journey of his transformation in a new life. At the same time, King Daughter (Marion Byron) arrives from school (Wickstrà ¶m). Both Bill and King get annoyed as they realize that both Willie and Byron were lovers. They engage in a journey of ensuring that the relationship does not exist. On the other hand, Stonewall Jackson is condemned from public safety committee from carrying out transactions (Wickstrà ¶m). This annoys Bill who confronts J.J. King. The confrontation lands Bill to jail. The son tries to rescue him without any success. In the end, Willie is shown saving father, Marion Byron, and King from ravaging weather (Wickstrà ¶m). He ends up being a hero in the film despite his initial weaknesses. The theme of the film appears as that of transformation. This has been well articulated and developed by the main characters in the play. For example, Willie is shown as a weak character in the railway station. The father and his mate Tom Lewis are ashamed of Willie as he

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((((3)))) - Essay Example Abigail aggressiveness proof that she has been involved with fighting with other children and she is also frequently punishment by her parents. Curbing Abigail situation has proven to ambiguous as whenever teacher tried to help her she would perceive that teacher is also finding ways of punishing her. This has made us to seek psychotherapist assistances For the teacher to achieve his intend goal he/she has to structure a cooperative task that will consider previous experiences of the children. Therefore, proof to ambiguous as the teacher will not be in better position to come up with cooperative task that will cover every child previous experiences Teachers can use Center Ticket to build Assessment decision that reflect age suitable in both content and the method of information collection and in achieving this teachers can share this information with families by seeking to know each child’s 1st and 2nd language, and also their prior experience at home. After visiting Colorin Colorado, I came to realize parents and teachers’ observation should be valued as source of effective assessment information. The new information I leant is that Parents and teachers involvements at assessing our learners help us to understanding the social and cognitive of children’s development, and this is vibrant at assisting the teacher develop a fair instruction method to all children including seeking to know each child’s 1st and 2nd

Ecommerce in Tourism Industry

Ecommerce in Tourism Industry 2.1. Introduction to e-Commerce ‘Electronic commerce (e-Commerce) is such a service offering people the opportunity to do their shopping via modern information and communication technologies at home’ (Schultz, 2007). It enables everyone to conduct business via the Internet. The only precondition is a computer and a connection to the Internet. The term e-Commerce is becoming increasingly important in the dictionary of today’s tourism managers all around the world. This is reflected in the development of the overall online travel market turnover in Europe reaching a total of EUR 70 billion in the year 2008 (V-I-R, Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, 2009). The introduction of the internet represented both, major opportunities as well as threats, for the tourism industry. The internet erased physical borders and enables everyone to participate in a global marketplace. The only requisite is a computer and an internet access. This section explores the current dynamics within the broader area of e-Commerce and provides definitions for the incorporating aspects of business transactions via the Internet. The worldwide proliferation of the internet led to the birth of electronic transfer of transactional information. ‘E-Commerce flourished because of the openness, speed, anonymity, digitization, and global accessibility characteristics of the internet, which facilitated real-time business’ (Yu et al., 2002). One can of course argue, whether the anonymity of the Internet is still valid today. Maya Gadzheva (2008) for example, suggests that the ‘achievement of unobservability and anonymity in the Internet is going to be much more difficult in the future, due to the possibility of unlimited collection of data’. Through the aide of the internet tourism companies are able to market and sell their products to a far greater mass which represents substantial growth opportunities for them. According to Porter (2001), the ‘Internet technology provides better opportunities for companies to establish distinctive, strategic positioning than did previous generations of information technology’. However, those opportunities can also represent burdens for companies participating in transactions via the Internet. Those companies are now more than ever forced to keep their web sites up-to-date and to provide reliable information. Since the Internet is a very fast changing medium, it requires their participants, in this case the e-merchants, to keep up with this pace. In case the companies cannot fulfil these requirements, they will probably face a shift of customers to the competition. Especially the area of tourism, being labelled as largely information driven (Morgan et al., 2001) requires constantly updated and reliable information. Customers need to find every information they require on the web. They need to know where to search and they need to be convinced of the trustworthiness and reliability of this information. The ability to inform clients and to sell and market products in the virtual marketplace is a critical success factor for economic triumph of tourism companies nowadays and in the future. The website is thus a digital business card of tourism companies and one of their most effective sales persons at the same time. ‘Internet technology provides buyers with easier access to information about products and suppliers, thus bolstering buyer bargaining power’ (Porter, 2001). This will also decrease the costs of switching suppliers (or tourism companies). That is the downturn of the Internet. Competitors are only a few mouse clicks away (Porter, 2001) and the whole industry becomes more transparent. Just about every company participating in e-Commerce is obviously forced to list prices of their holiday components. This facilitates the comparability of tourism services. Customers do now have access to all kinds of information that facilitate as well as influence their holiday choice. Since tourism companies can no longer differentiate themselves from the competition by pricing means, the corporate website, and the online booking process of a holiday becomes progressively more important. This involves the appearance of the website, including usability and content related features, but also everything concerning the actual booking process and transaction handling. The tourism company (the seller) and the customer (the buyer) conducting business over the internet have usually never seen each other face-to-face, nor do they exchange currency or hard copies of documents hand-to-hand. When payments are to be made over a telecommunications network such as the internet, accuracy and security become critical (Yu et al., 2002). In other words this would mean that customers need to transfer extremely private information like credit card details to a complete stranger. Summarizing this section it can be said that Internet and e-Commerce present various advantages for tourism customers, since companies and offers are more transparent and easier to compare. Furthermore, improvements in IT technology will enhance the search for relevant information and facilitate the navigation in the World Wide Web. However, there are also threatening factors for tourism companies. Competition will become stronger, since competitors are only a few mouse clicks away, switching costs for customers are much longer and due to their access to nearly unlimited information the customers’ bargaining power will increase. Nonetheless, tourism companies who can keep up with the fast pace of the Internet and who are able to convince customers of the reliability, trustworthiness and timeliness of their displayed offers and information will benefit from the Internet. 2.2. Online Trust or eTrust What is (online) trust? A first step towards the answer of this question can be made by looking at various definitions of the term trust. Trust is defined as ‘the trait of believing in the honesty and reliability of others’ (Wordnet, Princeton University, 2006). According to this definition, buyers conducting transactions via the Internet will have to rely on a person or institution they may have never seen or even heard of. This would certainly be not sufficient as an assurance for most of us. Another definition defines trust as ‘to hope or wish’ (Wordnet, Princeton University, 2006). Summarizing this would mean that we need to rely on the goodwill of the other party and hope or wish that it will act as it was promised. Those definitions might be a good starting point in explaining the meaning of trust, but they certainly do not seem to be convenient for most of us. Bà ¶hle et al. (2000) argue that trust is a precondition for flourishing e-Commerce. Shankar et al. (2002) advance a different view, although they classify ‘(online) trust as being important in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-business’. Koufaris and Hampton-Sosa (2004) pursue a similar way of argumentation. They suggest that ‘lack of trust in online companies is a primary reason why many users do not shop online’. Another author, Peter Landrock (2002), founder and managing director of Cryptomathic UK Ltd., one of the world’s leading providers of security solutions to businesses, points out that ‘without such trust, neither businesses nor consumers will conduct transactions or sensitive communications across this medium (the Internet)’. This argument is being supported by a recently conducted study by Ernst Young and the Information Technology Association of America who concluded ‘that trust represents one of the most fundamental issues impacting the growth of e-Commerce’ (Talwatte, 2000). Strader and Shaw (Chadwick, 2001) point out that ‘consumers are more likely to buy from an online company they trust, when price differences are small’. Thos would in turn imply that whenever price differences are significant, customers are willing to accept a higher level of uncertainty and perceived risk in transactions with companies they do not know or trust. According to those argumentations one can say that trust is the major precondition for both, businesses as well as consumers to conduct transactions via the Internet. ‘Trust is a key challenge to the customer acceptance of e-Commerce: the lack of trust is an important reason for the hesitant growth in e-Commerce and for the reluctance of consumers to engage in online buying transactions’ (Schultz, 2007). A Forrester Survey from 2000 stated that ‘51% of companies would not do business with parties they do not trust over the web’ (Shankar et al., 2002). However, this would also mean that 49% of companies would do business with companies they do not trust. Trust needs to be strongly combined with uncertainty and ambiguity. The more information a buyer has about the seller, the better can he or she estimates whether the seller will act as it was promised. Thus, the better the information about a seller the better can he or she be trusted. Good examples for this assumption are online marketplaces like eBay or Amazon. Those two providers offer nearly everyone the possibility to participate in e-Business. Since they recognized the increased need from customers for information about sellers, they introduced up-to-date ratings. Every seller can be rated after transactions whether buyers have been satisfied with the transaction process or not. The higher and better the rating, the more trustworthy is the seller (in a simplified way). These ratings are good indications for (unexperienced) buyers, since they equip them with information about the seller’s past performance in transactions. Other ways in creating trustworthiness are so-called trust seals. ‘Those seals are issued by third parties to verify the commitment of an e-vendor’ (Cook and Luo, 2003; Hu et al., 2003; Kaplan and Nieschwitz, 2003; Koufaris and Hampton-Sosa, 2004; Loebbecke, 2003; Patton and Jà ¸sang, 2004; Urban et al., 2000; Yang et al., 2006; in Schultz, 2007). Trust seals are generally indicated via symbols on the web site of the seller. Those seals are a sign that the seller conducts business according to the standards of the third party, the trust seal provider, and/or that the seller conducts business as promised by the statements and policies on the web site (Schultz, 2007). ‘Further measures to increase trust are security features, the availability of alternative payment methods, privacy, security and return policies and feedback mechanisms and consumer communities’ (Schultz, 2007). ‘Security is the main concern of consumers before engaging in e-business with a seller’ (Schultz, 2007; Hinde 1998). ‘Sellers need to incorporate certain security features into the design of their web sites in order to ensure the safety of the whole transaction process’ (see Credit Card) (Schultz, 2007). Offering alternative methods of payment is another approach of the seller to signal the willingness to adapt to the customers’ needs. Being able to choose a method of payment equips the customer with the perceived power over a part of the transaction process. It is essential to display the ‘rules of the game’. Privacy, security and return policies need to present on every seller’s web site in order to inform the customer properly. This will not only increase trust but will also facilitate processes in case of complaints or other problems. The provision of customer feedback mechanism (ratings, reply forms, forums, etc.) is another way for customers to increase knowledge and gather information about a seller. The advantage is that customers can exchange with previous customers of the seller. This way they can obtain an objective evaluation of the seller. However, sellers can also manipulate those forums by uploading faked ratings or deleting negative ratings or feedbacks. Again, the customer needs to develop trust in these kinds of information. Furthermore, customers do also need to develop trust in the IT infrastructure they are using, since this will be the mean of communicating the transactional data between the seller and the buyer. In other words, consumers not trusting the technology they are using for an intended transaction via the Internet will not participate in any e-Business transaction unless they feel confident with the security. When considering security issues, a public key infrastructure (PKI) that can provide secure authentication on the Internet is an important step towards secure Internet transactions. It can help to build trust, reduce the potential for fraud, ensure privacy and provide merchants with non-repudiation (Bà ¶hle et al., 2000). It is essential for the merchant that the customer can trust him, his connection and Website and the payment system used. Otherwise there will not be any transactions between the two parties. Summarizing this section it can be said that information is the key to (nearly) everything. A higher level of information about the other transactional party will increase the level of trust, since uncertainty and ambiguity can be erased at least to a certain extent. Furthermore, it is essential to create awareness for technologies and tools needed for security improvements and the development of trust. These tools and technologies can involve ‘soft’ components like trust seals and customer feedback forums. The ‘harder’ components are embedded in the aspect of IT infrastructure. This includes improvements in the encryption and network and database security. 2.3. Electronic Payment Systems Monetary transactions via the Internet do always involve risks and uncertainty. In most of the cases, there is no personal interaction involved. That means that the customer has to put a considerable amount of trust in the seller’s promise to fulfil everything that has been agreed upon during the confirmation of the purchase (e.g. the delivery of the ordered products or services on time, in the right quality and that the agreed amount of money is charged) (Schultz, 2007; Chadwick, 2001). According to Lammer (2006) ‘Electronic Payment Systems or e-Payment Systems may be defined as all payments that are initiated, processed and received electronically’. The main concern with electronic payment systems is the level of security in each step of the transaction, because money and merchandise are transferred while there is no direct contact between the two sides involved in the transaction. If there is even the slightest possibility that the payment system may not be secure, trust and confidence in this system will begin to erode, destroying the infrastructure needed for electronic commerce (Yu et al., 2002). The customer is concerned right from the point he is connected to the website of the seller. The risk of losing private information like contact details, credit card or bank account information is a primary concern of the customer. Therefore, it is necessary that both, the seller as well as the customer take care for the security of their own network as well as with the data exchanged during the transaction. In Germany, there are currently up to ten different electronic payment methods used with varying frequency and success. The author will only refer to those payment systems which are applicable for intangible goods, such as holidays. The definitions below are based on the work of Stroborn et al. (2004), who were arguing that one way to ‘classify different payment instruments is by the point of time when the liquidity effect sets in from the payer’s point of view that means the exact point in time when the customer’s account is charged with the payment’. ‘Following this premise, one can distinguish between â€Å"prepaid†, â€Å"pay-now† and â€Å"pay-later† systems’ (Stroborn et.al, 2004). Other authors (Yu et al., 2002, Dannenberg Ulrich, 2004) categorized payment systems with regard to the following variables. ‘The first variable is the ‘size or the amount of the payment’ (e.g. micro-payments). The second variable depends on the ‘type of transaction’, e.g. credit card, paying via e-mail (PayPal)’, etc. It can be argued which of these two different approaches in classifying e-payment systems is the most appropriate. However, the author decides to use the classification of Stroborn et al. (2004) for the reason that this type of classification can be best applied to the underlying topic of this work, due to the following facts. The ability to differentiate e-Payment systems by the time, the liquidity effect sets in is important within the industry of tourism. Holiday components, especially cruises are oftentimes financed using prepayments of customers. Therefore, it is particularly important for cruise lines to know which of the offered payment systems allow them to use prepayments as financing means. On the other hand, customers do always want a certain level of security, especially when they purchase a holiday, which is certainly not an everyday expense with regard to the amount charged. Therefore, equipping customers with the perceived power of determining the point of time when the actual payment will be processed will result in a beneficial feeling on the side of the customer. This equipment of perceived power is another way of demonstrating willingness to adapt to customer needs. Customers seem to have all under control, since they receive the product before they have to pay for it. So the seller has already delivered the agreed upon product or service. 2.3.1 Pre-Paid-payment systems The different Pre-Paid-payment systems currently in use in Germany will not be further explained. Systems like GeldKarte, MicroMoney or WEB.Cent are being used to settle small-or micro-payments up to usually â‚ ¬ 100. In this respect an application within the tourism industry is of no relevance. According to the DRV (Deutscher Reiseverband, 2008), the majority of holidays booked via the Internet was between â‚ ¬ 500 -â‚ ¬ 1.500 (55, 1% of all holidays). 2.3.2 Pay-Now-payment systems ‘So called pay-now systems debit the account of the customer at the exact time the customer purchases something. Cash-on-Delivery (COD) and debit entry are well established examples today’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). Online Transfer: According to Monika E. Hartmann (Lammer, 2006) online transfer can be defined as follows: These services are embedded in the online shopping process, e.g. via an automatic popup window connecting to the service provider and already containing all necessary transaction details. The customer is invited to choose a payment option and provide his account details. The completed transaction data set will be routed to the relevant payment service provider for authorization. After successful payment authorization the bank (or the payment service provider) confirms the payment to the merchant so that the purchase transaction can be completed (Lammer, 2006). COD (Cash-on-Delivery) COD is usually used for the settlement of amounts for physical goods. Customers order their desired articles over the website of an online merchant. The goods are then delivered by a mail service. In addition to the price of the delivered goods, the customer pays also COD charges to the delivery service. The mail delivery service then mails a money order to the internet merchant. Due to the simultaneous exchange of physical goods and money, COD is said to protect consumer and merchant at the same time. Nevertheless, it is considered not to be cost-effective and awkward for the consumer, who needs to be present for the delivery. Additionally, this payment method cannot be used for goods delivered electronically (Stroborn et al., 2004). M-Payments (Mobile Payments) M-Payment is such a service, where the mobile phone of the customer in combination with a PIN number deals as authentication device. Whenever the customer wants to purchase goods or transfer money, he or she is called by a third party, e.g. Paybox (www.paybox.net), on his or her mobile phone. He needs to confirm the transaction with a PIN. The sum of the transaction is then debited from the customer’s bank account (Stroborn et al., 2004). According to a recent study conducted by the Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, v-i-r (2007), only two percent of all holiday purchases have been settled using mpayments. However, this payment method is expected to grow tremendously in the future. This is already indicated by the awareness level of m-payments. Although only two percent had used m-payments to settle their online purchases, more than 23% of all respondents are aware of the possibility of using mobile payments. Debit Entry ‘The process of a debit entry requires the receiver of the payment, the seller, to inform his banking institution to charge the account of the buyer with a certain amount. This amount is in turn booked on the account of the seller’ (www.wikipedia.org). PayPal With over 150 million registered accounts worldwide (PayPal, 2009), PayPal is one of the most successful internet-based payment schemes. Authentication is done via the personal e-mail address of the customer in addition to the entry of a password. The amount is then debited from the customer’s PayPal account. Customers using PayPal will benefit since they will no longer have to reveal their debit or credit card number. Furthermore, the whole transaction process is speeded up due to the fact that customers no longer need to enter their address details. PayPal also promotes its product as being more secure in comparison with other e-payment schemes. 2.3.3 Pay-Later-payment systems ‘In terms of pay-later-systems (e.g. credit cards), the customer actually receives the goods before being debited’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). However, this depends upon the point in time when the customers’ bank account is being debited. It is also possible, particularly within the area of tourism that the bank account is debited before the holiday is ‘consumed’. Within the tourism industry it is a common practice to book and purchase holidays long time in advance. Especially in terms of family holidays, customers like to book in advance, since they do only have a small time frame (namely the school holidays) where they can go on holiday. So, holidays in these periods are strongly demanded. Thus there is an incentive for customers to book as early in advance as possible. In this case, the classification of Stroborn et al. (2004) is not valid anymore. The holiday is purchased long before it is consumed and thus the bank account will also be debited before the consumption. Credit Card ‘Settling payments via the use of the credit card is the most commonly used payment method worldwide. Nearly 90 % of all items and goods purchased via the Internet are paid by credit card’ (Dannenberg Ulrich, 2004). Stroborn et al. differentiate between three basic ways of credit card payments via the Internet: An unsecured transaction ‘A transaction via Secure Socket Layer (SSL), which is a sort of digital envelope. SSL is the de facto standard for secure online transactions, preventing eavesdroppers from learning customers’ account details’ (Ashrafi Ng, 2009). The SSL technology establishes a secure communication channel between the participants of an online transaction. ‘a transaction employing Secure Electronic Transaction Protocol (SET), which is currently considered as the safest credit-card-based payment systems on the Internet’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). Recapitulating this section again highlights the importance of awareness. According to Monika Hartmann (Lammer, 2006) ‘many payment solutions did not succeed in reaching a critical mass of users’. This can be seen in within the example of Mpayments. Payment methods may be very useful, however if they do not manage to reach a critical mass of users, they will not succeed in the market. So customers need to be enlightened about the different payment methods available and the advantages and disadvantages involved. In addition the aspect of trust reappears in this section. Customers need to trust the security of their Internet connection in the first place before they are conducting any business transactions. 3.1 Factors favouring the growth of e-Commerce in tourism The introduction of the internet as well as the ability to pay for goods and services via electronic payment systems created potential advantages for customers as well as for tourism companies. ‘The marketing of an intangible product such as tourism largely depends upon visual presentation’ (Morgan et al., 2001). With the Internet, marketers finally found the perfect tool. The capability of combining the presentation of facts and figures, emotional pictures and the whole booking process is a huge asset for tourism companies. Buhalis (Morgan et al., 2001) stated that ‘organizations and destinations which need to compete will be forced to compute’. Thereby, he assigns companies participating in e-Commerce a significant competitive advantage. According to a recent study of the VIR (Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, 2007) customers value the easy and fast way of booking trips via the internet. Furthermore, they appreciate the possibility to customize their trips, to see if their desired holiday is still available and the extensive range of offerings. The possibility to pay per credit card and the savings in terms of time they need to invest are also big advantages for German customers booking their trips and holidays via the Internet. Cheyne et al. (2006) suggested that ‘the Internet is providing the means for suppliers and consumers to bypass the travel agent and interact directly’. Furthermore, many writers propose that ‘the Internet furnishes travel consumers with more information, quicker responses and often lower prices than they can achieve when making travel arrangements through a traditional travel agent’ (Cheyne et al., 2006). Tania Lang, a senior consultant at Cap Gemini Ernst Young, stated in her work in 2000 that ‘there are a variety of factors providing advantages and benefits for the users of the Internet’. Amongst those factors is the access for availability enquiries and bookings when consumers want to research and purchase travel. Customers are no longer restricted to the opening times of their local travel agency. According to Buhalis (Lang, 2000), ‘the ability to access information which is detailed and up to date assists the travel consumer by making the product more tangible in their mind’. Another important advantage of e-Commerce in tourism is the bypass of travel agent fees and the access to online discounts. Lang (2000) stated that there is a ‘cost advantage in purchasing travel online as a result of the market becoming more competitive. These cost advantages can also be explained by decreasing distribution costs’. Concluding this section it can be suggested that customers will benefit tremendously from e-Commerce in the tourism industry. They will be faced with lower prices, since no intermediaries are involved any more so that potential cost savings can be achieved. In addition to this, the authors cited above implied that the visual representation of holidays will improve due the recent and upcoming developments in technology. According to this, there should not be any disadvantages for customers and conducting bookings via the Internet are the best solution for the future. However customers will also have to sacrifice in certain aspects as well as they will have to experience that bookings holidays via the Internet might not be that advantageous as the following section will point out. 3.2 Factors for the hesitant growth of e-Commerce in tourism In 2009, Prashant Palvia argues that ‘the Internet is far from achieving its potential due to the reluctance of consumers to engage in its use’. Palvia (2009) stresses this assumption by a recent study, indicating that sales of online retailers were only 2, 2% of total goods sold in the U.S. in 2005. Moreover, analysts have predicted that even by 2011, e-Commerce sales would only account for only 7%. According to Tania Lang (2000), there are certain barriers or disadvantages of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) for consumers. Amongst those factors, the ‘lacks of a human interface and of confidence in the technology as well as security issues have a high relevance’. There are a lot of situations, where a customer has built a strong relationship to his travel agent. For some travellers, the actual booking process (whether via a travel agency or the Internet) is already part of the holiday itself. The booking process might even be some kind of ritual which is carried out in exactly the same manner every time the customer goes on holiday. Those loyalty or relational factors are hard to be erased or replaced by the Internet which is in fact a major threat to electronic commerce in the tourism industry. A number of authors maintain that ‘travel agents provide better services, especially when more complex products are to be purchased’ (Cheyne et al., 2006). ‘Those complex travel arrangements are more information intensive and therefore needs consultation of travel agents compared to less complex holiday components such as flights or rail tickets’. Other authors, including Inkpen, Lyle and Paulson (Cheyne et al., 2006) argue that ‘travel agents can offer a more personalized service and provide unbiased advices that add value for the customer’. Concerning the latter assumption one can argue that this is true for inexperienced or first-time users. Customers, who are familiar with the Internet and know where to find the information they are looking for, will not need the advice of the travel agent no more. First of all, the travel agent might provide them with information they already know or find by themselves. Secondly, travel agents are biased too, regarding the amount of commissions they receive for the sale of products. Another case where customers do not need the advice of the travel agent are repeated holidays, meaning customers who always travel to the same hotel. Those customers will not benefit from a travel agent’s consultancy. Summarizing this, one can say that ‘the service offered by travel agents is value adding for customers, who are inexperienced with the process of online booking and for customers who want to travel to a variety of different destinations’ (comparing Cheyne et al., 2006). The lack of confidence in the technology as well as the mistrust in security are the two other major disadvantages of the Internet that Tania Lang has determined. She points out that the ‘main barrier stopping consumers from booking travel via the Internet is the perceived lack of a secure payment method’ (Lang, 2000). ‘The main concern with electronic payment is the level of security in each step of the transaction, because money and merchandise are transferred while there is no direct contact between the two sides involved in the transaction’ (Yu et al., 2002). ‘If there is even the slightest possibility that the payment system may not be secure, trust and confidence in this system will begin to erode, destroying the infrastructure needed for electronic commerce’ (Yu et al., 2002). Putting this in other words, tourism companies may have the perfect product in terms of price quality ratio. However, the company will not be able to sell its products to a greater mass if their payment system is lacking security. This will not only erode trust in the payment system itself, but may also affect the customers’ acceptance of the company, thus affecting the company’s reputation, image and profits. In 1998, Haas surveyed that even though ‘many Internet users go online to find product information, most users prefer to log off and buy their goods through traditional sales channels’. Of course, this trend has increasingly changed over the last years; however, still today customers inform themselves over the Internet without performing t Ecommerce in Tourism Industry Ecommerce in Tourism Industry 2.1. Introduction to e-Commerce ‘Electronic commerce (e-Commerce) is such a service offering people the opportunity to do their shopping via modern information and communication technologies at home’ (Schultz, 2007). It enables everyone to conduct business via the Internet. The only precondition is a computer and a connection to the Internet. The term e-Commerce is becoming increasingly important in the dictionary of today’s tourism managers all around the world. This is reflected in the development of the overall online travel market turnover in Europe reaching a total of EUR 70 billion in the year 2008 (V-I-R, Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, 2009). The introduction of the internet represented both, major opportunities as well as threats, for the tourism industry. The internet erased physical borders and enables everyone to participate in a global marketplace. The only requisite is a computer and an internet access. This section explores the current dynamics within the broader area of e-Commerce and provides definitions for the incorporating aspects of business transactions via the Internet. The worldwide proliferation of the internet led to the birth of electronic transfer of transactional information. ‘E-Commerce flourished because of the openness, speed, anonymity, digitization, and global accessibility characteristics of the internet, which facilitated real-time business’ (Yu et al., 2002). One can of course argue, whether the anonymity of the Internet is still valid today. Maya Gadzheva (2008) for example, suggests that the ‘achievement of unobservability and anonymity in the Internet is going to be much more difficult in the future, due to the possibility of unlimited collection of data’. Through the aide of the internet tourism companies are able to market and sell their products to a far greater mass which represents substantial growth opportunities for them. According to Porter (2001), the ‘Internet technology provides better opportunities for companies to establish distinctive, strategic positioning than did previous generations of information technology’. However, those opportunities can also represent burdens for companies participating in transactions via the Internet. Those companies are now more than ever forced to keep their web sites up-to-date and to provide reliable information. Since the Internet is a very fast changing medium, it requires their participants, in this case the e-merchants, to keep up with this pace. In case the companies cannot fulfil these requirements, they will probably face a shift of customers to the competition. Especially the area of tourism, being labelled as largely information driven (Morgan et al., 2001) requires constantly updated and reliable information. Customers need to find every information they require on the web. They need to know where to search and they need to be convinced of the trustworthiness and reliability of this information. The ability to inform clients and to sell and market products in the virtual marketplace is a critical success factor for economic triumph of tourism companies nowadays and in the future. The website is thus a digital business card of tourism companies and one of their most effective sales persons at the same time. ‘Internet technology provides buyers with easier access to information about products and suppliers, thus bolstering buyer bargaining power’ (Porter, 2001). This will also decrease the costs of switching suppliers (or tourism companies). That is the downturn of the Internet. Competitors are only a few mouse clicks away (Porter, 2001) and the whole industry becomes more transparent. Just about every company participating in e-Commerce is obviously forced to list prices of their holiday components. This facilitates the comparability of tourism services. Customers do now have access to all kinds of information that facilitate as well as influence their holiday choice. Since tourism companies can no longer differentiate themselves from the competition by pricing means, the corporate website, and the online booking process of a holiday becomes progressively more important. This involves the appearance of the website, including usability and content related features, but also everything concerning the actual booking process and transaction handling. The tourism company (the seller) and the customer (the buyer) conducting business over the internet have usually never seen each other face-to-face, nor do they exchange currency or hard copies of documents hand-to-hand. When payments are to be made over a telecommunications network such as the internet, accuracy and security become critical (Yu et al., 2002). In other words this would mean that customers need to transfer extremely private information like credit card details to a complete stranger. Summarizing this section it can be said that Internet and e-Commerce present various advantages for tourism customers, since companies and offers are more transparent and easier to compare. Furthermore, improvements in IT technology will enhance the search for relevant information and facilitate the navigation in the World Wide Web. However, there are also threatening factors for tourism companies. Competition will become stronger, since competitors are only a few mouse clicks away, switching costs for customers are much longer and due to their access to nearly unlimited information the customers’ bargaining power will increase. Nonetheless, tourism companies who can keep up with the fast pace of the Internet and who are able to convince customers of the reliability, trustworthiness and timeliness of their displayed offers and information will benefit from the Internet. 2.2. Online Trust or eTrust What is (online) trust? A first step towards the answer of this question can be made by looking at various definitions of the term trust. Trust is defined as ‘the trait of believing in the honesty and reliability of others’ (Wordnet, Princeton University, 2006). According to this definition, buyers conducting transactions via the Internet will have to rely on a person or institution they may have never seen or even heard of. This would certainly be not sufficient as an assurance for most of us. Another definition defines trust as ‘to hope or wish’ (Wordnet, Princeton University, 2006). Summarizing this would mean that we need to rely on the goodwill of the other party and hope or wish that it will act as it was promised. Those definitions might be a good starting point in explaining the meaning of trust, but they certainly do not seem to be convenient for most of us. Bà ¶hle et al. (2000) argue that trust is a precondition for flourishing e-Commerce. Shankar et al. (2002) advance a different view, although they classify ‘(online) trust as being important in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-business’. Koufaris and Hampton-Sosa (2004) pursue a similar way of argumentation. They suggest that ‘lack of trust in online companies is a primary reason why many users do not shop online’. Another author, Peter Landrock (2002), founder and managing director of Cryptomathic UK Ltd., one of the world’s leading providers of security solutions to businesses, points out that ‘without such trust, neither businesses nor consumers will conduct transactions or sensitive communications across this medium (the Internet)’. This argument is being supported by a recently conducted study by Ernst Young and the Information Technology Association of America who concluded ‘that trust represents one of the most fundamental issues impacting the growth of e-Commerce’ (Talwatte, 2000). Strader and Shaw (Chadwick, 2001) point out that ‘consumers are more likely to buy from an online company they trust, when price differences are small’. Thos would in turn imply that whenever price differences are significant, customers are willing to accept a higher level of uncertainty and perceived risk in transactions with companies they do not know or trust. According to those argumentations one can say that trust is the major precondition for both, businesses as well as consumers to conduct transactions via the Internet. ‘Trust is a key challenge to the customer acceptance of e-Commerce: the lack of trust is an important reason for the hesitant growth in e-Commerce and for the reluctance of consumers to engage in online buying transactions’ (Schultz, 2007). A Forrester Survey from 2000 stated that ‘51% of companies would not do business with parties they do not trust over the web’ (Shankar et al., 2002). However, this would also mean that 49% of companies would do business with companies they do not trust. Trust needs to be strongly combined with uncertainty and ambiguity. The more information a buyer has about the seller, the better can he or she estimates whether the seller will act as it was promised. Thus, the better the information about a seller the better can he or she be trusted. Good examples for this assumption are online marketplaces like eBay or Amazon. Those two providers offer nearly everyone the possibility to participate in e-Business. Since they recognized the increased need from customers for information about sellers, they introduced up-to-date ratings. Every seller can be rated after transactions whether buyers have been satisfied with the transaction process or not. The higher and better the rating, the more trustworthy is the seller (in a simplified way). These ratings are good indications for (unexperienced) buyers, since they equip them with information about the seller’s past performance in transactions. Other ways in creating trustworthiness are so-called trust seals. ‘Those seals are issued by third parties to verify the commitment of an e-vendor’ (Cook and Luo, 2003; Hu et al., 2003; Kaplan and Nieschwitz, 2003; Koufaris and Hampton-Sosa, 2004; Loebbecke, 2003; Patton and Jà ¸sang, 2004; Urban et al., 2000; Yang et al., 2006; in Schultz, 2007). Trust seals are generally indicated via symbols on the web site of the seller. Those seals are a sign that the seller conducts business according to the standards of the third party, the trust seal provider, and/or that the seller conducts business as promised by the statements and policies on the web site (Schultz, 2007). ‘Further measures to increase trust are security features, the availability of alternative payment methods, privacy, security and return policies and feedback mechanisms and consumer communities’ (Schultz, 2007). ‘Security is the main concern of consumers before engaging in e-business with a seller’ (Schultz, 2007; Hinde 1998). ‘Sellers need to incorporate certain security features into the design of their web sites in order to ensure the safety of the whole transaction process’ (see Credit Card) (Schultz, 2007). Offering alternative methods of payment is another approach of the seller to signal the willingness to adapt to the customers’ needs. Being able to choose a method of payment equips the customer with the perceived power over a part of the transaction process. It is essential to display the ‘rules of the game’. Privacy, security and return policies need to present on every seller’s web site in order to inform the customer properly. This will not only increase trust but will also facilitate processes in case of complaints or other problems. The provision of customer feedback mechanism (ratings, reply forms, forums, etc.) is another way for customers to increase knowledge and gather information about a seller. The advantage is that customers can exchange with previous customers of the seller. This way they can obtain an objective evaluation of the seller. However, sellers can also manipulate those forums by uploading faked ratings or deleting negative ratings or feedbacks. Again, the customer needs to develop trust in these kinds of information. Furthermore, customers do also need to develop trust in the IT infrastructure they are using, since this will be the mean of communicating the transactional data between the seller and the buyer. In other words, consumers not trusting the technology they are using for an intended transaction via the Internet will not participate in any e-Business transaction unless they feel confident with the security. When considering security issues, a public key infrastructure (PKI) that can provide secure authentication on the Internet is an important step towards secure Internet transactions. It can help to build trust, reduce the potential for fraud, ensure privacy and provide merchants with non-repudiation (Bà ¶hle et al., 2000). It is essential for the merchant that the customer can trust him, his connection and Website and the payment system used. Otherwise there will not be any transactions between the two parties. Summarizing this section it can be said that information is the key to (nearly) everything. A higher level of information about the other transactional party will increase the level of trust, since uncertainty and ambiguity can be erased at least to a certain extent. Furthermore, it is essential to create awareness for technologies and tools needed for security improvements and the development of trust. These tools and technologies can involve ‘soft’ components like trust seals and customer feedback forums. The ‘harder’ components are embedded in the aspect of IT infrastructure. This includes improvements in the encryption and network and database security. 2.3. Electronic Payment Systems Monetary transactions via the Internet do always involve risks and uncertainty. In most of the cases, there is no personal interaction involved. That means that the customer has to put a considerable amount of trust in the seller’s promise to fulfil everything that has been agreed upon during the confirmation of the purchase (e.g. the delivery of the ordered products or services on time, in the right quality and that the agreed amount of money is charged) (Schultz, 2007; Chadwick, 2001). According to Lammer (2006) ‘Electronic Payment Systems or e-Payment Systems may be defined as all payments that are initiated, processed and received electronically’. The main concern with electronic payment systems is the level of security in each step of the transaction, because money and merchandise are transferred while there is no direct contact between the two sides involved in the transaction. If there is even the slightest possibility that the payment system may not be secure, trust and confidence in this system will begin to erode, destroying the infrastructure needed for electronic commerce (Yu et al., 2002). The customer is concerned right from the point he is connected to the website of the seller. The risk of losing private information like contact details, credit card or bank account information is a primary concern of the customer. Therefore, it is necessary that both, the seller as well as the customer take care for the security of their own network as well as with the data exchanged during the transaction. In Germany, there are currently up to ten different electronic payment methods used with varying frequency and success. The author will only refer to those payment systems which are applicable for intangible goods, such as holidays. The definitions below are based on the work of Stroborn et al. (2004), who were arguing that one way to ‘classify different payment instruments is by the point of time when the liquidity effect sets in from the payer’s point of view that means the exact point in time when the customer’s account is charged with the payment’. ‘Following this premise, one can distinguish between â€Å"prepaid†, â€Å"pay-now† and â€Å"pay-later† systems’ (Stroborn et.al, 2004). Other authors (Yu et al., 2002, Dannenberg Ulrich, 2004) categorized payment systems with regard to the following variables. ‘The first variable is the ‘size or the amount of the payment’ (e.g. micro-payments). The second variable depends on the ‘type of transaction’, e.g. credit card, paying via e-mail (PayPal)’, etc. It can be argued which of these two different approaches in classifying e-payment systems is the most appropriate. However, the author decides to use the classification of Stroborn et al. (2004) for the reason that this type of classification can be best applied to the underlying topic of this work, due to the following facts. The ability to differentiate e-Payment systems by the time, the liquidity effect sets in is important within the industry of tourism. Holiday components, especially cruises are oftentimes financed using prepayments of customers. Therefore, it is particularly important for cruise lines to know which of the offered payment systems allow them to use prepayments as financing means. On the other hand, customers do always want a certain level of security, especially when they purchase a holiday, which is certainly not an everyday expense with regard to the amount charged. Therefore, equipping customers with the perceived power of determining the point of time when the actual payment will be processed will result in a beneficial feeling on the side of the customer. This equipment of perceived power is another way of demonstrating willingness to adapt to customer needs. Customers seem to have all under control, since they receive the product before they have to pay for it. So the seller has already delivered the agreed upon product or service. 2.3.1 Pre-Paid-payment systems The different Pre-Paid-payment systems currently in use in Germany will not be further explained. Systems like GeldKarte, MicroMoney or WEB.Cent are being used to settle small-or micro-payments up to usually â‚ ¬ 100. In this respect an application within the tourism industry is of no relevance. According to the DRV (Deutscher Reiseverband, 2008), the majority of holidays booked via the Internet was between â‚ ¬ 500 -â‚ ¬ 1.500 (55, 1% of all holidays). 2.3.2 Pay-Now-payment systems ‘So called pay-now systems debit the account of the customer at the exact time the customer purchases something. Cash-on-Delivery (COD) and debit entry are well established examples today’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). Online Transfer: According to Monika E. Hartmann (Lammer, 2006) online transfer can be defined as follows: These services are embedded in the online shopping process, e.g. via an automatic popup window connecting to the service provider and already containing all necessary transaction details. The customer is invited to choose a payment option and provide his account details. The completed transaction data set will be routed to the relevant payment service provider for authorization. After successful payment authorization the bank (or the payment service provider) confirms the payment to the merchant so that the purchase transaction can be completed (Lammer, 2006). COD (Cash-on-Delivery) COD is usually used for the settlement of amounts for physical goods. Customers order their desired articles over the website of an online merchant. The goods are then delivered by a mail service. In addition to the price of the delivered goods, the customer pays also COD charges to the delivery service. The mail delivery service then mails a money order to the internet merchant. Due to the simultaneous exchange of physical goods and money, COD is said to protect consumer and merchant at the same time. Nevertheless, it is considered not to be cost-effective and awkward for the consumer, who needs to be present for the delivery. Additionally, this payment method cannot be used for goods delivered electronically (Stroborn et al., 2004). M-Payments (Mobile Payments) M-Payment is such a service, where the mobile phone of the customer in combination with a PIN number deals as authentication device. Whenever the customer wants to purchase goods or transfer money, he or she is called by a third party, e.g. Paybox (www.paybox.net), on his or her mobile phone. He needs to confirm the transaction with a PIN. The sum of the transaction is then debited from the customer’s bank account (Stroborn et al., 2004). According to a recent study conducted by the Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, v-i-r (2007), only two percent of all holiday purchases have been settled using mpayments. However, this payment method is expected to grow tremendously in the future. This is already indicated by the awareness level of m-payments. Although only two percent had used m-payments to settle their online purchases, more than 23% of all respondents are aware of the possibility of using mobile payments. Debit Entry ‘The process of a debit entry requires the receiver of the payment, the seller, to inform his banking institution to charge the account of the buyer with a certain amount. This amount is in turn booked on the account of the seller’ (www.wikipedia.org). PayPal With over 150 million registered accounts worldwide (PayPal, 2009), PayPal is one of the most successful internet-based payment schemes. Authentication is done via the personal e-mail address of the customer in addition to the entry of a password. The amount is then debited from the customer’s PayPal account. Customers using PayPal will benefit since they will no longer have to reveal their debit or credit card number. Furthermore, the whole transaction process is speeded up due to the fact that customers no longer need to enter their address details. PayPal also promotes its product as being more secure in comparison with other e-payment schemes. 2.3.3 Pay-Later-payment systems ‘In terms of pay-later-systems (e.g. credit cards), the customer actually receives the goods before being debited’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). However, this depends upon the point in time when the customers’ bank account is being debited. It is also possible, particularly within the area of tourism that the bank account is debited before the holiday is ‘consumed’. Within the tourism industry it is a common practice to book and purchase holidays long time in advance. Especially in terms of family holidays, customers like to book in advance, since they do only have a small time frame (namely the school holidays) where they can go on holiday. So, holidays in these periods are strongly demanded. Thus there is an incentive for customers to book as early in advance as possible. In this case, the classification of Stroborn et al. (2004) is not valid anymore. The holiday is purchased long before it is consumed and thus the bank account will also be debited before the consumption. Credit Card ‘Settling payments via the use of the credit card is the most commonly used payment method worldwide. Nearly 90 % of all items and goods purchased via the Internet are paid by credit card’ (Dannenberg Ulrich, 2004). Stroborn et al. differentiate between three basic ways of credit card payments via the Internet: An unsecured transaction ‘A transaction via Secure Socket Layer (SSL), which is a sort of digital envelope. SSL is the de facto standard for secure online transactions, preventing eavesdroppers from learning customers’ account details’ (Ashrafi Ng, 2009). The SSL technology establishes a secure communication channel between the participants of an online transaction. ‘a transaction employing Secure Electronic Transaction Protocol (SET), which is currently considered as the safest credit-card-based payment systems on the Internet’ (Stroborn et al., 2004). Recapitulating this section again highlights the importance of awareness. According to Monika Hartmann (Lammer, 2006) ‘many payment solutions did not succeed in reaching a critical mass of users’. This can be seen in within the example of Mpayments. Payment methods may be very useful, however if they do not manage to reach a critical mass of users, they will not succeed in the market. So customers need to be enlightened about the different payment methods available and the advantages and disadvantages involved. In addition the aspect of trust reappears in this section. Customers need to trust the security of their Internet connection in the first place before they are conducting any business transactions. 3.1 Factors favouring the growth of e-Commerce in tourism The introduction of the internet as well as the ability to pay for goods and services via electronic payment systems created potential advantages for customers as well as for tourism companies. ‘The marketing of an intangible product such as tourism largely depends upon visual presentation’ (Morgan et al., 2001). With the Internet, marketers finally found the perfect tool. The capability of combining the presentation of facts and figures, emotional pictures and the whole booking process is a huge asset for tourism companies. Buhalis (Morgan et al., 2001) stated that ‘organizations and destinations which need to compete will be forced to compute’. Thereby, he assigns companies participating in e-Commerce a significant competitive advantage. According to a recent study of the VIR (Verband Internet Reisevertrieb, 2007) customers value the easy and fast way of booking trips via the internet. Furthermore, they appreciate the possibility to customize their trips, to see if their desired holiday is still available and the extensive range of offerings. The possibility to pay per credit card and the savings in terms of time they need to invest are also big advantages for German customers booking their trips and holidays via the Internet. Cheyne et al. (2006) suggested that ‘the Internet is providing the means for suppliers and consumers to bypass the travel agent and interact directly’. Furthermore, many writers propose that ‘the Internet furnishes travel consumers with more information, quicker responses and often lower prices than they can achieve when making travel arrangements through a traditional travel agent’ (Cheyne et al., 2006). Tania Lang, a senior consultant at Cap Gemini Ernst Young, stated in her work in 2000 that ‘there are a variety of factors providing advantages and benefits for the users of the Internet’. Amongst those factors is the access for availability enquiries and bookings when consumers want to research and purchase travel. Customers are no longer restricted to the opening times of their local travel agency. According to Buhalis (Lang, 2000), ‘the ability to access information which is detailed and up to date assists the travel consumer by making the product more tangible in their mind’. Another important advantage of e-Commerce in tourism is the bypass of travel agent fees and the access to online discounts. Lang (2000) stated that there is a ‘cost advantage in purchasing travel online as a result of the market becoming more competitive. These cost advantages can also be explained by decreasing distribution costs’. Concluding this section it can be suggested that customers will benefit tremendously from e-Commerce in the tourism industry. They will be faced with lower prices, since no intermediaries are involved any more so that potential cost savings can be achieved. In addition to this, the authors cited above implied that the visual representation of holidays will improve due the recent and upcoming developments in technology. According to this, there should not be any disadvantages for customers and conducting bookings via the Internet are the best solution for the future. However customers will also have to sacrifice in certain aspects as well as they will have to experience that bookings holidays via the Internet might not be that advantageous as the following section will point out. 3.2 Factors for the hesitant growth of e-Commerce in tourism In 2009, Prashant Palvia argues that ‘the Internet is far from achieving its potential due to the reluctance of consumers to engage in its use’. Palvia (2009) stresses this assumption by a recent study, indicating that sales of online retailers were only 2, 2% of total goods sold in the U.S. in 2005. Moreover, analysts have predicted that even by 2011, e-Commerce sales would only account for only 7%. According to Tania Lang (2000), there are certain barriers or disadvantages of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) for consumers. Amongst those factors, the ‘lacks of a human interface and of confidence in the technology as well as security issues have a high relevance’. There are a lot of situations, where a customer has built a strong relationship to his travel agent. For some travellers, the actual booking process (whether via a travel agency or the Internet) is already part of the holiday itself. The booking process might even be some kind of ritual which is carried out in exactly the same manner every time the customer goes on holiday. Those loyalty or relational factors are hard to be erased or replaced by the Internet which is in fact a major threat to electronic commerce in the tourism industry. A number of authors maintain that ‘travel agents provide better services, especially when more complex products are to be purchased’ (Cheyne et al., 2006). ‘Those complex travel arrangements are more information intensive and therefore needs consultation of travel agents compared to less complex holiday components such as flights or rail tickets’. Other authors, including Inkpen, Lyle and Paulson (Cheyne et al., 2006) argue that ‘travel agents can offer a more personalized service and provide unbiased advices that add value for the customer’. Concerning the latter assumption one can argue that this is true for inexperienced or first-time users. Customers, who are familiar with the Internet and know where to find the information they are looking for, will not need the advice of the travel agent no more. First of all, the travel agent might provide them with information they already know or find by themselves. Secondly, travel agents are biased too, regarding the amount of commissions they receive for the sale of products. Another case where customers do not need the advice of the travel agent are repeated holidays, meaning customers who always travel to the same hotel. Those customers will not benefit from a travel agent’s consultancy. Summarizing this, one can say that ‘the service offered by travel agents is value adding for customers, who are inexperienced with the process of online booking and for customers who want to travel to a variety of different destinations’ (comparing Cheyne et al., 2006). The lack of confidence in the technology as well as the mistrust in security are the two other major disadvantages of the Internet that Tania Lang has determined. She points out that the ‘main barrier stopping consumers from booking travel via the Internet is the perceived lack of a secure payment method’ (Lang, 2000). ‘The main concern with electronic payment is the level of security in each step of the transaction, because money and merchandise are transferred while there is no direct contact between the two sides involved in the transaction’ (Yu et al., 2002). ‘If there is even the slightest possibility that the payment system may not be secure, trust and confidence in this system will begin to erode, destroying the infrastructure needed for electronic commerce’ (Yu et al., 2002). Putting this in other words, tourism companies may have the perfect product in terms of price quality ratio. However, the company will not be able to sell its products to a greater mass if their payment system is lacking security. This will not only erode trust in the payment system itself, but may also affect the customers’ acceptance of the company, thus affecting the company’s reputation, image and profits. In 1998, Haas surveyed that even though ‘many Internet users go online to find product information, most users prefer to log off and buy their goods through traditional sales channels’. Of course, this trend has increasingly changed over the last years; however, still today customers inform themselves over the Internet without performing t