The role of mass communication methods in the development of tourism industry in Iran

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of new methods of mass communication (employing customer relationship management (CRM) software and web site) in the development of tourism industry in Iran. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from managers and experts of companies involving in tourism field in Iran through survey questionnaire. The SPSS 17 and LISREL 8 statistical programs were used for the data analysis. Findings – The results reveal that using CRM application is significantly correlated with the development of tourism industry. In addition, the findings indicated that using web site has a positive and significant relationship with the development of tourism. Research limitations/implications – As this study is limited to Iran and given cultural differences among various nations cautions should be taken in generalizability of the obtained results. Also, to better clarify the role of mass communication methods, it is recommended similar study in other countries to be carry out in order to be able to compare the results. Originality/value – To the best of knowledge of the authors this is the first endeavor toward the survey of the relationship and the effects of CRM application and internet advertisement on the development of tourism in the context of Iran. Also, the results obtained could act as a good guidance for Iranian tourism policy makers to make more effective decisions.