Assessing Internet-based Tourism Services in Iran: A Study of Eight Representative Websites

The purpose of this article is to probe the quality of Iranian websites providing tourism-related services. A set of preliminary indicators was developed after a literature review. These were subsequently tested and refined using a questionnaire-based survey of 100 users and a focus group study of experts. The finalized indicators were then used to evaluate 8 representative websites. Results indicate that these website are yet to become interactive and only provide basic information that is often deficient. Indeed, they need to improve their quality in order to satisfy their increasingly sophisticated audiences. Among the studied cases, the success of small-scale ventures offering tourism-related information and commercial services through the Internet is promising and points to existing potentials. A set of recommendations are provided in the last part of the article for the improvement of Iran’s web-based tourism services and the realization of these potentials.