APSIRI Research: How Tourism Enterprises Are Reinventing Themselves in the “Internet Plus” Era

The Asia-Pacific Social Innovation Research Institute (APSIRI) has released a new research outcome examining one of the most consequential transformations in the contemporary service economy: how tourism enterprises rebuild their management strategies in the era of “Internet Plus.” The study, led by researcher Yu Shanshan, treats the digitalisation of tourism not as a narrow question of adopting new tools, but as a structural reorganisation of how value is created, distributed, and shared across the entire travel value chain.

The research begins from a simple but far-reaching observation. Over the past decade, travellers have become more independent, more self-directed, and more diverse in what they expect. They no longer accept standardised packages designed for an average customer; instead they assemble personalised journeys, drawing on online platforms, peer reviews, mobile applications, and real-time information. This shift in consumer behaviour has placed traditional travel agencies under sustained pressure, eroding the intermediary role that once sat at the centre of the industry.

Against this backdrop, the study analyses how the “Internet Plus” paradigm reshapes both the structure and the function of tourism enterprises. Yu Shanshan’s work traces the evolution of the tourism value chain from a closed, linear sequence — supplier to agency to consumer — toward an open, networked ecosystem in which suppliers reach customers directly, digital platforms act as intelligent intermediaries, and travellers themselves become active co-creators of their experiences. Crucially, the research argues that digital disruption does not simply remove intermediaries; it gives rise to new forms of “reintermediation,” in which data-driven platforms personalise services at a scale that was previously impossible.

A central contribution of the study is its strategic framework for competitiveness in the digital economy. Rather than treating technology and management as separate concerns, the research insists that lasting advantage comes from their integration: combining online and offline resources, merging digital tools with organisational systems, and uniting technological capability with human creativity. Enterprises that achieve this integration are shown to deliver higher service efficiency, more effective resource allocation, and a markedly improved customer experience. Those that treat digitalisation as a bolt-on, by contrast, struggle to translate investment into durable performance.

The research also foregrounds the question of value co-creation. In the networked model, value is no longer produced by suppliers and consumed by passive customers. Travellers generate content, share experiences, and influence the choices of others, becoming participants in the production of the service itself. This participatory dynamic, the study suggests, is central to “smart tourism” and requires enterprises to design for engagement rather than mere transaction.

For policymakers and industry leaders, the implications are significant. The study offers a pathway for the sustainable upgrading of tourism — one that links innovation, integration, and inclusion. It points toward adaptive, networked, and resilient models of growth suited to the demands of a digital and increasingly experience-driven market.

This research reflects APSIRI’s broader commitment to understanding how digital transformation can serve inclusive and sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific region. By connecting rigorous analysis with practical relevance, the Institute aims to support enterprises, communities, and policymakers as they navigate an economy in which the boundaries between the physical and the digital continue to dissolve.