Annals of the University of Oradea: Economic Science (Dec 2011)
THE USE OF EXPERT SYSTEMS IN RURAL TOURISM IN MARAMURES
Abstract
The existing accommodation in the rural Maramures region is essential for the development of tourism. Most accommodation units are within the typology of rural tourist hostels, therefore special attention should be paid to promote and diversify their touristic offers. Despite its attractive potential, the rural tourism in Maramures has its weaknesses because there is no organizational strategy for its deployment. Tour operators must adopt new solutions to promote tourist services, one of which may be using expert systems.The main purpose of this study is to develop a model of an expert system, applying new methodological approaches to the evaluation and ranking of countryside hostels in Maramures. This model can be easily implemented with private and public entities and could be a source of significant benefits for them. Scientific literature in the field highlights the benefits of using expert systems in all business sectors and reinforces our conviction that they can be applied extensively in tourism as well. The research methodology included: defining the nature and scope of the problem, identifying experts, acquiring knowledge, selecting the system building tools, as well as encoding and evaluating the system. In the knowledge acquisition phase we used interviews, thus obtaining a database with information on countryside hostels in Maramures. We turned to tourism professionals to establish expert rules in a way that reflects as accurately and completely as possible the context. These rules led to the encoding of the system. In order to encode them, we used the Corvid system, developed by Exsys, which was verified and validated. The system, once designed, provides a user-friendly interface. After being implemented in specialized sites, the system will be able to facilitate searching and finding information by users. We propose that the model obtained will be a starting point for further research, given that the development environment allows the system to be constantly updated. Using the system will enrich the knowledge database by storing user requirements, and the results thus obtained can be used for statistical calculations useful in determining future development strategies.The implementation of the proposed model in websites, through the assistance it provides, can attract customers both from our country and from the top tourism consumer countries of the European Union and around the world.
