Tourism Management, Marketing, and Development

General reaction: My overall reactions to this project are favorable. This is a timely project that is sorely needed in our field. My specific comments are below. Strengths: A major strength of this project is the expertise of the book editors (Marcello, Baggio, Buhalis, and Longhi). These are four of the leading experts within this knowledge domain. Consequently, they will be able to work with the contributors to ensure that each chapter is meaningful. Further, the reputations of the co-editors serve to anchor the credibility of the book. As of now, there are no other books of which I am aware that can compete with the proposed book at hand. Even if competing books are subsequently developed, this book will remain a 'must have' for those interested in tourism networks and ICT's. Another strengthen is structure. Part I focusing upon ICT and Part II focusing upon systems and networks should be appealing to target audiences. Moreover, the titles of the proposed chapters seem to indicate that both ICTs and networks will be addressed from a number of unique perspectives. Potential shortcomings: Because English does not appear to be the first language of most of the chapter contributors, the co-editors will need to work to ensure that the readability of the chapters is of sufficient quality. The project might be strengthened with chapter contributors representing Asia and North America. Sales Forecast: I envision primary purchasers of this book to be: 1) Tourism scholars and researchers; 2) Graduate students required to purchase the book as supplemental reading for coursework; and 3) University libraries In my assessment, the book will likely sell quite well in these primary markets. The co-editors have the capability to publicize the book within the academic channels (e.g. IFITT). Secondary audiences for the book might include tourism practitioners and undergraduate course adoption. Conclusion: To reiterate, my overall reactions to this proposal are positive. I envision this book selling well in the above primary markets. The prominence and visibility of this topic area will continue to increase in the coming years - further driving book demand.