Managers' perceptions of the role of ICT in rural tourism firms efficiency: The case of Slovenia.

In the paper, results of a field research among managers working in Slovene rural tourism SMEs are presented. A questionnaire was developed and employed to measure their perceptions of the ICT influence on their firms' efficiency. The correlation analysis results showed that the most important factor affecting firms' revenue growth, profitability, organizational climate and customers' satisfaction are perceived benefits from ICT use. Expectedly, younger and more educated managers, as well as those operating in firms with more employees, perceive the role of ICT as more important than their older and less educated counterparts. Furthermore, it was established by linear regression analysis, where a composite performance indicator was used as dependent variable, that perception of the ICT benefits and ICT skills significantly positively affect the firms' performance. The results may present a valuable information for decision-makers when preparing strategies and plans for rural tourism development, investments in ICT infrastructure, for specific promotional actions, and education programs development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]