Travel agencies: From online channel conflict to multi-channel harmony.

EnglishThe adoption of Internet as a distribution channel and a privileged e-commerce tool has pressed Travel Agencies (TAs) to a latent channel conflict. Our main interest is to understand how the traditional independent travel agencies in Portugal deal with the online channel.We suggest that TAs have to develop an innovative business model based on the online and offline complementary channels, in order to achieve a multi-channel harmony portuguesA adocao da Internet como canal de distribuicao e como ferramenta privilegiada de comercio eletronico pressionou as Agencias de Viagens (AVs) para um conflito latente. O principal objetivo deste artigo e compreender como as AVs independentes tradicionais em Portugal lidam com o canal online. Sugere-se que as AVs desenvolvam um modelo de negocio inovador baseado na complementaridade dos canais online e offline, de modo a alcancar uma harmonia multicanal.