From Fragmentation to Integration: An Analytical Framework for Evaluating Official Tourism Websites

Abstract

[Abstract] Official tourism websites play an important role before travel, when potential visitors look for information and begin to form expectations about a destination. However, studies of these websites have often followed separate lines of analysis, treating marketing, communication, and tourism management as distinct fields. This article proposes a framework for examining these dimensions within a single analytical structure. The study is qualitative and xploratory, and is based on documentary analysis of institutional tourism websites. The framework draws on three theoretical foundations: established website evaluation criteria from international tourism organizations, a ommunicational and participatory approach to digital media, and the integrated 7Cs + 1C marketing model. From these sources, dimensions, categories, and indicators are defined for the analysis of official destination websites. The findings suggest that these portals shape destination image before travel through content, images, navigation, interaction resources, and institutional discourse. The illustrative application of the framework suggests weaknesses in direct interaction, multilingual provision, and international reach. The proposed framework can support comparative research on digital tourism and future assessments of official tourism websites. As an exploratory and qualitative proposal, however, it should be understood as an initial analytical structure that still requires further testing and validation.