This paper introduces the concepts and technologies deployed within ESTIA(1
), which is aiming to investigate means for the facilitation of business-to
-consumer e-commerce in the tourism sector at the point of consumption. It
leverages the potential of wireless networks to support services to both in
dividuals and vendors in the tourism economy. ESTIA tools and services rang
e from travel information presentation to brokering tools and platforms for
targeted location, reservation and purchasing of products, recommendation
and bundling of services and support for virtual traveller communities.