An investigation of multiple devices and information sources used in the hotel booking process

With the growing ownership of multiple technology devices, and the contribution of mobile travel bookings to the overall travel market, it is critical to investigate the hotel searching and booking process for different device users. This research investigates four categories of device users via a survey with 383 respondents, in the context of search behaviour and information sources used. The results reveal that search engines and family and friends are the most frequently used information sources while the personal computer (PC) is the most used device for both searching and booking. However, there is a significant difference in how these device users engage with information sources, specifically online travel agents (OTAs) and search engines. Furthermore, device users favour one device and are unlikely to switch devices during the search process.     

网络旅游消费者参与心理与行为的实证研究

互联网技术在全球的迅猛发展为网络与旅游的结合提供了重要的基础,并为现代旅游业开启了一个崭新的时代。网络旅游作为一种日益兴盛的现代旅游方式,已经成为旅游业信息化发展的重要表现形式之一,同时也是当今世界旅游业发展的重要方向。因此,了解和分析消费者网络旅游参与的心理和行为对旅游企业的营销和管理也变得越来越关键。然而,现有网络旅游研究主要探讨旅游网络消费者参与行为的特征,对旅游网站特性影响作用、网络旅游消费者参与动机、参与过程和参与心理机制的研究深度还不够。为了揭示现阶段我国旅游网站特性对网络旅游消费者参与心理和最终参与行为的影响作用,该研究在充分总结有关研究的基础上,构建了网络旅游消费者参与心理和行为的概念模型,随后对参与到旅游网站中的397名消费者进行调查分析。研究结果发现:旅游网站的熟悉度和服务规范度会有效影响消费者参与心理的自我决定需求,进而对消费者参与旅游网站的感知卷入和信息搜寻行为产生影响作用。研究结论建议,旅游网站吸引消费者参与的同时需要切实提高企业的品牌知名度和服务规范度,这是进一步提高网络旅游消费者对网站忠诚度的重要基础。     

Role of social media in online travel information search

Social media are playing an increasingly important role as information sources for travelers. The goal of this study is to investigate the extent to which social media appear in search engine results in the context of travel-related searches. The study employed a research design that simulates a traveler's use of a search engine for travel planning by using a set of pre-defined keywords in combination with nine U.S. tourist destination names. The analysis of the search results showed that social media constitute a substantial part of the search results, indicating that search engines likely direct travelers to social media sites. This study confirms the growing importance of social media in the online tourism domain. It also provides evidence for challenges faced by traditional providers of travel-related information. Implications for tourism marketers in terms of online marketing strategies are discussed.     

From online via offline to online: how online visibility of tourism information shapes and is shaped by offline visits

This study links online tourism information with offline visits using an empirical data set. While previous studies revealed the role of online information in tourist information searches, few examined how online visibility of tourism information relates to offline visit. This study took a webometric approach to collect search engine result data, match it with the number of offline visits, and link them with post-visit photo-sharing activity. This study, unlike previous studies, used micro-level tourist sites within one city in South Korea. Various methods of analysis confirmed that online tourism information relates to offline visits, which in turn relate to post-tour photo-sharing behavior.     

Exploring Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) in The Consumer Purchase Decision-Making Process: The Case of Online Holidays – Evidence from United Kingdom (UK) Consumers

This study explores the role of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in the consumer decision-making process when purchasing a holiday. Using an ethnographic approach, it explores the role of eWOM on consumers’ attitudes toward online reviews (eReviews) and their subsequent behavior. Across the consumer decision-making processes – information search, evaluation, and purchase – the study develops a conceptual framework with three eWOM dimensions: (1) motivation, (2) source, and (3) content. Findings explore the variations of eWOM’s influence across the decision-making stages with implications for theory and practice. The study further highlights implications for segmentation practices in the tourism industry.     

A critical review of determinants of information search behavior and utilization of online reviews in decision making process (invited paper for ‘luminaries’ special issue of International Journal of Hospitality Management)

This conceptual paper provides a brief review of hospitality consumers’ information search behavior and the factors that are likely to influence their information search behavior and their utilization and processing of online reviews. This study focuses on the factors such as information overload, confusion, information processing, information presentation format, trust and evaluation mode that has not received much attention from hospitality scholars in addition to discussing the impacts of perceived risk and familiarity on information search and information processing approaches utilized by hospitality consumers. This study also discusses opportunities for hospitality researchers to empirically examine the extent to which each of the factors discussed might influence hospitality consumers information search, information processing and especially their utilization of online reviews in their decision making process.     

The Past,Present, and Future Research of Online Information Search

SUMMARY

Information technology has rapidly developed and accordingly online information search is increasingly important to both travelers and travel marketers. Despite the importance, there has not been given much attention to online information search behavior in the travel and tourism field. To stress the importance and urge researchers in advancing this area of research, this study briefly reviews (1) traditional views of information search, (2) the distinct features of online information search, (3) online benefits to travelers and marketers, and (4) online concerns and opportunities. In addition, potential issues on future research are suggested.     

The Influence of Food Expenditure on Tourist Response to Festival Tourism: Expenditure Perspective

Festival tourism, which combines the theme of a festival with the local characteristics of an area, has become an extremely attractive marketing method in recent years. In addition, local food and beverages are items that many visitors enjoy consuming and that can become attractions in their own right. The aims of this study are: (a) based on expenditure theory, to explore how spending on food and beverages and other items such as accommodations and transportation influences intentions to revisit and make positive recommendation; and (b) to examine whether or not tourists with different lifestyles use or experience different sources of information, evaluation criteria and travel expenses. A questionnaire survey was conducted using visitors to the 2009 Penghu Sea fireworks festival, and 308 valid samples were collected. The results were as follows. First, food and beverages had a significant positive influence on revisit and recommendation intentions. Second, the total expenditure on a tourist visit had a significantly negative effect on revisit and recommendation intentions. Third, there were statistically significant differences with regard to information searching, evaluation criteria and tourism expenditure among tourists with different lifestyles. Based on these results, we can conclude that food and beverage expenditure during festival tourism is an important factor in whether or not tourists plan to revisit an area and recommend it to others. The findings also show that more tourists can be attracted if festivals are well suited to local conditions and characteristics (such as the availability of seafood in the example examined in this work).     

Network Analysis of Navigation Paths of Tourists’ Trip Planning and Power Structure of the Online Tourism in China

In order to investigate the power structure of the online tourism domain in China, this study adopted a lab experiment and a network analysis method to examine the navigational paths of vacation planning behavior of Chinese college students. The analyses included the websites involved in the information search, network statistics of navigational paths, and clickthrough patterns between different types of websites. The navigational path network is a small-world network with shorter average path lengths and shorter network diameter than a web hyperlink network. The tourists generally followed a path of starting web page, general search engines, Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), and finally a specific business website. The clickthrough pattern indicated that search engines and OTAs were major intermediaries and thus exerted a higher power in the online tourism domain in China.     

An Investigation of Gen-Y's Online Hotel Information Search: The Case of Hong Kong

The Internet has made searching for hotel room information and making online reservations common practices among hotel guests. Despite constantly changing consumer behavior and widespread application of online hotel information sources, limited studies have been conducted to examine the online sources used frequently by customers and the related attributes of such sources. As such, drawing from an online questionnaire survey with 205 respondents, findings in this study indicate that there are no socio-demographic effects on future purchase intention of Generation (Gen) Y travelers. Moreover, websites of suppliers (e.g. official websites of hotels), travel intermediaries (e.g. Hotels.com), and social media (e.g. TripAdvisor) are the three major types of websites used by Gen Y hotel guests. Travel intermediary websites are often used to search for hotel information, whereas social media websites are used to make reservations. Based on these findings, implications for hotel managers are discussed.     

An exploratory investigation of web-based tourist information search behavior

The primary objective of this study is to further understand web-based search behavior in relation to tourist information. Using a small sample (94 subjects), a field study that examined the search sessions of on-line users was undertaken in a laboratory. The search action data were subsequently collected and empirically analyzed, and the search styles and sophisticated navigation techniques were identified. The results indicate that the search engine plays an important role in search behavior. In light of our findings, we draw managerial implications relating to tourist information searches in the context of the Web, and offer suggestions for future research.     

虚拟集群式旅游供应链模型构建研究

文章基于旅游供应链理论研究动态与现代信息技术发展态势,提出以信息拉动式为特征的在线旅游供应链(e-tourism supply chain)的理念。从集群式供应链视角,分析了虚拟集群式旅游供应链建立的动因,构建了虚拟集群式旅游供应链理论模型。文章通过创新旅游供应链研究视角,借鉴产业集群与供应链管理耦合研究理论,试图在赛博空间(Cyberspace)里,构建起虚拟集群式旅游供应链的理论框架,可分成4个部分:(1)旅游者信息链,是围绕着每个旅游者需求信息的一条"信息拉动式供应链",在此基础上形成旅游企业旅游服务大规模定制链;(2)旅游服务定制链,旅游企业在以"旅游者"为中心的信息链上提供即时响应、即时采购、即时生产、即时销售的敏捷制造服务,同业性旅游企业合作服务于旅游者;(3)信息共享平台,包括旅游者需求汇集、统计、分流平台,旅游企业沟通平台和旅游评价平台;(4)专业化辅助企业,具有弹性专精的优势,缓解大规模标准通用化服务提供和市场的定制化随机要求(stochastic demand)之间的矛盾,满足了旅游者对定制化旅游服务需求。     

Preferences regarding external information sources: a conjoint analysis of visitors to Sardinia,Italy

Utilizing a conjoint analysis approach, this study aims to examine the relative importance of external information sources for female and male international and domestic travelers utilizing data collected from 719 tourists traveling to Sardinia (Italy). Overall, findings reveal that traditional word-of-mouth (i.e. family and friends), online review sites (e.g. TripAdvisor), and the online search engines are the most important external information sources for both domestic and international travelers. However, differences in importance tourists assign to each external source exist based on type of travel (domestic versus international) and gender (male versus female). For example, while traditional word-of-mouth, online review sites, and search engines are the three most important sources for domestic male travelers, the third most important information source for domestic female travelers is found to be printed tour guides. Contributions to the current body of knowledge and managerial implications are discussed, and suggestions for further research are provided.     

国外网络旅游信息搜寻研究进展与启示

文章通过对国外近15年来相关文献的分析,发现国外关于网络旅游信息搜寻的研究起步较早,研究视角较宽泛,理论研究与方法应用较为成熟。研究重点主要集中在网络旅游信息需求与搜寻动机、搜寻内容偏好、搜寻行为特征、搜寻者特性和网络旅游信息源等5个方面。研究方法上,注重定性与定量方法的有机结合,并借助先进的网络软件和技术,研究结论更具科学性和说服力。最后,基于国外研究现状,展望未来研究方向,以期为国内相关研究与实践提供借鉴。     

基于三维分类法的旅游信息分类体系与编码初探

随着国民收入的增长、消费理念的转变以及闲暇时间的增多,旅游业飞速发展,逐渐成为国家战略性支柱产业,为其提供理论、技术、信息支撑的旅游信息科学呼之欲出。进行旅游信息分类体系与编码研究是旅游信息科学理论的重要研究内容,同时为旅游管理、规划决策、旅游信息平台搭建提供技术与信息支持。文章基于旅游三体、旅游六要素、需求层次、协同、可持续发展和信息组织六大理论,结合目前旅游业与相关产业融合发展态势,全面系统地提取了各类旅游信息;采用时间、空间、属性三维分类方法,建立了旅游信息三维立体分类模型,构建了旅游信息五级分类体系基本框架;应用“空间维＋时间维＋属性维”信息编码结构,确定了旅游信息编码的3段37位代码;通过陕西省旅游信息管理数据库系统的实践验证,旅游信息分类体系和编码系统性强,完整性高,操作便捷,可为旅游信息科学的理论研究及实践应用提供借鉴。     

Sources of distrust: Airbnb guests' perspectives

The present study explores sources of distrust in the Airbnb context. The study focuses on Airbnb customers' negative reviews posted in English on Trustpilot's website. The search for posts was employed with the keyword ‘trust’ to find online narratives from customers who had negative experiences of trust with Airbnb. Of the 2733 online reviews screened, the study concentrated on 216 negative reviews. The data analysis followed the grounded theory approach, which resulted in two themes that reflect the sources of distrust: Airbnb's poor customer service and the hosts' unpleasant behaviour. The managerial implications are that Airbnb should invest additional resources into minimising customers' negative experiences by focusing on trust-based relationships and maintaining quality in its core service elements. When customers report their complaints, their concerns should be addressed with prompt apologies, positive actions, and a willingness to compensate these customers to neutralise their distrust in the company.     

Online Information Search Strategies: A Focus On Flights and Accommodations

The problem of the research was to understand information search strategies that individuals utilized in online travel product purchases. Two products, flights and accommodations, were selected to examine each product's explanatory variables in online purchase behaviors. The results indicate online flight purchasers utilize direct information sources and focus on transactional attributes. Online accommodation purchasers utilize various types of sources; and they focus not only on transactional, but also informational and branding attributes. The study results support the constructive consumer choice processes theory and suggest some marketing tips for the airline and lodging industries.     

The search for the truest of authenticities: Online travel stories and their depiction of the authentic in the platform economy

This paper is an exploration of how authenticity of tourist experiences is shaped in online non-fiction travel writing through an analysis of Passion Passport, an online editorial collective. In a context of wide information access and increased competition in online publication, Passion Passport's stories emphasise personal differentiation as an important signifier of authenticity. However, the particular infrastructure of large online platforms in which Passion Passport's stories are written problematises this search for personal differentiation. Examining the construction and communication of authentic experiences within online travel writing opens up new avenues for tourism research by integrating platform studies.     

Travel queries on cities in the United States: Implications for search engine marketing for tourist destinations

Given the growing importance of search in online travel planning, marketers need to better understand the behavioural aspect of search engines use. Built upon a number of previous studies, the goal of this research is to identify patterns in online travel queries across tourist destinations. Utilizing transaction log files from a number of search engines, the analysis shows important patterns in the way travel queries are constructed as well as the commonalities and differences in travel queries about different cities in the United States. The ratio of travel queries among all queries about a specific city seems to associate with the “touristic” level of that city. Also, keywords in travelers' queries reflect their knowledge about the city and its competitors. This paper offers insights into the way tourism destinations are searched online as well as implications for search engine marketing for destinations.     

Personalized multi-period tour recommendations

During a trip planning, tourists gather information from different sources, select and rank the places to visit according to their personal interests, and try to devise daily tours among them. This paper addresses the complex selection and touring problem and proposes a “filter-first, tour-second” framework for generating personalized tour recommendations for tourists based on information from social media and other online data sources. Collaborative filtering is applied to identify a subset of optional points of interest that maximize the potential satisfaction, while there are some preselected mandatory points that the tourists must visit. Next, the underlying orienteering problem is solved via an Iterated Tabu Search algorithm. The goal is to generate tours that contain all mandatory points and maximize the total score collected from the optional points visited daily, taking into account different day availabilities and opening hours, limitations on the tour lengths, budgets and other restrictions. Computational experiments on benchmark datasets indicate that the proposed touring algorithm is very competitive. Furthermore, the proposed framework has been evaluated on data collected from Foursquare. The results show the practical utility and the temporal efficacy of the recommended tours.