When empathy prevents negative reviewing behavior

Previous research has found that peer-to-peer platforms have overly positive reviews. Guided by Construal Level Theory, this research investigates the relationship between social distance, empathy, and tourists’ intention to leave negative online reviews. The first study is a qualitative analysis which compares peer-to-peer settings (i.e., Airbnb) to institutional ones (i.e., Booking.com), and explores whether social closeness hinders tourists’ willingness to provide negative online reviews to express their poor experiences. The second and third study are laboratory studies which show that the mechanism behind reviewing biases is the activation of empathy.This research offers practical implications for both traditional hospitality players, on how to activate empathy, and online platforms operators, on how to increase the reliability of their reputation systems.This article also launches the Annals of Tourism Research Curated Collection on Peer-to-peer accommodation networks, a special selection of research in this field.     

Forecasting tourism demand with multisource big data

Based on internet big data from multiple sources (i.e., the Baidu search engine and two online review platforms, Ctrip and Qunar), this study forecasts tourist arrivals to Mount Siguniang, China. Key findings of this empirical study indicate that (a) tourism demand forecasting based on internet big data from a search engine and online review platforms can significantly improve forecasting performance; (b) compared with tourism demand forecasting based on single-source data from a search engine, demand forecasting based on multisource big data from a search engine and online review platforms demonstrates better performance; and (c) compared with tourism demand forecasting based on online review data from a single platform, forecasting performance based on multiple platforms is significantly better.     

Analysis of the perceived value of online tourism reviews: Influence of readability and reviewer characteristics

Online reviews provide additional product information to reduce uncertainty. Hence, consumers often rely on online reviews to form purchase decisions. However, an explosion of online reviews brings the problem of information overload to individuals. Identifying reviews containing valuable information from large numbers of reviews becomes increasingly important to both consumers and companies, especially for experience products, such as attractions. Several online review platforms provide a function for readers to rate a review as “helpful” when it contains valuable information. Different from consumers, companies want to detect potential valuable reviews before they are rated to avoid or promote their negative or positive influence, respectively. Using online attraction review data retrieved from TripAdvisor, we conduct a two-level empirical analysis to explore factors that affect the value of reviews. We introduc a negative binomial regression model at a review level to explore the effects of the actual reviews. Subsequently, we apply a Tobit regression model at the reviewer level to investigate the effects of reviewer characteristics inferred from properties of historical rating distribution. The empirical analysis results indicate that both text readability and reviewer characteristics affect the perceived value of reviews. These findings have direct implications for attraction managers in their improved identification of potential valuable reviews.     

Destination brand authenticity: What an experiential simulacrum! A multigroup analysis of its antecedents and outcomes through official online platforms

Tourists' intensive use of information and communication technologies when planning travel has forced destination marketing organizations to design online simulacra of destinations in multiple formats. We focus our study on official online destination platforms to analyze preliminary experiences with destination brands and the online perception of authenticity. Previous consumption studies have theorized that consumers' encounters with products/services are antecedents of their perceptions of authenticity. In the tourism literature, however, the link between online destination experiences and online destination authenticity constitutes a research gap. To fill that gap, we used a multimethod approach to develop a causal-predictive model by which we observed that the online destination brand experience directly affects destination brand authenticity. The findings also show that both of these constructs directly and indirectly influence users' behavioral intentions toward the destination. We examine the moderating role of various official online destination platforms to enrich the theoretical and managerial implications discussed.     

The impact of e-word-of-mouth on the online popularity of restaurants: A comparison of consumer reviews and editor reviews

With the growing availability and popularity of web-based opinion platforms, online product reviews are now an emerging market phenomenon that is playing an increasingly important role in consumer purchase decisions. Generally speaking, there are two types of online reviews: consumer-generated reviews that are based on personal experiences, and reviews that are written by professional editors. However, little prior research efforts have been devoted to evaluate whether these two types of reviews have different influences on the behavior of online users. This study shows that consumer-generated ratings about the quality of food, environment and service of restaurants, and the volume of online consumer reviews are positively associated with the online popularity of restaurants; whereas editor reviews have a negative relationship with consumers’ intention to visit a restaurant's webpage. The findings will help hospitality researchers and practitioners better understand the impact of electronic word-of-mouth on purchase decisions.     

Exploring the dimensions of online destination brand experience: Spanish and North American tourists' perspectives

As the use of online platforms to search for information about tourist destinations grows, so does the need for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to offer positive online destination brand (ODB) experiences. Two studies were conducted online to explore the central elements of a positive ODB experience with four official destination platforms (the website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter). Based on a photo-elicitation technique, the grounded theory approach, and data triangulation, this study identified six dimensions of a positive ODB experience: sensory, affective, behavioral, intellectual, interactive, and social. Thus, it extends the four-dimensional brand experience scale created by Brakus, Schmitt, and Zarantonello (2009) and proposes two other dimensions that deepen the understanding of an ODB experience: interactive and social. The results indicate that, rather than disseminating content, DMOs should focus on generating sensory, affective, behavioral, and intellectual experiences as well as fostering person-to-person connection and enabling users to create content on destination platforms.     

Evaluating domestic bias on airline passengers’ ratings: The moderating effect of cultural value orientation

We explore differences in airline passengers’ online ratings toward domestic and foreign carriers. Using a dataset of more than 380,000 airline passenger reviews obtained from TripAdvisor, we show that on average passengers express higher satisfaction (as proxied by their overall rating) for airline service encounters with domestic carriers, exhibiting a form of domestic bias. Using Hofstede’s framework, we examine how cultural dimensions influence the strength of this bias and find support for the moderating impact (positive and negative) of passengers’ cultural dimensions on their provided ratings toward domestic airlines. The study has theoretical and practical implications for international marketing researchers and airline operational planners.     

Sustainable attitudes: Protecting tourism with inoculation messages

This study explored the potential of inoculation messages to protect the pro-destination attitudes of potential tourists. As this study argues, much research has focused on the promotion of destination images, sustainable tourism, and more recently the impact of Tourism 2.0 (i.e., hyper connected, multidimensional consumer knowledge sharing across social media platforms) on the industry. Yet, little attention has been given to communication strategies designed to pre-emptively protect tourist attitudes from negative online peer reviews. Therefore, via a three-phase experiment the current investigation explored the impact of different (i.e., no message, supportive, and inoculation) communication message strategies on tourist pro-destination attitudes when faced with a negative peer review of the destination on social media. Results indicate that for participants exposed to negative peer reviews presented via social media inoculation messages protected pro-destination attitudes better than other message types.     

In search of diners responsive to health cues: Insights from U.S. consumers

Many consumers rely on summary statistics offered by online and mobile platforms to attain nutrition information on menu items. While positive (vs. negative) summary cues garner more favorable consumer responses, this research provides a more nuanced understanding of this effect by examining the moderating role of two individual-level characteristics: health-consciousness and need for status. Two MTurk samples (Study 1: n = 142, Study 2: n = 119) were recruited in 2018. Findings from Study 1 suggest that health-conscious (vs. less health-conscious) consumers show a wider gap in perceived healthiness of a menu item in response to the valence of a health cue. This greater gap translates into more polarized attitudes toward the menu item. Findings from Study 2 indicate that consumers high (vs. low) in need for status exhibit less favorable attitudes toward a menu item with a negative health cue. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

How to make money with credit information? Information processing on online accommodation-sharing platforms

Online accommodation-sharing has experienced rapid growth and greatly attracted the interest of current scholars. This study develops a theoretical model to explore the factors determining future bookings based on the novel perspective of information processing. We examine the effects of basic room and host information and the contingent role of credit information. The research model is tested by using a dataset from xiaozhu. com, one of the largest accommodation-sharing platforms in China. The results show that basic room information plays a major role in affecting future bookings, with room price generating a negative effect and consumer reviews generating a positive effect. Similarly, host information (reply rate and acceptance rate) is also significantly related to future bookings. Moreover, credit information weakens the negative effect of the room price and strengthens the effects of consumer reviews and the host acceptance rate. This study contributes to the literature on online accommodation-sharing, consumer booking behavior, and information processing theory and provides practical implications.     

Understanding the dynamics of review posting and the management intervention effects on those dynamics

The purposes of the paper are (1) to examine the dynamic properties of online reviews, focusing on whether previous review trends contribute to herding or reactant behavior in subsequent review rating generation (dynamic flow), and (2) to explore the business value of management responses in the dynamic flow of online reviews based on Social Impact Theory and Rational Action Theory as the foundation. To this end, we analyze a series of regression and logistic models with quasi-experimental cases from a large online review dataset, collected from a leading online travel website in China. We find that both types of previous trends of reviews, positive and negative, contribute to reactant behavior in subsequent review rating generation. When the review trends are considered with management responses, we find that management responses have a positive impact on subsequent review ratings in the negative review trend, but not in the positive review trend.     

‘Pop-up’ tourism or ‘invasion’? Airbnb in coastal Australia

The global rise of peer to peer ‘home-sharing’ platforms such as Airbnb has accelerated negative forms of ‘touristification’ in major cities, often defying local regulation. But less is known about how such platforms affect regions beyond or peripheral to major population centres. This article addresses this question, examining 12 case-study communities in coastal Australia. Through in-depth interviews and focus groups with local stakeholders and planners, as well as analysis of Airbnb listings, tourism and housing data, we find that Airbnb style platforms intersect with, and impact, local governance, neighbourhoods and housing markets in different ways. We conceptualise these differences as a place-based taxonomy ranging from ‘pop-up’ to ‘invasive’ tourism, and highlight implications for research, policy and practice.     

Effect of crowd wisdom on pricing in the asset-based sharing platform: An attribute substitution perspective

Technological advancement has led to the emergence of online platforms fueled by the sharing economy across various industries. This study focuses on Airbnb - a specific asset-based sharing platform in the hospitality industry. Applying the theory of attribute substitution, we explore the wisdom of the crowd manifested in online reviews, in impacting pricing. We found that online review valence and volume have a positive association with room price. Depending on the crowdedness of the location this association is stronger or weaker. Customers care more about room popularity (volume) in a certain area when the fast system of decision-making is triggered. When, however, the slow system is triggered, customers consider the crime rate of a location (valence). Findings show how environmental stimuli and customer reviews decide room price - a variable that was decided traditionally by companies (e.g., hotels). The research furthers our understanding on asset-based platforms in the sharing economy.     

Online reviews and purchase intention: A cosmopolitanism perspective

In recent years, marketing managers have realized that online reviews are an essential element in customer decision-making. However, there has been little valid measure of online reviews and no systematic analysis of their effect on consumer purchase intention. Drawing on the uses and gratification (U&G) and consumer culture (CCT) theories, this study develops a valid measure of online reviews and analyzes their effect on purchase intention. With a sample of 1112 hotel customers from three countries (Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam), this study validates the positive effect of online reviews on purchase intention through the perceived effectiveness of social media platforms (PESMP) and online trust while confirming the moderating role of cosmopolitanism.     

Evaluating museum visitor experiences based on user-generated travel photos

ABSTRACT

This research introduces online travel photos published on social media platforms as a complementary data resource to examine the behavior and experience of museum visitors. The practical value of online travel photos is demonstrated through a case study of popular Hong Kong museums, particularly by using the photo content and metadata available from the Flickr platform. The proposed approach is a generic method for understanding museum visitor behavior and preferences, and supports museum practitioners in developing improved products for visitors. The case study findings are particularly beneficial for tourism managers, especially those in Hong Kong, in promoting and attracting tourists to visit local museums.     

Infusing new insights: How do review novelty and inconsistency shape the usefulness of online travel reviews?

Review usefulness represents a vital indicator for evaluating the quality of online reviews in the tourism industry, and various heuristic cues have been recognized as determinants of this indicator. This study constructs a comprehensive conceptual framework based on the heuristic-systematic model to observe how two systematic cues, namely, review novelty and inconsistency, shape the perceived usefulness of reviews. Through an empirical analysis based on 1,744,693 reviews of 62,543 restaurants in the United States, we unveil a positive effect of review novelty on review usefulness but a negative effect of review inconsistency. We also underscore the moderating effects of several heuristic cues in the model, including review valence, reviewer expertise, and restaurant popularity. These results indicate that systematic and heuristic cues simultaneously and interactively determine review usefulness. The findings present theoretical implications to the literature and practical implications to hospitality professionals and designers/managers of review platforms.     

网络点评对民宿顾客住宿意愿的影响——信任的中介作用探讨

网络点评是影响民宿顾客住宿意愿的重要因素。本研究以信任理论为基础,从顾客需求视角探讨民宿顾客对网络平台的信任和对民宿主人的信任在网络点评和民宿顾客住宿意愿之间的作用。研究发现:(1)网络点评对民宿顾客住宿意愿的直接影响效应显著;(2)顾客信任的二维度(对网络平台的信任和对民宿主人的信任)在网络点评和民宿顾客住宿意愿之间起串联中介作用,但是顾客信任的两个维度不能单独在网络点评和民宿顾客住宿意愿之间起中介作用。本研究揭示了网络点评对民宿顾客住宿意愿的作用路径,为民宿营销提供了新视角。     

Residents’ perceptions of airport construction impacts: A negativity bias approach

Airports have significant implications for regional and local tourism development, so their impacts need to be assessed. Based on in-depth interviews with local residents, this study examined the effects of an airport development project in Mexico. Negativity bias theory was adopted as a theoretical framework to gain a fuller understanding of host communities' perceptions. In accordance with this theory, even though the economic impacts of the airport's construction are recognised as positive, its environmental and social effects on locals' everyday lives are perceived more negatively. As a result, most locals interviewed do not support the airport project. This is because, in line with negativity bias theory, when perceived negative impacts outweigh positive ones, a holistic evaluation that integrates negative and positive events will ultimately be unfavourable. Practical implications in terms of public consultation, perceived impacts and tourism development are discussed.     

Online distribution of airline tickets: Should airlines adopt a single or a multi-channel approach?

In today's digital world, airlines typically distribute tickets both via their own websites and through online travel agency (OTA) platforms such as Expedia and Travelocity. Although associated with higher distribution costs, selling tickets through the platforms offers airlines exposure to a broader consumer base, and potentially higher sales than selling tickets solely through their own websites. While most airlines have adopted a multi-channel approach by selling tickets through OTA platforms and their websites, some (e.g., Southwest Airlines, easyJet and Ryanair) sell only via the latter. Is one approach better than the other, and if so, under what circumstances? This study analyzes factors that affect an airline's distribution strategy by developing a decision support model. We find that airlines are less likely to use OTA platforms if they have a large loyal consumer base or if the OTA platform is highly competitive.     

Examining the direct and interaction effects of picture color cues and textual cues related to color on accommodation-sharing platform rental purchase

Given the increasing popularity of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation-sharing platforms (i.e., Airbnb), this paper aims to explore the effects of both picture color cues and textual cues related to color (TCC) on rental decisions made on these platforms in China. Based on cue utilization theory, this paper distinguishes picture color cues signaled from photos listed by hosts and TCC signaled from online guest reviews. The paper conducts an empirical study using data crawled from Xiaozhu.com. The research model is tested with poisson regression using 2520 valid listings collected in Guangzhou and is verified with additional data collected in Shanghai. Results show that both picture color cues and TCC affect rental transactions. Properties displayed with warm-colored pictures are more likely to be rented than those with cold-colored pictures. In addition, the consistency of picture color cues and TCC is found to have a significant impact on rental decisions. Interestingly, we also found an invert-U effect of brightness on rental purchase.