Outbound tourism in Malta : a study of consumers' booking preference

Abstract

Most travellers and tourists tend to apply the wide web to search for travel information, to purchase their airline tickets, to book their accommodation, as well as other functions instead of relying on travel agents to do this for them. As a result of the popularity of the internet and its applications, most travel organizations such as hotels, airlines and travel agencies have introduced the Internet as part of their marketing and communication strategy. In effect, the rapid development of information technology has significantly changed the methods of doing business in the tourism industry. Thus, travellers from all segments are looking for value and consistently engage in comparison shopping. For most tourists, the web is an essential tool for travel research and planning. In effect, research has established that more than half the travellers irrespective of their travel purpose begin to plan through the web before they make decisions on how and when to travel. The aim of the study was to analyze the preferred booking method of the outbound travellers and the factors that influence their choice. The reasons for choosing a particular method were also examined. In this study, a quantitative approach was utilized whereby a structured online questionnaire was circulated to outbound travellers through Facebook. SPSS software was used to carry out the analysis of the data. After analyzing the data, the researcher came to the conclusion that convenience, lower prices, efficiency and price comparison are the main reasons why people prefer online booking. On the other hand, expertise, trustworthiness and security, and human interaction are the reasons why people still book with travel agents. Moreover perceived security and trust and consumers’ Internet skills have a significant correlation with choice of booking method.