Understanding consumer behaviour towards electronic word of mouth during the online accommodation booking process

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand and analyse consumer behaviour in electronic word of mouth, through the online accommodation booking process. The process, which is simultaneous with the five-stage theoratical model of the consumer decision-making process, is found in the accommodation sector. Methodology: A quantitative research approach was adopted with a view to collect primary data and hence, answer the three research questions that emerged from the literature. A web-based questionnaire with twenty-two questions and designed in five sections was constructed and made available online to hospitality consumers. There were a few criteria which the consumers had to satisfy prior to participating in the survey; they had to be eighteen years or older, resident in Malta, and had to have made an online accommodation booking at least once. The required sample size was that of 384 participants and their data was analyzed through the statistical software IBM SPSS 26. Findings: The study highlighted the fact that consumers are active online travel review readers during the online accommodation booking process. Furthermore, consumers mostly search for OTRs in the early stages of the online accommodation booking process. Nonetheless, OTRs tend to sometimes influence consumers to consider changing their initial accommodation decision. Additionally, OTRs are perceived as a more credible source than accommodation advertising. Research limitations/implications: The research was limited by alternative methods of data collection due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreoever, the researcher had limited control over the sturcture of the final sample, given that convenience sampling was the most suitable and conventient method for data collection. Practical implications: The study is expected to be of relevance for marketers working in the accommodation sector, since they can track how consumers behave when booking an accommodation online. Marketers can also distinguish which mode of online marketing communications is likely to impact the consumer’s decsions the most, whether OTRs or company advertising. Furthermore, the difference in demographic variables provide an opportunity for marketers to create personalized communications, best suited for consumer differences. Originality/value: The development in technology and the internet drives an uncontrollable infusion of e-WOM, especially in relation to the accommodation sector where purchases are highly intangible. Consequently, this motivates the study to be built upon the shortage of data on how hospitality consumers in the Maltese islands behave towards e-WOM during the online accommodation booking process.