Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Offline Versus Online Intermediation: A Study of Booking Behaviour of Tourists Travelling to Sardinia

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Book cover Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2015

Abstract

Researchers argue that the debate around the topic of disintermediation and reintermediation (both offline and online) is still open and needs further analysis. This study was therefore carried out, with a representative sample of 1,461 national and international tourists who visited Sardinia (Italy) in 2012. Its aim was to investigate how tourists book their holidays and whether significant differences exist in their channel strategy (online versus offline intermediation) based on: their socio-demographic characteristics; the type of tourism product they bought; their prior experience of travelling to the destination; the geographical distance they travelled; and the length and the time (low or high tourism season) of their stay. Findings reveal that all but four variables (gender, income, median length of stay and prior experience of travelling to the destination) are influencing their actual buying behaviour. Managerial implications are discussed and suggestions for further research are made.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anckar, B. (2003). Consumer intentions in terms of electronic travel distribution: Implications for future market structures. e-Service Journal, 2(2), 68–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, C. K. (2009). The billboard effect: Online travel agent impact on non-OTA reservation volume. CHR Report. The Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University 9(16).

    Google Scholar 

  • Beldona, S., Morrison, A. M., & O’Leary, J. (2005). Online shopping motivations and pleasure travel products: A correspondence analysis. Tourism Management, 26(4), 561–570.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennet, M. M., & Buhalis, D. (2003, January). Tourism and travel distribution, the travel agency perspective, Insights. English Tourism Council D25-30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennet, M. M., & Lai, C. K. (2005). The impact of the Internet on travel agencies in Taiwan. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 6(1), 8–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beritelli, P., Bieger, T., & Laesser, C. (2007). The impact of the internet on information source portfolios: Insight from a mature market. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 22(1), 63–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buhalis, D. (1998). Strategic use of information technologies in the tourism industry. Tourism Management, 19, 409–421.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buhalis, D., & Law, R. (2008). Progress in information technology and tourism management: 20 years on and 10 years after the Internet—The state of eTourism research. Tourism Management, 29(4), 609–623.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Card, J., Chen, C., & Cole, S. (2003). Online travel product shopping: Differences between shoppers and non shoppers. Journal of Travel Research, 42(2), 133–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chu, R. (2001). What online Hong Kong travelers look for on airline/travel websites? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 20(1), 95–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dabs, S., & Manaktola, K. (2007). Managing reservations through online distribution channels: An insight into mid-segment hotels in India. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 19(5), 388–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Del Chiappa, G. (2012). User generated content and its influence on tourists’ choices: How do tourists make hotel reservations online? Turistica: Italian Journal of Tourism, 1, 39–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Del Chiappa, G. (2013). Internet versus travel agencies: The perception of different groups of italian online buyers. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 19(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Del Chiappa, G. & Balboni, B. (2013). Travelers’ choice of information sources and information channels for national trips: An investigation in the context of Italy. In Proceedings from X Convegno SIM: Smart Life. From Technology Innovation to the Market. Milano: University Milano-Bicocca.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz, E., Blázquez, J. J., & Martín-Conseguera, D. (2012). European tourist destinations on the internet search engines. European Journal of Tourism Research, 5(2), 171–175.

    Google Scholar 

  • Econsultancy. (2011). Three quarters of travel research takes place online survey. Retrieved from http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/8275-three-quarters-of-travel-research-takes-place-online-survey.

  • eGlobal Travel Media. (2012). US studies indicate travel agents are making a comeback. Retrieved from http://www.eglobaltravelmedia.com.au/2-headline-news/us-studies-indicate-travel-agents-are-making-a-comeback.html. Accessed September 20, 2013.

  • eMarketer. (2012). Mobile subscriber growth stagnates, but mobile Internet users are set to reach critical mass. Retrieved from http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?R=1009020&ecid=a6506033675d47f881651943c21c5ed4. Accessed September 20, 2012.

  • Fodness, D., & Murray, B. (1999). A model of tourist information search behavior. Journal of Travel Research, 37(3), 220–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grønflaten, Ø. (2011). Predicting travelers’ choice of information sources and information channels. Journal of Travel Research, 48(2), 230–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ho, C. I., Lin, M. H., & Chen, H. M. (2012). Web users’ behavioural patterns of tourism information search: From online to offline. Tourism Management, 33, 1468–1482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Internet World Stats. (2013). Internet users in the world: Distribution by world regions—2013 Q4. Retrieved from http://www.Internetworldstats.com/top20.htm.

  • Ip, C., Lee, H. A., & Law, R. (2012). Profiling the users of travel websites for planning and online experience sharing. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 36(3), 418–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPK International. (2011). Global travel trends 2011/2012. Retrieved from http://www.ipkinternational.com/uploads/media/IPK_PR_ITB_2012.pdf.

  • ISNART. (2013). Indagine quantitativa sui comportamenti turistici degli italiani. http://www.ontit.it/opencms/export/sites/default/ont/it/documenti/files/ONT_2013-07-23_02982.pdf.

  • Jones, C. (2010). Weary of online booking, clients return to travel agents. Retrieved from http://travel.usatoday.com/news/2010-11-16-travelagents16_CV_N.htm.

  • Jun, S. H., Vogt, C. A., & Mackay, K. J. (2007). Relationships between travel information search and travel product purchase in pre-trip contexts. Journal of Travel Research, 45(3), 266–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, W. G., & Kim, D. J. (2004). Factors affecting online hotel reservation intention between online and non online customers. Journal of Hospitality Management, 23(4), 381–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ku, E. C. S., Wu, W., & Lin, A. (2011). Strategic alignment leverage between hotels and companies: The buyer-supplier relationship perspective. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30(3), 735–745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L’Echo touristique (2012). 17,2 millions de Français ont préparé leurs séjours en ligne. Retrieved from http://www.lechotouristique.com/article/17-2-millions-de-francais-ont-prepare-leurs-sejours-en-ligne,52003.

  • Law, R., Leung, K., & Wong, J. (2004). The impact of the internet on travel agencies. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 16(2), 100–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Law, R., Qi, S., & Buhalis, D. (2010). Progress in tourism management, a review of website evaluation in tourism research. Tourism Management, 31, 297–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzo-Romero, C., Del Chiappa, G., & Constantinides, E. (2014). Analyzing the user-generated content on disintermediation effect: A latent segmentation study of bookers and lookers. In F. F.-H. Nah (Ed.), HCIB/HCII 2014, LNCS 8527 (pp. 754–764). Switzerland: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison, A., Jing, A., O’Leary, J., & Cai, L. (2001). Predicting usage of the internet for travel bookings: An exploratory study. Information Technology and Tourism, 4(1), 15–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, Y. A., Gretzel, U., & Sirakaya-Turk, E. (2007). Measuring web site quality for online travel agencies. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 23(1), 15–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearce, D. G. (2008). A needs-function model of tourism destination. Annals of Tourism Research, 5(1), 148–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearce, D. G., & Schott, C. (2011). Domestic vs outbound booking and channel choice behavior: Evidence from New Zealand. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 5(2), 112–127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • PhoCusWright. (2011). Social media in travel 2011: Traffic, activity & sentiment. Retrieved from http://www.phocuswright.com/products/2689.

  • Qi, S., Law, R., & Buhalis, D. (2013). Who booked five-star hotels in Macau? A study of hotel guests’ online booking intention. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 20, 76–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramkissoon, H., & Nunkoo, R. (2012). More Than just biological sex differences: Examining the structural relationship between gender identity and information search behavior. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 36(2), 191–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stankov, U., Lazić, L., & Dragićević, V. (2010). The extent of use of basic Facebook user-generated content by the national tourism organization in Europe. European Journal of Tourism Research, 3(2), 105–113.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuart, P., Pearce, D., & Weaver, A. (2005). Tourism distribution channels in peripheral regions: The case of Southland, New Zealand. Tourism Geographies: An International Journal of Tourism Space, Place and Environment, 7(3), 235–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tsai, H. T., Huang, L., & Lin, C. G. (2005). Emerging e-commerce development model for taiwanese travel agencies. Tourism Management, 26, 787–796.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Werthner, H., & Ricci, F. (2004). E-commerce and tourism. Communications of the ACM, 17(12), 101–105.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J., & Lawson, R. (2001). Community issues and resident opinions of tourism. Annals of Tourism Research, 28(2), 269–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woodside, A. G., & Ronkainen, I. A. (1980). Vacation travel planning segments: Self planning vs users of motor club and travel agents. Annals of Tourism Research, 7, 385–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yung, C. Y. (1997). Internet marketing: the perception of travel agencies in Taipei, Taiwan. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 2(1), 67–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Regione Autonoma della Sardegna under Grant [LR7 2011, Project F71J11000980002].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economics and Business, University of Sassari and CRENoS, Cagliari, Italy

    Giacomo Del Chiappa & Andrea Zara

Authors
  1. Giacomo Del Chiappa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrea Zara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giacomo Del Chiappa .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Hospitality Business Management, Carson College of Business, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington, USA

    Iis Tussyadiah

  2. Faculty of Management, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom

    Alessandro Inversini

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Del Chiappa, G., Zara, A. (2015). Offline Versus Online Intermediation: A Study of Booking Behaviour of Tourists Travelling to Sardinia. In: Tussyadiah, I., Inversini, A. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2015. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14343-9_51

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation