Abstract
Tourists are increasingly relying on different channels to search for hotel-related and travel-related information. However, the gravity of importance and the performance of these channels are not clear. Thus, this study evaluates the importance and performance of these channels and identifies the factors that affect the use of these channels. The findings indicated that tourists regard international online travel agencies as the most important channel for searching hotel information. By contrast, they regard social media sites as the most important channel for searching travel-related information. Significant differences were found in the web search skills and information search behaviour of tourists. The results can provide practical implications for hotel and tourism practitioners in targeting tourists more accurately.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bloch, P. H., Sherell, D. L., & Ridgway, N. M. (1986). Consumer search: An extended framework. Journal of Consumer Research, 13(1), 119–126.
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.
Chen, Y. H. (2012). Ctrip pays for its mistake on display wrong photos of hotel. Retrieved June 10, 2015 from http://www.uuidea.com/2012/0918/15532.htmlChen.
Chiang, C. F., & Jang, S. C. (2007). The effects of perceived price and brand image on value and purchase intention: Leisure travelers’ attitude toward online hotel booking. Journal of Hospitality & Leisure Marketing, 15(3), 49–69.
Denizci Guillet, B., & Law, R. (2010). Analyzing hotel star ratings on third‐party distribution websites. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 22(6), 797–813. http://doi.org/10.1108/09596111011063098
Feufel, M. A., & Stahl, S. F. (2012). What do web-use skill differences imply for online health information searches? Journal of Medical Internet Research, 14(3), 87–97.
Forbes. (2015). Expedia adds homeaway’s vacation rentals to its product portfolio. Retrieved July 5, 2016 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2014/09/23/expedia-adds-homeaways-vacation-rentals-to-its-product-portfolio/.
Greene, W. H. (2011). Econometric analysis (7th ed.). Pearson: Prentice Hall.
Hölscher, C., & Strube, G. (2000). Web search behavior of Internet experts and newbies. Computer Networks, 33(1), 337–346.
Jang, S. (2004). The Past, present, and future research of online information search. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 17(2–3), 41–47.
Jun, S. H., Vogt, C. A., & MacKay, K. J. (2007). Relationships between travel information search and travel product purchase in pretrip contexts. Journal of Travel Research, 45(3), 266–274.
Kim, D., Lehto, X. Y., & Morrison, A. M. (2007). Gender differences in online travel information search: Implications for marketing communications on the internet. Tourism Management, 28(2), 423–433.
Kim, W. G., & Kim, D. J. (2004). Factors affecting online hotel reservation intention between online and non-online customers. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 23(4), 381–395.
Law, R., & Hsu, C. H. C. (2005). Customers’ perceptions on the importance of hotel web site dimensions and attributes. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 17(6), 493–503.
Law, R., & Hsu, C. H. C. (2006). Importance of hotel website dimensions and attributes: Perceptions of online browsers and online purchasers. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 30(3), 295–312.
Leung, R., Guillet, B. D., & Law, R. (2014). The channel that offers the lowest online room rates: A case study of hotels in Hong Kong. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 15(2), 103–120.
Liu, J. N., & Zhang, E. Y. (2014). An investigation of factors affecting customer selection of online hotel booking channels. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 39, 71–83.
Lo, A., Cheung, C., & Law, R. (2002). Information search behavior of Hong Kong’s inbound travelers-a comparison of business and leisure travelers. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 13(3), 61–81.
Lorenzo, M., & Law, R. (2015). Comparing reservation channels for hotel rooms: A behavioral perspective. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 1–13.
Luo, M., Feng, R., & Cai, L. A. (2004). Information search behavior and tourist characteristics. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 17(2–3), 15–25.
Mäntymäki, M., & Salo, J. (2013). Purchasing behavior in social virtual worlds: An examination of Habbo hotel. International Journal of Information Management, 33(2), 282–290.
Miller, B. (2004). Building e-loyalty of lodging brands. Journal of Travel & TourismMarketing, 17(2–3), 133–142.
Schegg, R., Stangl, B., Fux, M., & Inversini, A. (2013) Distribution Channels and Management in the Swiss Hotel Sector. In L. Cantoni, & Z. Xiang (Eds.), Proocedings of Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2013 (pp 554–565). Innsbruck, Springer.
Schmidt, J. B., & Spreng, R. A. (1996). A proposed model of external consumer information search. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 24(3), 246–256.
Tso, A. & Law, R. (2005). Factors affecting the choice of channels: Online versus conventional. Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 14(2–3), 137–151.
Tsang, N. K. F., Lai, M. T., & Law, R. (2010). Measuring e-service quality for online travel agencies. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 27(3), 306–323.
Vogt, C. A., & Fesenmaier, D. R. (1998). Expanding the functional information search model. Annals of Tourism Research, 25(3), 551–578.
Wong, J., & Law, R. (2005). Analysing the intention to purchase on hotel websites: A study of travellers to Hong Kong. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 24(3), 311–329.
Xiang, Z., & Gretzel, U. (2010). Role of social media in online travel information search. Tourism Management, 31(2), 179–188.
Xiang, Z., Magnini, V. P., & Fesenmaier, D. R. (2015). Information technology and consumer behavior in travel and tourism: Insights from travel planning using the internet. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 22, 244–249.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Sun, S., Law, R., Luk, C., Fong, L.H.N. (2017). Channels for Searching Hotel and Travel Information. In: Schegg, R., Stangl, B. (eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2017. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51168-9_32
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51168-9_32
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-51167-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-51168-9
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementBusiness and Management (R0)