Referencial para a caracterização de websites de hotéis de acordo com as necessidades dos consumidores

Online presence is essential for tourism organisations, and the quality of websites can influence customers. In the case of hotels, there are many studies to evaluate website performance based on functionality, usability and other factors, much less on the amount of different information available to the consumer. In the near future by using Big Data it is expected that hotel websites will be dynamic, they will adapt themselves on-the-fly, showing personalized information to each consumer. Different consumers will have different websites (information? available) from the same hotel. This paper presents a framework for the characterisation of hotel websites, focusing on the amount of information available to the consumer in each website, which was applied in a case study during the last months of 2013 to the websites of five-star hotels that operate in the tourist region of the Algarve, Portugal. The framework allowed to identify a set of exhaustive indicators for hotel website characterisation, which were then grouped into ten fundamental information dimensions. These dimensions further fell into four dimension groups. Finally, it is presented and discussed quantitative and qualitative evaluations, that illustrates which indicators and dimensions are more often considered on hotel websites to satisfy the consumer?s information needs

Daily Deals in the Mediterranean Region: A Data Analytics Approach

Daily Deal (DD) websites have established themselves as an inventory distribution channel for hotels, yet they remain a largely underexplored topic in tourism. This paper seeks to provide insights into the nature of high-end DD websites through data analysis of individual offers’ attributes, obtained by direct observation of three main hotel-focused DD websites and one review website. The preliminary analysis of the data reveals that specialised DDs are a marketplace for quality hotels that can be considered as a semi-permanent form of a distribution channel. The outcomes challenge the currently established literature by offering a novel perspective and a more in-depth understanding of DDs and their use by the hoteliers as a marketing tool and inventory distribution channel

Email inquiries in hotels. Comparative study of Łódź and Novosibirsk

Rozdział z: Functioning of the Local Production Systems in Central and Eastern European Countries and Siberia. Case Studies and Comparative Studies, ed. Mariusz E. Sokołowicz.Guests and travel shoppers constantly search and book hotel rooms all over the world on various devices, shifting from one screen to another. Thanks to internet, “anytime, anywhere” access to information quite far outweighs its downsides. In the paper, the author focuses on the efficient use of the Internet as a tool which helps to communicate with clients. The reaction to inquiries sent by email influences both booking behavior and guest satisfaction as well. The objective of the survey presented in this paper is to test empirically response behavior to Internet enquiries. In particular, response time and information quality of received answers (information depth) were also analyzed. The research methods, which are used in the article, include the issue analysis, desktop study (review of academic papers with related works), the survey (using mystery shopping methodology) and analysis of the obtained results.Monograph financed under a contract of execution of the international scientific project within 7th Framework Programme of the European Union, co-financed by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (title: “Functioning of the Local Production Systems in the Conditions of Economic Crisis (Comparative Analysis and Benchmarking for the EU and Beyond”)). Monografia sfinansowana w oparciu o umowę o wykonanie projektu między narodowego w ramach 7. Programu Ramowego UE, współfinansowanego ze środków Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego (tytuł projektu: „Funkcjonowanie lokalnych systemów produkcyjnych w warunkach kryzysu gospodarczego (analiza porównawcza i benchmarking w wybranych krajach UE oraz krajach trzecich”))

Word of Mouth, the Importance of Reviews and Ratings in Tourism Marketing

The Internet and social media have given place to what is commonly known as the democratization of content and this phenomenon is changing the way that consumers and companies interact. Business strategies are shifting from influencing consumers directly and induce sales to mediating the influence that Internet users have on each other. A consumer review is “a mixture of fact and opinion, impression and sentiment, found and unfound tidbits, experiences, and even rumor” (Blackshaw & Nazarro, 2006). Consumers' comments are seen as honest and transparent, but it is their subjective perception what shapes the behavior of other potential consumers. With the emergence of the Internet, tourists search for information and reviews of destinations, hotels or services. Several studies have highlighted the great influence of online reputation through reviews and ratings and how it affects purchasing decisions by others (Schuckert, Liu, & Law, 2015). These reviews are seen as unbiased and trustworthy, and considered to reduce uncertainty and perceived risks (Gretzel & Yoo, 2008; Park & Nicolau, 2015). Before choosing a destination, tourists are likely to spend a significant amount of time searching for information including reviews of other tourists posted on the Internet. The average traveler browses 38 websites prior to purchasing vacation packages (Schaal, 2013), which may include tourism forums, online reviews in booking sites and other generic social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Selling Rooms Online: The Use of Social Media and Online Travel Agents

Purpose – This paper aims to focus on the reason why hoteliers choose to be present in online travel agent (OTA) and social media web sites for sales purposes. It also investigates the technological and human factors related to these two practices. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on a survey sent to a wide range of hotels in a Swiss touristic region. The empirical analysis involves the specification of two ordered logit models exploring the importance (in terms of online sales) of both social media and the online travel agent, Booking.com. Findings – Findings highlight the constant tension between visibility and online sales in the web arena, as well as a clear distinction in social media and OTA web site adoption between hospitality structures using online management tools and employing personnel with specific skills. Practical implications – The research highlights the need for the hospitality industry to maintain an effective presence on social media and OTAs in order to move towards the creation of a new form of social booking technologies to increase their visibility and sales. Originality/value – This research contributes to understanding the major role played by OTAs and social media in the hospitality industry while underlining the possibility of a major interplay between the two

Travel Websites: A Relevant Source of Statistical Information?

This study explores the two most popular travel websites: TripAdvisor, based fully on the Travel 2.0 and UGC application; and Booking.com, which has developed as an online travel agency website but has also absorbed a modern UGC approach. Their content concerning accommodation in Wrocław was analysed and compared to the official tourist statistics provided by both the Central Statistical Office of Poland, and the Central Register of Hotels and Similar Establishments published by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism. The article aims at an evaluation of the reliability and completeness of the information provided over the internet: firstly from the point of view of a potential customer, secondly for its value for market research purposes. Although electronic word- of-mouth websites are designed both for consumers and suppliers, from a methodological perspective the article is based on a content analysis of tourism social media. The study also contributes to both academic research and the tourism industry by identifying some gaps in existing work and providing an agenda for the future