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Erschienen in:
2019 | OriginalPaper | Buchkapitel
23. Online Hotel Customer’s Perceived Service Quality and Purchase Intentions
verfasst von : Anna Kourtesopoulou, John Kehagias
Erschienen in: Smart Tourism as a Driver for Culture and Sustainability
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Abstract
Background: Nowadays, a growing number of people trust the Internet to buy new products and services as they are able to conduct online research before they make a purchase and find the best deals. The challenge for hotel businesses is the ensureness of an effective online service environment to meet customer needs and expectations, since they are more informed, connected and demanding. The main goal of this study is to investigate the preferences of online hotel customers on service quality and their purchase intentions. Methods: The sample consisted of 540 internet users who had visited a hotel webpage in less than one year, 260 of whom were men (48%) and 280 women (52%), and their age ranged from 20 to 64 years old (Μ = 35, SD = 9.9). Data collection was performed through an electronic questionnaire, which was based on WebQual of Loiacono et al. (2007). The results: According to the responses of online users, significant differences were identified between browsers and purchasers in the quality dimensions of usefulness and complementary relationship, as well as in purchase intentions. The reason of hotel booking and the source of information also significantly influenced the perceived quality of customers. Greater level of satisfaction was found in high experienced online purchasers who conduct frequently online purchases. Correspondingly, purchase intentions were found to be affected only by the frequency of online purchases. Finally, a positive strong correlation was found between the overall perceived quality and purchase intentions. Conclusions: The results of this study are considered important for the hotel industry, providing valuable information about the particular needs and motives at a level of their quality preferences in an online hotel environment as well as their purchase intentions. Therefore, hotels need to place their emphasis in the customization of their websites, in order to provide high quality customer service experience.