An analysis of the impact of reviews on the hotel industry

Abstract

Background:Technology has changed the face of the hospitality industry; a great example is the online reviews, which have become a critical facet of consideration during the hotel booking decision. In the past similar research have been conducted which elaborate on the transition from traditional word of mouth to the electronic word of mouth. While some researchers have tried to bridge the gap between the hotel’s resolutions to a negative experience to what the guest wants. However, very few have researched on how to effectively manage the increasing online reviews and how to tackle online reputation on travel portals such as Trip advisor. Through this research we have attempted to evaluate the impact of the increasing online reviews and further, this research is to analyze the attitude of the hotels that use modern software’s to reduce the negative impact on hotel bookings.Methods: To fulfill this research, a mixed method approach is used, a combination of qualitative tools such as semi-structured interviews and quantitative tools such as survey questionnaires. The travelers ascertained that the reviews are a critical factor they considered while booking a hotel room through these questionnaires and interviews. They also highlighted on the impact of the recovery process to a negative experience and how does it affect the hotel bookings. While interviews conducted gave the hotel’s insight to online reviews and how they are overcoming it.Conclusion:.This current research examines the relationship of these two factors and provides implications for academics and hotelier’s, while it will also contribute to future research on similar topics.