E-WOM through the prism of socio-demographic analysis of users of tourist services

Abstract

Objectives:Interpersonal influence and word-of-mouth communication represent the most important sources of information used in the purchase decision process. This form of communication has a special role and importance in tourism due to the intangible nature of products offered in this market. With the advancement in information technologies an increasing number of consumers - users of tourist services use the Internet to obtain information about a tourist destination and, at the same time, share their experiences with other consumers. In this way online interpersonal influence and electronic word-of-mouth communication are realized. The aim of this paper is to examine whether there are any significant differences in the electronic word-of-mouth effects and generation by consumers - users of tourist services in relation to their socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, and education). Methodology: The sample included 228 respondents from the province of Vojvodina. The method of cross-tabulation was applied in order to test the hypotheses. Implications/results: Survey results provide tourism marketers with a more detailed insight into the behavior of users of tourist services with respect to their socio-demographic characteristics. Contribution: This paper contributes to further theoretical elaboration of the current phenomenon of electronic word-ofmouth in terms of explaining it through the prism of causes and effects.