tvision on the quality of websites and their effects on the intention of use and recommendation of tourism services for different levels of consumer experience

Abstract

Purpose: The expansion of e-commerce contributes a considerable portion to the revenues of large companies in the tourism sector. Modern companies must employ web-based tools, offering the best experience to users, in order to satisfy their consumers and boost their business. Therefore, with this study, we seek to analyze the factors that contribute to ratings of quality for websites for online tourism services in terms of the intention to use and to recommend for different levels of consumer experience. Method: The survey was a sample of 437 valid questionnaires, using a structured collection instrument with 22 assertions on a Likert scale, based on the WEBQUAL 4.0 scale, and two assertions based on the proposed scale for the Net Promoter Score (NPS). The models used were Reichheld and Markey (2012) and Ahmad and Khan (2017). Results: As a result, we verified that a predominance of users employs online tourism services infrequently, which allowed us to establish a differentiation between two groups: Low Experience and High Experience. Theoretical contributions: The study indicates that for those who use the sites more frequently, the considered variables (ease, information, safety) have no effect on loyalty and recommendation. Among the less frequent users, information is important, and safety has little effect on the recommendation. Therefore, we found that the respondents of this research study do not consider ease of use as a premise for the continuity of use or recommendation of online tourism services, regardless of their previous level of experience. Managerial contributions: Identifying the antecedents of the intention to use online services in the tourism consumption process makes it possible for managers to improve actions on digital platforms. This is a way to encourage users to execute commercial transactions. Social contributions: Low relevance for website security is an issue that arises from the results obtained in this study. Although this phenomenon can partially be explained by the (low) age of the respondents, there is an opportunity for regulatory and consumer protection agencies to take measures to ensure that the minimum safety requirements are present in online tour operators.