How online reviews influence tourism destination choice: An analysis of the Irish market

Prabha, Nikhil (2019) How online reviews influence tourism destination choice: An analysis of the Irish market. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

Word of mouth (WOM), is one of the theories to still hold importance in the present world. The theory has been noticed, observed and applied in various industries by numerous academic researchers. Even though WOM has undergone change due to technology and the inception of the internet, the principle meaning has still remained the same. Word of mouth has shifted from traditional to electronic word of mouth or e-WOM. Furthermore, the meaning of the theory remains the same but the platform through which it is passed is different with e-WOM being shared electronically with the help of the internet. One of the main methods through which e-WOM is passed is through online reviews. The tourism sector is a great avenue to conduct research on e-WOM and online review solely due to the intangible products offered in the sector making it difficult to evaluate prior to consumption. Hence, the main purpose of the research project is to investigate the influence of online reviews on tourism destination choice with regards to the Irish market.

In order to gain further understanding, a conceptual framework was used called the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and was adopted to find out the intention of the tourists to travel to Ireland. The three antecedents (attitudes towards visiting the destination, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control), were employed to find out the intention to travel to Ireland.

The research methodology used for the research was descriptive, quantitative research through web survey provided the researcher with measurable and quantifiable data. Finally, the researcher found online reviews and antecedents of TPB to have a positive and a direct impact on the intention to travel to Ireland.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > Electronic Commerce H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > Specific Industries > Tourism Industry
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Science in Marketing
Depositing User:	Caoimhe Ní Mhaicín
Date Deposited:	24 Oct 2019 14:25
Last Modified:	24 Oct 2019 14:25
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/4046

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