A retrospective view of electronic word-of-mouth in hospitality and tourism management

Abstract

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to review the impact electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has had on the hospitality and tourism industry and to discuss changes that will affect its future. The paper's touchpoint is our earlier paper (Litvin et al., 2008), which proposed that eWOM was to become a major influence as a conduit of travelers' views and opinions. Design/methodology/approach-The article summarizes arguments in our earlier paper, describing ways in which eWOM has evolved into the influential system it has become, with special emphasis on the growth of mobile media as a platform for eWOM dissemination. Findings-We conclude that eWOM has fulfilled its promise to become a major influence on the hospitality and tourism industry and will continue to play an essential role in hospitality marketing for the foreseeable future. Practical implications-We provide examples of successful media campaigns and propose strategies for hospitality and tourism businesses under the categories. Originality/value-eWOM has emerged to become a highly influential element of modern marketing strategy. This look back at an early eWOM article, with reflection on changes that ELECTRONIC WORD-OF-MOUTH IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT REVISITED

The influence of website quality on consumer’s e-loyalty through the mediating role of e-trust and e-satisfaction: An evidence from online shopping in Vietnam

“…Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is a new form of online WOM communication in the new digital era (Yang, 2017). According to Litvin, Goldsmith, and Pan (2018), eWOM "as all informal communication via the Internet addressed to consumers and related to the use or characteristics of goods or services or the sellers thereof". Abubakar, Ilkan, and Sahin (2016) stated that "eWOM has taken on a special importance with the emergence of online platforms, which have made it one of the most influential information sources on the Web".…”

Tourists' emotional changes and eWOM behavior on social media and integrated tourism websites

“…Social media platforms facilitate tourists digitizing and sharing knowledge, emotions, and experiential moments far more often than and to more people in the past (Jacobsen & Munar, ; Munar, ; Nezakati et al, ). The moments, travel journals, notes, blogs, and comments that tourists generate online during travel can be called electronic word of mouth (eWOM; Bronner & de Hoog, ; Harris & Prideaux, ; Litvin, Goldsmith, & Pan, ; Kim, Lee, Shin, & Yang, ). Research shows that eWOM can provide substantive information support for tourists' decision‐making and destination marketing (Jacobsen & Munar, ; Sparks & Browning, ).…”

Attributes That Contribute to Guest Satisfaction: A Comparative Study of Reviews Posted on BOOKING.COM and on Airbnb’s Platform

“…Word-of-mouth (WOM) plays an important role in tourism marketing [27], especially because of the intangible nature of the industry [30], [54]. A tourism product cannot be returned in case of customer dissatisfaction the same way as a pair of shoes can; therefore travelers need to know in advance whether or not this product corresponds to their needs and expectations.…”