Online review helpfulness: the moderating effects of review comprehensiveness

Purpose The length of stay (LoS) is of major importance from the perspective of the management of tourist destinations. As tourists heavily rely on the online reviews of other travelers as a primary information source, this study aims to empirically examine how the LoS can influence the online reviews for hotels, with special emphasis on the textual review content. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzes online review data collected from Booking.com by using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program to operationalize review depth, analytical thinking and the authenticity reflected in customer reviews. Based on the analyzed data, this study used a series of regression analyses to understand the impacts of the LoS on online reviews. Findings The author’s analysis found that a longer stay at a hotel causes consumers to be more likely to post online reviews that not only include a numerical rating as well as written content but also lengthier and more detailed descriptions of their hotel experiences. Further analysis found that the LoS at hotels causes systematic differences in the linguistic attributes of the review content. Specifically, consumers who stay longer tend to write reviews with more analytical information, resulting in consumers perceiving the online reviews as more authentic. Research limitations/implications Although the LoS has been considered a significant issue in tourism, studies examining the impact of different lengths of stay on consumers’ post-purchase behaviors are limited. In this light, the author’s findings demonstrate how the LoS can change the linguistic attributes of online reviews. It expands the body of knowledge of the LoS in tourism. Originality/value This study represents the first attempt to empirically examine and reveal how the different length of stay at a hotel systemically influences consumer review-posting behaviors.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the length of stay at hotels on online reviews

Kim

Han²

2022

“…There is broad scholarly consensus that information-search is among the most effective strategies used by individuals to reduce their uncertainty in the decision-making process and attain a sense of security prior to travel (Jonas and Mansfeld, 2017; Liu and Hu, 2021). As consumers form their perceptions of safety out of the information they obtain, their perceived safety depends on how they evaluate that information (Xie et al , 2021) and in this regard there are studies empirically demonstrating the effect of information on tourist perceived safety (Liu-Lastres et al , 2019; Liu et al , 2016a; Xie et al , 2021; Zou and Meng, 2020).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tourists’ information literacy self-efficacy: its role in their adaptation to the “new normal” in the hotel context

Peco-Torres

Peña

Frías‐Jamilena

2021

Purpose This study aims to determine whether the consumer’s information literacy self-efficacy plays a role in their intention to resume their consumption of tourist services – specifically, hotel accommodation – in the context of the “new normal” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative empirical study is performed on hotel accommodation consumers and a structural equation modeling analysis is used to verify the proposed relationships. Findings The findings reveal that the tourist’s information literacy self-efficacy – their ability to find the information they need, use it efficiently and discount fake news – positively influences their perception of hotel safety; and perceived hotel safety increases tourist intention to return to consuming hotel services. Practical implications The results show how the consumer’s intention to return to using hotel services can be enhanced because of their management of information, especially in a crisis context. Hotel firms must position the provision of safety information at the heart of their marketing and communications strategies, and adapt this information to the different processing capabilities of consumers. Social implications This study provides valuable insights into the hotel industry – a major contributor to gross domestic product and employment worldwide that is being particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 crisis. Originality/value This study represents an advance in the literature as it demonstrates – as a novelty – the vital role of consumer information literacy self-efficacy in encouraging people to begin visiting hotels again in the “new normal.”

“…User-generated content (UGC) on social media platforms has recently become an important source of customer behavior in hospitality and tourism research, especially in lodging services (Tsai et al , 2020; Wang et al , 2022), restaurant services (Lee et al , 2021; Li et al , 2020; Liu and Hu, 2021; Pezenka and Weismayer, 2020) and tourism destination contexts (Gour et al , 2021; Taecharungroj and Mathayomchan, 2019). Numerous studies on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) have revealed the importance of UGC in customer decision-making (Chakraborty, 2019; Sparks et al , 2013; Tsai et al , 2020; Zhang et al , 2019).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Michelin effect exist? An empirical study on the effects of Michelin stars

Bang

Kyuwan

Kim

2022

Purpose Receiving Michelin stars is considered an effective marketing tool and a prestigious certification in the restaurant industry. However, the direct effects of Michelin stars on restaurant performance remain unclear. To bridge this gap, this study aims to empirically validate the “Michelin effect” on the consumption values of restaurant patrons before and after receiving Michelin stars. Design/methodology/approach The data, collected from OpenTable, consist of over 160,000 reviews written for 218 restaurants, including 109 Michelin-starred (treatment group) and 109 nonstarred restaurants (control group). The authors measure perceived consumption value using the collected user-generated review data. The authors estimate fixed-effect difference-in-differences regressions to validate the Michelin effect. Findings Michelin stars enhance social, hedonic and service quality values, which are nonfunctional values. However, no significant effects on functional consumption values, such as economic, food quality and ambience quality values, are observed, even though Michelin stars are pure awards for kitchen performance. Practical implications Michelin stars can be an effective marketing tool for fine-dining restaurants because customers consider emotional and nonfunctional benefits such as hedonic and social values, which are more important than functional benefits such as food value. Furthermore, Michelin effects are heterogeneous depending on the number of stars awarded, price range and customers’ gastronomic involvement. These offer a strong rationale for monitoring social media, which may help managers better understand their customers and improve their performance. Originality/value This study extends the current literature on the Michelin effect by quantifying consumption values using user-generated review data. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study offers the first empirical evidence that directly validates the Michelin effect.