Role of Online Travel Advices on Hotel Service Purchase Decision "Analysis Study of Damascus 5-star Hotels' Guest Reviews on TripAdvisor"

Abstract

In the Field of Hospitality & Tourism; purchasing decision is difficult to take due to the intangible nature of the product which reduces the ability to recognize the quality of the product and its relevance to the guest needs. However, the technological revolution led to reduce its difficulties and risks; for instance, online travel platforms which makes the communication between travelers much easier with the ability to share their experiences, reviews, ratings & travel advices. The study aims to discover and determine the role of (Online Travel Advices, Hotel Guest Reviews & Ratings) on making 5 star hotel service purchase decision; in order to achieve this objective, the descriptive approach was adopted using an electronic survey in both languages (English & Arabic); (261) respondents answered the survey from different cultures. The analysis has been done using software "Statistical Group for Social Sciences (SPSS V.24) in addition to content analysis for travelers reviews on TripAdvisor about Damascus 5 star hotels to discover their satisfaction about its services.

As a result of the study there are significant role of the independent variables (Travel Advices, Guest Reviews, Guest Rating) on the dependent variable (Purchase Decision). On the other hand the result of content analysis shows good satisfaction levels about Damascus 5 star hotels services. However, Boutique Hotels in Damascus have higher level of guest satisfaction in comparison with Business Hotels, but results about satisfaction levels vary according to traveler type on TripAdvisor.

At the end of the research, several recommendations were presented to activate the marketing role of online travel platforms in addition to some future research recommendations.